Sun Mote Copse If the world was ending you'd come over, right?

He had journeyed north a little ways, but when the ground went from solid and frozen to slushy and streaked with mud, he was turned off of it. Returning the way he came felt disingenuous; Asa did not want to waste his time chasing his tail through the woods. He could have returned to the crossing of the rivers - there, he'd find shelter and some food if his luck held out - but that would still mean travelling against the grain, which he wasn't eager to do. He eventually decided to go east until he couldn't go any further, which was how he managed to hike through the thicket and reach the leaky swamp on the other side. It still wasn't ideal. He spent a little bit more time every day cleaning the mud from his extremities and feeling foolish over his vanity, wasting more time than he wanted.

Without some concrete plan Asa was destined to roam the wilderness endlessly, or so he thought. How could he track down the man he sought if he was distracted by such idiotic things, such as his appearance? He knew he was being foolish, putting off the task he must complete to honor his sister and his mother, and that he was finding any odd thing to keep him distracted. He was healing too, in his own way. Suffering through his sorrow and his loss, finding outlets for his emotion - even if that meant emasculating himself to some degree every day. So yes, foolish.

His trail eventually took him to another section of forest, and this was as common as the last. Asa would have passed on by if he had not detected a familiar scent along the outskirts of the claim; beyond the fact it was a heavy wolf scent, he found the smell of NIamh lingering among some frozen fern fronds and felt the stirrings of lust in the pit of his belly. His interest was piqued, and so he lingered, but out of some weird sense of courtesy he did not call out for her — she had made it clear enough that their encounter had been a once-in-a-lifetime moment, which he would honor.

While his mother had warned him that the worst of winter had yet to come, Bronco was beginning to get the feeling that she was wrong- that the thaw would come soon, given the fact that a few herds of deer and even a herd of elk had been spotted returning to the Wilds. The temperature hovered near the threshold between thawing and freezing, so in the Copse where the wind was tempered by shepherding branches, the sting of frost and cold was muted, and even gentle exercise was sufficient to warm him up. As he made his way along the borders he panted softly to cool himself off, as his winter coat seemed too heavy and thick for doing a gentle cardio workout while the temperature was this high. 

He'd managed to catch a rabbit earlier which he'd stowed away for later, but now patrolled the borders, reinforcing the marks left behind by others on previous days so that they could continue to live in peace. He saw a stranger ahead in the distance, and while he was not crossing the borders or calling out, there was a look of piqued interest on his face that Bronco couldn't quite figure out- but he figured that it might mean that he might be interested in learning a bit about the pack...Or he was trying to figure out whether or not to call. Either way, Bronco sought to catch his attention with as gruff a chuff as he could manage, and continued on his trek toward the male with the intention of greeting him. He was a bit intimidated by the male's physique- and found himself growing slightly green with envy, but he assured himself, as simply as possible, that it was all a matter of time. He'd get there- he just needed for this famine to be over and behind him.

Sorry for taking ages, haha! He's difficult to write.

A glimmer of burnished gold caught his attention just shy of the boy's call. Asa stopped his pacing and zeroed-in on that shape. He wasn't sure if it was Niamh right off the bat but he was hopeful, feeling his heart thundering in his breast while his belly filled with fluttering, then twisting, and then - then it dropped, because the wolf approaching him was definitely not the woman he had met. They looked vaguely similar (in that their coat compositions were some range of amber); however this wolf was young, male, and quite a bit more burly. Asa wasn't sure what he expected to feel when he realized all of this. He was a little disappointed, a little relieved, all of which he expressed with the fluttering emotions upon his face; one transitioned to the next seamlessly until he was left looking stoic again.

Hello, he called to the boy. Perhaps anyone else would have made the mental leap and connected Bronco to Niamh somehow - that was the smart thing. Asa was still reeling from the familiar-but-not aspects of the boy. He glimpsed away as a sign of deferral since he had been taught proper manners. Even though the boy was very young by comparison to himself, Asa was still a rogue and the land just beyond where he waited was the boy's home, which by default gave him all the power.

Um, sorry. I was exploring and came upon your forest, but I'm looking for a way through. Preferably one that doesn't sink me in to the mire north of here, heh. Whatever charm he'd exuded around Niamh appears to have evaporated now that he's faced with some kid. Asa liked kids, truthfully, although his only real experience with them involved his siblings, which did not bode well (one was dead after all). Eager to break through the vague unease and awkwardness Asa suddenly felt, he shook the snow from his shoulders and watched the boy - almost shy with his mannerisms, trying to appear clearly submissive and non-threatening.

