Firestone Hot Springs Darkfall

All welcome.

It was a decidedly muggy day—having rained much of the morning and early afternoon—but the air felt even thicker here. Koontz trotted slowly into the bog, her silvery tail bumping against the back of her hind legs as she explored the territory that bordered the plateau she now claimed with her newfound pack. Her dark nose wriggled and she kept her eyes peeled for anything of interest. There was much to see and smell in an exotic place like this.

Although the hour wasn't that late yet, an overcast day quickly faded toward twilight. A thick darkness cloaked the springs and Koontz seemed to fade into them, save for her pale, ghostly eyes. Undeterred by the failing light, she continued her exploration, stopping every now and then to sniff at the ground. A strange and unpleasant odor—it reminded her of her mother's frequent flatulence—seemed to be seeping out of the earth, yet she could not find its source and it intrigued the young she-wolf.

The night was cooler than the day; one of several reasons she chose to travel at night compared to the day. It took a lot of effort to stay awake and even more effort to sleep during the day, for it was not what her body was meant for but she could not find it in herself to switch back to the way of the norm. The night was more comforting and had little interaction. Most things she was able to do, anyway, so it was not interfering in things she needed. When it had fallen, she stirred to find the darkness surrounded her. An old abandoned den had been a temporary dwelling the last few days and she found herself parched, mouth dry and painful.

Key shook her fur quickly, shaking particles from her coat and destroying the peace that enveloped her. Her grey eyes blinked a few times, adjusting quickly. A scent caught her nose, though, as she walked and through the darkness she saw a shape illuminated by the dark sky. Her nose wrinkled at the smell but she moved, making a circle as the wind blew down against her. She contemplated her next move but did little except move a few feet forward, remaining parallel to the female.

Despite her efforts, Koontz simply could not identify the source of the smell. Eventually, she stopped and let out a long, low breath, accepting defeat. She then lifted her head, ears quivering as she looked upward at the plateau looming overhead. The sight of it filled her with a strange sense of joy and she felt a howl bubbling deep inside her chest, readying to scuttle up her throat and pour into the night...

Before a sound could escape her, a noise in the night made Koontz swallow the howl and turn. Although her gray fur bristled slightly and her tail stiffened, she otherwise did not assume a dominant stance. For starters, this was not her territory. For another, Koontz wasn't the overbearingly assertive type anyway. Out here in no man's land, she wouldn't posture; she would simply adapt whatever pose was necessary given the situation.

Eyes the color of sea ice plucked a shape out of the darkness, which eventually took on more detail as she stared at it. The silhouette belonged to a wolf and, even in the lackluster light, Koontz could make out a typical agouti pelt. Briefly, her eyes touched the other's—they were a shining gray—before Koontz let her gaze drift sideways. She did not seek to pose or field a challenge.

When the other didn't speak after a few beats, Koontz said softly, "Hello." Her tail twitched, indicating her benign intentions, and she made a conscientious effort to smooth her prickled fur flat again. Her ears tipped forward, giving her a more approachable, amiable air. "I'm Koontz, from Flightless—from Dragonwatchers," she corrected herself mid-sentence with an amused cough. The tip of her tail waved once more. "Who're you?"

Flightless? she mused quietly as she stared at the wolf once she had been spotted. Key was not too surprised by the action but it was not what she had been going for. Koontz had spoken up, introduced herself, and announced where she was from. The correction of her home made her wonder, for she only recognized the name associated with something she wasn't entirely keen about. "Flightless dragon watchers?" she decided to question before anything else.

"I'm..." Fiona? "Key." she introduced a moment later, flipping the thought from her mind. The moment was dark and clouded her judgement but she did not let that linger for long.

Her stumble seemed to confuse the other wolf. Koontz chuckled and replied, "No, sorry. I was from Flightless Falcons—that's my parents' pack—but I'm from Dragonwatchers now. Dragonwatchers is my pack," she clarified with a hint of pride. "My friend, Ariston, is the Alpha and I am his Beta," she added modestly. "We only just established ourselves at the plateau right above us."

