Kintla Flatlands Starlink

Before leaving home Dwin had had a dozen of plans on, what she wanted to achieve and many wonderful scenarios of her adventures that would surely go down in the history of pure awesomeness. The very important thing she had not accounted for was that food was not something to come by easily, when you were on your own. Inexperienced. In the middle of winter. 

She had realized this mistake few days after leaving the caldera, but being thrice stubborn, an optimist and having a huge amount of self-confidence, Dwin was not going to give up on her plans. A smarter person would have decided to turn back home, but she would rather be eaten by a dragon than admit that she had made a mistake. Therefore she continued on, trying to forget hunger and waking up every morning, looking for signs of winter ending. 

Hoping for the best. Which in the spirit of educational tales on, why kids should listen to their parents, would mean that she would get hungrier, weaker and would eventually return to her family's nest. A defeated and humbled prodigal daughter. In a less realistic scenario that played out here today - Dwin got lucky by stumbling on remnants of someone else's dinner. There was not much and it was hardly tasty or filling, but while chewing on the bones and remnants of a hide, the girl took it as a good sign.

Things would be alright in the end. 

never was plan leaving behind uneaten kill but eating made tk sick and that was wrong heshe was chewed stick thin and food should've made body stronger not this

but that was almost whole daylight ago and as sun went low and lower and low rumbling houndstomach alerted hound there wouldn't be sleep tonight if food wasn't ate even if it made tummy hurt and poop runny.

but there was somebody else.

longlegs sank in snow and thin noncoat wanted only safe warmth of scary big dark wood and so it hurt more to walk all way back and see wolfbeast there eating what shehe killed himherself already

scratching itching desperation made dog stand in snow all the way to deep chest whole body trembling shaking tongue darting out licking tip of nose and look at back of wolfbeast eating herhis kill-

whine was sound so natural to current state it didn't register as mistake

Not for long, it seemed. Dwin's peace was interrupted by a low whine, making her return from the imaginary world to the real one. Her gaze darted around, seeking for the source, until her eyes met a tall, slender creature, standing in the snow anad staring right back at her. 

She contemplated on, whether she should feel afraid. She racked her brain, trying to recollect any useful information on, how to handle situations with strangers outside her home turf. None came to her mind, though Eljay's solution of never meeting aliens was staying within the border of the caldera. 

What would grandma Finley and grandpa Colt would have done? Of all the great and grand adventures passed on to her, none featured the cowering before a challenge. And had it not been aunt Wraen's or grandma Osprey's quote - imagine that you are the worst possible creature for anyone to meet here?

Yup. She would play bold then. If that failed, well none of her siblings were here to see her run for her life, were they? "You are the weirdest deer I have ever seen around," she told the odd creature, slowly getting to her feet and taking a step towards it. She would have added him/her being a lovechild of a wolf and a mountain goat, but she was yet quite clueless on, how that physiology worked. She had either been absent, when Maia had told this particular story, or simply paid no attention to it, having better things to do. 

"Are you edible or are you here to eat me?" she asked. 

edible. 

edibleedible

fear like needlepoint stabbed trough spine and tail low already tucked between legs

tongue darting out to touch nose lick lick lick placating lick lick

"n-n-n-n-no." hound was quivering so snowflakes didn't stay long on fur long-lost any sheen of healthyness

"that-" bulging eyes rolled speedily down to deer made into bits and pieces by himher and scavengers after and now 

wolf.

fear rolled orbs back to watch graybeast maw bloody with herhis kill-

"THATismine..." what started as demanding bark became tiny little quiet whisper because there really was no reason being loud t.k. can always leave can go away and count ribs leave alone graywolfbeast even if tummy rumbling

Dwin felt both pity and suspicion towards this odd creature, who seemed either very cold or was suffering from some kind of illness. The one lesson in botany she had listened to very attentively had been about the super-poisonous ones. Eljay had said that symptoms of poisoning could involve tremors, garbled, incoherent speech and acting all out weird. And this creature did not act normal at all. 

The creature then squeaked out something along the lines of claiming the precious scraps Dwin herself had found. She tilted her head to the side, eyed the walking skeleton incredulously and replied with a simple: "I don't think so." Having grown up together with other three siblings (Blackthorn siblings, mind you!) she knew the game of "MINE! No - MINE!!! MOOOM, [insert Blackthorn sibling name], is not sharing!!!!" very well. Besides she did not offer an explanation - let the other prove her wrong.

oh

body already submissive bent into shape of apology and quivering greyhound looked away shamed

"t-t-t-that'sokay." 

"wasn'thungryanyway."

then tummyrumble made lips curl downdirection and look back to graywolfbeast mouth yummy blood painted

"uuuuuuum." ( now t.k. was bowed so low only starved topline showed past tall snow. ) "canihave-" ( head with pleading solidbrown eyes poked out. ) "-bit? justbit?"

It worked! Every.Single.Time.