<3 S'ok! Some characters are definitely harder to write than others :)

It polished Bronco's ego and confidence to see the male turn his gaze away respectfully. He admired the male simply for his size and health, and could only hope that he would get there too- once this damn winter was over, so that he could use the summer to get to be as beautifully composed as Asa. His self-confidence wasn't bad, but he did still feel slightly awkward approaching someone that he initially though was far too strong and healthy to have anything to do with him; it was like walking into class for the first time, and automatically assuming that one ought not sit with the most attractive people in the room because, naturally, they wouldn't talk to you, right? But this guy was on his turf, so at least he had that advantage, if nothing else. It was possibly the only thing he had going for him- so he was relieved when the stranger ended up being fairly modest and friendly. 

He looked a bit more approachable now that he somehow didn't seem like a threat, and Bronco liked that. Maybe he'd judged him wrong, and Bronco was quick to give in and accept friendliness anyway. "Yeah, you'll be picking that swamp-stank out of your fur for days if you go through," He said, with a cheshire grin. "C'mon. I can't necessarily take you through the forest, but I can escort you along the borders 'til you get to where you wanna be without traipsin' through the mud, if you want?" He asked. And just so he didn't come off as wanting too much, or being too clingy, he shrugged. "It'll just save ya from havin' to explain what you're doin' to the next wolf on patrol," He suggested, implying somewhat that he'd probably be better off with the guardian he'd just met.

A flick of the ears was the only tell for Asa's surprise; he had not anticipated that the boy would be so accommodating. Perhaps he was a scout for his family - he sounded like he knew the area at least, and had ventured north to the slime-riddled bog enough times to recognize why someone might want to avoid it. Asa nodded his head and smiled, his round face beaming for a moment.

Much obliged. He intoned as he took a tentative step towards the borders that bridged where both wolves stood. It didn't feel right to walk across to where the boy waited, even with the invitation hanging in the air. To ease his own mind a bit, Asa began the process of small talk.

I suppose you were born here, then? It was an observation more than anything. The boy was young but he looked to be in good health; a little thin maybe, but it was hard to tell if that was the natural state of his body or what. Large paws, raggedy winter coat, slightly-awkward ears that looked like they were getting closer to the right proportions - yeah, this guy was young. But he was friendly and helpful, and Asa was thankful for that.

Nice enough place to grow up, he casually commended.

It was different from the mountains where he had been born. Asa had anticipated more resistance from the locals when he began to roam around the area, but that had not yet happened. If he was still back in Cortez Valley then he would've gotten in to a few fights by now and he, for once, was pleased that his quest had taken him so far away. Everyone seemed so.. passive.

Wanting to seem cool enough to just pass it off- and so that Asa didn't figure he was desperate for attention or company, he demurely shrugged one shoulder in response and nodded in a non-chalant, but accomodating way. "May's'll kill two birds with one stone. You get where you wanna go, an' I get this part of the borders patrolled," He said. There- now it was a mutually beneficial agreement and neither of them would have to end up smelling like a bog-dog. 

"Born 'n' raised," Bronco said, noting that the loner had likely already judged the fact that he wasn't a year old yet, but of course, Bronco didn't want to be seen as just some adolescent out mimicing an adult's job just for fun, the way a child will pay with a garden hose in the summer, but would spend more time splashing in puddles than watering the flowers. He was in a rush to do away with childhood, and it discouraged him whenever he was asked about his birth, assuming that it was probably the biggest thing that'd happened to him all year. Asa could have asked him "How long have you lived here?" But that would've been a question for an adult, who'd lived long enough to have lived elsewhere. He simply wasn't there yet, and it did bother him a bit. If only time would go by quicker...

"It's not bad," Bronco said, wishing that he had lived elsewhere, just so he could make a good comparison. He tried to hide the slight twinge when Asa mentioned the idea of 'growing up,' as it yet again reminded him that he was just a teenager, in the man's eyes. "A pretty peaceful place...Good and sheltered from winter storms, shaded from summer heat, though there was a landslide on the mountain across the river last summer, and that was a bit of a mess," He said. Maybe he'd seem older if he talked like he'd lived longer than he had. "And we are flanked by a swamp to the North, and a bog to the West so between all that 'n' the mountain range to the East, we got a pretty sweet spot here." He confessed. "You just travelling through, or...?" He asked, hoping to prompt more elaboration than just a 'yes or no' answer.

