Wapun Meadow read the good book when you feel alone

@Alarian

Mary was lost. Had this been a year or so earlier, she might have broken amidst this crisis, but she was a seasoned woman now. The time that she spent alone came more as a blessing than a curse; she would often tell herself that the Lord would only send trouble if it was to her benefit. He would only humble her if she was being washed over with pride; He would only leave her side to make her search Him out once more.

Thus, Mary wasn't much concerned with the way things had been going. She lived a simple life of survival, and that was all that she needed.

Alarian wasn't in the best state to hunt, and that was no secret-- but neither was it a secret that the three of them were hungry, that they could not heal without food.

So the boy had set off, stubbornly, to find something to eat for his friends. He wasn't so sure he could catch enough for all of them, but if he could keep their strength up... well, it would be worth it. That's what he kept telling himself after each failed chase, anyway; when he crossed the creek on his way into the meadow he was only carrying a single fox between his teeth. It was fat and soft, but not enough for three adult wolves.
Ali shook the water from his coat after a few steps, then looked up-- and almost dropped his fox from surprise. Not two yards away there was another wolf, another stranger. The boy had half a mind to run. But he reminded himself not to be ridiculous and approached anyway, dropping his fox a few feet away before he got closer.
Hello! He greeted cheerfully, tail wagging as he did his best to hide the slight anxiety.

Mary turned her head to face the stranger with jaded eyes and a tired smile, Oh, hello. Her eyes bounced slowly between his and the ground beneath him as she tried to focus. It was a difficult thing, Mary thought, to focus on someone else when one's own existence was so troubling. No matter how much she reassured herself, the truth of the matter was this: she had absolutely no clue why she'd been sent here and even less knowledge about how to get out. With a sigh, she turned her head back so that she was facing forward and continued to wallow in her own confusion.

The boy tilted his head at the tired greeting, noting that the stranger seemed confused. With his own recent injuries, his mind jumped to the worst conclusion and he was immediately concerned. Had she been hurt somehow?

Ali inched closer, tail still wagging. Are you alright? It was a gentle inquiry, head lowered a bit as he suddenly felt self-conscious. The single scar across his muzzle had been bad enough, but lately it seemed everyone was lined up to take a chunk out of him. He bit back a giggle at that thought, thinking there'd be nothing left of him but bones by the time he reached old age. Being a skeleton wolf sounded pretty cool, if you ignored the part where it would terrify everyone.

Mary nodded her head and gave an affirming grunt; she was alright as long as she was alive. Her own livelihood seemed to be the only consistent part of her life, she thought. I'm fine, dear, she whispered, then turned to face the scarred young male, Are you? He'd had his fair share of I'd-rather-not-repeat-this experiences, it looked like, though Mary wasn't expecting him to chronicle his life story for the sake of one, weakly voiced question.

She sighed and turned back to face forward. I'm Mary. Mary Scott, so it would seem. Who are you?

I've been better. The boy admitted, but smiled sweetly at the older woman anyway. Something about her calmed him in a way. He rather liked it.

Mary-- it seemed a fitting name for one whose presence was so gentle, so soothing. I'm Alarian Keil. He offered without hesitation. Then he had another question: Are you on your own?

Alarian was his name. It was unique, that was for sure, but it held a certain charm that Mary found to be quite fitting for the boy. I'm never alone, she told him with a soft chuckle. Her ears swiveled nervously atop her head to follow the distant sound of a snow goose, her brow furrowing with discontent. Not really. Although her physical body walked alone, there was always someone else at her side. 

And yourself? Mary asked, wondering if Alarian carried the scents he did because of a pack or provocative habits.

It was an oddly abstract statement, and for a moment Ali didn't quite understand. He peered around as if searching for someone else before deciding whatever she meant must have gone over his head.
I'm not alone, no-- I have companions. Not a pack, yet, until we find a place to settle. He explained, wondering if she would be interested in their group. Their numbers were growing, and so was their stability with that. The more they had, the more protection they'd have on their journey to... wherever. Somewhere they could call home.