Bramblepoint a bruise is a lesson... and each lesson makes us better

Of everywhere he could've gone, why had he come back here? Nothing good ever came from the Teekon Wilds, but then, nothing good had ever come out of anywhere else, either.

Not for him, at least.

Maybe he thought he could find a place here, somewhere to finally settle down and name his own. More likely he would find some heaven-forsaken land he'd die on, probably sooner than later, given his luck more than the turn of the season. He had lived through enough winters already, and so many alone. He knew the worst the cold could do, and like hell, if he was afraid.

His ears turned at the sound of another's presence, and he found her in short time: a woman, stooped over, in that same tracking posture he'd seen, and had taken, countless times himself.

"Hey," he said, brazen in his approach, but in tone, lackadaisical. He recalled his hunt with that water-wolf, Ying, and how he'd enjoyed the game they'd played when he'd found her in similar pursuit... how many winters ago? And how many days, since he'd eaten anything substantial? "Anything good around here?" he asked, and without missing a beat, "I'll help if you in whatever if we can split the spoils."