Wapun Meadow Did you walk the expansive nature, and feel the wind burning your soul

Sorin stood upon the edge of a meadow, his back to the forest from which he had just emerged. He remembered this place, having been here once before. He had found pheasants, but knew that his chances of finding the birds now were slim. They had likely moved on, or were holed up in cover so deep it would be fools errand to try and hunt them. But Sorin had a hunch that pheasants were not the only prey this meadow contained.

He swiftly set out across the snow covered grass, the wind biting at his frame and chilling his bones. He was used to winter's fury, and he weathered the storm better than some, but that did not mean he was invulnerable to the bitter chill. His eyes scanned the empty plain, but he knew most prey would be found with his nose. However, he could not pick up any prey scents as he continued his trot. The wind was too fierce and swirling too much for the rugged man to isolate any prey scent. But he had few other options, he had already committed to his current path. So he kept marching across the open plain, the wind whipping his fur and chilling his body.

i wasn't sure if this was all welcome, but just toss me a message if it isn't!

not often a wolf of unbidden reflection, stigmata had a hard time shaking the feeling of nostalgia once it hit him. he had tracked a fractional herd of deer from arrow lake, and upon nearing the meadow of his introduction into these wilds, he abandoned his hunt briefly for a small side quest.

the warhound scoured the barren field, looking for a trace of... he realized what he was doing; knew it was a waste of his time. a waste of his abilities. stigmata didn't have time to chase ghosts, and it was when he turned to resume his tracking of his hoofed quarry, when he noticed a pitch figure against the winter-white backdrop. the wolf boofed once in the stranger's direction and lifted his tail into a wag, trying to ascertain whether the green-eyed shade would be welcoming or not.

Its fine, I forgot to mark it as AW

The rugged man continued, his head bowed against the wind with snow whipping its way into his fur, turning him into an odd mix of black and white. He kept his nose down, desperately searching for any scents. For now, it seemed that his search was in vain. In a way, he was not surprised, there were not many other creatures foolish or stubborn enough to be out on a night like this. Such thoughts did little to aid his hunger, or his growing frustration.

He was just thinking about turning back to the wood, and spending the night there, when another scent briefly reached him. It was not however, that of any prey, but of another wolf. For a moment, he felt a stab of disappointment in not finding prey. Still, the company might be welcome on a cold night with no prey in foreseeable future. So Sorin raised he head, scanning the horizon until he caught sight of the stranger. He appraised the fellow, seeing the warrior in his bearing. "Hello" Sorin replied neutrally over the winds howl. "What brings you out on a night such as this?"

the shaded wraith drew nearer, green eyes catching an eerie white sheen as they reflected the snow he crossed, and stigmata regarded him less intently now that he saw no harm coming immediately his way. the warhound boldly stepped forward in tangent, coming within a single bound or two of the hungry animal, before pausing to extend his nose curiously at a slant, keeping only the side of his face exposed so that he had time to move his precious nose should the stranger prove duplicitous.

he lifted his tail slightly, eager to command the situation, especially when another male was involved. "i was tracking a deer herd nearby," eden's serpent revealed cleverly to the shadow, having noticed his high waist and pinched expression; the telltale clues of hunger; "but it has been some time since i last saw this field, so i paused to examine its state before i moved on." he watched the male with critical silvers, his expression unreadable besides the intense scrutiny. "and what about yourself?" he asked in earnest, but without warmth.

Sorin's eyes narrowed as the male came close. His senses, attuned through battles fought and ambushes survived, told him that allowing a stranger to come so close was not the best of ideas. He did not retreat, he wouldn't give the warrior that, but his posture stiffened slightly, his eyes conveying a clear message: Don't try anything funny. It seemed however, that the male before him was also well versed in the tough life of war, for he extended his head while allowing Sorin a minimal target, if the dark male would have had any inclination to take it.

Again, the stranger asserted his dominance, raising his tail. Sorin did not respond in kind, but he did not show any submission, just a cool wariness and a calculating stare. He picked apart the others words, refusing to rise to the unspoken challenge at the mention of deer. He wouldn't beg for a hunt with the stranger. "I'm just searching for whatever prey I may find" Sorin said cooly. "I'm sure the forest to the east has some, there was scent when I last went there." It was partially a bluff, but Sorin was confident that something of value would reside there, even if he had to search for a while. He paused, then nonchalantly remarked, "I wish you luck with those deer. Hunting larger prey alone in the winter can be...challenging to say the least." As he spoke, Sorin's gaze became fixed on the others eyes. Such a comment, an attempt to turn the tables, might piss off the stranger.

