Porcupine Ridge Crafted, holy, rolling thunder

Wretched creature had been scrounging... Envy had made some progress, familiarizing herself with yet another territory; not near as much nor near as quickly, mountain peaks were harder, more taxing on dainty paws to traverse than open prairie. Ah, she was adaptable.

She found herself delighted, honestly, for once she could even nearly blend in rather than stick out like a sore thumb. Made it good for creeping around like the peaks like some freak.

Only thing she wasn't a huuuuge fan of was how chilly it got up here. Scrawny and cold were a dastardly combination—Terrible! Terrible!

She could worm her way into someone else's nest, surely. Flash big gross red eyes as if it were meant to make em' feel bad. There was one! Just ahead. Lucky victimtarget.

Hard to miss the wall of wolf she'd been travelling with @Dreven. She slunk in alongside him, tattered ear flicking in silent greeting. How've you been settling in? Any complaints? She'd muse, reclining onto her side casually.

Dreven gave a qry chuckle. I never complain and if I did. Who would listen anyway?

He b3nt his head sniffing at the tracks of small beasts. Though he did swing his head in an arc to greet the beast he had followed here. Why he had no clue, but here he was. That spoke for something.

What about you?

I have ears. I would listen. She shrugs, now focused on rolling a potato bug back and forth between her paws. Tormenting any beast that had a soul. Here she had a 2 in 1.I love complaining. You should do it more, it's good for the soul. I would know cause I'm a doctor.

Only the briefest of pauses, as was commonplace with the chatterbox. Speaking of, it's cold. Don't like that. Some spots are sheltered by the wind, but most get this awful breeze- like- awful. Freezing. And and and, I need more patches of grass. I wanna start a garden, save me havin' to walk up and down the mountain every time I need to top things up, problem with that is—

She scraped her nails against the stone for dramatic effect. Abandoning the roly poly to roly away. Rock.

An exasperated huff. You cannot plant things in rock. I'll have to find a spot with grass, probably further in. It's inconvenient.

Her life was the hardest anybody's life had ever been.

He tilted his head and looked at her with singular red eye. And whose to say what I had to say wouldn't horrify you and make you want to jump off the cliff?

he gave a sharp fanged look and then continued his perusal of the local fauna and creatures that lived therein. A small snort of amusement. If nothing else she did amuse him to the nth degree.

He turned to study her. So to conclude. You're cold. You want more grass and you want to grow a garden. Hmm?

he licked along the corner of his fanged maw as he thought through her words. HE didn't really care if she came to his den. It was big enough. And it wasn't like there was any reason to keep her away.

You can share my den. But it's rock adn more rock. No grass to be found. As far as that goes. We can try and find you ap lace to grow a garden. But don't hold out much hope.

She laughed as she laid there, some rolling, half snicker. Yes that about sums it up.

then thrust herself upwards in the usual, sharp and sudden manner; dragged herself under his chin and slid against the front of him. You are so niiiiicee...

...But you should get moss, at least— I will get moss- or something soft for it. See if I can find anythin' other than pine needles.

He shook his head amused. And studied her as seh rolled around like a crazy thing. Well she probably was a crazy thing to be honest. This wolf that had somehow adopted him? Or had he adopted her. Who knew.

He froze at her display and stared down at her unsure what to do about it. This was a little more affectionate than he usually allowed. Only because it usually or had always led to other things when he had been a younger man and they had all taken what tehy wanted and he had not fought about it.

He spoke with a wry smile. What have i told you about starting things you can't finish Envy. He shook head, and backed up, but he did give a hard paw pat to her shoulder. Trying not to press to hard, she was tiny after all.

Moss is preferable to pine needles. I don't like the sap.

She'd turn back at his chastisement, see the space he'd put between them and regard it with a tilted head, clueless. Hm? Start what?

Oh right, he was disgustingly suggestive. The realization stirred after a moment.

Perhaps that was what she got for being so touchy. Invitations unintended, boundaries pressed and crossed mindlessly. Someday it was bound to cause problems, hurt her or someone else, but that was how it had always been with her. Rot spreader, shatter the sanctity of everything touched and everything cared about.

It already had caused plenty of problems before; they say insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. She did not know why she never learned, maybe it was just desperation, maybe it was just how she was. Seeker of closeness, but forever resigned to sidelines, looking in and wondering how others did it so easily.

She did not want a rift, and recognized it quickly, even in his flippant tone. Her expression darkened, almost guilty, if such a thing was even possible. She sat back down and looked to the ground, paw idly tracing a circle, regulation. Thinly veiled sulking.

...Or furs.. we'd have to skin one of those goats, though. I think I could manage it.

He chuckled and shook his head. He didn't mind what she did exactly. It just usually caught him off guard. And she didn't seem to understand. He was a product of his upbringing. He had been a consort after all. To many. But she did not know this and it was a bit harsh he realized to always be the way he was. But it was something that was second nature. Something he was unsure about how to change and not even certain he wanted too.

She was sulking, most wouldn't realize this, but he had been with ehr too long at this point. He chuckled softly and blew out a breath and bent large head down to meet her red eyes.

Tell you what. You seem to always have to be touching. If you can come up with someway to warn me that you are going too. I will allow it and I won't even say anything rude. I might think it. But I won't say it. Deal?

I watched a wolf do that once. They skinned something, put it in the water and then dried it. I'm not sure why it needed to be in the water though?

There was slight colored confusion in his tone.

Tattered ears splayed to the side as her gaze narrowed. Thinking it is just as bad..

It's f-fine to say you don't like it.. don't like me, her mind said silently, but she'd dismiss the thoughts with a quick shake of her head, let em' rattle around in there, shoo! go' way.

Many a night had gone by in that cold, with only other unfortunates to snuggle up to. Find some pile, bury yourself in it. Lord knows mama wasn't givin' up any body heat, n' daddy was a bit too dead to offer much. In that void she sought for things to fill it, always seeking, always filling.

It was so strange not to have that crutch anymore, much less learn to be considerate of others for all their intricacies. She found herself wanting to know more and more and more. A metaphorical paw reached out to try and dig the secrets from his brawny hide.

What'do I say? Incoming? She'd snicker, if only to ease the tension from her own shoulders. Tense was no good, she needed to go go go. She let her paws fall up, down, up, down.

..Washin' it prolly gets that bloodsmell off it, or any dirt. Or maybe they just wanted to give it one last swim... She amused herself, trailing off into empty air.

Dreven snorted then. Which turned into a sort of cough as he tried not to do so. Little one. The only freedom I have ever had has been my mind. And no one can tell me what I can keep in there. But.

He held up a huge paw. I will do my best to make the thoughts go away as soon as they start.

Dreven sighed and settled to his haunches. His persual of the scrub grass over. it is not that i Don't like it.

he frowned in thought. He didn't want to talk about this, but she had a right to know. I was a slave once if you can believe it. I was also a consort from the time I was a old enough to stand to just a couple eyars ago. Many many wolves have used me for any and all pleasures and whatever you are thinking in that brain of yours that is horrible, double it and then multiply it and you still won't even get close to it. So. To me any touch is immediately one like that, because it is the only type of touch I know.

Dreven knew well the insatiable need to fill something that was beyond reach. He had felt it many times over. Again and again.

A soft dark chuckle. Sure. Or just raise a paw first. Make srue i can see it. Cause you know blind in one eye and all.

He laughed at the one last swim part.