Ouroboros Spine quick and dirty

Maybe short posts for this one? Trying to boost activity with Winder here so he doesn't fizzle out!

Since being accepted into their ranks, Winder had kept to himself for the most part. His time was spent silently tracking the other wolves here, trying to catch glimpses of them when he could and attempting to spot the white-eyed wolf that he was in search of. So far, he had not found him, but the Numitor was not going to give up so easily. There was still plenty of time, and while he could find food here, he couldn’t help but enjoy the thrill of seeking out and giving information to those who sought it. It was in his blood.

He trotted along an old deer's path, glancing up only occasionally to see where he was going, even though he was not headed in any particular direction.

*flings self at*

Harlyn was feeling more and more comfortable within the Spine with each passing day. It was not surprising considering she'd felt right at home the moment she'd set eyes upon it, but there was a difference between feeling at home and actually being. The druid sought to immerse herself in the landscape, to become one with their precious piece of earth.

And thus, she sat upon the soft grass in a little clearing between the pines, her nose lifted into the air and eyes closed. The sun glowed upon her marbled fur, casting what little warmth it could on that cold, late Autumn day. Her silent ceremony was disturbed only by the sound of very soft pawsteps, which caused the female to open her eyes slowly and turn her head towards the trees to her right. She chuffed gently into the crisp air, eyes staring expectantly at a spot past the brush from which she was anticipating a packmate would step.

The girl who spoke softly in the air (with no audible words) caught Sidewinder's attention immediately. She was a pretty thing. But then, who wasn't a pretty thing around here? He had run into his doppelganger—if only in coat color—and while their initial interaction had been a short squabble over a piece of meat, he held no grudge against her. She had merely been doing the thing she had been born to do: protect her place in the pack. If that was her duty, it was Sidewinder's duty to be beneath her.

But this one did not mirror him in her coat color. No, she was so many shades of brown, grey, and cream that he could not count them in one sitting. It would take far more sessions for him to pick each and every color out of her silky fur, something he would not mind taking the time to do. “Afternoon,” he greeted, once the space between them had lessened to a reasonable amount. “I’m Sidewinder Numitor.” A simple introduction, and hopefully one that would entice more information out of the pretty girl before him.

While the man studied her, she did the same. He was tall and handsome--an excellent example of their species with a colorless coat and piercing eyes. She leaned towards him as he approached to breathe in his earthy scent and tuck it safely into her memory. Only a short time passed before he spoke to her and introduced himself as Sidewinder Numitor. An interesting name, without a doubt.

"Harlyn Cinderloch," she replied in kind, flashing a smile as she shuffled on her haunches to face him. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?" she asked, tilting her head slightly as she awaited his answer. She knew that it had been the pull of nature that had drawn him towards her ceremony, even if he was yet unaware of it. She knew also that he likely would claim that it was something else, and she would soon be patiently nodding her head with a knowing smile, and the conversation would go from there.

Harlyn Cinderloch. The name would be stashed away neatly for future use. Her observations of him did not go unnoticed, and from what he could tell, she seemed to like what she saw. The feeling was mutual, if that was truly what she was thinking, but he made no mention of it. Instead, he cocked his head when she asked how he had come to be there. “I live here,” he said with a sly smile, “And by the smell of it, you do, too.” He was fairly certain she was being more specific in her location than he was, but Sidewinder was never one to give a straight answer.

“Unless, of course, you are some kind of intruder… in which case I’ll be chasing you out just as soon as you fess up.” He highly doubted it, considering the scent of the pack was thick upon her fur. Not only that, but she did not seem to be threatened by his presence, something he would expect of an actual trespasser.

The wolf responded with a clever quip, and Harlyn gave him a smirk in response. She was fond of those who were sharp of wit, for they often provided the best conversation. She fancied herself one of those as well, and thus she gave him a solemn nod before responsing.

"Sounds like I'll need to keep that little secret to myself then," Harlyn replied in kind, grinning. If "fessing up" was going to get her chased out, then that was something she simply had no intention of doing.

A faint smile flickered on his lips at her words. Sidewinder, while not an intruder in the traditional sense, did not consider himself part of the pack. Sure, he was living here, eating from their caches, but he did not contribute to them. He ate when he was hungry, waltzed around the territory, and nobody said anything to him. It was a pretty sweet deal, he thought, and spending the winter here would be perfect. Once the snow had melted, Winder could move on to greener pastures. The grass was always greener on the other side.

“So you been around here awhile?” he asked. Perhaps Harlyn was a longtime member... or maybe she was just stopping in for the winter. If she was the latter, it was possible they could bond over that. And if she was the former, Winder could pretend that he was going to stick around for the rest of his life.

"Not at all," Harlyn replied when asked about her longevity with the pack, "Only a few days in truth." She had no qualms about being the newby in the Spine. Especially since it seemed that she was hardly the only one in that position.

"What about you?" Harlyn asked. This creature was proving a bit difficult to get a read on, which simply intrigued the inquisitive woman all the more.

“Not here, specifically, but in the area,” he replied vaguely. Winder had long ago quit keeping track of how long he had been in one place or another. Truth be told, he likely would not find the white-eyed, white-furred one he was seeking before the two moons had gone by. In fact, he may have already missed his chance for a leg of meat. But he would still keep an eye out, considering it was quite possible he could get something else of value from the woman who sought the target.

