Dragoncrest Cliffs If only I can be remembered

Please allow for @Kendra to post first.

A harsh cold unlike any other he’d ever felt had settled over the land, the low temperatures inescapable. In the past, he’d hardly felt the chill of winter’s breath, his arctic lineage having served its purpose by thickening his pelt significantly. Yet, even with that added edge of the genetic support, he’d found himself shivering more often than not. And though he’d experienced a numbness within his paws at least twice since their journey had begun, it’d not been his own well-being that he’d felt troubled by, but Kendra’s. The wear and tear of her time spent alone showed, and so, whenever he stopped to rest or find a suitable shelter, it was over her that he’d looked. Checking for what, he could no longer say, though perhaps his frantic glances were simply to ensure that she was still there with him. When he could, he hunted for her, but otherwise remained beside her at all times in an attempt to share the heat from their bodies. Several times over the course of their journey, he’d considered leading her back towards the woods. Whilst they both had memories there that were best left in the past and untouched, he knew that they’d be welcomed and that they’d be able to survive. The only thing that held him back was the distance and his doubts, and so onward they'd continued.

An odour he could place only as wolf made his pace slow until he’d stopped, the musk of claimed lands obvious. How far off they were from the pack itself, he knew not, nor did he care to try and figure it out. It was a pack, a home, and offered some form of reassurance that all their trekking hadn’t been for naught. With a glance at his companion, he’d said, “Stay close to me,” for he was unable to swallow his caution. The packs that littered the coast were establishments that he knew next to nothing about, having met a coastal wolf but once in his life; she’d been decent enough, but had warned him of aggressive greetings from her pack. With that memory being his only to go by, he’d assumed the newly discovered pack to be aggressive, too, which made him worry for Kendra's safety. Still, after a moment of hesitation, he’d lifted his muzzle against the winds and loosed a howl, requesting the presence of an authority figure.

Wheee @Thuringwethil @Wildfire @Dio

The traveling was hard on Kendra. The malnourished female had a tough time plowing through the snow but he drive to stay with Xan was something that held her on foot. She was so cold the while time. Her fur was thick but she didn't have much body energy to keep herself warm. She stumbled a few times but managed to get back on her feet. The female was not a quitter and didn't complain once. She stayed close to Xan. It was very dangerous to be alone, she could fall asleep and never wake up. Luckily Xan always came back with a meal, and they even had a chance to eat from a frozen carcass along the way. It had been her saving grace.

Kendra's senses were a bit dulled, so she didn't smell the border at first. She nodded when Xan told her to stay close. She shifted against his side and sat down. Resting her tired body somewhat. She hoped that she wouldn't ruin their joining. She was not really that fit looking. But perhaps her knowledge about plants would help her. She was a specialist at it, and Xan knew. She just let him sell them to this pack leader.

Each day is far colder than the previous. At first, it reminds her of her former home and the temperatures that would drop, but there doesn’t seem to be a slow point. There is more snow on the ground each morning and the wind from the sea bites just a little bit harder. She is lucky they have the cavern but she often wonders how things would have panned out on the mountain they formerly claimed, followed by the wolves they lost along the way. Some likely to survive and others not, but the thoughts are pulled away when the howl pulls her attention away.

With their loose fitting claim on the cliffs and without operating at maximum efficiency, the thought of others at her borders puts a weird feeling in her stomach. She does not anticipate any other Trigeda wolves with the weather as it is, hopefully they are smart enough not to put themselves in danger, but it isn’t until the distance is closed that she gets her answer. Seeing the two strangers confirms her suspicions and she slowly approaches against the wind, trying to hide the chill in her bones and the tremor shooting down her spine. They both look travel weary but one a little worse for wear.

Dark, hardened eyes scan the female for a long moment before she settles upon the male offering the support to his companion. Thuringwethil squares her shoulders and arches her tail tighter to fight the wind blowing around them. Expectantly, she arches an eyebrow in waiting for the sad story she'll need to consider.

As they waited and Kendra sat down, he shifted his weight around, making sure that they were touching at all times. It was but a little gesture in comparison to the intensity of the cold, but it was better than nothing. He’d likely do whatever it took to keep her comfortable, guided by memories and feelings from a past life—well, what felt like one, that is. Neither of them were the same as they’d been before, and he knew that, but it had not altered the way in which he looked at her. From hatred to tolerance, and tolerance to a real friendship, he’d grown around her, and wanted to continue to grow. It made him feel uneasy, the idea of approaching an unknown territory and meeting with those that led it, but he swallowed his discomfort for her. Alexander had always been arrogant, but even he knew that he couldn’t provide for her nearly as well as a pack might during the winter months.