Asa's own youth had gone by quickly due to the many rituals of his natal pack. Every month felt like a party, and there were coming-of-age stages that were celebrated, or tasks to do, or spiritual journeys - none of which fit in to this wilderness exactly, not that he would know. Had he been aware of Bronco's thoughts he might have placated him with stories of his own youth; quick though it had felt, Asa had a few tales he could have shared. It was just as well that things remained suitably paced between them. The man was busy keeping himself on the clear path and so he did not see the shifting emotions playing out upon the boy's face, and listened intently to each tidbit that was shared.

Hm, landslide sounds dangerous... Asa quipped at the opportune moment, somewhat under his breath so as not to dissuade the boy from continuing. It sounded like the boy's pack was situated in the perfect spot. Nobody could breach the barrier to the east (the mountains) and few would feel confident in crossing the north swamp unless they liked being bogged down with mud, or colder than a witch's tit. An easily defensible area was the best option.

Then the inevitable question: You just travelling through, or...? Which prompted a smirk first, and a drawled answer second.

Sort of. I'm hunting for someone, although I have a feeling I'm not destined to find them. He did not want to get in to the heart-shattering details of his dead sister and all that jazz, but he could at least pass the time with some conversation and the boy appeared eager enough to listen. It seemed only right to offer up something as compensation for the escort. My baby sister got sick, see, and our mother only trusts this one person to care for her, but the guy travels a lot. He used to tell stories about these Wilds when we were little and I figured this would be the best place to look.

He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling the whole truth either. It was easier this way, Asa mused. He did not want to freak the kid out with the whole nasty truth.

Bronco raised an eyebrow at Asa's comment about the landslide, and he tried to brush it off a bit, but then decided otherwise. "I was down by the river when it happened. A friend of mine got a bit roughed up by the wave it caused, but fortunately, nobody was seriously injured," He said, trying to sound as legit as possible when talking about what could have been a much larger disaster. He glanced off in the direction of the mountains, beyond the trees that bordered the pack, and found himself smiling. "We did get a free meal of mountain goat out of it, though," He reminisced, recalling that the landslide had had a critical effect on one they'd found, later, albeit half-buried. 

He felt like this guy had a story- and that he wasn't necessary to spill all the details, but that if Bronco played his cards right, he might be able to coax a bit more information out of him. He was looking for someone- someone he assumed to be a healer, and a traveller. "So...If you can find him, he might be able to heal your sister?" He asked. He was concerned, of course- he had only just reunited with his lost sister, and couldn't imagine having to face facts if she came down with a difficult illness. From the way he'd worded things, she either had an on-going illness, or one which had recently worsened, prompting him to go out in search of the healer. "Do you know his name? Or even just his last name...I also know of a pretty experienced healer who lives not too far away; surely your Ma wouldn't turn away a healer, if they knew what the problem was?" He'd mentioned that his mother's trust was limited to one wolf- but would she, in the end, choose that trust over curing her daughter, if another healer could be found? He could always point Asa in the direction of the Frosthawks, where Raven dwelled. Maybe she might know how to treat whatever illness it was that Asa's sister had.

Despite the fact he was traipsing about someone else's backyard, it felt nice to have such friendly company. Sure the kid was guarding him more than leading him through the territory, and sure they only just met, but it was the sense of familiarity that eased some of Asa's nerves. He had been so busy with his quest that any semblance of relief was chased after; Niamh, for instance. Having someone around that he could talk to about his situation made Asa feel a little bit more like he was in control of it. Deep down though, the real reason for his enjoyment of this moment was his homesickness; he wished he did not have to travel so far to find what he sought. The copse felt like a home and he wasn't even a part of their family - he knew nothing about them! Foolish, that's what he was. Foolish and hurting.

—he might be able to heal your sister? The boy asked, trying to clarify, and while Asa knew he was not being wholly truthful about the situation he still nodded, a grim expression drifting across his face as he remembered the sprawled body of his sister in the grass.

They went on to ask for a name, and as Asa opened his mouth to say something he was cut off by a flurry of new information. A possible alternative if he should fail in his quest — but he failed to heed that part. No, I can't go to anyone else, he hastily cuts through the boy's words and even partway, he knows he's made a blunder. He pauses and shakes his head slightly, letting the heat of the moment ebb away while his posture slackens a little further; a sign of apology. Eh, I didn't mean to take your head off with that.