Dwin felt emboldened by her first small victory against a stranger. Turned out that you could play being the confident one, even if you did not feel like it 100%. Of course, she would very much have preferred that her opponent had not backed off that easily and they would have had some heated debate. Maybe some swearwords (mom and dad weren't around to hear them) involved. Instead the creature's will seemed to crumble before that pretend-wall made of cardboard and it looked even more miserable. It submitted, it pleaded.

Now Dwin faced a challenge of her own. She was in a position of power, which for a wolf her age did not happen very often, save for some situations. No child is inherently good or bad. Rather they have a set of qualities that you have to put in a good context. Dwin was headstrong, independent, self-sufficient, creative, fearless and loved to take initiative. Her siblings, who had not bent to her will easily, and adults, who had directed her energy away from destructive things, had helped Ceridwen not to become domineering, selfish and unnecessarily mean. They had taught her to take others in account. A little bit at least. 

Here - free to do as she pleased, it was so, so tempting to kick the fallen more. Just to cheer herself up, because - frankly speaking - the last few days had not been easy on her either. The struggle was real, but something in the manner of this odd deer-dog reminded her of dad. While she did not want to delve in, what was it exactly, if there was one thing she would never, ever do - disappoint him. That rule - as she realized - applied also, when he was not around to see, what Dwin was doing. 

"Okay, Skeletor. You stay, where you are - I will toss this at ground zero. And no funny business," she picked up a piece of skin (there was not much to choose from anyway - all options were equally dissatisfying) and threw towards the cowering dog. "And no funny business - or I will rip your head off!" she added just for a good measure. 

"nofunnybusiness." tongue darted at nose to show submission to any which thing graywolfbeast would want short of ripping head off and finishing meal with t.k. and t.k. was all bone bone skin no meat no good meal at all

misery weakness slowness cold but when piecemeat (skin) flew dog straightened contorted body and with half-jump caught skin (piecemeat) in teeth.

was gone in gulp

habit not hunger had then tail wagging head tilting to side expectant of more treats because that was how things always were and have been since

we can always keep this short :p

Dwin's body twitched a bit, when Skeletor sprang in the air and caught the piece of skin, but kept her composure. She even mustered up a stern look and fur along her spine was bristled, while the gaze betrayed her. There was curiousity and wariness, not meanness. 

The creature now stared at her expectantly and she read the question clearly - would there be more food? She looked down at the bones and claws that had been her meager bounty and feeling hunger herself, did not feel like sharing anymore. Not for now anyway. 

"What are you?" she asked, trying to change the topic of the conversation, simultaneously drawing meal closer to her. "You have a pack? Did they kick you out or something?" because it occurred to her that this thing looked very unsuited to the conditions it had found itself in. 

perked ears wilted because no food came again head straightened

then canted other way when graywolfbeast asked whatareyou.

deep inhale.

"tobleronekobisummerwilkinsmccarthy."  

panting.

"ort.k." added quick, as option two

second question confused greyhound into thoughtful quiet browskin wrinkling in struggle to think

"...nnnnnno." new thought "butrodynhaspack!"

thought of rodyn made t.k. tail-wag happy

"Your name did not make any sense - I will call you Skeletor for short. You look like one," Dwin gave up the effort to decipher, what the long string of letters that the deer-dog/skelton had muttered meant. When she added that there was no place for her to call home, for a moment there the young Blackthorn wanted to offer her to join her party. Strange as this thing look, in the end it had proven to be less scary than in the beginning. But then - this would mean having to feed this beast too and - frankly speaking - she was not doing that well herself. Having to take responsibility for someone - nope. Dwin did not want this. 

"You should find that Buttrodinhazpak of yours and stay with them. You will die out here," she told. Dwin felt cold even looking at the tall, bony frame of Skeletor. "You know there are worse monsters than me roaming out here," she added. 

head tilted back first way

then eyes went wide

ohnonotanothernamefirstisalreadysolong-!!

but next words paused those thoughts to focus on other good thought given

t.k. (skeltor?) got up began walking muttering in small circle

"rodynhaspackyesthey'reothersideallwayaway..." barely garbled whispering made to make brain and tongue run same speed maybe one reached goal before other

"...yesyesworsethings." pause. sweep up down graybeastframe. "muchmuchworse."

mutter-walking continued.

and continued.

and

"YES!" yip-bark tongue lolled out and dropped into play-bow even thought action made head dizzy vision sway "thanksthanksgraybeasti-" inhale "igofindrodyn'spack!"

skeletor ( t.k? ) twirled went leaping into forest--

vision swayed stumbled fell sideways into snow

REEMERGED went running towards trees--

fell again.

this continued for a while, until greyhound was out of view.

fade~

Skeletor's speech was so garbled that for a moment there Dwin thought that this last "eygofanidrodinfak" was a wrapped up insult. She was not sure, what to respond to this, therefore she yelled out a loud: "GOODBYE!" And watching, how the tall, gangly wolf-thing galloped, tumbled, fell, got up and galloped again, muttered under her breath: "And bloody hell, if you swore!" Just for a good measure. Because insults have to be treated the same way as favours. You returned them. 

Thanks! It was fun!