Nova Peak just keep breathing

Any Larksong wolf welcome! He's pretty close so I wouldn't be surprised if he got some harsh words thrown at him :)

The night was beginning to set in along with a steady drizzle as Kastor loped across the remaining stretch of the vale. His encounter with the ebony woman had left him curious and also slightly wary of the many packs that had staked their claim over a section of this land. For a lone wolf like him, running into one of them would likely not end well. Yet, it pleased him to know that the canines that dwelled in and around this area respected him without quarrel for the time being.

An image of the mottled silver fae groped at the sides of his vision and he frowned, recalling their sudden come across. Yes, her words inspired him and made him realise that just because you're broken, it doesn't mean you can't sing, but why now? He sighed, once again hating the fact that he didn't know and gave his tail an unsatisfactory twitch.

With the rain dappling his already sodden pelt, the feathered brute continued his tireless lope until he reached a rocky outcrop, looming but oddly comforting in the pressing dusk. He paused for a few heartbeats, deciding with a glance up the jagged cliffs that scaling the mountain in the rain probably wasn't the smartest idea. Instead, he parted his maw and drank in the enticing scents of fresh prey, letting his paws carry him along their water-dampened trails around the foot of the outcrop.

*crashes*

Staying on the move seemed to help Wildfire's mood. It was bittersweet, living her dream of being a free spirit. The price had been high, too high. But she ground her teeth together and tried not to think of that as her petite paws carried her from landscape to landscape. Today, they delivered her to the foot of a mountain which showed signs of storm damage. Before she could assess any of it, the sky darkened ominously. Wildfire didn't really feel like getting caught in the rain right now, so she began to climb upward in search of an overhang. She would really prefer to avoid going into a cave if she could help it.

She managed to tuck herself beneath a rocky protrusion just in time to watch the rain begin to fall. She stared out into the gathering gloom, her golden eyes squinting slightly when she saw movement through the curtains of water now draining over the sill of her hideout. It appeared to be a wolf. He (or she) looked entirely washed out but Wildfire attributed that to the weather and time of day. She watched him (or her) silently, wondering how much her own red pelt stood out in this rainstorm.

By the time he had almost reached the edge of the crumbling mountain side, the storm had set in further, tumbling down in icy sheets and utterly drenching the poor brute. He shivered, cringing as chilling rivers cascaded down the back of neck and waterfalled off the top of his tail. Wow. So much for being 'smart.' An exasperated huff escaped his muzzle as he trudged onwards, unsure really of what he was looking for. He had long since dismissed the idea of hunting for a meal, the critters would've taken cover long ago.

An ear splitting crack sent a jolt of terror down his spine as at that same moment, the heavens opened to reveal a blinding white hot glare. With a yelp of shock, Kastor turned tail and fled up the cliff, scraping his pads of various rocks in his mad dash for cover. An overhang up ahead looked like a promising sight. At least he wouldn't get fried or drowned for that matter. His paws churned as he flung himself over the rise, his eyes round with fear and careered into something warm, fluffy and alive. "I, er, sorry," he mumbled, scrambling backwards as he tried to untangle himself from whatever creature he now shared his shelter with. "Seems like I'm not the only one escaping the bad weather."

The bolt of lightning startled her somewhat, yet Wildfire did not fear storms. In fact, they fascinated her. She braced herself for the subsequent peal of thunder, which rumbled almost directly overhead. It vibrated in her chest, though she didn't get to enjoy it long before something else jarred her abruptly.

She cringed away from the intrusion, the unwated touch and proximity, amber eyes a bit wild as she crouched in the far corner and stared. It was the same wolf she had spotted out in the rain and he really was as colorless as he had first appeared. He was also soaked to the bone, male and entirely too close.

Like any frightened, cornered wild animal, Wildfire suddenly skinned her lips back from her teeth, her growl like a miniature echo of the thunder a moment before.

Apologies for the short post!

The storm was still raging just a whisker away from his flank yet the majority of his fear had subsided. Eyes still slightly wild with shock, Kastor turned his attention to the fiery creature crouching before him, now recognising the familiar features that only a being like himself could posses. His tail twitched nervously as her lips peeled backwards to reveal her canines and a low growl reverberated from her throat. It wasn't often he, literally, ran into another wolf. He shot her an apologetic glance before lowering his cranium and sinking to the stone floor of the outcrop, hoping it would be enough to avoid an attack.

He made no move to vacate the area immediately, as Wildfire wished he would. He shot her an apologetic look and sank down to the floor, looking like a dirty dishrag. The yearling's lip remained curled, her eyes bright and sparking in the damp gloom. But she did not attack. She willed herself to relax, yet there was nothing for it.

