Bramblepoint A thorn for your troubles

Hello, this is my first post on Wolf! I am excited to start roleplay here. Feel free to hop if you are interested.

The promise of something sweet was what had lured Vale into this forest. What her keen nose failed to derive from the wind was the defensive arsenal of thorns that curtained the land here. Every placement of her paws was with care. Care to not add yet another bramble between her toes.

Despite being accosted by the vegetation, the trek was fruitful in the information it provided. Many a bush had starting forming buds in preparation to bloom. She was early. Vale eyes switched from scouring the forest floor and the bushes that littered it, to surveying the trees above. Some of a variety unknown to her were blossoming. The aroma was pleasant. 

Upon winding her way into a small clearing, Vale sat down. Lifting a forepaw to tease away a particularly sharp torn, she reflected. Her short time in the Teekon had shown to her a great many things she had never seen prior. And there was more to explore. 

With a stern tug, she spay away the nuisance. Lapping at the small well of blood left behind. A contented smile pulled at the corners of her lips. It was nice to have things to look forward to. 

Welcome to Wolf! <3 We are excited to have you! :D And I am always excited to see new faces, I just had to snag your thread <3

With all its thorns and thistles, this forest was almost harder to navigate than the path he'd cut across the mountains. Here and there Evander found long patches of trees he could travel through without getting his fur snagged by stray briars, but most of the time, he fought a losing battle. Oh well. At least the ground levelled out under paw. Gave his legs a bit of time to recover from the up up up he felt like he'd travelled since leaving the Bypass in the North.

And if he's counting blessings, talk about the aroma of the place! One breath in and he found himself in some flower-speckled place, warm with the rays of the springtime sun, basking under cloudless skies, ground still grassy underfoot, not yet scorched by summer.

Yeah, this place wasn't so bad.

Evander opened his eyes to make sure he wasn't about to stumble into some thicket when he saw the girl. Little, dark, and proper. He remembered how he'd surprised Tauris on the plain and though that had made him laugh, he decided to take a more forward approach with this one.

What a fine day to stop and smell the roses! he declared as he neared her from the side, and caught sight of the thorn she tugged from her paw, best be glad you didn't catch that one in your nose.

A voice accompanied by footfall stole Vale's attention away from her fussing. Ears perking as she lifted her head to view the newcomer. A man of gold with a cape of slate across his back. A stranger to her, but his jovial demeanor was welcomed. Not that there wasn't a slight nag of worry buzzing in the back of her skull. That was just natural caution. So she told herself. 

Placing down her paw she sat up to greet him with a polite smile. Leaning towards him ever so slightly as to catch a glimpse of his scent beyond the blooming bounty of their environment. He seemed to be alone, for this moment at the very least.

I would agree with you there. But better your nose than your eye, right? Her eyes trailed across his pelt. He too had strode through this wood with some hassle. I see you're collecting some thorns yourself. Are you a misguided sightseer like myself?

Aha! A wolf of clever mind! When she leaned forward he took the liberty to test the air around them too, but all he could smell was the promise of sweet flowers and springtime showers. She must be a traveller like him.

He grinned at her quip. Aye, that’s  right! and Evander squinted one eye shut, imagining as though something had jabbed it, and — yep! Confirmed. Once one eye’s gone, the other’s sure to follow.

Evander blinked both eyes back open and offered a light and easy laugh. He didn’t try to make the thorns scarce, but rolled his shoulders as though showing off the thorns he’d collected. Misguided sightseer. Ha! Now that’s a good title! Not a clue where I’m going, but hey, at least these souvenirs can tell us where we’ve been, he settled himself on a patch of clear ground, I take it you’re not from these Wilds either, then?

Now, she wasn't one to think of thorns as souvenirs. With a light chuckle Vale shook her head. She paused a moment to examine her own pelt, raked by the brambles with more than a few clingers. A furrow met her brow. Well now, she had plenty of keepsakes of her own. A short puff of air passed from her nose as she returned her attention back to the other wolf. 

No, that I am not. Vale's tail brushed against the ground as she settled back into her own space. I was born outside of these lands. A mountain range that had a tendency to collect fog.

The crease that had previously tugged at her brow fell away, her head lifting as her ears turned forward intently. He is not born of Teekon either. Vale was not a wolf to hide her intrigue. But, she was a wolf raised to have good manners. 