When another wolf crossed into the scene, he’d leaned closer towards his friend, weary of the stranger and what they might do. Their posture made their importance within the pack obvious, as well as made him more aware of his own stance. After being reminded that he wasn’t there for himself, keeping his tail from lifting had become easy enough, leaving it to fall slack between his hocks. With his ears pulled back, Xan waited to see if the woman would speak first—but she hadn’t. Again, he shifted his weight around, not entirely sure about what all he was supposed to share. Choosing to stick to the basics—because simplicity lowered the chance of failure, he thought—the yearling said, “My name’s Xan, and this is my friend, Kendra.” Introductions: check. “We were traveling, but need a home to stay at now,” he continued. “We can do work for your pack if there’s space for us.” As he spoke, his voice both elevated and trailed off at various points, lacking familiarity with the process of joining a pack.

Kendra felt the cold winds tug on her body. She rather wanted to just crawl under Xan and nestle there. Her toes were getting numb. How she wished to be out of this wind and cold. She closed her eyes and tried to bury her head more into the longer fur of Xan's neck. He didn't even notice that someone had come around to talk to them until she could feel Xan's voice talk. She slowly turned her head. Her pale eyes briefly casting over the other female before casting them down.

She slowly nodded when Xan introduced them. She wanted to tell the other she was good with plants but she just couldn't find the energy. Kendra nestled herself fully against Xan, leeching all the body heat from him. Xan knew what she was good at. She could help with identifying plants or trying to look for them, when she was a bit better though. Kendra did realize that this alpha female had every right to just decline them. Especially with her so weak. She would need rest and food first.

The pale wolf speaks for the both of them, introducing who they are and why they’re here but there is little to it. There isn’t another reason a half-dead wolf and her companion would be at her borders—at least realistically—and Thuringwethil gives them one not that she hears and understands them. She looks at the one named Kendra a moment longer as if she might say something, or tell her story, but she does not and further buries into Xan. She isn’t so sure what work she can manage for them in her condition, and their weather. She’d given Rosalyn a place to stay and recover in exchange and while the woman had carried her weight, she had not remained.

“There is space if you are loyal,” she tells them, “and with contribution.” He has not announced what their capabilities may consist of but their time will be limited if nothing is shown. “Is she ill?” she asks with one of her own reservations about the whole thing. Having been uprooted in a new place and the snow blanketing the ground, there is little they have to offer that isn’t for their own. Their supplies are limited and caches are few and far between with the upset but the status is mostly unknown. Thuringwethil lifts her nose and calls for @Portia before she turns her attention back for answers.

portia was nearby when she heard the calls, unfortunately too because she wanted nothing more than to be inside the cavern, snuggled up with dio. but dio had duties to tend to and she figured she might as well be useful, so she was searching for herbs. surprise surprise, everything was dead, so she felt pretty down as it was. when thuringwethil called specifically for her, a bit of worry began to nip at her gut, and she booked it to wherever the woman was.

she saw the strangers, padding up beside heda and giving her a respectful nudge on the shoulder before standing down and waiting for instruction-- or at least some background knowledge. the darker wolf looked pretty bad, but she could only assume she was weak and cold. she looked similarly when she joined the dragon, though she hadn't had anyone to lean on for support.

To say he worried not for Kendra would be to utter a lie. The appearance of her physical self was a great enough cause for concern that he couldn’t help but begin trying to figure out where they might next go, should they be turned away. Although his knowledge of the joining process was, by far, limited, he had enough common sense to realize that most would not appreciate having any weak links amongst their ranks. For the first time ever, perhaps it was, he felt bad that the world was set up that way, but only because it was Kendra that might be turned away. Especially since he knew that what she lacked physically was made up for with her mind; such a great intelligence she possessed, a mind so bright that he felt more comfortable traveling with her than a beast built for protecting its charge. That mind of hers had, perhaps, even been noticed by the dark leader, whose decision had not been to turn them away—or so it seemed thus far.

When asked about his companion’s well-being, Alexander shook his head. “Not ill, she just hasn’t eaten properly in a while,” responded the yearling. “If she gets ill, she’ll be able to care for herself. Kendra knows a lot about plants.” And whatever she could not do for herself, he would do for her. Though distance had kept them apart, time had brought them back together, and he would not allow for the cold to steal her away from him again. Tilting his chin downwards, he’d sought to rest it atop her head, and there it’d remained as a howl left the leader’s mouth. By the time Portia had arrived, however, he’d lifted his head back up and off of his friend’s, gaze inspecting the new arrival curiously before glancing back towards the first respondent. Recalling what the presence of a second wolf meant at the borders of Blackfeather made his body stiffen, prepared to defend himself.