"Don't touch me again," she snapped. Wildfire wanted to tell him to get lost and find his own shelter, yet her actions hadn't done the trick, so why would words make any difference? The other option was to leave herself, yet she really didn't feel like getting drenched in cold water right now. She was between a rock and a hard place (almost literally).

"Just stay as far away from me as physically possible," she muttered after a beat, pressing even closer to the cool stone at her back, amber eyes never once straying from his face.

Last post from me :) Thanks for the short but fun thread xD

His grayscale pelt was still matted with rain, now beginning to dry in ragged clumps as the heat of tension between himself and the flaming she wolf sent shivers of white hot fear and upmost embarrassment through his veins. He wasn't one for fights, as he had clearly demonstrated to her, and the way she spat her words only enhanced his feelings. Though he couldn't blame her for snapping at him, it was a natural trait most wild creatures possessed, and it seemed this female was spooked and irritated easily. Not like you could be any better. The way he had freaked when the lightning struck, that wasn't a moment to be proud of.

Ears still flat with submission, he nodded silently and crawled backwards, all the while keeping an eye on her movements. She didn't seem to make any threatening gestures towards him, besides from growling, but even so, he better leave her be before he got his pelt completely skinned from his poor, shaking body. With a last glance of genuine apology, he rose finally to all fours and slunk back into the pounding rain.

Wait, come back! @Kastor :)

Wildfire expected him to curl up in the far corner, keeping to his space while they mutually waited for the downpour to end. Instead, he seemed to rethink it and decide heading back into the rain suited him better. She tensed as he moved to go, then stared as he disappeared past the curtain of water spilling from the sill. Her eyes squinted, then Wildfire found herself blinking as the downspout abruptly began to subside, then turn into nothing more than a trickle. Just like that, the rainfall ceased.

Prompted both by this development and a sudden twinge of guilt, Wildfire thrust her head out into the damp, dripping world beyond the overhang. "Wait..." she said softly, casting her eyes about for the strange wolf. She didn't see him, but then again, the entire world was currently gray and wet, so it was entirely possible he was just blending into the background.

*ploofs*

It was strange how the rain subsided just as quickly as it had come, leaving the land drenched in a blanket of crystalline droplets. Mind you, it wouldn't have mattered if the storm had continued, Kastor didn't mind the showers as much as he hated the lightning. Though it did mean he could finally begin to see the outcrop through a new set of eyes, it's jagged cliffs still steep and menacing, yet oddly serene in the aftermath.

He allowed himself a glance back towards the overhang, catching a glimpse of red fur as the she wolf emerged slightly, her eyes seemingly searching for something. After their encounter, instinct told him to shrink into the rocky clefts and remain unseen, so that's just what he did. His ochre eyes were round with mild curiosity as he lifted his head and sank down amongst the boulders to silently observe the others actions.

She kept scanning the surrounding crags, even tilted her snout into the air trying to locate a scent. The air was too damp for her to pick up much of anything. Her lips pursed. Wildfire began to shake her head lightly. She wasn't really sure what she was doing anyway. She wanted to apologize to the stranger for her behavior, explain that it was very out of character for her... but was she really sorry? Did she really have to explain herself to some random dude who had literally bumped into her on the street?

She sighed quietly, pushing thoughts of him to the back of her head and beginning to move forward, intent to explore the mountainside now that the weather had cleared. Coincidentally, she walked right into him where he crouched behind a boulder, albeit slowly enough that she avoided actual impact. But Wildfire's eyes flew wide and she backpedaled rapidly, the red fur along her spine rippling instinctively.

"I—were you hiding? From me?" she found herself blurting, blinking now. The idea that someone was actually frightened of her made a very peculiar feeling indeed rise up inside the lithe Redhawk.

With a steady gaze, the feathered male had been watching the fiery girl, waiting in silence as she picked her way down the cliff side to scout the boulders. But of course, even the most alert creatures have to take a break a some point. A robin tweeted tauntingly above him, a sharp reminder of the vicious winter that had once held this land captive under its frosted cloak. He looked up, startled by its loud chirp, returning only to come face to face yet again with the now not-so-unfamiliar she wolf.

With a surprised yelp, he sprang backwards, pinning his auds flat to his scalp and fluffing up his tail momentarily before forcing it to lie flat. She seemed just as bemused as he was with the whole encounter which was of course to be expected from a wolf he had practically bumped into twice now. He cowered low, averting his gaze and thumping his tail apologetically. It was quite strange how a relatively well built brute like himself could be so easily intimidated by a scrawny ball of red fluff but it happened, causing him to ponder just how broken his mind was. There was just something about her, those gleaming golden eyes and the way she wasn't at all unnerved by the natural world that vaguely mirrored that of his mother. Yet despite all of this, he couldn't look like a damned coward in front of her... although he feared he already had.

