Bearclaw Valley gotta be careful,

twitch hovered just out of reach of the pack's scent line. clouds loomed overhead like a dark shroud, whispering the promise of rain, but her attention was firmly fixed ahead. her claws bit into the earth as she hesitated, pacing a short, uneven line in frozen soil—a nervous habit she hadn't quite shaken.

damn it, just do it already. the faint musk of piss and wolf lingered, a tangible boundary that she hadn't yet dared to cross. better to wait, she figured. didn't want to give them an excuse. she didn’t want to come off as a threat—not that she wouldn't have been much of one anyhow.

twitch groaned at her own indecision, her lips curling into a faint snarl at herself before she drew in a slow breath through her nose. the awkwardness of it all made her wince, but she pushed through, straightening as she settled back onto her haunches.

she waited still, ears swiveling toward every small sound. a shift in the wind, the faint rustle of underbrush—each one sent a tiny jolt of anxiety through taut nerves. still, she sat, rigid, her gaze scanning the horizon for any sign of movement while she tried not to fidget.

they would come, she reassured herself. that was their job, wasn't it? what if they didn’t? no, they would... probably.

---

for @Tvar and maybe @Cole if you want to pop in <3

COLE HAS RECRUITED ENOUGH PEOPLE

it didn’t take long for tvar to appear through the shadows of the tree line. eyes locked onto the stranger even before his paws crunched over the frost-tipped soil. round, bear-like ears flicked forward as he approached.

he stopped just shy of the scent line, his gaze sweeping over the wiry woman. a brow raised, then his lip curled faintly in silent scrutiny.

then, he laughs.

was gonna roll up all tough like and demand to know what you’re doing here, he pauses, eyes sweeping the awkward girl again before he just huffs and turns, exposing his muscled flank to her, but you ain’t no threat. will say, though, you’re lucky i didn’t mistake you for a coyote.

his nose scunches.

got a bit of a rodent problem.

she stiffened the moment the stranger emerged, black-tipped ears flicking back as if to ward off the scrutinizing look he gave. He was massive, a hulking figure framed by the skeletal trees. Her breath hitched—not in fear, she told herself, but in instinct. she appeared like prey caught in the open. Relax.

the girl huffed a nervous laugh in response. “dunno if I should be offended by that or not,” she muttered, half to herself, “guess I’ll add it to my list of accomplishments.” her words came out dry, though the faint flush at the tips of her ears betrayed her discomfort.

her gaze followed him as he moved, lingering on the ripple of muscle beneath his pelt as he turned. she tipped her head and allowed herself to smile at his comment, “if you’re planning on fixing that by chasing down strangers, y'might wanna work on your approach. less laughing, more snarling—it’s scarier.”

tvar’s lips quirk into an amused smirk, glancing back over a thick shoulder at her. scary doesn’t get answers, he says smugly, just gets the other guy runnin’. now, we don’t want that, do we?

he turns fully, his gaze sweeping over her again, slower this time, as if sizing her up for a second time. she's tense, and flushed with nerves. he exhales an amused breath and chuckles low in his throat. calm down, kid.

you needing a home? that why you're clinging to our borders like a stray? there comes the quirk of his brow as he questions her, tail swishing contently amongst his hocks.

even if she was planning on sneak attacking him, no doubt he'd get the wraps on her before she could blink her eyes.

twitch bristled, though the motion was subtle—a flick of her tail, the faint lift of her shoulders. 'Calm down, kid.' her lips pressed into a thin, taut line as her gaze darted away, fixing on a patch of grass just past his shoulder. Real helpful, this one.  

