Dahozhoni Meadow seaborne

for @Nimbus!

sunset; the departure of her only companion, though nausicaä was too far removed from any true sense of companionship to mourn the loss. the light would return, anyhow.

nothing else ever would.

nausicaä picked over the decaying corpse of some large bird, nothing but scraps by now. she wasn't beyond hunting for herself — but who could pass up a free meal? her muzzle wrinkled slightly at the sour taste of rot, though.

Nimbus watched from a distance, his silver coat blending seamlessly with the dusky shadows of the approaching night. His pale yellow eyes locked onto the lone figure as she scavenged, her movements methodical but weary. He stepped closer, his presence deliberate but unthreatening. The crunch of frost under his paw broke the silence, a subtle announcement of his approach.

You won't find much there, Nimbus said, his voice low and steady, carrying the weight of someone who had seen more than his share of empty offerings. His gaze flicked to the carcass she picked over, then back to her. Winter gives little, but it rarely gives freely.

the stranger came bearing words as silvered as his own furs, some kind of desultory offering at the bare shrine of her desolation. he was a pretty thing, heavenswrought — but he didn't know her. nausicaä glanced up, swiping her tongue across her muzzle to erase some of the rotten scent from her mouth.

whatever the price, i'm sure i've paid it a thousand times already, she murmured, a glint in her eyes akin to amusement. enough for both of us, maybe, if you fancy a carrion dinner yourself.

Nimbus tilted his head, the faintest flicker of a smirk ghosting across his muzzle. Generous, he said, his tone carrying a quiet humor that matched her glint. But I’ve had my fill of decay for one lifetime. He stepped closer, his movements deliberate, the fading light catching the streaks of silver in his fur.

Though I’ll admit, he continued, his gaze unwavering, I’ve paid my share of debts as well. Some to the forest, some to the ghosts it keeps, and some I will carry to my fucking grave His voice softened, not with pity but with a calm understanding that felt almost weightless. 

Nimbus lowered his head slightly, his pale eyes scanning her face, reading the steel beneath her weariness. You don’t seem the type to settle for leftovers He spoke with quiet certainty. Whatever price you’ve paid, you’re still here. That’s worth more than you think.

He let his words hang in the air, it was all he had left to offer. But maybe we can work together to find something more appetizing.

when he spoke of her nature, she couldn't help but interject; how could you know? yet there was a good-humored quirk to her lips as she said it. and besides —

two is better than one, i'll admit, though i've never known a life untouched by decay. our own hunts only feed the cycle, no? not that we ought to feel guilty; we'll all be leftovers in the end.

nausicaä rose, nudging the skeleton as if to emphasize her point.

but perhaps we'll make the best of it, you and i. it's not as if i've anywhere better to be. her gaze found him, steady and without judgment. did you have something in mind?

Nimbus’s ears flicked at her interjection, a faint huff of amusement escaping him. How could I know? he echoed, his lips curving into a slight grin. I suppose I don’t. But I know the look of someone still standing when the weight of decay should have brought them down.

He watched as she nudged the skeleton, his gaze lingering on the stark reminder of the forest’s indifference. You’re right, he said after a moment. Decay touches everything eventually. But feeding the cycle doesn’t mean we have to surrender to it. Sometimes, it’s enough just to keep moving—until we find a place where the rot doesn’t reach.

Her steady gaze met his, and he returned it without hesitation, a rare flicker of something like trust sparking in his eyes. If you’re serious, he said, I could assist in trying to catch something a bit more lively.

in an instant she decided that she would follow him. for an hour or for a lifetime, she didn't yet know — but who ever knew? who could ever predict which way the tide would take them after surrendering to the water?

well, she supposed that she'd been meant to... but the tide had taken her a different direction, it seemed. somewhere far from the ocean. she managed a tired smile for the man.

let's see what we can find, then, she murmured, lifting her nose into the wind. a place where the rot doesn't reach. after a moment, she added without looking at him again: nausicaä.

Nausicaä. He let the name hang on his tongue for a moment before he responded. Interesting name, never heard anything like it.

Nimbus, he offered in return, his voice steady but soft, as if the name itself carried a weight he wasn’t quite ready to share.He glanced at her then, his pale yellow eyes meeting hers briefly, steady as ever. 

Nimbus turned his gaze back to the horizon, his movements deliberate yet unhurried. These wilds may not give freely, but it rewards those who know how to take.

The wind had carried a scent he was not familiar with but a scent that was clearly alive. As he begun to step towards it he could not help but feel a small flicker of gratuity, a lone wolf now walking not quite alone.

nimbus.

nausicaä couldn't help but smile faintly at that. nêphos, she murmured, more to herself than to him. but whose ascent did he herald? her own? laughable.

she took the lead with an impish glance over her shoulder. too slow, the flash of her eyes said, and then her eyes were only for the path ahead. it only took a few steps forward for her to parse the scent which had drawn his attention. jackrabbit. a meager offering — unless it led them to its home.

with the sky darkening, this one would have only just emerged for the night. it would be wary, yes, but hungry. nausicaä lowered her nose to the ground, searching now for the grassy tang of shrubbery among the other scents.

Nimbus’s eyes narrowed slightly as he caught the faint smile that tugged at Nausicaä’s lips and the word she murmured—soft, distant, and meant for no one. His ears flicked forward, curious, but he let it pass without comment. Some thoughts weren’t meant to be shared.  

He raised his brow as she took the lead, her playful glance daring him to keep up. A faint snort escaped him, half amusement, half challenge. 

He followed her with silent steps, his own senses honing in on the trail she’d picked up. The jackrabbit’s scent was faint, but distinct—fresh and close. As Nausicaä lowered her nose to the ground, Nimbus moved to her flank, his movements fluid and deliberate.  

His pale yellow eyes scanned the darkening brush ahead, searching for the faintest hint of movement.  After a moment, he glanced at her, his gaze sharp but not unkind. Let’s see if you can keep up, he said with a teasing edge, his tone soft but charged with the thrill of the hunt.  

Nimbus lowered himself into a crouch, his silvered fur blending into the shadows as he began to circle wide, giving her the lead but positioning himself to flank their quarry. The unspoken rhythm of a hunt began to fall into place, the first test of what two loners might achieve together.