Phoenix Maplewood white winter hymnal

black paws trudged onward in fresh snowfall. kasia breathed heavily. she was more or less glad to have found somewhere similar to home. here, she could forget about her past mistakes and start anew. unfortunately, the barren trees provided no shelter from the falling snow, but kasia didn't mind anyway. gray eyes squinted at the vast beyond, nothing there, she noted. perhaps this place was abandoned, and she wouldn't have the trouble of running into other wolves, or even worse, a pack.

she lowered her nose to the ground. no, the freshly fallen snow covered up any scent worth noting. she had smelled a rabbit that more than likely passed through a couple of minutes ago, but she wasn't too hungry right now. fortunately, the smell of wolf was very faint and old, so she determined that she could pass through the wintry landscape with no trouble. 

however, kasia thought it to be wise to take a short rest. she couldn't remember how long she had been traveling for; it had to been days, maybe even weeks. she decided to sit underneath an oak tree whose leaves had fallen off long ago. someone passing through would see her eventually, but kasia decided to enjoy solitude for now.

chucking this guy in here if thats okay with you! <3

Barrett roamed further from the valley today, patrolling, scouting, following the scents of prey and predator alike. Snow was falling, now, blanketing the ground in a thick layer of white, and Barrett let the coolness of it sink past his thick pelt and settle, deep, into his skin.
He moved towards the maplewood, where Sega had found him a mere few days ago, and trudged through snowfall with large, brown paws. His tail swayed softly behind him, flicking up pale spray as he went. Here, as he approached the trees, a scent rode towards him. Fresh and clear. That of a stranger, and so Barrett would investigate.
Moved to follow the scent. Let a low chuff leave his lips, announcing his presence, as he drew closer. Eventually, his gaze fell upon a dark-furred figure taking respite beneath an oak. She was akin in size to himself, to the band chief that he had only just thought of prior. He ensured a respectable distance was kept between both himself and the night-pelted stranger.
It was now that he spoke: Howdy, there, giving a forwards nod.

all good :)

she continued to rest, but through half-lidded eyes she spotted a stranger approaching. kasia turned her head and saw a male who seemed to be quite young and chipper. she noticed the scar across his muzzle, troubled past, she knew a thing or two about troubled pasts. this wasn't the time to talk about sob stories; however, her gray gaze studied him intently. she deduced that he was a bit younger than herself, and that he was more than likely part of a pack the way he approached her rapidly. that, or he was too friendly for his own good. she wondered why others struggled to mind their own business at times,

"hi," she responded cooly, she wasn't necessarily in the mood for someone acknowledging her presence, but what could she expect? her dark fur didn't blend in against the snowy backdrop, something she hated about winter. experience had made her more than capable enough to fend for herself, but her dark fur in the winter hindered her ability to stay hidden. case in point right here.

if the man was from a pack, and it wound up that she was intruding, she hoped he would let her pass without trouble. it annoyed her how territorial some were. from what she was told: all should be able to travel freely with no restrictions, one couldn't simply own the land. most, weren't like that at all. if he became aggressive, kasia knew enough to the point she could bargain with him, or she was still athletic enough to flee. hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

sega drifted in from the treeline a moment later, snow clinging to his pale coat. he had been shadowing callahan’s flank, letting the younger male lead the sweep as part of his training. now, at the stranger’s scent, he closed the distance.

he said nothing at first. only stood beside callahan, a steady presence, golden eyes taking in the dark she-wolf beneath the oak. tired. wary. travel-worn. not a threat — only alone.

sega dipped his head once, a simple greeting.

snow sifted across his muzzle as he studied her a moment longer.

we patrol only. no trouble.

a faint nod toward her scraped paws, the heaviness in her posture.

long travel, he noted quietly. come from far?

Barrett had hardly known that he was being flanked, shadowed by the chief of Great Sky as he made patrols of the area. Now, though within the maplewood, they stood side-by-side, two great, towering forces that did not make use of such strength in this moment. Instead, they entreated the stranger with curiosity, and, even more so, a quiet respect.
The outlaw nodded at Sega's words, tail flicking behind him. He would not ask further question of the woman, allowing for the man swathed in pale winter shades to lead the conversation, should he so desire. Instead, his gaze addressed the stranger with a warm kindness, body language open, nonthreatening, as if to display a sort of trust. He knew that he was safe with Sega, but he wanted the woman to feel safe with them.
She did not need to address him, but he would not stay quiet if she chose to. Ever polite. Well-mannered, of course.

