Bramblepoint You're next, sir, becomes a cruel taunt to you

The steady, thick heat followed him day by day as he made his journey North, skirting around the mountains he'd once called home but had now learned to fear. And while he could scent the trails left behind by those in the Spine, he avoided them too. He wasn't sure any of the former Fireflies who'd taken up residence there would be too pleased to see him.

He made it as far as Bramblepoint before the heat of the afternoon exhausted him. Panting, the agonizingly thin male sought what little shade he could find, squeezing himself beneath the branches of a high bush blueberry shrub, and curled up beneath its stubby branches. With some relief, he noticed a few berries hanging there, and sniffed them curiously. Still a bit too small to be tasty, but it was food nonetheless so he stripped them from the branch, grimaced at their sour taste, and gulped as he swallowed them down. Things would probably get more sour yet; this was just the beginning of it.

Long time no thread? :D

It was not in Lele's nature to stay in one place for long and despite her pledging loyalty to Brecheliant, she did take frequent treks outside the territory to familiarize herself with the area better. For now the fen provided wolves with everything they needed, but the cold months might change that unstable equilibrium and it was better to have some aces up her sleeve before the game of survival began. 

Therefore she had come to Bramblepoint, idly wondering, if she had taken this route in her earlier travels with Tambourine and Larkspur, but ready to make new memories and impressions regardless of whether she had or not. It was a very hot day to be out and between the fen and this line of trees was a vast open meadow, where the sun beat down on her heavily. There was a hint of smoke in the air too, but it was hard to tell, where it came from, without any immediate source within reach. 

When she came to the lakeside, she decided that it would be easier to reach her destination by swimming than searching for a way around. This she did - dove in the cool water and enjoyed, how light her body felt there and how effortless the movements were. She climbed out, dripping wet, shook her coat heartily, spent a moment observing little fish play in the water and then entered the little patch of the odd forest. 

There alerted by the sound of someone panting and having difficult time with the heat, she came across a man, who had definitely seen better days, but now looked very exhausted and worn. "Need any help, mate?" she asked from afar, coming closer slowly, her eyes trained on his emaciated form.

Too long <3

He was surprised at how hard the travel back was hitting him. It felt like he could hardly keep himself moving sometimes, as though whatever energy bank he'd had wouldn't refill in spite of the rest he took along the way. He was aware of his condition, but still expected more from his feeble body than what it was perhaps willing to give. And forcing travel on himself this soon...Had probably not been the best plan. Freedom had a cost, it seemed. 

He snapped lazily at a fly that buzzed around his muzzle, perhaps interested in the moisture at the corner of his eyes. He resented the fact that it thought it could make a meal out of him, though he shouldn't have been surprised. He watched it buzz away, and found his interest caught by movement as the foliage stirred. He sniffed the air in time to scent her a moment before she appeared, padding toward him from some distance away. His ears switched back for a moment, unsure what to make of the situation, but there was a clear, amicable tone to her voice. 

Then again, he'd been fooled before. 

He sat up with a bit of a lurch, perhaps the first sign he was a bit anxious about being approached by a stranger...But he didn't want to be caught laying down if he had to make a run for it. He avoided direct eye contact, but had noticed at first glance that her face, one side of it at least, was scarred. Not necessarily a good sign, he thought. He licked his lips, gulped and tried to speak. 

"Nah, --- good," He squeaked, his voice dry and hoarse. He lowered his head and tilted it away a bit, a sign of obvious deference. Still, he kept her in the corner of his eye, just in case she made any sudden movements toward him.

To some people the number of scars on their bodies tells a story of, how many have tried to end them, but failed. Lele, who had never considered herself to be strong or even remotely dangerous, would have found it funny that this shell of a formerly bulky man, possibly a warrior of sort, had momentarly seen danger in her. In comparison to the other brutes, who treaded the world and boasted proudly of their deeds, scars on her face was a clear indication of violence inflicted against her. And that she had been very lucky to save her skin. 

"I am not one to tell you, what to do, but a sip of water should make you feel a bit better," Lele suggested, beckoning over her shoulder to the lake in the distance. "Don't know much about food though - in this heat the chances are slim."

She was trying to get him to follow her. And her reasoning was on par- he was likely dehydrated. If he put off getting a drink now, in this heat, he'd likrly end up with heat exhaustion but that was something he would deal with on his own. She seemed like she was alone, but he couldn't be sure. She didn't seem like the wrong sort but...He'd already let the paranoia begin to settle in. It grew second by second. 

She could outrun him easily, overpower him with nothing more than a shove. Submitting wouldn't mean anything to the wrong wolves- and he'd been running for so long...How was it even possible that they could have found him here? Unless she was a distant ally...It was entirely possible that the hunters had other allies planted everywhere. They had a thing for wolves with scars, that much he knew already. 

He shoved himself back against the bush even though there was no way it could conceal or protect him. He shook his head. "No."

"I am not trying to poison you," Lele reassured the man in a good-natured manner, wondering, who had damaged this guy's head so badly to see enemy in her. She had been around the world for a while and she could tell, which wolves were harmless, and who should you be avoiding or at least eye with suspicion. Wives that have been cheated on (with you involved) came in first and, while it was in no way a funny story or a proper occasion, a shadow of smile crossed her expression. In time she would be able to laugh about this experience. 

"What happened to you?" she asked him, though it was the least favourite question to her. She sat down and eyed him curiously, then let her gaze wander around the surroundings.

While he had been panting softly from the heat, his breathing changed when she persisted. Poison? No, he wouldn't have expected something like that. It would've been too unsatisfying for wolves that lived to hunt their marks until they couldn't run any longer. Poison was too fast. Too merciful. 

His breaths were short and shallow; the mark of anxiety. A creature trying to supply his body and brain with as much oxygen as possible, as quietly as possible so it could have one last burst of energy to use as an escape route if absolutely necessary...He knew, now, from experience. He just wasn't sure he'd have it in him to run again. 

He bared his teeth in a silent, ancious grimace in response to her question. All she got was a vacant side-eye from the male who flinched when she sat down. Was she trying to put more pressure on him? It felt like pressure. He felt like he was being trapped. His body remembered what it felt like to be trapped underground when the den had caved on on him, and it made him begin trembling.

Lele was tactful enough to know, when it was a moot point to pursue a conversation that was not going to happen anyway. She raised an eyebrow, when the ragged man bared teeth at her, and shook her head lightly. She got to her feet slowly, careful not to scare the panicky man more than he already was. With one last sympathetic glance at him, she then turned and was about to leave the scene, when a thought occured to her. She stopped, looked over her shoulder and told him with a smile: "Don't die out there. I am sure there is someone somewhere waiting for you."

Even if there weren't any. Though she did not have particular hopes of having a traditional romance-worthy story at this age, that little, sincere dream about a person, who did not yet know, who she was, but would once become an important part of her life was cheerful. Therefore for the sake of that person and her future happy self, she too kept living and going. Especially, when it was hard.

Last one, unless Bronco wants to say anything else.