The guy I'm lookin' for has a particular set of skills, a specific knowledge. I don't think anyone else would be able to help - else the medics back home would have worked. There, that sounded legit. Asa did not like to lie but he was surprisingly good at it. But uh, as for names'n things, we always called him Doc, but my ma called him Crestwood sometimes. That part was true. Unfortunately for Asa he did not have more to go on.

Note: Adjusted the thread's time to account for other threads, if this screws with your own timeline let me know and I'll redo!

All good! Bronco doesn't have anything time-sensitive on the got right now :)

Bronco, who had begun to offer solutions out of a willingness to help another wolf, was ruffled and surprised when the stranger cut him off so abruptly. He turned a wary, somewhat suspicious glance to him, studying his features as he hastily insisted- with strange vehemence, that no other wolf could be trusted to help treat his sister. He found it odd to entrust the care of a wolf to only one other, rather than trying to find a few who could possibly help her. Something didn't quite add up, but Bronco didn't feel like challenging the male's story, as he felt now that to do so might actually end up putting him in a more precarious position. These were his borders they were walking along- and though he didn't completely trust this guy, he needed to make sure that he didn't give him any reason to do anything foolish that might compromise their security. 

He nodded when Asa gave him a name, but it wasn't a familiar one so he shook his head. "Haven't heard that name before," He said, his tone still somewhat distant and wary. "Just sayin', though- if you keep heading that way," He said, gesturing, "You'll cross paths with our sister-pack, the Frosthawks. Their alpha female, Raven, is a skilled medic. You don't hafta share any details with me, 'cause I ain't a medic. But if...I dunno. Do what you want, dude. Help's there, though, if you need it. She might know something about...Whatever disease it is your sister has. An' she won't judge, if that's what you're worried about. Raven's an honest medic. She won't care what you have, or how you got it." He said. That had to be the reason Asa had shot down his offer so quickly- so he'd reiterated it, as Bronco still didn't like the fact that Asa would refuse all other doctors in hopes of finding one even though he had no idea where he was. But that wasn't his business, so he left it at that. 

"I can pass the name Crestwood along through my pack, though, if you want. An' if he passes by, I can tell him that...You're looking for him...Uhm...?" He asked, realizing that he'd either forgotten Asa's name, or had never been given it to begin with.

His focus was detrimental in that moment. He could see the doubt spawning across the boy's face and knew he had overstepped, let himself get too heated about something personal. The boy still offered an alternative and Asa nodded as he listened, obliging him for the most part. It had been a mistake to use his sister's illness as a means to an end, but it had worked up until this point. He would need to be more careful in the future - Asa did not want to make enemies while he sought out the target of his true rage.

Frosthawks, got it. He repeats, more-so for the boy's benefit than his own.

The boy offered to share the name throughout his pack. At first Asa was resistant; his heart felt constricted, his breath hitching in his chest. He could not say no to such an offer. Asa, he murmurs finally, introducing himself. Asa Morgan. If you find him— he wanted to warn the boy to be careful, to be on guard, but he cannot do that without explaining everything and so he quickly finds an alternative: Just let him know I am hunting for him.

While he did sense that there was something potentially cagey about Asa, he didn't mention it outright, and simply guessed that he was probably just more sensitive than he appeared to be, especially with reference to his sister's illness. It wasn't Bronco's business anyway, though he did still sincerely believe that Asa ought to have been more willing to accept his offer for help. Maybe he thought Bronco was being too nosey, or maybe he was just surprised to get so much help from a stranger. Whatever his reason was for being a bit touchy on the subject, Bronco shrugged it off. Asa's sister was his responsibility, not Bronco's. He'd done as much as he could, and it was up to Asa to either find Crestwood, or seek help elsewhere.

"Bronco Blackthorn," He supplied in response, even though Asa hadn't asked him for his name. Bronco was completely unaware of his mother's affair with the wolf who walked alongside him, and it was probably for the best, as Bronco likely would have avoided Asa as soon as he'd realised the truth about his tryst with Niamh. Regardless, he nodded at Asa's request, even though there was still something...Somewhat off about the way he spoke about Crestwood. "Crestwood, got it." He said. "Well- this is sorta the edge of our borders here. You continue on that way, an' you'll have missed the swamp." [/b]He said, before the two parted ways.