Whitebark Stream The reparation of my heart

Dark woman moved quietly.

Steps careful, always careful.

The air was cooler, courtesy of the touch of autumn, and the threat of winter. At least it was pretty, for now. She crept her way towards running water, lapped at the frigid stream and felt it refresh her senses. 

Ah, right, hunger. No more than a nagging itch, but she figured it best to eat what she could, when she could; world was an unpredictable place. Unforgiving, too.

She'd seen it; bone-thin babes, cries that could shake the soul of any who had one. 

It was best not to dwell on it. Soldiers didn't concern themselves with the plights of the commonfolk. 

A fact reminded, often. 

She was here to punish. Hurt. Others... herself... the intent was hard to define. Both, in a way. Lovergirl was lost. Royals didn't concern themselves with the plights of any less than themselves. A fact reminded, often. 

Damn it all to hell, then. Nanou caught herself a juicy rabbit, and found a comfortable enough spot to eat it. She'd move on soon. Go where the work was.

Large paw-prints dug into the forest floor. A man who carried much mass made his way through. He’d never been here before, but the area felt familiar. Crimson stained the dead grass beneath him. 'Someone hunted here. A small critter, perhaps.' His neck craned downwards to get a better look.

Black fur intertwined the red. A cindered wolf walked these same tracks. It made him wonder if he’d run into her on his way. 

Oren had never been one for aggression, but by the messiness left behind. This wolf was hungry. Hunger was never the welcomer of kindness.

Be wary.

His muzzle raised up towards the trees. A way to catch a better scent. Somewhat fresh, not too long ago. Something he might have to worry about. He sighed exasperatedly. Move forward. Whatever lies ahead is laters issue. A philosophy he’d learned from a friend.

Another. Caught only by the glimpse of white fur against the stark oranges and reds that littered the forest. Nanou paused her meal and lifted herself to her feet warily, half-eaten rabbit slung over the rock ledge she'd made her own. 

Gaze of wildfire followed the ruff of white as slender ears followed the steps; she let out a chuff if only to alert the other to her presence. Tigress would defend, if needed. 

She was a solitary beast, after all. Even if it wasn't always that way.

With that, she slumped back down, inky forelimbs crossed over one another and slung from the edge of her ever-so slight vantage. ..I'm afraid if you came for my food, there's not much left to share. words fell from steel jaws, calm and cool.

She knew thieves. Knew nothing made them angrier than not having anything to steal. She watched the other with thinly veiled suspicion.

His ears perked up. Ash-bitten fur glimmered through the trees, opposing the clay-like hues. Her words reached his ears in a hushed manner. Not particularly aggressive. Guarded, more like. "Food is not what I seek, friend. I only mean to pass by. Rest assured." He replied. A large paw took a step forward, then another. He was moving in closer. Close enough to see her now. Orange eyes stared back at him. She was smaller, thinner, too. 

Still a threat nonetheless.

He eyed her, gaze unbroken. No hostility. Something else. "I do not wish to steal from you. I’m plenty fine hunting on my own. Your warinesses is understood, but unneeded." Not that words would make any difference. Why would she trust the words of a stranger? A large and sharp-toothed one, at that.

Even so, he did not lie.

She cocked her head to the side, glint of approval in her scouring gaze. Slight tear of a grin at the corner of a steel-toned maw.

Well then, friend, pass by as you please. She'd gesture with an outstretched limb, inky and coal-slicked. Have you got a destination in mind?

It wouldn't hurt to know the land. Know the places and the people. She'd be working for them, after all. Best to know where the best of clients were.

He shook his head. "I haven’t a clue, as a matter of fact. I’m simply walking on." A brief chuckle escaped from him. "After-all, what else does a wolf have to do? Howl at the moon, perhaps?" He scoffed, his words carrying a hint of intensity. Nothing to worry about. Just an accent, most likely. Didn’t matter anyhow.

"And what about you? What brings you here?" He truly was curious. It was an odd place to longer, he’d have to admit. Though they were very similar in terms of action.

A wanderer. Same as her then, perhaps they both stalked the fringes of the world—simply walking on.

She was brought here by gods who cast her to the dirt, false idols once revered disposed of that which was once loyal. That was too reverent an answer, and she was done being any sort of preacher. ...Business. Exile. Pick your poison. She'd let out a low laugh, amused, because still she could make little sense of it, and nonsensical things were oh so funny.

Much as solitude was the path she stalked along, part of her wanted conversation; less so with a man, but hey, beggers can't be choosers and he hadn't exactly done anything to offend her aside from be born the less appealing sex. 

I have come to offer services to the wolves of these lands. Whoever might require it of me. I have a unique skillset, so I'd be remiss not to find some use for it. She remarked idly, her gaze lowered to the paw she let swing from her little vantage. Everything was a game, everyone a player, whether they wanted to be or not. She knew well the illusion of choice.

Meaning waned in the face of solitude, but she didn't know if she was ready fro a home. She would fulfill herself by fulfilling others, first. 

Dutiful little soldier. Even now, when she claimed to have cast it all aside. Dark woman was always running.

Unique skill-set? He had a feeling he was familiar with what she had meant. Not a story that they shared, no. Simply something that he was aware of. Something they both knew. That didn’t really matter though, did it? It wouldn’t change the course of conversation now. Not in the slightest.

Oren felt a bit of envy towards the dark pelted woman. She had purpose. Perhaps not a destination, but a journey that amounted to something nonetheless. It was a beautiful thing, to him at least. An interesting perspective.

His ear twitched, a paw swiping over it as he rid himself of a fly. Aggravating creature.

"I must say that I envy your drive. Purpose is determinations drive, after all." He remarked, tail twitching. "So tell me, have you found much yet?"

Have you found much yet?

...Ha

This is my greatest find yet. She'd murmur with an inkling of humour lacing her low tone, she lifted the rabbit by its ears in display. We didn't come to a deal. Not quite the client I was looking for.

God, maybe she was losing her mind. He envied this. Her drive, as if it was not a facade, her determination, as if it were anything other than some last ditch attempt to cling to everything she knew she'd lost. Purpose, as if she really had any aside from being someone else's tool to wield.

..I've heard howls up here. I hope to meet the wolves that live here. Maybe find some place where the silence is less... gnawing. What about you? You envy determination and drive, have you got none yourself?

"I’ve lived a life of supposed 'purpose' for as long as I could remember. The thing about it is .. all of it came crumbling down the moment I realized the thing I so fiercely protected had already been broken." He let off a bitter scoff. What a pity it was, truly. To spend a lifetime believing everything you did amounted to something, when in reality it was only ever your own delusion driving you on.

"Long before I was born, actually. Before I even had a say on who I would be, all of it was written for me on sinking soil. An unstable foundation." The man continued on, disgust clinging to his tone as he spoke. 

He left in an attempt to find out more, but he only ended up even more lost than he had already been. How lonely it was to have lost in his own sense of self.

"What I search for now is a stable place from within. Something much harder to find than one would think." He shook his head.