My name is Vale Enid. I'm looking to learn more about these lands here. Maybe find a home if it suits me. May I ask for your name, fellow wanderer?

sorry for the wait!

Mountains shrouded by fog! How ominous, he mused, and how different from the sunny plains he’d only ever known until stumbling North with his brother! The mountains here had been hard enough to navigate without the hindrance of fog blocking each footfall and drop off from view. He would have died before his first birthday… but then again, they’d had the fires.

Certainly, Vale Enid, he chuckled at the formality, but dipped his head in a genuine gesture of greeting and good will. It’d been a long time since he’d had such a civilized conversation, and with a fellow wanderer, to boot! I’m Evander Medeiros, misguided sightseer. She was looking for a home and adventure (or so he classified her want of learning), and he continued, I’m not sure what I’m here for. I followed my brother up from my home in the south — hot and arid with no mountains like the ones around here in sight, he gestured vaguely in the direction he’d come, but we’ve gone our own ways. Guess I’m looking for something, he shrugged, and chuckled again, or maybe nothing. But I’m finding it does get a little tiresome travelling alone.

No worries! Real life first!

Ominous? Vale offered a shrug. She found an odd comfort to foggy weather, but she chalked it up to the bias of being raised in it. Her ears twitched as Evander introduced himself, and the story of why he journeyed to the Teekon.

A family parting ways...

The notion of it was familiar. After all, here she stood in the Teekon. Alone. Her littermates intended to depart together, but bickered on where to go. She, on the other hand, knew the lands she wanted to explore. So she went.

A frown crossed Vale's face. While it was only a moment in truth, her mind was twisting to best address Evander empathetically. She left her own siblings behind... But the compassion she was looking for come to her in the fragment of a memory. 

Engulfed in fog, her nose to her father's tail tip as they navigated their home territory. Akin to a whiteout, the familiar world all but dissolved away. Swallowed by the thick low-lying clouds. Her paw steps were unsure, being much younger than she was now. The only comfort was the closest presence to her. She would have been lost without her father. And while the equivalency may not have been perfect, she understood. Maybe not all of it, but she understood enough (by her own account).

I'm sorry you've had to part. Especially after a long journey. I don't fault you for your fatigue. Her eyes studied his face, allowing a pause. Do you think you'll cross paths with him again?

<3 thanks! Haha it does tend to keep me busy xD

Vale offered a frown before she gave him any words. Had he provoked an upsetting memory? He didn’t worry about it but it did make him wonder. Maybe she also hated travelling alone. Maybe she’d peace’s out from the rest of her siblings too. Maybe it hadn’t gone as well as his had with Everett. Or maybe it had, but she still missed them. Didn’t he feel the same?

Whatever the case she turned her questions on him. Heh, it’s alright, he aid with a shrug, it’s our first time striking out and he needs some time to figure things out on his own. I know where he is, Everett had told him of the ocean, and Evander knew his brother enough that he would be unwavering in that resolve, so I’ll probably seek him out in a couple months, but I won’t stick around if he needs the time and space.

He did worry for Everett, but he turned that worry to prayers aimed at… well, he didn’t really know who now, and tried to let it slide off his back.

What about you? Did your siblings come with you too, or were you the brave one who ventured first?

Ophelia, in their case.

He worried for her too, even more.

Evander remained nonchalant. Which slowly drew a quiet breath from Vale's lungs. It wasn't a sore topic as she first thought. She put away her frown, corners of her lip gently turning upwards once more. What a relief.

I'm glad it was on good terms. It must be a relief that you can find him if you need to. Pausing, Vale's head tilted slightly to her shoulder as she stole a moment to ponder his question of her. Honeyed gaze briefly drifting beyond Evander and into the thicket beyond. 

I came alone. My littermates and I weren't quite in agreement as to where our future would start if we set out together. I had made up my mind first. So with our father's approval, I left. A short exhale escaped Vale's nostrils. She could imagine that they were still squabbling now. With a wry smile, she returned her attention to Evander. 

I don't know if they'll make the trek to the Teekon, truth be told. A shame I won't get a chance to impress them with what I learned before they could. An earnest recount on her part. If not a bit of a sad note. Certainly not one she wanted to linger in the air. Her expression grew sheepish, ears airplaning. It's probably a silly sentiment. But... is there anything that you have found on your own that you would like to show your brother?