eventually, another man had arrived. this one much paler in complexion than the first one. he had reassured kasia that they were only patrolling, and they wouldn't try to chase her off. good. her gaze was now focused on the second wolf who arrived, the one who actually looked like a northern wolf. kasia hailed from the far north as well, but she possessed dark fur uncommon among the wolves up north,

"yes, been on the run for some time now," she told the second man. it was too late before kasia realized her mistake, probably due to exhaustion, revealed too much, she scolded herself. hopefully, they wouldn't press for more information. kasia was definitely not in the mood to talk about her past. she never was. she was ashamed of choices she made when she was younger and dumber, and now she bore the scars to prove them. 

she noticed that the first male had taken a step back, but he remained cordial even as the pack leader? she wanted to assume spoke to her. maybe she had lucked out after all even though she didn't consider herself lucky.

sega stood a little ahead of callahan now, not blocking the woman, but anchoring the space in a way that made the boundaries clear and calm. snow whispered along his spine as he listened, the faint crease of his brow the only sign he noted her slip of the tongue.

hn. no one chase you, he said, quiet but certain. not here. not this close to my land.

a slow sweep of his gaze across the empty woods, then back to her — steady, not prying.

many run. many rest, he added, a simple truth. you do same.

he didn’t ask what she fled. wolves who needed safety rarely wanted to say. instead, he angled slightly to the side, giving her more room, showing he meant no trap, no corner.

callahan’s presence remained warm at his flank, and sega gave him a brief nod before returning his attention to the stranger.

snow heavy today, he said, softer. travel after rest. no eyes follow you from us.

She spoke little, but what she shared struck a chord deep within him, something, somewhere, that he did not quite know. Or, more so, did not quite remember. His face shifted, brows tightening as he turned his head away from the two of them, casting a glance back towards where Great Sky was situated. The valley that was now his home, providing warmth, and kindness.
For a moment, he thought of Twitch.

But ultimately, he looked back to the stranger. Then, to Sega. Met his nod with one of his own. He stepped back, again, and moved slightly away, so that whether or not this woman decided to follow them to the valley, he could resume his sweep of the lands. Both scout and hunter; he would make sure to pick something up while he was out. Refill the caches once he got home.
For now, however, he would wait. Watching. Listening.

while the first wolf had been silent since the second arrived, the second wolf had yet again reassured kasia that they wouldn't chase her off. then, he offered her a place to rest in the meantime. kasia froze, was she sure this wasn't a trap? she shook off her paranoia; there was no way these two knew about the old gang she used to run with. she was miles and miles away from there, and she was sure no one was sent after her even though they failed to successfully dispatch her.

after letting the second man's offer marinate in her head a little longer, she finally reached a consensus, "sure, i go with," a bit of an accent had slipped out, kasia nearly bit her tongue off. even though she had spoken common for close around two years, the intonation of her native language stuck around. perhaps they wouldn't mind unlike the previous group she was with,

"where do we go now?" she inquired, her gaze drifted between them. slowly, she rose from her seated position, and she shook excess snow off her pelt.

sega watched her rise, snow shaking from her dark coat in a fine spray. there was caution in her eyes still, but also decision— the kind that came from exhaustion and instinct finally giving way to trust.

he gave a small, approving nod.

then come, he said, turning toward the valley trail. we walk back. warm place there.

he stepped forward, but not too quickly, making space at his side so she did not feel driven or herded. callahan remained a steady shadow behind them, his presence solid but unpressing.

as they began to move, sega glanced toward her again.

i am sega, he said simply. sega tuhut. chief of great sky.

a pause, his tone softened by the faint curl of a welcoming smile.

and you?

And so, it was decided. Another member, another windstray for the wolves of Great Sky. Barrett hummed approvingly, though did not say, nor do much else. He walked on the other side of Sega, as to not encroach too heavily on the woman's personal space. A quiet consideration.
Between Sega introducing himself, and the woman giving her own name, Barrett would speak: Callahan, a single word, though he looked to the stranger when he said it, and gave a nod, indicating that this was his own name that he shared. He looked forwards once more, towards the valley.
Content to walk in silence for the rest of the trip back.

they would allow her to join them, for the time being at least. she wasn't sure if she would stay for long, maybe, maybe not. she began to follow both of them.

both had given their names, sega and callahan. as a respectable member of society, she thought she should give hers too,

"kasia," she said plainly. she didn't share her full name, katarzyna, or give a surname like sega, too much of a mouthful for most, she remembered someone saying. she never understood, she and her family had been able to pronounce her name with no trouble. she would never have trouble speaking her mother tongue, however.

she followed them to wherever 'great sky' was at, grateful for the refuge from the harsh weather.

continuation thread?