“’m plenty calm,” she muttered, though the tightness in her voice betrayed her. her claws scraped lightly against the dirt as she shifted her weight, the restless energy in her limbs begging for an outlet she refused to grant. calm as a horse with a stuck foot.

still, his smugness grated less than it should have—mostly because he wasn’t wrong. the tension in her frame was impossible to ignore, coiled tight like a spring, ready to snap at the first sign of hostility. but hostility never came. just that damned smirk and his easy, languid amusement, as if he already knew she was no threat. 

her ears flicked back. she hated how exposed she felt, but there was no use in trying to deny it now. kissing her teeth, the cleared her throat with a cough, “maybe,” she muttered. if there were a cliff readily available, she'd fling herself from it. “got nowhere else to be.” she added quickly before she said something to embarrass herself further.

he tilts his head slightly, his ears twitching at her muttered response.

with a faint snort, he speaks:

c’mon, out of habit, and because he was trying to practice as much as possible, he also signs the word; with he and towhee's pups on the way, he wanted to be able to help teach the kiddos ptero. with a flick of his paw, he gestures for her to follow. i’ll take you to our leaders.

his tail sways once, casual, as he casts a glance over his shoulder at her. if you got nowhere else to be, guess this is as good a place as any, huh? his tone carries just the faintest edge of teasing, though his stride remains steady, no hesitation in his steps as he leads her toward the heart of bearclaw valley.

got a name?

just a cameo cos she a snoop & up in everyones business <3

new scent crawled in from just beyond the borders. loner. vagabond. not of these lands, and most certainly not of any wolves she knew. nanuralaaq drew herself forwards on confident steps, though the scent of the stranger was quickly over-shadowed by that of tvar. there was no other smells ; no blood, no hunger. no sounds besides the faint murmur of chatter. it seemed that all was well, and so she lingered just beyond.

hardly visible upon the white snow. watching to see if this stranger would become a member of the valley ; nanuralaaq would make a note to seek her out later, if so, before turning westwards towards the meadow. perhaps she could find a snack for the stranger.

twitch blinked, momentarily thrown by the flick of his paw and the silent gesture that accompanied his words. her gaze followed the movement, curiosity flickering in olive-hued eyes before she shook it off and stepped forward, falling into an uneasy stride a few paces behind him. 

she huffed softly at his teasing, her lip twitching with a humorless smirk. “nothing says ‘fresh start’ like someone comparing you to a coyote five minutes in.” she muttered, tone dry as bone.

when he asked for her name, she hesitated, her gaze darting to the ground before flicking back to him. “twitch,” she answered simply, tone clipped but not unkind. perhaps she'd give him his formal one later. “you?”

in my defense, these damn coyotes won't get the hint. he grunts with a half-snarl, not nearly directed at her, but any of the vermin that might be lurking and watching as they speak. he was mighty paranoid! and for good reason, too. he and cole had fought off two waves of the fuckers, and now they were bold enough to encroach on their territory again—and this time attack one of their own: @Winslet.

like a pack of starving dogs, circling the weakest of them. it made his chest tighten with paranoia and anger. what were they do when pups came in spring?

tvar. he says simply as they weave through the valley. leading her down into the clearing where the pack often gathers, scenting for any hint of the leaders. no one seemed to be around, and so be huffs and draws himself to a seat. we'll wait for them here. tell me about yourself, kid. he prompts.

cameo

Nostrils flared like a bull when he caught sight of her. Thought to be another coyote, he was damn near ready to be fired from the barrel of a gun.
He rarely left Winslet's side. But when he did, it was to pursue patrols around the immediate area.
To fuckin' close, the words lodged from his throat were only audible for himself to hear. And then it was Rala's scent that wafted over him—
And then he was gone, back to caring for the girl.

when he stopped in the clearing, she hesitated, eyes darting around the unfamiliar space. she felt exposed here, too easy to pick out amongst the frost-laden ground. she mimicked his posture as she sank into a seated position a short distance away.

his question caught her off guard, and she stiffened. “not much to tell,” she said with a half-hearted shrug. “tired of just scraping by, i guess.”

“what about you?” she shot back, “got some big, tragic reason you’re out here, or is this just where you ended up?”

he tilted his head slightly, his ears flicking forward as he considered how much to say.

we all got our reasons, he mutters. mine isn't tragic. just complicated. his shoulders shifted in a slight shrug, a motion that carried a weight he didn’t elaborate on.

a howl in the distance signals the arrival of the rex and regina. with a huff, he stands. come on.

fade