Neverwinter Forest Smiling Faces

The forest felt cool, not fully warmed up from the night but despite the activity of the entire place coming alive with the animals and creatures that roamed the day Heph was not hunting. She let her paws carry her around, less concerned with stealth than tracking the trails that most interested her. At times she would note down the patterns of scents, layering telling her of well worn pathways, but she did not try to follow them to quarry or others rather making her own way around the trees and vegetation. She breathed in the just-damp air and enjoyed the feeling of the earth moving beneath her paws and the air sliding past her.

@Callyope - just a quick starter!

She came to find second-mother.

The forest was empty. Faded scents. She had only panic for this. Lótë could not be found in any of the crevices of the woods. Her cousin could not be found either.

They had all gone.

Everyone was leaving. First Mo, now second-family.

But here was a hunter, haunting the woods like they belonged. Tears stung at the child's eyes — to see a phantom figure where her family should be.

You!

She did her best to be fierce, but her voice trembled as she stared down the woman.

The other figure did not seem to be trying to hide her presence Heph turned at the accusatory words dipped in something more akin to tears. She could hear the fight in the single word, but there was a shakiness to it that belied the speaker. Glancing quickly over the other wolf she was surprised to see white-tipped shoulders that might eclipse her own but the lankiness of the frame indicated a slighter build. There was some youth to this wolf she thought though it was hard to tell in some ways a guess more than anything else. Offering a smile she answered, stopping in her tracks, letting an airy humor fill her lungs "Me? Little lady what have I done to earn such a greeting?" She did not perceive anyone else around but she supposed she could be mistaken. Her posture was relaxed, either unworried or unaware of what kind of danger might present itself. This wolf bore the scent of a pack but Heph did not think she was on their lands and she did not recognize this wolf.

Callyope had never felt such a flair of disrespect.

But she softened immediately, eyes shined as she looked upon the woman. Patchwork in greys and silvers. Familiar hues of Moonglow and Winterglad. A woman who might fit right in.

Where are they? This asked through a clutch of tears. Perhaps this woman had been a part of them, but had not seen the eyes of Moonglow.

Callyope could only hope she found answers here.

The other wolf spoke, tears threatening her eyes and throat and Heph tilted her head, shoulders slumping forward in unconscious sympathy. While she did not know this wolf she did not take pleasure in anyone's suffering and did not enjoy the thought that she had somehow caused this canine some distress. Her voice was careful, but high and a bit unsure. "I'm afraid I don't follow fair maiden," She turned her body to face the snow-colored wolf with the sunrise splashing across her face and added, a bit more sure of herself and partly in explanation. "I'm passing through and am unfamiliar with who may call this forest home or even yourself." Again she scanned the other wolf, taking a slight inhale to check her scent, but this wolf was as unfamiliar to Heph as most other strangers had been. While much of her appearance reminded Heph of another white-colored wolf her markings were more unique. "Perhaps you thought I was someone else? I go by Heph." She added, her voice open and inviting, wondering if this stranger would introduce herself or if she had somehow learned of Heph through other means and it was Heph herself who was confused.

The woman spoke at length.

Heph, the woman said.

Not a name that had ever crossed the lips of Callyope, of Moonwoman, of any she knew. Yet still she clutched tooth and nail into her hope. That her extended family had not simply vanished from the woods without a trace.

Do you know the name Lótë?

Her tears spilt, but she did not heave with sobs.

You did not live here with the growing village?

The name that the stranger spoke of was unknown to her and she was not familiar with the territory. She supposed that a pack could have been growing in these lands a while ago but their scent did not seem prominently featured as borders. Her voice drew itself into sympathy but she answered firmly, not wishing to be misheard. "No, I'm sorry." Heph shook her head to both questions. She took a shuffling slow step closer. Some wolves were just as liable to lash out as accept help and she could see that something was weighing greatly on this wolf.

Looking around she wondered if this was indeed the correct place. Perhaps a nearby place would yield the correct result or there would be evidence of a larger group of wolves passing through. "If you can describe sights or scents to look for I could assist you in a search?" While Heph had not been anything in particular in her previous pack her tendency to roam wide and far and recent travels meant that she was familiar with how to survey a territory and seek things out.

Sh-she is...small and pale. Bear-marked.

She remembered the scars upon the woman, even if she did not know the story of them. The mark of a hunter, she thought.

Sometimes painted. Berry stained.

Perhaps it was not much, but it was unique. She was unique. Nearly like a second anaa in this extended family.

Why would Lótë leave?