Wetting her lips, Koontz regarded Key for a moment, trying to memorize her face and her scent in spite of the darkness. "It's nice to meet you, Key," she said after a beat. "Do you live around here?" She and Ariston had done a cursory sweep of the region and hadn't found any evidence of other wolf packs, yet it wouldn't surprise her if they'd missed them. Actually, it would surprise her if there weren't other packs nearby, as Koontz figured that this land could easily support a handful of them with little direct competition.

The memory crashed into her. Her ears went down against her skull as she thought about it. It was not often she ran into wolves that... had some sort of connection to her. She recalled the area Flightless Falcons had been in and that she had learned the fate of her true home. The woman looked away and focused on a shadow of a shrub. "I have been to a place called Flightless Falcons," she said, hesitantly. She had not anticipated speaking this much when she had just wanted to slip away but it did not stop her from turning her weight and taking a few more steps toward the woman.

Key kept a comfortable distance away, perhaps still awkward for conversation, but it was enough for her. "It was near the ocean," she mused as a thought. She couldn't help but wonder, though, if it were the same place.

Her head shook to the question with the simple answer of no; she could not recall the last time she'd be able to answer that question.

Koontz tilted her head when she noticed Key's ears flatten. Then her gray eyes fell, almost sadly. Black lips parted as if to ask a question, though the former Nebulosa didn't know what she intended to say. She waited for the agouti wolf to speak instead, her pale eyes widening slightly at the unexpected news of Key's familiarity with Flightless Falcons.

"Oh, really?" Koontz wondered if there was any possibility that there was more than one pack by that name somewhere out there. Key eradicated any doubt by mentioning its location by the seaside. She laughed lightly, almost as if in disbelief. "They're one and the same then. When were you there? Did you stay?" Key didn't look that old, though she could have easily come and gone before Koontz's birth just over a year ago.

She hadn't overlooked the fact that Key had shaken her head no when asked if she lived nearby. Koontz wondered what that might mean and decided she would question her about it after they mutually reminisced about the Flightless Falcons. In the meantime, she waved her tail encouragingly when Key moved closer, her demeanor still neutral but inviting.

I accidentally made my coke into a slushie. :(

Key offered a soft sort of hum in contemplation. Koontz had mentioned it was her parents pack and she wondered if it was the same woman that had it before, since the beginning, and she didn't doubt it to be the case. If so, Koontz was her... something or other. She could barely remember how she was related to March Owl in the first place, or at least assumed to be. The connections were lost somewhere; she had a hard time recalling her immediate family sometimes, except for her brother. Chakra played across her once in a while but for now, he was gone too. "It was a long time ago and I did not stay, but I knew the leader. We are related somehow. I think. Distantly," she mused. The fact she was forced to remember so suddenly bothered her, and the fact that she could not pull it up to really make sense of it.

"I knew her from our old home, actually, where we were born," she said and tenderly thought of the Hollow, of Curran, of her mother and father. It stung, still, even to this day, that things had fallen apart so easily and she was the only piece to have never been put back in its place. "March Owl," she said, eyes focusing on the younger wolf. It would have been questioned, she was sure, and so she skipped it, wondering if this was some offspring of the other.

You've made a terrible wonderful mistake!

Pale eyes brightened at the mention of a possible relation. "If you're related to the leaders there, you're related to me," she said with excited interest. Although she'd ventured away from Seahawk Valley to make her own way, she nonetheless enjoyed making connections out here and wanted to pursue this one.

She intuited, however, that Key very much didn't want to dwell on it. Although this made Koontz all the more curious, she decided it could wait until another time. In any case, Key had said that they were related somehow, distantly, I think, which probably meant she didn't know much more anyway. It would be useless to try to prod more details out of her.

