Shadow Mountain but i just have to tell you that i love you so much these days

@Venamis maybe?

the blackbird's excursions took her further from merrick's touch, which she left only ruefully -- there would be time once their claim was fortified, but for now, the world must be made of their presence. she marked every stone she was able in bearclaw, yet eventually a scent drew the shade from her haunt, and well into the opening gut of the mountains.

she had been here before. her gaze roved the jagged peaks, falling along the snow-clad shoulders of the mountain. somewhere was the scent of bighorn; her stomach roared, but the scent was stale and the pass full of icy teeth. she would not risk it.

electing to rest, astara curled up next to the spine of a split rock and dozed fitfully. soon the snow that fell to her back had covered her nearly entirely, making her appear as just another snow-covered rock to bepopulate the landscape.

Unsure what to do or where he might begin to forge a new place to belong, Venamis laid low in the mountains. Other than Tundra and her ivory comrade weeks before, he'd crossed paths with very few others of his kind. The range, it seemed, was mostly barren. The boy survived by hunting vermin and stripping marrow from the bones of whatever unfortunate animal had been scavenged from before.

He scoured the peaks in search of something more substantial that day, driven by the growling ache in his belly that demanded nourishment. Sadly for Venamis, however, he was not nearly as skilled in survival as others his age might be. Raised by parents too fixated on winning land and title to rear cubs correctly, he'd mostly relied on Maegi and her kin to hunt for him during his time at Blackfeather.

When the distinct scent of wolf drew the spider from his weary thoughts, he felt the familiar thrum of anxiety course his veins. Venamis halted, guard hairs erect along his dorsal, and his pallid gaze studied the frozen landscape for any sign of another. With no paw prints in the snow and no sound to suggest their proximity, he too chose to maintain silence in the hope that the uncertainty he felt would soon pass.

supine -- and largely invisible in the snow -- astara woke abruptly. something had yanked her from that realm of sleep -- but the heavy fall of snow made even the keenest of eyes soft.

she was still -- aware of her heartbeat pressed against the cold stone -- as she studied her environment. a shifting gust of wind was enough to part the steady curtain of falling snow, and briefly, the form of another was visible in the pale whiteness.

astara had two options: remain still, and likely be undetected -- or rise, and be seen. had she not seen he was clearly unsettled (as if aware she was here, which meant he was in some way, not entirely oblivious) she might have opted to remain still and be passed; yet, it was evident he was at least wise of her presence, which only made her detection inevitable.

eyeing his form one last time, astara shifted upwards with a load groan meant to betray her presence. for a moment it looked as if a beast was lurching out of the rocks and snow -- yet it was just a black she-wolf, thin but no visible monster, shedding a layer of snow which had fallen for hours silently around her shoulders.

A shiver trailed along the length of his spine, as paranoia crept its way into his mind. With it came fresh certainty that he was being watched, that someone was deliberately tormenting him. Teeth gritted, Venamis slid his ears back and his tail lashed between hocks that threatened to tremble beneath the weight of his budding fear.

The snows continued to fall, gathering atop his crown and shoulders, though he took no notice of the bitter cold. This uncontrollable feeling had set his skin aflame and, as Venamis prepared to take a tentative step forward, there was movement at the corner of a pallid eye. He flinched away to the side with a growl at once, lips curling to reveal pearly fangs as his narrowed gaze sought that of the dark-furred stranger who'd been hiding resting nearby.

"What the-" he barked, his surprise swift to turn into simmering anger as he hissed: "what the fuck!?"

had astara been capable of telling the truth, she might have eased this stranger by exclaiming she had been just as taken aback as he to have her nap summarily executed by his presence: had she tact or compassion she might have steadied the boy's nerves as if reining in a startled horse; soft and gentle, soothing -- caring.

astara had none of these things. she shook the snow roughly from her coat, wincing as the wind made play of her insulated fur. venamis was given the full - and shockingly violating - caress of her cold gaze. he was much younger than she had originally anticipated, and if there was anything familiar about him (bloodlines, mayhaps) she did not pick up on it.

she picked up only on his alarm, his nervous show of tremendous teeth. at this, a thin smile curved her lips, and she said nothing.

This is short and it sucks, I'm sorry.

She said nothing. Fuck, she barely even reacted at all! To see each corner of her mouth tug upward in some amused little smirk, Venamis snorted at this assurance that she was mocking him. He squirmed, embarassed by his vulnerable state, beneath the scrutiny of her murkwater stare as it roved his form. He loosed a snarl through parted jaws to mask the awkwardness with aggression, and stepped carefully aside to place further distance between then.

"Hey," he barked, fixing his spooky new acquaintance with a piercing glare, "what's your problem? Quit smiling at me like a fucking creep - either tell me what you want or piss off."

don't be sorry!! i didn't give you much to go off of <3 would venamis smell like BFW?

venamis reacted unfavorably to the smile he had seen; good, thought astara. she had long since ceased believing in boogeymen and monsters, but he was young enough yet that perhaps, he might think her of that order. his snarl elicited the perking of her ears and the straightening of her posture -- yet did not move astara into outright hostile body language.

she was more piqued, than anything. venamis' temper was but a dangerous spark -- astara wondered how deep and scarlet that fire would flare, if kindled properly. she gave a shrug of her shoulders in response, and more snow slid from her dark body. then, she extended her muzzle (wary of any flash of fangs) and attempted to suss from his pelt any scent she recognized.

Maybe faintly?  :)

Again, no response came. He maintained his hostile stance: bristling hackles, fangs displayed and tail lashing the air with obvious frustration. Venamis, made uncomfortable by the stranger's silence and proximity, continued to sidestep away slowly so that he could place better distance between then.

She made no move to mimic his aggressive posture, but instead reached out with her slim muzzle in his direction. To test his furs and acknowledge his scent, probably, but Ven was too unsettled to trust that she wouldn't attempt to harm him. Teeth clacked the air at her snout in warning, followed by a low rumble that demanded she stay back.

met with a flash of teeth, astara recoiled -- not unlike a slender spider scuttling back to its narrow trap-door. her eyes apprised him vehemently, unflinching in their roving of his features.

she did not recognize him physically, but she had gotten a taste of a scent she knew well enough. that earned him safety from her rebuking fangs -- though her lips lifted in a silent grimace, teeth bared to the pale gums.

he smelled of no one else - a loner, maybe. astara collected herself with a rough shake, snow toppling from her hide. merrick may have use for him yet; astara's svelte figure carried past the boy in sweeping strides. only once did she look back, the blazon of her indigo gaze embued with a single question: coming?

Final post from me.  :)

She slunk back at his wordless threat, though her own brief flash of fangs did not go unnoticed. Venamis, still appropriately on edge and undoubtedly fearful of the unpredictable, inhaled a deep breath. He tried to convince himself that despite being odd, this silent creature did not seek to bring him harm. Maybe she really was simply curious.

His frosted gaze followed her every movement, paws rooted in a reluctance to pursue as she swept past him. A low rumble then, uncertain, as she lifted her murky eyes to seek his own in question that he failed to comprehend. Eventually he gave in and followed for just a short time, careful with each step should she seek to lure him into some sort of trap, and he made to slip away in another direction as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

he followed initially, which surprised astara. his mile-wide berth of distrust for her was staggeringly apparent — she made no move to acknowledge venamis as he at last slipped away. 

perhaps he had a change of heart after all. 

she did not mourn her sudden solitude. instead she loped east, following the red slant of the westerning sun as it slowly sent her shadow sprawling leagues ahead of her.