Duck Lake A silence lays upon the valley

Sorin had turned back to the north after venturing into the meadow. He had no interest in travelling into the mountains to the west; with winter coming, such an action could be extremely errounus. He continued on his trek through the valley, wanting to discover as much the land and its inhabitants as he could. If this valley was to be his home for the winter, he needed to fully scout it out, discover all that he could to give himself the best chance at survival. For winter would not hesitate to punish the mistakes of the unprepared.

Eventually, the rugged male's paws carried him to the edge of a lake. He looked over the surface of the water, wondering what his reflection might look like, if he could have seen it. The water was too choppy, and the fog obscured too much moonlight, but he did wonder. Would he even recognise himself, would he see the same warrior, who fought for an honorable cause? Or had fighting for a good cause with less than admirable tactics changed him too much? It was one of many questions that haunted him since Viggo's fall. Before he had been so sure of his path, that honor only mattered in the cause, not in the fight. Now, he wondered if such a path could lead to destruction as great as-

With a low growl, Sorin shoved the train of thought to the back of his mind. He could not afford such weak, distracting thoughts right now. He had to stay focused if he was to have a chance this winter. So he continued his trek around the lake, looking for any prey that be out this late.

She had not spent much time back at Elysium. She was busy; there were things that needed to be done. One of those things was establishing alliances--she would not make the mistake of not knowing her neighbors again. There had been a scent of a pack just south of Lost Creek Hollow, and she intended to visit them.

First, though, a drink.

Lily stopped by the shore, dipping her head and taking a long draw from the water. She was halfway through a swallow when she caught a shadow moving nearby, something that could have been her own reflection. But the smell of a stranger proved her wrong, and she stood straight up, licking the droplets from her chops. The blackbird barked at him before approaching, the sound friendly (if a tinge wary).

Hallo, there, she said, once within speaking distance. His pelt was blue-black in the moonlight, cloaking muscles, a rugged build. Looking for something to eat?

Sorin continued his trek, staying close to the waters edge. He hadn't been around many lakes in his life, he had spent more time around rivers and streams. He looked wistfully in the shallow water by the shore, but there were no fish to be found. They were all in the deep center of the lake. Even so, the shallows had their uses Sorin thought as he dipped his head for a drink. The cool water felt good on his tongue after traveling for so many miles.

A bark from behind caused the male to whip his head up and around, a guarded expression overcoming his face. Sorin relaxed slightly at the others friendly tone, but his expression remained somewhat guarded as he beheld the slim girl. "Yeah, always looking for something" he responds somewhat ruefully. Sometimes, it seemed all he did was search for prey. In many ways, he yearned for something more in life, but in others, he enjoyed the simple grind of his current existence. "What brings you out here tonight, away from your pack" he asks, for he can smell the pack scent on her.

The familiar sound of existential sadness tinged his voice, and her gaze softened, becoming almost mournful as she stared at him. I'm just on a scouting trip, Lily answered him quickly, and then fell silent, blinking quietly as she considered what to say next. Are you alone? Do you live around here?

Her bleeding heart could sometimes be a hindrance, but perhaps this was good. Maybe he needed a place to stay; he would be more than welcome--and appreciated--at the Sanctuary. She settled back on her haunches and waited for his response, head tilted slightly. Not that she wanted to take advantage of his solitude to bolster her ranks. . .never that.

Okay, maybe a little, tiny bit that. (Sorry, Sorin's player.)

He nodded at her words, knowing that packs often sent out scouts to discover new lands and other packs. He had done a few in his time, mostly to figure out alliances and a good battlefield. However, it didn't seem like she was looking for any fighting zones. His gaze hardened slightly as she asked if he was alone. He could practically hear the unspoken question of if he wanted to be a part of her pack. They were all the same, all wanting something from him, all expecting loners like him to leap at the chance to join others. Inwardly, he snorted to himself, but other than his slight change in expression, he gave no outward sign of his mild anger. "Yes I am alone, and I prefer it that way for now" he said lowly, his tone leaving her little room to maneuver. He did not want to give her any false hope, and he wasn't going to budge from his stance on the issue. He had no intention of joining a pack at this stage, not after the last fiasco.

"I don't really have a permanent den site, I'm just wandering the valley for now" he said in response to her second question. "I'm mostly trying to scout out as much of this area as I can before the worst of winter, try and get a feel for my surroundings you know." He knew that information would be his best friend in the coming months, and he planned to gain as much of it as he could. And perhaps he could gain some from her. "Where does your pack reside?" he asked, curious as to where she originated from and how far it was.

Yeesh, he saw right through her. Oh, well. . .she supposed it spared them the delicate, awkward dance of recruitment. His stubbornness reminded her somewhat of Khali, on their first meeting. Perhaps he would warm up to her the same way? Well, hopefully not too much of the same way. She expected Khali would have much to say about that--or he'd probably just answer with teeth. Yeah, the latter.

That's perfectly fine that you want to stay on your own, Lily said mildly, smiling. Just know that there's a place to stay, should you need one. Elysium, in the willows at the base of the mountains, near the sea. That was really all she could say for now. If he wanted to freeze all on his lonesome come the bitter winter months, that was his prerogative.

Have you been in these parts long? she asked, changing the subject.

Sorin sighed slightly at her words. But it wasn't directed at her, more at himself. The battle of his heart and head waged deep inside, pulling him in opposite directions. His heart yearned for connection, and his head threw itself against any such interactions. He was ripped from the inside, being torn apart by what he desired, and what he knew he should not pursue, lest it destroy him once again. And though this war waged, besides his sigh he showed no outward sign.

"Elysium" he whispered to himself, testing the word and finding he liked the sound, the way it rolled off the tongue. he nodded briefly as she finished, internalizing the information she gave about the pack. Should he ever be in the area, it would be good to know where packs might be situated.

"A few weeks" he responded briefly. "I've met a few others, but I haven't been near any packs." He paused for a moment, thinking about his travels. "I have picked up scent south of here though, so you'd probably find packs in that direction." He knew, being on a scouting mission, she was probably looking for packs to make contact with.

That's where I'm headed, actually, Lily responded, tipping her head toward the south. I caught wind of them when I was around here, earlier. I hope they're friendly. She flashed him a kind smile, ears shifting slowly atop her head before settling in a relaxed state. Wouldn't do, to come all the way out here only to find bad company.

He was a lost cause, though. Well. . .not a lost cause. No one was ever that. But he wanted to be alone, at least for now, and Lily didn't want to take that pleasure from him. Her tail swung slowly behind her. I should get some rest, she murmured, moonlight glinting fire off her gaze. Gotta get going tomorrow.

She began to pad away, then turned, flashing a smile over her shoulder. Oh, I never introduced myself, she said, giggling slightly. Lily. If you decide to come to the willows. . .call for me. I'll answer.