Thunder Dome umbra

<3 I'm overjoyed to return the favor. I seem to recall that you and Stig saved me and Rue last time, so. xD

He remembered her, then. Rue oriented herself toward the sound the man's voice. Those lulling tones were just as distinctive of Stigmata as his scent, if not moreso. After all, the man's scent had changed noticably with the passing moons and his manner of speaking, it seemed, had not. 

Rue regarded the man with quiet poise, unsurprised to hear that Stigmata no longer resideded in the south. The hallmarks of Stigmata's new scent were similar to her own, and those of the other wolves living in the area. He had been roosting in these parts for some time now... long enough to begin smelling like a native, at least. 

"A shame," she said simply, injecting a sympathetic inflection in her voice out of courtesy more than anything else. Her expression remained cool; she saw no reason to show more sorrow than Stigmata himself, who seemed quite unaffected by his loss. Bearclaw Valley had been only been name to her, and now it was nothing. 

So Stigmata's former packmates had dispersed after Bearclaw Valley's collapse. Rue nodded with understanding, expression darkening almost imperceptibly. This topic touched on one of her inner fears; truly, she was uncertain whether Blacktail Deer Plateau would last the winter if their miserable run of misfortune continued. It was a sobering reality; the prospect of introducing herself as "Ruenna of diaspora" was not particularly enticing to Rue (although her roleplayer is admittedly intrigued by the idea). 

Well then. Stigmata's speech had changed, it seemed. Gone were the word games, the indirect answers, and the hidden implications. Rue blinked in suprise, taken aback at how plainly Stimata declared his intentions. Rue digested this information for a moment and then spoke, voice placid. "Then I expect we are to see more of one another in the coming moons.. neighbor."    

Rue took in a long breath, regarding the man thoughtfully. "Loyal wolves can be so hard to come by," she remarked, voice offhand but eyes capturing the man's gaze pointedly. She let the comment hang, resisting the urge to clarify or expand upon it.