Dawnlark Plains Johnny brought a rocket to a knife fight

I have muse so I decided to start for us @Arletta <3

The search for a white fox would drive him mad. Tybault was certain of that. Yet he couldn't bring himself to deny anything to his sister, who allowed him further into her life with each passing day. She'd invited him to stay in her den the night before — but he'd declined, regretfully. He still hadn't spoken properly to @Everett; it didn't feel right to invade what had become his brother's space too before the air was cleared between them.

But between caring for their nieces and preparing the pack for its upcoming journey, there just wasn't much time to chat. Tybault spent much of his time outside the territory, hunting and scanning the flat no-man's-land for threats, cursing his family and himself for his attachment to them. This wasn't what he'd thought his life would look like at two years old. It felt as if he was still trying to mend the pieces of his broken beginning, as if he hadn't moved forward at all while his siblings had forged lives and identities for themselves.

The message from Akashingo had absolved him of the promise he'd made. He'd been relieved. He'd been strangely disappointed. Two years old, and Tybault could not picture the life he would have chosen for himself. Perhaps it would have been easier to let it be decided by forces beyond him, but that too had been denied to him.

It was marriage on his mind then as he tracked a fox across the plains, half-distracted by the hope that this would be the one to end his hunt.

a valley of gold.

arletta walked the dry grasses drinking in the simplicity of the unwelcome land. it was welcome to her grieving soul and calming to rage that embraced her. she did not know these wilds. all she searched for died with her brothers, her mama, and her pops. there was nothing.

colors she looked upon fondly, the ones that cloaked her dear brothers, was carried by a man walking these plains alone; just as arletta was. blonde and ruddy fur moved in pursuit of something, motions of tracking across the flats.

"hey, mister." she called out, unsure what this meeting would bring.

perhaps she sought anything to break the stagnancy.

She reminded him of The Gilded Sea.

Was that what he found immediately endearing about her? Or was it the way she greeted him? Tybault was not a soft man, but he regarded the woman with soft eyes as he paused and took in the sight of her. A lone traveler, at a guess.

Hey, His voice was soft, as if he might startle her away if he spoke too loudly. You seen a white fox anywhere around here? A touch of humor tinged the words. For now he stayed where he was, aware that a woman alone might see him as a threat.

she felt he'd seen to her very core as he stared, and she met him back with flickering embers of eyes. the earthy wolf swept the plains with her gaze in response when he'd found his words.

"no," she said in a simple tone.

arletta could not seem to find her own words, her chest heavy with frustration and tiredness. she would not let him see this if her way was had. she took a few steps forward with a low head, her neck extended to sniff the stranger from a distance. arletta would not move farther, comfort and safety screaming at her.

"who're you?" her voice did not hold the hostility her words might of.

Tybault hadn't expected any other answer. The question had been more for her benefit, a way of showing that he meant no harm. But there were other things to be learned from her answer, too. Her wariness was apparent.

Tybault Medeiros, He answered easily, lowering himself to a sit. Of Hushed Willows. He tilted his chin briefly in the direction of the willows. After a moment his gaze returned to her, curious — but he wouldn't press.

arletta watched him sit. he was comfortable and seemingly had a good nature. she would not submit to such kindness yet. 

"birdie." she remained standing, wondering if she could even refer to herself as a winslow anymore. "there a lot of ya over that way?"

it was comical, the way she represented the flightiness of such winged creatures in this moment. it was only a fondly given nick-name from her pops. arletta didn't feel like herself.

At first he hesitated, his own natural wariness rearing its head. Then he nodded; why not, after all? They had nothing to hide. Family, mostly. Kids. My brother and sister run the pack, Tybault offered, a little surprised by how quaint it sounded when put that way. As if they led a simple, idyllic existence among the willows.

In some ways they did. If only that were all of it.

You on your own? He asked after a moment, though the answer seemed apparent. Tybault wasn't sure yet if he meant the words as an invitation. Instinct told him that the woman was no threat, that she was someone to be protected — but he'd been wrong before.

he hadn't meant to prompt any sort of pain, arletta knew this, but tybault did. his family, settled some ways away just like hers could have been. she was alone now, and the question upset her. all these thoughts were merely reflected in a downturn of her ears and a harsh swallow. she prayed it was subtle.

what's it to you?

"no." she answered quickly, short of a snap before closing her eyes and sighing as if an i'm sorry. "well, yes, i am. lost track of the fellers with me that know there way round here."

lost track was an interesting way of putting it. they were dead. she hoped the way she'd spoken it in a lowered tone would leave it up for his interpretation. preferably one that came with no questions to it, or one that understood silently that lost track meant far worse things.