Ravensblood Forest I have followed mountain bears

The shadows of the woodland hugged his frame, concealing him. The hunter’s figure stalked through the brush, careful to keep his paws from crunching upon debris. Tenebris watched the figure of a fox.

The sly creatures were not a preferred meal, but he had grown weary of eating fish. Day after day, he had waded into the water until he had managed to gather two or three of them. They never seemed to fill his stomach, always left him wanting more. There were not many other prey animals on the beaches. Tenebris had been faced with no other choice but to follow the red tail into the trees.

The hunt did not take long. The wolf darted from the brush and sunk his teeth into the skull of the animal. It cried out, but the noise was silenced with a clean crunch. Tenebris began to eat.

A stranger was upon their land - Violante watched from the shadows as he killed, then began to consume, a fox. She revealed herself, stalking forward with head and tail held high. "You there - tell me now why you hunt within my territory?" She gave the fox a look of disgust, then continued with dry amusement, "Although, mayhaps I should be thanking you for ridding my land of pests. Either way, state your business." If need be, she would call for backup; the wolves of Sacrarium were always near at hand.

A wolf approached from the foliage.

Tenebris drew his head up, sharp, surprised. The scent of blood had filled his nose. He had not noticed her, had not known that she was there. The wolf cursed himself for his carelessness, but there was nothing that he could do to remedy a mistake that had already been made. The man lifted his head and rested his gaze upon her chin.

I had not smelled the markings, I’m afraid.

The knight’s tone was dry, but he did not seem disingenuous.


I was only after a meal before moving on.

Violante surveyed him carefully; each situation, each trespasser, had a different story, and Violante would listen to each before she made her judgement. She tried to be fair to all. So, she mulled over his words, then told him quietly, "I will bar none a meal in midwinter." Then, with mild derision, "But why a fox? Surely a hare would taste better."

The woman’s eyes were sharp upon him. She listened to his words and then offered her own. Tenebris was surprised. She had ever right to a punishment. If he had crossed her borders and had stolen a meal from her lands, she did not owe him an ounce of kindness.

When she remarked on his choice in prey, the knight regarded his scraps with a quick glance. The animal had been gamey, tough and stringy. It had filled him, but the sound of a hare made his mouth water. He had lived on fish for some time.

You’re right. A hare would have been better. A desperate man is more foolish than many things, methinks. Tenebris offered her a wry smile.

Violante knew desperation - her own all caused from Vex and the rest of her family - but now she was here, with her mate, and their swiftly growing family of sorts. They, too, knew desperation. The Vicera exhaled slowly from her nose, and it rose up in steam around her.

"Lately all manner of desperate wolves have come to me, and I have given every one a home, and the promise of something more." It would be here, in the shelter of the bleeding sequoias, that they would find their safety, and their worth. Straight to the point, she asked, "Do you seek sanctuary?"

It seemed she was a merciful woman, to more than just Tenebris. She spoke of giving homes to a number of desperate wanderers. Swiftly, she asked if he sought sanctuary for himself. The knight regarded her with a small frown on his lips. It was a difficult question.

I’m not certain. I have left a sanctuary, of sorts. I have no real plans, in this moment.

Tenebris’ frown deepened. He did not like to feel aimless, but he was certain that it was apt. There had been little purpose to his life since he had departed from Raven Hill. The knight wondered what kind of a group the woman had gathered in her forest.

Violante nodded to the stranger, and as ever, her response was swift, and direct. "Not having plans as a lone wolf in winter is an unwise choice. You say you are desperate, but if not for a den to call your own, what are you desperate for?" Food, shelter, protection - all of these were the benefits of a pack, and while hers was not official, they were fast approaching the status of a true pack. She could be no prouder of her and Avery's hard work.

If he didn’t know any better, Tenebris would have wagered that he was being lectured by his mother. It was humorous to hear the woman speak to him, offer her logic. She had a perfectly good point. The knight knew as much. She wished to know what it was that he was seeking. It was a difficult question to answer, more so with a stranger.

I think it depends on the hour of the day, Tenebris answered carefully. In this hour, it was food. In the hour to come, it could be the warmth of a den, or the lure of the mountains. It was a safer way of dodging her question. Tenebris did not think that her offer was something to scoff at. He would think about the woman and her forest pack, but decisions of that sort could not be made so easily.

we can end here, if you'd like, or they can continue! i've enjoyed spreeing tonight :)

She could not sway him easily, but she wouldn't question him any longer. No, instead, Violante got to her paws, telling the stranger, "Seek whatever drives you, then. Perhaps when the hour comes that you need food again, you'll remember tonight." She started heading back, deeper into the trees, then she called out, "The name's Violante Cruor, Vicera of Sacrarium, should we cross paths again." She didn't bother to ask for his - if he wanted her to have it, he'd give it. And then, with more dry amusement, her final words of farewell, "Grab a hare or two on the way out, for your... whatever it is you're doing."

I’ve really enjoyed writing with you! If there are other characters attached to your accounts that you’d like to write with, I’ve got a handful of others myself. I’d genuinely enjoy writing with you some more. ^^ Tenebris might be back! This was a great first meeting for him.

The woman was a curious thing.

Tenebris admired that she did not seem swayed by his lack of answer. She seemed amused at such wanderlust. Something in the knight spurred sharply. He felt like a silly boy, hiding from his mother. It was an absurd sensation.

Violante, she introduced herself. Tenebris smirked. It seemed to be a fitting name, though he knew very little about those things. He imagined that if his wandering grew tiresome or the thought of fishing on the beach left him with too much dread, he would find his way back to her wood.

The knight caught two rabbits and left them in a cache for the woman. He marked the tree where he had stored them, expecting she would find it in her patrols.