Bitterroot Valley ✢ clockwork

the valley was quiet beneath morning fog, the air thick with the scent of wet stone and thawing earth. sega moved through it like a shadow come to life, his pale coat streaked with the dark of old hunts and fresh dew. golden eyes cut through the mist, scanning the slopes where elk trails crossed and the river curved slow beneath the cliffs.
he had risen before dawn, when the frost still clung to the grass and the sky was the color of cold iron. @Elowyn’s scent had faded near the birch line days ago— faint, wind-scattered, too light for his liking. she was wanderer, yes, but the silence of her absence itched in his chest.
his broad paws pressed into the mud as he followed the current, nose lifting to taste the wind. the call of a jay startled through the fog; he paused, listening, waiting.

looking for elowyn!

Elowyn had found a spot to rest her head at night. It was a bit away from where she had met Sega and Miska. For the time, she wanted to keep to herself, though Sega's assurance that she would be safe there made her feel better about finding a spot to rest. 

Though she'd met Angel in the time since she first found the river (and met Miska and Sega), she hadn't met anyone else, nor had she found any other trouble. 

The sound of a Jay woke her, and before she even fully awoke, she could taste the morning fog in the air. A familiar scent filled her nose and she stood from her resting spot to go find it. She followed the wind to find the scent, until she got close to Sega.

"Hello, Sega," she said.

sega lifted his head at the sound of her voice, the low rumble in his chest softening when his golden eyes found her through the pale morning mist. she looked rested now, steadier on her paws, and the sight eased something quiet inside him.

elowyn, he greeted, the word warm, shaped with care in his rough-edged tongue. he took a step closer, the earth damp beneath his paws. you wake early. good.

for a moment, he studied her—the curve of her coat still heavy with sleep, the glint of fog on her fur. then, with a small tilt of his head, he asked, you come far? his accent thickened around the words, but his tone was gentle, curious. from what place?

"Yes, I woke early today. It happens once in a while," her tone was light, almost teasing. It mostly depended, but she was a light sleeper and could often be found waking with the break of dawn.

"Today, not too far," she said, her head moved, gesturing in the direction she had called her home for the past couple nights."But, as far as my total travels, I was born in Saskatchewan. I haven't called it home in some time now, though."

She laid down near him, her head moving to gesture he sit with her. "Are you from here, then?" she asked him.

he turned his head toward her, golden eyes soft but shadowed.

no, he said, the word low, rough-edged. not from here. a pause, then, quieter—big sky. far north. the name left his mouth like a prayer, or a wound.

his gaze drifted to the horizon, where fog hung over the ridges like breath. miss it, he admitted, voice roughened by the truth. but this… he nodded toward the valley, toward the trees bending in the morning wind, this home now.

after a heartbeat, his eyes found hers again. you miss home? he asked, the question simple, but carrying weight—like he already knew the ache of her answer.

Elowyn's eyes wathced as Sega spoke. When his gaze turned away from her, she continued to watch him, curious. A small smile came to her lips as she listened. She could understand missing home, and how comforting finding a new home would be.

"Yeah, I miss home," she said. "It got flooded some time ago, though." She looked down at her paws, sadness overwhelming her for a moment before she took in a breath and looked back up. "I found a new home, but I recently left. I miss there too."

sega was quiet for a long while, the wind moving through his coat like a river through reeds. the mention of flood made something flicker behind his eyes—memory, or grief, or both.

water take much, he said at last, the words shaped slow, heavy on his tongue. land. name. people. his gaze fell to the earth between them, where rain pooled in shallow prints. but not spirit. spirit learn to walk again.

he shifted, broad shoulders lifting, breath clouding in the chill air.

you strong for leave, he said, tone even, but meant as comfort. home not always place. sometimes… he looked toward the fogged valley, where green pressed against stone. sometimes just where you breathe easy.

"You've experienced a flood as well?" Elowyn asked, concern and sadness in her eyes. Her experience was awful, and she hated the idea of others having had to experience it as well. "I'm sorry."

The she-wolf nodded when Sega said that home is where you breathe easy. "You're right, Sega," she said. "Home is sometimes just...where you're comfortable, I guess." Her head tilted to one side as she watched Sega. 

"I wanted to find my family," she said. "So far, no luck. I am ready to give up. I wonder if finding you, and this place, was my sign to do so."

sega’s eyes softened, gold like sun through stormclouds.

yes, he said quietly. river come down mountain once. take all. den, women, pups. a pause, but no bitterness—only memory, worn smooth with time. hurt long. but… made new path.

he looked toward the valley, where the mist had begun to lift, light spilling through the trees. water wash old away, he said, voice low, steady. leave ground clean. ready for grow again.

his gaze found hers, warm now. a faint smile ghosted across his muzzle. family not always blood. sometimes… who stand beside you when storm done.

"That's sad," said Elowyn. "I'm sorry you dealt with that." A sadness came over her eyes as she watched him. "But, water destroys, water repairs, and water cleanses."

Her words held sadness, but she cleared her throat. "I agree family is who stands by you when the storm is done," she said, chuckling. "But, I did want to find my birth family. I'm just not sure that's possible. A new family wouldn't hurt, I guess."

sega dipped his head, a soft grunt of agreement, the kind that lived more in the chest than the throat.

water take… but give back too, he said quietly. you right.

his gaze met hers, warm beneath the rough edges.

birth family maybe gone. maybe not. a small shrug of his broad shoulders. but new family—always can be made.

he stepped back toward the path, turning slightly so she could fall in alongside him if she wished.

you stay if heart say stay, sega murmured. great sky got room.

a final glance, gentle as wind through grass.

no need hunt alone anymore.

fade in your next post? thank you for the thread!

Eloywn's tail flicked. "New family can always be made," she said, her heart racing a bit with excitement at that possibility. Her gaze shifted toward the path just a bit as he started toward it and she stood to walk with him. 

"I think I'll stay," she said as she took a few steps toward him. "You're right. No need to hunt alone anymore." She chuckled as they walked the path.