Greatwater Lake Lose a little guard, let it down.

Despite his promise to himself that he would forget about Kayi and move on with his life, he dreamed of her that night and found himself sorely disappointed to wake with a start and realise that he was entirely alone. Frustrated, confused and unsure what to think, the young Imperii-d'Erom pulled himself onto his paws and turned away from the hollow he'd used to rest within. He grumbled inwardly as he meandered in no particular destination, ears slick against the unkempt obsidian fur of his nape as his tangerine gaze lingered on the frosted earth beneath him with Kayi at the forefront of his wary mind.

"But..." he stalled, trying to swallow words that he knew he'd regret. Or would he? Would he regret not saying them? She lifted her lovely doe eyes then, glassy with sadness at the realisation that regardless of what either party said, their relationship would be forever changed. Arrakis stared at her, uncertain. His heart rose to take residence in his throat and he closed his mouth, urging himself to turn away. But he could not. His gaze met hers and he felt his muscles slacken, and before he could even piece his response to her rejection in his head, the statement was forming on his tongue and pouring with ease from his lips omfg stop Arrakis you imbecile! "But I love you, Kayi."

The memory plagued him, and Arry shook his head as he breathed an exasperated sigh. He looked around him, searching through the darkness for another object of his focus, and spotted the glimmer of moonlight on water's surface. He veered toward the lake, which roused a thirst that he wasn't aware of, and he flicked his salmon tongue across his rugged upper lip in anticipation. As he drew near to the edge, however, he found much of it to be frozen and he tentatively rose a forelimb to test the ice with his paw for weak spots. Unsure that it could hold his bodyweight, he strode forward a few feet and listened carefully for any sign of cracking but found nothing.

He looked longingly out at the gentle ripples of pallid light on the water, knowing that he would be foolish to venture that far out simply to drink.

 

It had been few days since Wraen had left Moonspear's borders - busy with working towards her hunter's trade and having numerous little adventures daily, therefore setting out and leaving the company of others behind, was a very welcome change. At first she intended to visit Bramblepoint to check upon her secret hide-out (and maybe, just maybe run into that very nice wolf Tambourine), but then an enticing whiff of smells and sound of grouse drew her to Heartwood. 

It was located further away, but the trails were fresh, therefore it would have been shameful to leave them unchecked. Nose to the ground, tracking and following various scent trails she walked accross the fields, entered the forest and eventually came to a frozen river. Being about to cross the ice, she withdrew, when an inner sense told that something was amiss. However, this knowledge had escaped another person, which she saw standing on the ice few feet away from her. "Hey!" Wraen called out to the daredevil. "That's not the safest thing to do."

Could you edit? This is set before Arry meets the Blackthorn sisters, which happens before he meets Terance. Sorry, it messes his threadlog to forward date it. We could have a "hey I remember you" thread after Arry joins the group?  :)

A raven ear rotated back as an unfamiliar voice broke the quiet, and the movement of his copper-tipped crown promptly followed. He settled his bright eyes on the features of a young wolfess, who piped up in unusual concern for a stranger; had he been in her position, he probably would've passed on. Arrakis lashed his tail in gratitude and made to turn toward her, careful on the ice to prevent himself from slipping.

"I know," he said softly with mild embarassment, creeping to the lake's frozen edge where he could step with more confidence onto the shore. "I wasn't gonna go, I was just... looking for water that isn't solid." He rolled a shoulder, awkward, and glanced almost longingly out at the distant shimmer of the water's surface. His tongue slipped past his dry lips, attempting to soothe them with a nervous sweep. 

His gaze found the she-wolf's ashen features once more, seeking the soft jade of her eyes. "I'm Arrakis," he offered, this time with a small smile. "I didn't mean to spook you."

If one was thirsty, then looking for the unsolid part in the middle of the river did not seem like a very sane idea. Not only would you find, what you were looking for, you would probably break through and drown. She conveniently forgot the fact that she had done her share of stupid and dangerous things as well. But, once the stranger was out and away from the danger, Wraen shoved all worries and doubts aside. 

"If you are thirsty, there were some open streams by the lake," Wraen offered. "Wraen The Dragonhunter," she introduced herself. Ever since Bernard had mistaken her blunder "Re... nevermind" as her family name, she had taken liking to adjust her surname to the occasion. "So - as such - it would take a lot more to give me chills."

They conversed a little longer on the subject of dragonhunting and some trivial matters and then their paths parted.