Neverwinter Forest birthday brownies

All welcome!

After coming out of what was a rather nasty cold, the air felt a little more breathable today, and her head felt clearer. It hadn't been anything life-threatening, but the constant coughing, sneezing, runny/stuffy nose, and general lack of sleep had kept her away from recruiting the past dozen days or so. Now she was back on her feet and ready to greet (and recruit) the world. There was something oddly refreshing about coming out of sickness, and her heart thrummed with giddiness to greet the new day.

She first let out a howl to @Vyn, @Dashiell, and Imrathil (@Ingram) to let them know she was feeling better. She then began to make her rounds to the outskirts of the forest, squatting every few paces to dribble urine and mark their new home. Cyclone scanned the area as she went, keeping an eye out for anybody who might come wandering her way.

Epic had finally made up his mind; it was time to make an effort and get to know all the packs in the area. So far he had met several wolves, some light-hearted and filled with stories while others lingered more into the shadows, finding solace in remaining mysterious. Throughout these lands there were many scents scattered across territories; he had a heart and desire to meet them all. Although this journey was rather ambitious as it would take weeks, months even; and maybe some meeting wouldn't go quite well. After all, not all wolves that he came across were friendly. 

This time he tracked down another territory. There were several strong scents sprayed across the border although one scent in particular had been strong. The scent was recent but because there weren't too many scents he wondered if a pack had formed here. Still, any wolf pack could be considered a pack; even when they were few in numbers. Being respectful the young male didn't cross the borders although his curious side wanted to know who called this territory their home. Moving from left to right, he scanned the surroundings from a distance while taking in all there was to see. Soon his strange scent would probably trigger the locals.

Potential cameo, feel free to ignore him!

He'd trailed after the female with some care, giving her ample space to find an environment that suited her. While he waited for her decision he contemplated seeking her out regardless of it, and doing as he pleased. Zugzwang was a beast of a cat; his kill-count had grown tremendously since his arrival to these wilds, and he thought himself fully capable of dealing with a petulant woman. She wanted kids, and he could give her that - all he wanted as a good time, and she would eventually give him that (whether she accepted him or not). Thus, he roamed yet another forest. The woman's trail led towards the mountains but he was not inclined to follow yet - her path had crossed through a small field and there, he found strong wolf-scent, which distracted him.

A faintly familiar smell came drifting her way, and when she came around a bend, Cyclone spotted somebody who was... vaguely familiar. It took her a moment to place him, but she eventually recognized him from a while ago. He had been talking to that wolf about deserts!

Hey there! she greeted, tail wagging and a smile on her face. Amsu, right? Have you decided not to go searching for deserts after all? He had seemed most interested in hearing about them the last time they had crossed paths. Maybe he realized hanging out in a sandy wasteland was a waste of time (pun intended).

Amsu? Is that how he was remembered by Cyclone? A playful grin appeared on his facial features as he bobbed his head, then replied honestly. "No, no that was the storytelling dude! I'm Epic, the party pooper who left." And as for his adventures, visiting a desert was still on his bucket list though it was difficult to say if he would ever find one for real. "I at least found some beaches. The sands kept stuck between my paws for weeks." 

For a moment he wondered what had become of the desert-loving and story-filled Amsu. His eyes only lit up for seconds as he thought about stories before turning his focus back to Cyclone. "You've been busy. Your scent is all over the place. Is this yours?" Epic pointed with his nose at the territory before -- another, penetrating scent reached his senses. "Hmm, we're definitely not alone." And speaking of puns; Epic didn't want himself or Cyclone to be part of any desserts (the one you eat after your main course.)

The cat was curious of the wolf-scent, but he knew better than to tempt fate and chose to pursue the scent of the woman instead. Zugzwang tread along one of the paths through the woodland, but as he came upon a gap in the trees he found that he had crept too close to where the wolves stood. If he was not careful, they might see him. But he is a practiced prowler, and was confident he could sneak through without alerting them — even if his proximity brought a new level of ire to his every twitch. He would have to contain his innate rage towards the lesser species lest fate be turned against him.

What? So the crazy desert wolf had been talking about himself? In the third person? Cyclone gave Epic a silent "yikes," wondering what would cause somebody to do that. Maybe he wasn't right in the head. That explained why Epic bounced as soon as he did that day. But he was quick to change the subject on to other matters, and Cyclone smiled at his mention of the forest. Yeah, I guess it kinda is! Not quite to the point where we can really expect to enforce it full-time, but it's getting there.

Her own nose twitched at the smell he mentioned, and she shot Epic a worried look. Cyclone's ears swiveled around, trying to catch any sounds that the creature might have made, but she couldn't hear anything distinct. Hopefully it's not close enough to be a threat, she said with a furrowed brow. Two species of apex predators living in one place was risky business, but so long as they weren't outnumbered, Cyclone didn't think it was too much to worry about.

Epic suddenly felt an uncomfortable feeling, like he was being watched. The sort of jeepers creepers you'd expect in a horror movie when the killer or boogie man was about to strike. This feeling made him itch and quickly he scanned the area, but his eyes saw nothing out of the ordinary that stood out. No kitten in sight. Like Zugzwang, Epic would be in favor not to have a confrontation today. His nose still tickled, there was definitely a scent of a cougar out there. "Let's be careful, just in case." Epic said gently as he turned back to Cyclone -- who was of greater interest to him than any other lurker out there.

"It's getting there?" Epic raised his eyebrow curiously. "What are you up to?" He wanted to know, having a run-in with Cyclone more than once and it appeared that each time it was getting interesting.

Cyclone nodded. She was used to getting herself into trouble, but it didn't sound like her new friend was very fond of the idea. Wherever the feline was, Cyclone kept on high alert for any changes in the immediate surrounding area. She flicked her eyes back to Epic at his question, which was an easy one to answer.

Gathering a few followers, she replied, Going to try my paw at leading a pack, since I've been a piss-poor follower every time I've tried doing that.

Epic couldn't help but to smirk when Cyclone replied that she was starting her own pack because she was not the best follower. Kind of someone who starts her own business because being a loan slave was not for everyone. But an original way to start a pack, Epic couldn't help but to be amused at her reasonings. "Best reason ever to start a pack!" Epic couldn't help but to compliment her and wonder how the pack would turn out.

"What's the pack about? What kind of ideas do you have for the pack?"

Epic seemed enthused, at least to some degree, about her plans, and she was happy to share them. It didn't appear there was any harm in doing so. I guess I'd like for it to be a little more free than some other packs in certain ways, she explained. I, for one, don't think I could ever commit to a single wolf for the rest of my life, and I want that to be a theme here, too. I'd also like to have a rotating leadership position so I can get new heads in the game on a regular basis. I feel like most packs get sorta... stale after awhile.

That had, at least, been the case in packs she had joined in the past. Anything like that might interest you? she asked, wondering if he was a potential recruit.