Kendra listend to the female. Loyalty was what she wanted. Well, Kendra could give her that. She didn't feel particularly loyal to the brotherhood anymore. The only one she was really loyal to was Xan especially now he was helping her. The female was glad to be close with him as he could do most of the talking. She turned her head to the alpha female and gave a nod to tell her that she would be loyal.

She continued with a question if she was ill. Kendra didn't feel ill. She was healthy in a certain way. She was not disease ridden. Only the cold made her weak. She didn't have much fat reserves and didn't have enough to stay warm. Still it could be seen as not self sufficient. Xan defended her with his words. She knew he would. Another female came and Kendra looked curiously at her colored fur. Kendra thought it looked wonderful.

Kendra cleared her throat. "Botanist, not... healer," she croaked to the two females, gathering her energy. She did know that certain plants had healing aspects but she could not bend bones or was a full healer. She never had too much ambition for that. "Can make... garden. Plant seeds. Know plants well." That might make her more useful for their pack even though it was winter.

It appears she isn't necessarily sick but her health has still been compromised. The malnourishment leaves her susceptible to illness and ailments but she doesn't know if it's a matter of giving her a few good meals and she'll be back on her feet or if they are going to have to use their finite resources to nurse her back to health. Still, it is explained she can care for herself but she does offer a contradiction to their predicament. Heda still has questions for them but Portia arrives before she gets the chance.

"I am Heda Thuringwethil, Commander of Drageda," she finally introduces and pivots herself toward the skayona. "And this is my Skayona, Portia. Our healer," she explains, and then to Portia: "This is Xan and Kendra." Heda opens her mouth to speak again but snaps it shut when she realizes she isn't sure the full extent of Portia's knowledge of their language. While the benefit of the barrier will bring them comfort, she sets it aside. Instead, she points with her nose her intention to inspect the girl. "There is a cavern we should get her too that provides shelter from the winter."

portia knew more words than she did when she joined drageda, though thuringwethil was right not to speak in a full sentence to her. she could speak it better than she could understand it, usually she could only find one or two key words at a time. had the commander chosen to tell her something, she might have not fully understood the instruction, and instead might've asked and risked sounding stupid. although, by now she could speak small, choppy sentences of her own, and when thuringwethil nosed at the girl, she asked briefly for clarification. "should i use our herbs?" she spoke in trigedasleng, expecting only a quick answer. hopefully heda would not go off on some tangent that portia would have to decipher-- for she probably couldn't do it in full.

"i'll take her," she then answered, dipping her head to show the two outsiders to follow her. "come on, hun," she instructed more clearly, and waited patiently for xan to assist the girl across the borders. she would help support her when they got to her-- though tiny lil' portia wasn't much help in bearing any weight.

Alexander hadn’t known the full extent of his companion’s herbal knowledge, just that she did great with plants. Though, to hear that she wasn’t exactly skilled in the art of healing wasn’t too big of a surprise; Blackfeather wasn’t known to produce healers, and a life alone often made one focus more so on when their next meal would be, rather than what they could do with a leaf. And though she could not necessarily care for herself should she fall ill, surely what she did know about plants would be able to get her by. Of course, Xan would always be there to help her, despite his inability to tell one leaf from another. Again, he looked to Kendra, checking on her even when it was unnecessary to do so, and then gave his attention back to the pack’s leader. As the two females were introduced, he’d nodded once whilst repeating the names a few times over in his head—the first one was most peculiar, indeed, but he’d find a way to remember it.

A cavern was mentioned, and then there came words that encouraged him to move forward. After giving a soft nudge to his friend, he had begun walking towards the speckled woman. His movements were slow, mindful of Kendra, as he supported her as well as he could. As they got closer, he’d said, “I’ve got her,” ready to wave off any help, should it be offered. Though they would be staying there, and would have to get used to all of those living within the pack, Xan wasn’t yet ready to trust.

Kendra pushed herself to her feet. She was a bit unstable at first but once she got her balance the girl stepped on. Luckily Xan was close and she could lean on him while walking. It helped for now. Xan seemed very protective of her. It felt good that his friend watched out for her. It had been a long while since anyone showed care for her. Perhaps she was just so spoiled that she was used to wolves caring about her.

The speckled woman was helping them out, so Kendra was starting to get a liking towards her. It seemed that she was also a healer meaning that she perhaps had great knowledge about plants. Kendra wanted to know all about plants, and she had her botanist trade, so maybe she could work closely with this woman. She seemed friendly. Perhaps Kendra could learn others things from her too.

They were brought to the shelter where food and warmth was plentiful. Kendra was definitely glad to be out of those winter colds. Most of the wolves she met there but she was honestly too tired to have too much chit chat and time for introductions.

Fade there, I think! Whee <3