Heph considered someone who would smell like berries and presumably either had something that looked like a bear in her fur or herself was scarred by the creature. She was not at all confident that they would find this wolf, but she thought it did not hurt to try and she was glad that this wolf in front of her seemed to have calmed a little at the prospect. "Hmm well let's see if we can pick up the trail?" Heph began a walk at an easy pace to give the white wolf a chance to follow or not and decide. Her intention was to cast out a little ways and then began large sweeping circular spiral paths that would allow her to pick up whether the hint of this wolf was in the area. There was a small smile on her features.

Her eyes began to glimmer with a hint of mischief as she made idle conversation, curious about the one she found in her company but not sure quite what she would be willing to ask or answer and not wanting to prod too much in case it resulted in more distress. "She sounds quite fearsome, not unlike you fair lady." There was a bit of humor, but she could read well enough the admiration in the white wolf's tone and had no wish to heap disdain on anyone she had not met nor indeed had no reason to.

She followed without word.

Only to be warmed softly by the woman's compliments. She is, Her features a bit sheepish as she rounded from her sadness. How it haunted and plagued her. Even in the face of kindness she struggled to break free of it!

I do not know about me... Deflection as she sniffed around the roots of a tree.

Heph hummed lightly, noting the other wolf sniffing at a tree root glad to have assistance from someone who would be able to better identify the scent. She continued in the same sweeping path, eventually, their own paws would carry them far enough that she would have to decide whether to broach the subject of the area being wrong but it was still far too early to consider that when the other wolf seemed so sure. It seemed as if the white wolf was willing to accept compliments on other's behalf but not her own, but then again it could have just been that compliment in particular. Her tone was light in response to the tinge of sorrow she heard, she had never done well with sadness or grief, had ever-sought a way to free herself from the weight of those things even when it may have suited her better to learn to bear them with a strength she was unsure of possessing. "Hmmm well if not fearsome there are plenty of other things to choose from." She let the air around her crowd her nostrils, taking it in from head height as well as lower to the ground. But her mind was still somewhat stuck on the conversation. "Skilled perhaps? I've always chosen to be free above all else." There was a slight smile that accompanied her words as she spoke of freedom, she felt fondly over that word much as it had burdened her these past few months. But there was a teasing lightness to it that belied she was making fun of herself as well.

Nothing.

Nothing, nothing, nothing. Each tangle of scents was buried or dead. Not belonging to her extended family or to any she may have once known.

She welcomed the distraction as she tangled with the loss once more.

Skilled, maybe. A sheepish smile. Small and hidden behind the mask of a growing sadness. She sought to not let it sour this.

What is it like? Free all the time?

Heph contemplated the questions. She was unsure of quite how to answer, she was not sure if anyone had ever really asked her but she had no reason to be dishonest and she found herself curious as to where the conversation might take her if she attempted to reply. "Sometimes lonely, but it doesn't have to be." It was at least somewhat true. While she was free to settle and choose to be in the company of others it was also a burden to have those kinds of ties that meant she had to stay in one place to be near. So sometimes she felt alone as she wandered.

She laughed a bit, breathing in the air deeply to better catch its scents and give herself a chance to catch her breath and her thoughts. Eventually she spoke again, still tinged with laughter. "It's a little bit like breathing wind." But there was an intensity in her gaze and the words. There was a certain breathlessness to that thing which resisted capture, wolves could not afford to be free of all obligations, the body and the mind both had them, and yet there were those sips of breath one could steal that felt like capturing something alive in your lungs. She hesitated as she came upon the scent of many wolves interlaced, something more like a pack. It was not the berry scent that she was looking for, nor was it a marking for a territory. Most likely a wolf belonging to a pack had simply passed by but her ears swiveled and she had to remember to be alert so that if she did come across a border she would be sure not to cross it.

fade? <3

It was a mystical thing to hear about.

Callyope had learned so much from this woman. They may not have found her extended family, but the girl would still come away with something. The first inkling of the meaning of freedom.

You have helped. Her voice soft, warm, tired. Exhausted from the constant stream of emotions that her young brain had to process. I...think I look elsewhere, but thank you for looking with.

Tentatively her tail wiggled behind her.

Heph smiled warmly. While she felt hesitant at not seeing her task of assistance completed it was obvious that the other wolf was in a better place mentally and no longer need her presence. She was glad at least that this wolf felt she had been of some help to her and searching elsewhere sounded like a good plan to Heph at least. "I'm glad, good luck in your search - and if you don't find who you're searching for feel free to call for me and I'll coming running if I can hear." She wagged her tail in turn.

sounds good! <3