Sidewinder fell silent, allowing her to guide the conversation this round.

He was certainly an evasive one. Harlyn got the impression that there was something he perhaps was hiding, but it didn't concern her overly much. Everyone had secrets, and though she didn't particular find any reason herself to keep them, she certainly could accept their importance to others.

"My nose tells me you were on the trail of something," Harlyn said after a beat, "May I help you? Since we're packmates and all... As far as you know, of course." She gave him a casual smirk.

I don't mind keeping this one going if you don't!

“Was I?” he asked, glancing at the trail ahead of him as if he had forgotten it was there all along. “If that’s the case, it’s news to me.” Sidewinder had not been trying to track down much of anything, nor did he really want to. He preferred to get his food in other ways. Either because he thought it was easier or because he thought it was more of a challenge. Even he wasn't really sure which end of the spectrum it was on. Shrugging lightly, he fell into step beside her.

She was a pretty thing, that much he knew, and he would be foolish not to be friendly with her. As far as she knew, he was just another pack-mate waiting to help her out on whatever quest she was going after. But he'd sit back and let her do the real work when it came down to it. “Lead the way, Ms. Cinderloch.”

Harlyn cocked her head at his response. Was he really so secretive that he wouldn't even admit to have been hunting? Or was her nose merely better than his and he hadn't even realized the trail he'd been following. She was torn on which to believe. Perhaps it was a bit of both, or maybe it was none at all. She was thoroughly determined to find out.

"Just the way I like it," Harlyn quipped back, stepping forward down the trail. She started off at a quick trot, having little doubt that Mr. Numitor would be quick at her heels. "So, tell me something about yourself," she said after a minute or two of silence, "Something you don't tell everyone."

For some reason, I thought Harlyn was younger. Derp.

Harlyn inquired about him, and Winder took his time in replying, jogging along beside her at a comfortable clip. She had asked to hear something that he did not tell everyone. There was little truth to anything that spilled from his lips, and he had no reason to start telling truths now. Instead, he feigned hard thinking, reaching for something in his fictional past that might satisfy her thirst for knowledge of him. He had not yet crafted a solid backstory for his stay here, and he was not interested in doing that at the moment. But telling her one little tidbit wouldn't ruin his chances at a full story later on.

“I’ve never been in love,” he finally replied, gaze set on the trail ahead. Of course, it was a lie, but he felt it was a believable one, and one that might retain her interest enough not to ask more.

I am deeply offended!

The man's comment took her by surprised, however Harlyn did not show a sign of it. She merely regarded him thoughtfully, a look of intrigue flooding her face. "Not ever?" Harlyn asked, canting her head, "Are we talking only romantic love, or any type of love?" If encouraged she could explain her question further, but she wanted to leave it up to him for now to ask if he felt so inclined.

“I love my family,” he clarified, “but I’ve never been in love.” Of course, a lie. Winder had been deeply in love twice before. Each time, he had ruined it, and each time, he had told himself he would not allow it to happen again. Being in love meant settling down, having children, being grounded. Those were not things that were in Sidewinder's lifestyle vocabulary, no matter how hard he lied and pretended. And a life could not be built upon lies. Only facades that were easily broken by a single misstep.

“Does this mean it’s your turn?” he asked, “You know, to spill a secret to me.” If there was one thing Sidewinder loved, it was getting others to reveal information about this or that. It was a bit of a game for him, as he'd been taught from an early age. His father had been a trader of sorts, and while Winder had picked up on that, he lacked the leadership and family skills to be anything like Aventine.

He loved his family. Harlyn wasn't sure if she believed that, but she played along anyway. So he'd never been in love--it wasn't all too surprising. Wolves had short lives, and she herself had little faith that she'd ever find her own true love in the miniscule time she'd have on that fabulous, beautiful earth. She was fully prepared to love when was convenient, and when was necessary. She simply hadn't gotten into those situations yet.

"Alright then," Harlyn replied with a thoughtful smirk. She took a few moments to deliberate before finally settling on something to say, which she allowed to slip through her teeth with a coy little smile, "I've never been with a man."

The conversation took a sharp turn in a sideways direction. Moving on quickly from love to lust. Sidewinder could not object to such things, especially considering he was a bit of a horny bastard ladies man. “By choice or circumstance?” he inquired, letting her know he was more than comfortable with the topic. Perhaps a bit too comfortable.

It was entirely possible that Harlyn simply did not want anybody to ravage her until she was properly settled down. But it was also possible an opportunity had never presented itself. Depending on her answer, her little secret could very well become a lie... if he played his cards right.

Harlyn couldn't help but grin at his response. "A bit of both," she replied, casting her gaze across the landscape as they walked. "My pack has always believed that love between two is a thing to be celebrated, no matter who it is between. I have shared love with many in my time, but have abstained from enjoying the physical love of men out of respect for my fertility and the children I will one day bear. I will be with only one man in my life--the father of my children."

She glanced back at him, wondering if he'd picked up on it yet that she'd specified that she'd never been with a man. She'd said nothing of abstinence with her own gender.

What she'd said had clearly intrigued him, for the conversation continued along this path just as they did, eventually turning and heading back towards the Spine that they both called home, if only for the moment.