Emberwood dream a little dream (of me!)

the snow storms were becoming a near constant phenomena. the world would take pause; the wilds would fall silent. sometimes, bhediya would find a opening in the canopy and sit beneath the storm clouds. she would sit there, eyes closed, and dream about the wonders of the coming life.

the scout drew in a deep breath, the cold air stinging her nostrils. it must have been hours that she'd been sitting beneath the storm clouds. her pawpads had long since gone numb and her nose was beginning to follow suit. eventually, she would have to retreat and find warmth, but not yet.

Maiira had been all but nonexistent in the pack since its founding. Actually, that was because she’d been wandering far and wide in the areas surrounding the Emberwood. She had not lived in a pack since she’d left her mother at a young age, and even then, that “pack” had consisted of merely herself, her mother, and her few siblings. It had been nothing like this. She had to admit to herself—which was difficult—that she found being around so many others at once a bit intimidating. Not downright frightening, of course, for who were they but a bunch of mangy wolves? They did not frighten her, and so far, no one had given her trouble for her half-breed status. But…

She hummed and skipped along the ground as she went, partly because that was who she was, and partly to keep to keep herself warm in these frigid temperatures. Maiira had roamed far and wide, but she was not used to snow. She’d lived much farther down the coast in a place that never snowed and was quite a bit warmer and more humid in general, even in winter. This beautiful frosty cold was foreign and… deadly.

Her eyes caught the sight of another, sitting alone and seemingly frozen, like a statue. Maiira stopped, and also stopped herself from calling out to the woman. On a day like this, at a hushed moment like this, with snow falling around them, she did not wish to break the spell by speaking.

the soft crunch of snow pulled bhediya from her trance. for a moment, she sat trying to reorient herself. it was then that she realized how much pain she was really in and stood, shaking the remaining snow from each paw. 

with a smile, the scout turned to the stranger. cold, isn't it? yes, of course it was. the seasons had completed their transition, putting the entirety of the wilds in the thick of winter. 

bhediya was thankful for their settling in the valley as opposed to the taiga. do you want to take a walk? might help build some warmth.

The dark female had heard Maiira approach, but didn’t seem bothered by it. When asked if it was cold, she grinned a coyote grin and said, “Yes,” while glancing around at the snow-covered trees and the white ground. She was amused, for the answer to the question seemed obvious.

Her tail wagged when the dark one asked if she wanted to go for a walk. “Maiira would love to walk with this one,” she replied, stepping closer. “What is your name? Maiira is afraid she has been gone from Emberwood for some time, and has yet to truly meet her packmates.” She dipped her head in apology and waited for the dark one’s answer.

bhediya, she replied. maiira, her name was. it was strange the way that this woman spoke, but bhe chose to ignore it. everyone had a quirk; it was nothing to make a big deal over.

still, she couldn't get over how weird it was. are you a scout? there seemed to be quite a few of them within the pack but she wasn't going to complain. the more, the merrier, especially when it came time for long trips.

Bhediya was a strange name. Not strange to Maiira, necessarily, but strange compared to most other names she had heard. In fact, it sounded almost like a name her own mother would have named a pup. Maiira grinned at that.

She shook her head when asked if she were a scout, wondering where that question had come from until she realized it was because she had said she’d been gone from Emberwood for some time. “Ah,” she began, wondering how to explain. “You see, Maiira isn’t always… welcome among wolves. So when she was accepted into this pack, it felt… strange. Maiira needed some time to… to think things through.” She’d considered running away, leaving Ibis’ pack and never returning. Perhaps going back to her homeland. But something had prevented such cowardice. Ibis had accepted her so… normally. As if her being half-coyote hadn’t meant anything at all to her. And that had meant something important to Maiira. Something she couldn’t ignore and flee from. So she had stayed.

the fear of rejection was one that bhediya understood. she remained silent as maiira spoke, allowing the strange woman to share her thoughts. it felt intimate, this admission of unsureity. the counselor appreciated the candidness of this once stranger. 

you're welcome here, bhe said, allowing herself to drift and bump the girl's shoudler, we've got... lots of wolves who feel the same. it was natural, this common fear. while it could sometimes be helpful, she recognized that it often got in the way.

she waited a moment for maiira's response. otherwise, have you been settling in okay? nothing you wanna share? she wouldn't be upset if the answer were no, though she hoped it might not be. i can't promise i can help, but my title has to be good for something. bhediya laughed then, looking up at maiira to see if she would do the same.

sorry for the wait

Maiira couldn’t help but be comforted by Bhediya’s words, and was glad that she had been the first one Maiira had really met after returning to the Emberwood. She was asked if there was anything else she wanted to talk about, and she was quiet while she thought about that. “Nothing comes to mind,” she admitted after a few moments of silence. “Maiira’s only real worry is if we will survive the winter. She has never been this far north, you see.” She glanced around at the barren trees, the snow on the ground, and shivered dramatically. “Maiira grew up far, far south of here, in a place that has never seen snow. How does this one handle the cold?”

it's okay! we can fade out to get this finished. :)

i don't know, bhediya laughed, i come from the south, too. it had been years since she'd returned; any accent she'd once carried had been wiped away with time. she'd toyed with the idea of visiting, but with all of her family steadily moving north, what reason would she have had?

she looked at maiira and thought up an idea. do you want to talk in my den? it was technically pygmalion's, but she doubted he would mind. it's small, but we're both small. it's warmer there. bhediya was prepared for the woman to say no but hoped that she would accept.

Maiira was pleased with the idea of going literally anywhere warmer than here. “Yes,” she answered Bhediya, and followed her eagerly to the den. The idea of being curled up safe and sound from the cold outside seemed wonderful, especially in the presence of great company.

[Exit.]