Phantom Hollow why lure us, radiant darkness?

Early on in his day, he had set out and tracked on and on across the open wilderness. Pressed by the deepening of the chill and the scarcity of most things worthwhile to hunt, the dark Ostrega roamed on further than he usually cared to. Here, on the other side of the Heartwood, he finally slowed to regroup.

He had caught and ate a small runt of a rabbit before it started getting dark out, so after that he carried on until he could find a stream.. which was most of what led him now into the edges of the Hollow. Already, its quiet weighed heavily upon him, or maybe that was the lack of elevation working on him too. Regardless, he slowed down to a meandering walk on towards a small clearing. When the trees gave way, he sighed, looking west, then east, then west again. Roughly, he could judge it as about halfway from both Moonspear and the Sunspire.

Truthfully, he thought to keep going as he panned his sights back to the range east of him. After the other mountain had come up in conversation with Nikai, it was easy to reflect on it, now closer than before. But.. he looked west again towards Moonspear, then even more south of there. He didn't really like the look of those clouds, faraway and on a darkening sky no less. Maybe it was too soon to say for sure. In his gut though, he felt like he should head towards home soon; it was a walk of its own. The Sunspire wasn't going anywhere, and winter left little to be desired, anyway.

He huffed and lowered his nose, sniffing on for any game trail--just a little while longer.

she knows of the alliance with moonspear, their scent, but she had yet to meet one of them. they existed only as shadowy figures in her imagination, wolves on the mountain. but she scent trail she encountered was fresh, and if she was right, one of them. her wanderings forgotten, she followed after the scent warily, ensure exactly what their alliance meant and ever aware of the possible danger that came with encountering a strange wolf.

he came into sight a moment later, lean and shadowy. she offered a chuff first, slowing to ensure a good distance remained between them, before inquiring, "are you hunting?"

It was nothing his nose found that warranted a good look. The chuff drew his attention, maybe a little sharper than before now that he was no longer alone--it was a earthy-hued, young she-wolf, with hard to miss eyes on her. Jarilo lifted his own head back to her question she posed right from the start. Ah, so she was wasting no time then.

He knew the southern reaches of the Wilds had fared better than most given the lean times of late, but it was of no surprise that they all still roved in search. Moonspear had been lucky, he knew, but that didn't stop them from further securing their comfort like this too. Yeah, he answered as he gave a half-pivot towards the lean Nightwalker, handling her like any stranger too despite their packs' alliance. Not a wolf on the front lines usually himself, he did not know for himself how they could be, but he was fine enough to find out. For anything worth it, anyway. Are you? he asked back before he could gauge anything else, for example--who even was she?

wariness is evident as she regards him face-on, now. she's never really been told the intricacies of their alliance, nevermind how to treat wolves from the mountain. it's never seemed especially important, but faced now with cutting hunger and a hunter and possible partner she's certain is a much better hunter than she, she does not want to mess this up. "yeah." it had been her intent leaving the borders, but lack of prey had a way or eroding her will to keep on doing so. 

"we could hunt together." she offers, remembering the success of her attempt with Valour, and Vanity before that. "I'm Hela." an introduction seems pertinent, and she tacks it on hastily.

Well, good to know they were roughly on the same page in being out here--though he was not about to specify what all he hunted for, besides opportunity. He supposed he should use this, and capitalize a touch on the alliance that his sister had forged--because what did he have to lose? Maybe she could invite more luck than he had, so far. Yeah, we could. he agreed. I haven't caught any good trails yet, though, he mentioned, since he was so able to get her right up to speed on his progress that had carried him off the mountain. There's a river ahead, eventually.. but it might also mean other predator traffic too. Don't know what's across that way lately, or so he had reasoned to himself. Plus, he knew this forest better in the greener months, which did him few favors now. Still might be worth a look..? he offered, trying to feel out her interest before he committed to a trail heading that way. Hopefully they wouldn't need to go all the way to the river to sniff out anything bigger than a rodent.. but, times were lean.

I'm Jarilo, he offered back after she gave her own.

he's got nothing, but neither does she. the option he offers seems to be the best they've got. she agrees with a short dip of her head; a silent gesture signifying her willingess to follow, and a verbal, "alright." he offers his name, and she commits it easily enough to memory. jarilo. she wonders, briefly, if it means anything. 

silence stretches between them a moment as they make (supposedly) for the forementioned river. "what's it like, on the mountain?" she'd just as easily move in silence; it would be better to, truly, once they neared their destination. but for now she ought to capitalize on this meeting; knowledge of their allies could only be beneficial. she is young, but life has taught her pragmatism, and isolation has forced her to grow up soon as planned.

She was able to agree to his suggestion, so he offered back no other resistance with that, either. He had not run out of hope entirely, but there just wasn't a lot to go on yet--hence why he thought to keep going until he reached one of those ends. Either something would turn up or his patience would fade.

And while the search continued, she warranted a solid look over his shoulder again. He appreciated her straightforwardness. The air is clearer.. for one, he griped, sniffing, then a sigh right after the fact. He noticed this more as he grew older, wiser--maybe more aware to the differences? Or just downright picky.. a very real possibility.

As for what else he could share about the mountain, this came difficult for him to summarize, as someone well invested in their greater picture, and finer details. It was his home, and his family. He would generalize broadly enough. We have thick forests low on the elevations, jagged paths up high. Meadows, caves, cliffs. We keep busy, and sharp.. so the mountain does take care of us, although it did not always make it easy. Usually.. we have mountain goats and bighorns to hunt further up, but the earthquakes made them hard to track down this year.. So far. Wherever they were wintering was out of his range, seemingly.

Your Nightwalkers--you claim the woods on the other side of the Caldera, right? What has it been like there? he asked, dropping his voice down quieter this time. Maybe he almost smelled something.. but it was early, still.

she'd never thought to include the clarity of the air in her description of places, inhaling unconsciously as he mentioned it. it had never been a thought she'd really considered, least of all that there could be such thing as clearer air. he goes on the elaborate on more things than the air, however, and the girl listens raptly as she does, imagining such a place. she would rather like to live on a mountain, she things. 

to his query, she nods. "the wood is split in three—one third old oaks, mostly dark and foggy, one third willow trees, and one third birch trees and open meadows." she informs him, wondering how best to elaborate when, distantly, something shifts in the shadows between the trees. pausing, she glances once at him and then motions toward the sound, auds canted in silent question.

A glimpse into the woods was perhaps more than he had been prepared to receive, but he was grateful. Interesting, he remarked, wondering what it was that spurred the forest to divide quite like that. So which patch of woods sees the most use, would you say? he asked, just nosy, and quick enough upon the train of thought that lead him right to the scenery. Plus, he appreciated the insight into the Nightwalker's turf, how it functioned--whatever else he may decipher from it, too.

But, before he could truly expect any reply and just when he felt like he was nearly properly engrossed in finding out more about this stranger's home, his attentions do pull towards the sound. He half-paused enough to listen better, and nodded his head after. Worth a better look, he'd say. He quieted, clear down to his breathing, and carried on more delicately. He thought he got a whiff of mammal--an almost weasel-y type of musk maybe seemed to catch his attention, he guessed at first against the unfamiliar winter woods at paw, but.. ahead he heard the shuffling again.. still further, and well beyond his reach.

He made sure she was aware too, then gladly helped advance them onward. Deeper into the woods, he wanted to see what else they could find today, and if winter may have any scraps of generosity laying around for them to capitalize on.