Phoenix Maplewood oh, if the sky comes falling down

｜Late Afternoon｜Overcast｜Light Snow｜

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the tempuratures had risen, the polar votrex abated. the woman travelled northward, and though she had wished to travel south, as she suspected a few of her past to have disappeared to, something drew her to the northern reaches of this Teekon. the sunrise drew her charcoal gaze as the north had drawn her form, and her optics lingered on the fire behind the mountains in the distance, how beautiful they were.  The sky was clouded, and as she loped between the trees, soft snow begun it's slow descent, drifting betwixt the branches above. 

she paused, gaze searching the trees and scenting the air, every wary. it was foolish not to be in these lands, so new and forgein. hunger had been sated a day ago, though thirst was not a being quieted as easily. thirst pulled her in the direction of the nearest stream, which was but a faint roar in the distance. she trecked ever onward, a ghost amongst the snow, daring not delay, for she wished to reach the water before the sun gave to the darkness and the world was cast in night.

---

Eden had made a point of patroling the lands near her glacier, watching out for potential intruders and recruits alike. As her feet padded through the snow, more of the small flakes landing on her snout, she spotted a blanche femme in the distance. Immediately, she made her approach, barking a sort of greeting once they were close enough to properly hear each other. Hello, she called, How are you faring? It was common courtesy to wonder about another's well-being, especially after the storm that'd just hit the Wilds. Eden sat back on her haunches and curled her tail around her paws in a demure fashion as she waited for the other's response.

---

there came a bark, and her paws stilled, charcoal orbs moving quickly to find the source of the greeting. she was vigilant, ruff prickling ever so slightly and ears pricked, as her gaze landed upon a woman, pale and slight. she did not know her reason for approach, nor her intentions, and thus, even after words had left the woman's maw and faded into the still air, she did not follow suit, not when the other sat demurely in the fashion of one who was totally comfortable with the current situation, an act that the woman thought to be perhaps foolish; for she could very well turn out to be a murderer, and the woman was made slow in her current stance.

none the less, her question ought to be answered, and after a pause she did so. "Well." she answered, words wrapped in an accent that she could not distangle from her speech and was of no mind to. she knew very litte of the common tongue in the south, only what had been taught to her by a learned elder. her head she canted in the slightest to the side, gaze questioning, still making no move to seat herself.

Eden could tell that the other was analyzing the situation thoroughly, though it was of no importance to her. Instead of returning the response with an outward exam of her own, Eden remained seated and allowed the sylph to investigate through and through. Her nose twitched slightly but her eyes remained posted on the woman, eye contact never waning. You aren't one for conversation, are you? She gave a teasing smile, though no real threat or insult lay within her words. Do you have a name? If the woman had a name and even the slightest bit of potential, then Eden was prepared to give her a home as well.

---

she did not know what to think of the woman, who treated her as if she were a packmate, or one close to her. did she have no wariness? was she so confident that she felt such behaviour to be commonplace? or perhaps arrogant, or foolish, or simply a familiarity and trust between the wolves of this land. or, perhaps, she was merely over analyzing everything. 

it was not so much that she was not a talker, but moreso that this woman, with her words and brightness and familiarity, she had never met before. and she did not warm up quite as quickly to a complete stranger as the woman seemed to think she ought to. the huntress regarded her, and after a moment, merely stated, "Yes." she did, in fact, own a name, yet still unerved, in the slightest, by this all too friendly woman. Yet after a moment, deciding it would be for naught to keep it from the other, she added simply, "Ahnah." It was a name not known here, in these lands, not yet.

Ahnah, Eden repeated, glad that they were getting somewhere, I am Eden. If you are looking for shelter, my pack isn't far. They had food and a place for the woman to sleep, if only in exchange for her skills. I rule a Republic alongside my mate; we are looking for new members. She wondered what Ahnah would think of the offer, though should she choose to decline, there would be no reason for the conversation to continue any longer than it had.

ah, there it was. the reason for her sudden approach, her friendlyness. she was forward with her suggestion, her offer for a home was quick and ready. which led her to believe that their Republic was short in terms of members, for why would it's leader be out here, in the cold, approaching her at seemingly random. Ahnah had very little interest in being a subordinate, and even less so in a pack that had it's leader's inviting memebers based only on a conversation that had yet to provide anything of interest to one another.

and yet, she decided to humour the woman, for here was a chance of information, and she would not turn that chance away for naught. "Republic?" she echoed, question glinting in her gaze, watching the other neutrally, though seeing that the chance that this woman may pose a threat was slim, her stance had eased, though not yet would she sit.

It was obvious to Eden the game which Ahnah wished to play; a natural born leader, Eden was no idiot. She smiled warmly at the other's repetition, though her eyes remained focused on body movements in the moment. A Republic, yes. We are small but we can offer you what you may be looking for. Do you have any skills? They had enough caregivers where it stood, Eden included. What they lacked was a strong line of defense, and from the looks of it, Ahnah would easily be able to help with that.

"I do" came her reply, as she looked to the other woman. "but not to offer you.". her words were less so cold, but more factual, straight to the point. the woman was not what she searched for in a leader, even if she should be searching for one- which, at least for now, she was not. thus, she turned with the intent to leave- perhaps to return soon, and find out if the Republic still stood.