Ready to drop the subject and query about Key's living arrangements, Koontz opened her mouth only to shut it with a click when Key mentioned the connection again after all. "March Owl is my mother," Koontz said forthrightly, though she'd already heavily implied as much. "It's neat that we're connected like this," she added simply.

"You said you don't live around here," the yearling pointed out after a suitable pause, in which she smoothly shifted gears. "Where do you live then?" she queried softly, stopping short of offering her distant relative a home.

Neat.

She mused on the word but found that it was unimpressive she had met the woman. Key felt nothing toward her—not in a negative way, by any means, but simply no sort of connection. There was not a burst of sudden unconditional love for the female. She was still merely a stranger, related or otherwise, but she was thankful it was not pressed for more information. Key didn't know how much she had to offer without bringing up the past, something she worked awfully hard to get away from.

"I... don't live anywhere, really," she explained with a flick of her ear. They cupped forward, relaxing a little, but Key felt very awkward in front of the woman; especially with the new information brought to light. "I have not lived anywhere in a long time," she said. Her last home consisted of some mix between the Persian home and Snakeheart, an experience she wished to wash from her mind and forget about. "I will sometimes stay with a pack or tribe in exchange for something. I often find myself with them during breeding season or when someone has been hurt significantly. I have extensive knowledge of medicine and things of that nature. I offer myself to them, for a price of food or something I might need," she explained. Key didn't know what she had spoken so much so quickly but the interrogation pushed her forward.

Before Key even answered her, Koontz knew she would extend the offer. When the agouti she-wolf revealed a penchant for healing, this only solidified the Beta's decision. One thing did give her pause, however: she worried that she could not count upon Key to remain loyal and stay with the pack. Although she supposed it wouldn't hurt them too badly to house Key temporarily in exchange for her services, Koontz didn't want her pack to feature a revolving door. When she took in members, she wanted to keep them.

"Would you ever consider a permanent residence?" Koontz questioned. "We have room at Dragonwatchers, especially for those with skills like yours," she continued. "If you're open to it, I'd like to invite you to live there. We can provide you with a good home, a family." Feeling that that was enough of a push—she wasn't a salesperson by nature—Koontz fell silent, her wintry eyes betraying a certain hopefulness.

I had this written up hours ago and just as I finished, the power went out. It's still out where I'm supposed to be staying but I left for a while because it was hot and boring. :|

She recalled the woman mentioned herself as a Beta and the moment she started speaking, she wasn't sure what to do. Key had been in the area a few days, traveling from one end to the other. Taking up a permanent residence had often crossed her mind but she had never been able to. Places that she stayed for an extended period of time, she couldn't leave fast enough. The security of safety and satiating her hunger was not enough to keep her in one place. She wanted to finish her job and continue on. Many had asked her to stay, but for the most part they were content with her departure. It contract had ended and she was not one to linger.

Key couldn't help but wonder if it was offered because of their heritage. They were related somehow; did she feel pity for her? Her grey eyes narrowed in on the silver female as she offered a good home and family. "I appreciate it," she said with a slight dip of her head. "I do not think I would be ideal for your home, I have not stayed anywhere too long. I have been traveling since before I was a year old," she explained. She did not know if she would ever call a place home that did not include Sleepy Fox Hollow. Hickory Stream Woods had been so much of a stretch. Even the home Arsenio had claimed once they found Jubilee had felt so... foreign, surrounded by her family.

"I could offer to teach someone a few things, though. I could stay for a while, build up your supplies and things before winter comes," she offered, hoping it was better than nothing. It wouldn't hurt too much if she lingered around the pack for a while.

I know those feels. My power was out for several hours a few weeks ago. I went out to a bar for something to do, lol.

Koontz noticed Key's eyes narrow and didn't know what to make of it, though she assumed it didn't mean anything good. The young Beta felt a small jab of disappointment when Key declined her offer, though she appreciated her honesty. Perhaps another wolf would push, trying to drive the sale home. Koontz simply wasn't interested in trying to persuade the reluctant to join her pack. It just wasn't in her nature, which was one of the reasons Koontz had opted to take on a supporting role rather than the Alpha status offered to her.