the stranger parried, managing only to make himself seem stubborn, rather than clever. stigmata thought a truly hungry wolf with any aptitude for survival would've taken the opportunity to double his chances for a meal, but this one seemed inept on that front. almost daftly suspicious; and certainly more interested in challenging the tactician's worth as someone to align themselves with, rather than trying to find out if he had a chance at any deer tonight or not. and stigmata wasn't so sure he was willing to take the slight.

an ominous ripple seemed to pass through an otherwise stock-still stigmata as their eyes met - a challenge, surely - and were he capable of such humor, he would have laughed in the male's face. but as things were, he was an incredibly dour wolf, leaving a thundercloud behind sword-silver eyes as he silently threatened the wolfish void with its emerald gaze against making another false move. "i am herding, not hunting. your luck is not necessary." this wolf obviously took him for a fool, whereas stigmata had seen him as potential worthy of possessing. it would be a false dream, however, as pride almost equal to his own would make this younger wolf unreachable to his snaking advances.

Sorin watched the the stranger with a rapt attention, prepared for any move he might make. While he certainly hoped to avoid any serious confrontation, it was always wise to remain cautious. Particularly around those who were experienced, and cunning, two qualities the male before him seemed to possess in abundance. Sorin could see the tension his challenge had caused, and knew immediately that his gambit was up. The stranger had played his hand perfectly, and Sorin did not want to risk raising the stakes any higher. He saw the threat in the silver eyes of the stranger, and knew he had pushed too far.

"Ah, my mistake," Sorin replied in what he knew was a lame attempt to backtrack. Still, he felt somewhat annoyed at the others response. The initial loaded comment about tracking deer, without any other trust development beforehand, made Sorin disinclined to throw his cautious nature to the wind in favor of a potential hunt. However, Sorin knew when he was beat, so swallowed his pride and backed down, the challenge leaving his gaze and being replaced by a more neutral expression. However, he was still not entirely willing to trust the male before him, nor would he ask for a hunt. He knew that opportunity had passed him by.

the warhound snorted in an effort to expel the sudden swell of his virile mien; his ears briefly flipping backwards in a chafed, wordless acceptance the male's wise reversal. but with the threat gone, stigmata abruptly seemed flat - returned rather easily to a deadpanned expression and unfettered pose. though he didn't look it, he had been thoroughly satisfied by both the shadow's subtle change in attitude, as well as his hobbled acceptance of fault. it meant he was not a daft creature, merely an overly cautious one - perhaps made that way by solitude or some previous mishap.

that was, not to say, stigmata was completely unbothered; but he was not a rash individual. and he needed more substantive evidence before dismissing the potentially able body entirely. "are you heading for the rabbits, then?" he asked a little testily, figuring he had the right to be snide by this point. "or would you prefer an actual full belly?"

With the changing of his own attitude, Sorin saw a slight shift in the others as well. The tension which had laid thick in the air dispersed, and Sorin sighed inwardly in mild relief. He did not actively seek out a fight, and was quite certain that the male before him would have given him quite the challenge. Surely the man had seen his fair share of combat, for he possessed a confidence to rival Sorin, perhaps even out matching him. Inwardly, Sorin had to admit he was impressed with the male's cunning and coolheadedness.

The male asked, with a bit of bite, if he was after rabbits. Sorin brushed off the snip in his words, not wanting to recreate any threat to himself. "Probably, either rabbits or pheasants," he responded, not bothering to add his wealth of pheasant hunting experience; It probably wouldn't impress the male, and might serve to set back any progress thus made. Sorin paused at the unspoken offer made by the man. Wisdom and immediate experience told him to accept, but old scars still lingered, and he was simply wary of anyone. Hunger would win out though. "If you'll have me" Sorin replied calmly.

it seemed his sarcasm had been missed, but the offer to join in on stigmata's task was not. though this meant he would need to be quite serious from now on when acknowledging him, the smoke-grey wolf also knew it meant this fellow was no nonsense, and could be quite useful if put to defensive undertakings, by his tactical eye. stigmata thought the jet brute -aside from his stalwart carriage - would likely be a fair judge in character, good to intercept loners, and his slow to trust demeanor meant that he thought first and acted second, whether or not he made the right choices.

all these things, observed and tucked away, resulted in stigmata giving the nameless male a single, assenting nod before turning to lead him back in the direction from which he'd come.

just a short one to finish this up as you requested.

Sorin saw the contemplation in the eyes of the other male, wondering briefly what it might be about. Ultimately, it seemed the tactician had accepted him, and so Sorin followed wordlessly behind. However, Sorin did feel a slight amount of concern about the whole situation. He couldn't tell, and he couldn't discern anything from the stranger, but he had a gut feeling that this expedition would be more than simply herding the deer back. What the lead wolf had in mind, Sorin did not know, but he was sure everything had not yet been revealed. However, he was content to let events unfold, and figure out the plan as it was played out.