It took all his courage to crawl out from underneath the rocks but he managed it, all the while keeping his tail tucked submissively between his legs as he drew himself into a slightly nervous sitting position. He listened quietly as she spoke, her words sharp and surprised but fair. "If hiding involves cowering under boulders then yes... I guess you could call it that," he answered shakily, stealing a quick glance upwards to the evening sky. "Forgive me for acting so... fearfully. After moments of just portraying his feelings through submissive body language, he felt a huge relief in finally admitting his appology through words.

It wasn't a good feeling. True, there was a tiny part of her that felt a power rush at the notion of being feared, yet the whole thing primarily felt unpleasant. She continued goggling at the stranger as he reacted to her presence like a misbehaving puppy prostrating before his irate mother. He did eventually right himself slightly and creep closer, his demeanor still entirely submissive as he attempted to apologize and explain.

"Why are you acting like that?" she wanted to know, only realizing after the words left her mouth how very blunt they sounded. "I mean, I know I growled at you. It was more of a knee-jerk reaction than anything, though. It wasn't... personal. I'm not going to hurt you," she said in a tone that said, surely, you must know that! It evidently wasn't as obvious as she thought, though, which only added to the peculiarity of the the situation.

Unbidden, an image of that black-and-white wolf cropped up in her mind, beaten and bloody. She grimaced a bit. He had asked for that, though, during one of Wildfire's very worst moments. She would never hurt anybody like that now, especially not unprovoked. And this guy hadn't provoked her, not really... Wildfire felt her chest tightening and her skin growing warm, as if it no longer fit.

Sorry for the late reply, I've been quite sick lately

He didn't want to be afraid of the stranger, he truly didn't, it was the lightning that had sparked his fear in the first place. Though as he sat still somewhat cowering in front of her, he couldn't help but feel intimidated and a little embarrassed as she spoke her words. She was right in questioning him to be honest; it was unusual even for his weak-minded self to be thrown into a pit of absolute terror. The only other canine he could remember who had caused these very same emotions to rise had been his mother, the violent alphess of his birth pack. She had been the main push factor in him beginning his travels alone and if this fiery girl gave him the same feelings? Well, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Following his relief of admittance, Kastor sighed, his ears no longer falling into their familiar pinned back position but standing more upright, focused and mildly curious on yet another string of harsh tones coming from the maw of the lupine. "Yet again, I apologise for my confusing behaviour," he voiced eventually, his vocals barely more than a whisper, "Sometimes I'm not even sure myself why I act so strangely." He shuffled his paws, contemplating whether he should reveal the secrets around his mother, for he could sense the flaming she wolf knew the storm wasn't the only reason he had become so terrified.

"My mother," he began again, feeling his pelt prickle in unease at the thought of her. Yet strangely, despite the sudden run-ins with the stranger and the defensive growling, he found that trusting her was easier than he had originally anticipated. Yes, she had been a real 'female dog' when he had barged into her shelter but that wasn't at all surprising given the circumstances. "She looked similar to you. Same reddish-amber fur, same glinting golden eyes. Except, she was the alphess of my birth pack." On that note, Kastor breathed in heavy and forced his muscles to relax and cease to shake. "Let's just say... I didn't have the best relationship with her." With a valiant effort, he allowed his head to rise slightly, his round ochre eyes seeking to graze those of the other.

No worries! Hope you're feeling better. :)

Edit on 5/1: I'm gonna conclude this for us!

He apologized again, then tried to explain his behavior to her. Wildfire's ears flicked at the words my mother, sensing a personal story incoming. It never failed to amaze her how some strangers would open up to her so readily. Was there something about her that caused others to be so forthcoming? Well, she would rather others trust her inexplicably rather than fear her. Speaking of which, it kind of gave her whiplash when he went from trembling to oversharing in the space of a moment. Seeing as she preferred that over the alternative, she didn't say anything about it.

In any case, there was good reason he told her this: it really did shed some light on his overreactions. When his eyes hesitantly lifted to meet hers, Wildfire played into it and guessed, "Was she abusive?" She drew in a steadying breath, blinking. "I don't know her but I can assure you I'm nothing like her. I've just been through some stuff lately," she explained, giving no further detail than that, "and it was an instinctive recoil. I have no desire to harm you."

But nor did she have much of a desire to stick around and make overly personal small talk with him. Still feeling a bit discomfited over the entire situation, Wildfire excused herself to continue exploring the now rain-soaked mountain slopes. It was a bit hard to focus at first, difficult to shake off the lingering uneasiness instilled in her by the stranger's reactions, but eventually she lost herself in her exploration and achieved her earlier lightness of spirit.