After a pause, in which Koontz pondered how to respond, Key said something else: she offered to stay long enough to teach them and help with their supplies before winter came. This offer was met with a furrowed brow. She didn't know what Ariston would make of a deal like this, though that wasn't what bothered Koontz. She swallowed and shifted her weight, now considering a wholly different rejoinder.

At last, she said, "I appreciate the offer. I don't know if the Alpha—his name is Ariston—would want members on a temp basis." She pursed her lips, then gave voice to her more pressing concern: "But why would you leave right when winter comes? That would be the worst time to leave the safety of a pack. I know you said you've travelled but I would think that, if ever there's a time to stay with a pack, winter would be it." Her icy eyes roved inquisitively over Key's face.

It sucked. I went to my apartment for a while; the power was on there. I came back to the house I'm pet sitting after midnight and the power was still out and didn't come back until after 2AM. x_x

The offer was left in the balance, without a solid answer, and Key understood for the most part. It was further led into question about her habits of traveling and when she would leave; she didn't have an idea when she would have left the Dragonwatchers if the offer was taken but she knew she would be alone for some of the winter, if all, or any. The question was asked of her many times by wolves of the packs she came across or had left; many tried to be her friend but she did not linger on them long. It was just better for her if she left everything behind without a second glance.

"I would not stay longer than I needed to. I would go when someone was capable of knowledge or at least well versed with the herbs I left behind. As for why I would leave during that time, I do not have a good answer for you. I never take the possibility of staying out of the equation but nothing has ever really... felt like it was where I was meant to be," she explained. She defied odds since wolves were social and pack creatures. Since she was young she had not developed that need after alienating herself from her experiences, her friends and family, and everything between.

"I will stay in the area for a few days if you want to speak to your Alpha about the offer; it's not a one time only sort of thing. Should he not... take it, that is okay. I can show you a thing or two—herbs that grow in your area so you have a little bit. If you want, I mean," she offered. It was a small offer and would not take long to point a few things out and their purposes in dire need. "And if I change my mind, I will let you know," she told her and offered a smile, trying to relax. She didn't know if that would be the case but she supposed it wouldn't hurt to linger on the thought a while.

Yeah, mine didn't come back on until late either. I felt so lost without electricity/technology, lol.

Key gave her a vague, ambiguous answer, though Koontz didn't judge her for it. She felt that the offer was being given in good faith and that Key was just being realistic about what could be expected of her. The young Redleaf-DiSarinno did wonder if the Dragonwatchers could be the exception for Key, if she gave them a chance. Yet she didn't linger on that notion.

The agouti she-wolf mentioned that she would be in the area for a few days, giving Koontz time to present the whole idea to Ariston. "All right, fair enough," came the Beta's eventual reply. "It's not a bad offer at all. I'm sure we can learn a lot from you. I'll tell Ariston as soon as I see him. Will you be within howling range? If you stick close to here, we can reach you easily," she hinted, for the spring literally lay at the foot of the plateau.

She supposed now would be the time to wish Key well and return to the plateau, perhaps with the intention of seeking out Ariston. She did feel a pull toward the plateau too, like a mother must feel for her newborn child. However, she hadn't been here long and she wasn't finished exploring. Now that she'd taken a break to meet and speak with Key, Koontz felt another round of investigating that strange smell was in order...

"There's this queer smell here. I've been trying to find its source. Want to help me look?" Koontz asked, lifting a single silver forepaw as if preparing to walk, pale eyes gleaming in the dark.

I know, it sucks. And staying in a place that is not my own, I have no idea where anything is as far as candles or whatever.

She at least decided to speak to her Alpha about it and she couldn't complain about it. She wondered, if the Alpha said no, if she would take the second offer to learn a few things. Key didn't press into it and instead, nodded her head. "I will," she confirmed, wondering the direction of her land but did not question. She would stay a few days to see if it was taken and things might change for her. She left it at that, though, because Koontz changed things a little and she tilted her head at the question.

Key took a deep breath and wrinkled her nose in disdain and frowned. "Um, sure," she said and took a step closer to the woman.

Haha, yeah, that would be a pain in the dick. I don't even know where most people would keep things like flashlights either? Ours is just randomly wherever...

Key wrinkled her nose in disgust, yet nonetheless agreed to accompany Koontz. The yearling laughed quietly at the other female's expression, then waved her tail to show that she was glad for the company. "I don't know how well you knew Mo, but it reminds me of her—the smell, I mean," Koontz quipped. "I'm sure you knew her well enough to know she would never be considered a girly girl."

Turning, she began to lead the way back through the hot spring, her nose twitching at the subtle, vaguely foul odor that seed to permeate the muggy air here. "It literally smells like someone walked through here passing gas. I think Mo would've called it 'crop-dusting,' if I recall correctly." It occurred to her that Koontz might be making Key uncomfortable with her references to her gaseous mother, so she lapsed into silence then, lowering her head to comb her nose over the fragrant, moist earth underfoot.

The only flashlight I own is the app on my iPhone, lmao.

Key knew little about March Owl. She thought back to the first time they met, with Chakra, and her eyes averted elsewhere. It had been a difficult time for the other woman and Key felt a sense of... familiarity with it but she was never able to put it to words. From then one, she had seen her only a handful of times and she was a completely different creature when she saw her on the borders of Flightless Falcons.

Her head turned back to her, realizing the other was still talking and she hadn't heard much. The end part of her words confused her but she smiled and nodded a little, as if she heard and... it made sense. Key remained silent from there, walking with Koontz, trying to pass off that she was looking for the awful smell while her mind was completely elsewhere.

Hey, it works, right?!

Key said nothing, most likely because the subject matter didn't exactly lend to polite conversation. "Sorry about that," Koontz said. Perhaps she should've been mortified, yet the yearling couldn't bring herself to be embarrassed about March Owl's aforementioned habits. The yearling took more after Aether and liked to consider herself a dignified creature—certainly more so than her own mother—yet she could never bring herself to be ashamed of Mo. Mo was a force of nature and there was a lot Koontz admired about her. Besides, she was her mom.

Still, she knew that some found toilet humor strange. She fell silent, focusing her attention on the search. She didn't feel any particular need to fill the silence, especially when her occasional glances toward her companion revealed a look of concentration on Key's face. Assuming she was intent on discovering the source of the malodorous scent, Koontz let her be, unaware that the other wolf's mind was actually on anything but the search.

New thread soon? :o

Key shrugged her shoulders a little when she heard Koontz apologize, turning her head toward her. "I just did not know her that well," she said; she could not recall what the woman said of her mother but she was sure it was something she did not know about. She'd helped her wounds before, with her cousin, and met her on the outskirts of her pack when she tried to deny herself, but from that point? There was little. Her lips twisted and she wrinkled her nose, reminded of the smell, but having forgotten they were looking for it. Her brows shifted downward and she continued in an attempt to remain social, even if she felt awkward in her presence.

Sure! And no worries about the delay. Life happens. :)

They moseyed along in mutual silence for a while, Koontz making a remark here or there as she investigated. Two things became apparent before long: firstly, Key would not be talking much and, secondly, they would not find the source of the smell any time soon. Deciding that she no longer wanted to waste Key's time, the young Beta drew to a stop near the edge of the hot springs, not far from the foot of the plateau.

"Well, I don't want to waste any more of your time," Koontz said amiably. "I'm going to return to the plateau. I'll speak with Ariston and hopefully get in touch with you soon. It was nice to meet you, Key." The silver yearling waved her tail, woofed quietly and then turned, carefully navigating in the dark as she headed home.