Alpine Lake Treated me like a stranger

The lake was huge. Heldi found she couldn't even see to the other side of it as she stared from the coast, even squinting until her head began to throb but gained no such luck in being able to see. 

With such a lake there was likely a good deal of fish to eat, possibly waterfowl who fed on underwater plants and the insects that buzzed above the waterline. The plant life was bare as most of The South was when she first arrived, even so it looked like it would be lush when it grew back. It was the kind of environment that would draw the mammals back. 

The cave up on the mountainside was where she found herself settling down for the night, staring out at the lake as the last sun's rays reflected back at her. The bastard of Vledfest had yet to come across any others, though it was possible someone would appear at anytime seeking shelter as she did.

Quiet paw steps could be heard as the copper maiden made her way down to the pebble-dashed shore of the lake, her eyes wide with curiosity. Dipping her cranium, she quenched her thirst as she watched the stars begin to dance on the surface of the crystalline liquid. The trees may have been stripped bare, their skeletal leaves left to hang like dead carcasses, yet the night sky never changed. This, amongst many others, was one of the reasons why the canid was so captivated by the mysterious beauty of the flecks of light, yet she knew her curiosity could never truly be solved; she would always be left with unanswerable questions.

Raising her muzzle, she shook the remaining droplets off her whiskers, and continued trotting through the light surf, relishing the cooling effect that it had on her cracked pads. She was more used to soft grassland, moorland perhapse, certainly not the rocky landscape of mountains or, heavens forbid, the shadowing confines of a forest. It wasn't as if she was afraid of those places, the maiden just preferred open ground where the sky above her never threatened to disappear.

She came to a halt a few feet away from a darkened cavern, it's depths shrouded in shadow. Every part of her screamed not to venture inside, to avoide being swallowed by the mountain nothing at all costs, yet movement from inside the hollow sparked an adventurous twist in the canids mind. Not to mention the scent; strange and foreign, yet somewhat enticing, food perhapse? With ears pinned back to her skull, the copper maiden padded stiffly inside, her pelt bristling with uncertainty as she neared the figure. To her surprise, it held the telltale features of a lupin causing her to jerk backwards. She jerked backwards, crouching low, her gaze still curious but unsure of what to make of the other as she waited for its reaction.

The half bred who appeared held the inquistive yet shy nature of her coyote lineage, starting when she caught sight of Heldi. The Vledfest raised her head, eyes scanning the canine's form to see if she were aggresive. It didn't appear so, more like she was cautious and waiting for Heldi to make the first move.

"Greetings. I am Heldi Rivers-Vledfest. Who might you be?" The wolf dipped her head in greeting, tone polite and curious as she waited for an introduction to be made.

The canid spoke, her soft words quite unlike what Cearney had been anticipating. She visibly relaxed, her ears returning to their inquisitive posture yet nothing could shake the feelings of confinement that gripped her mind as she settled herself in a more comfortable position on the cave floor. "My sincere apologies," she voiced, dipping her head slightly in response to the stranger, "I should've recognised the shape of a lupin sooner. I'm Cerney Fearghal, spawn of Arturo." She did not know if the woman in front of her knew of her father, yet it shouldn't hurt to mention him.

"That's quite alright. It's a pleasure to meet you." Heldi gave the woman a kind smile, hoping to reassure any doubts she may have. The bastard of Vledfest might be a bit stoic but she wasn't unkind.

"I noticed that you did not smell like a pack, is there a reason?" Her words were forward but not malicious, only curious as her amber eyes watched Cearney inquistively.

The Fearghal nodded in response to the woman, her gaze returning to its usual calm state. "I wanted to seek out my father before I considered joining a legion." Her words were fair, the obvious truth for a wolf who had arrived in this barren land, yet the copper maiden didn't mind. In fairness, it was nice to have someone to talk with for the time being yet something about the cave itself forced her to draw back slightly as she spoke. If the other noticed her uncomfortableness, then she hoped it wouldn't appear rude. "So why are you here? I mean, surely you didn't arrive in these lands for the hunting."

"Ah, that is a long story indeed, the shortened version of it is that I came seeking an old friend. I can't possibly believe anyone would come for the food." Heldi chuckled as she added on to Cearney's small joke, hoping to put the woman at ease.

"I hope you find who you're looking for. I found my friend if you ever need a backup plan, he's starting a pack soon." She gave the coywolf a smile, certain she would be welcome in either of Zephyr's packs.

A slight smile broadened on the muzzle of the copper maiden, her eyes catching an amused glint. She wasn't normally one for dry humour, yet it certainly felt good to lighten the mood. As far as the girl was concerned, the famine was affecting everyone; the animals, the plants, maybe even the water; she wasn't sure. As the other spoke again, the gave an acknowledging dip of her head in response. "Thanks," she started, her tail thumping lightly on the dry rock of the cavern, "I'll be sure to remember your offer." Finding her father had of course been her faster for coming here, yet the fear of death was imminent in her mind. Food was incredibly scarce, and with no sign of herds or larger prey, merely scavenging enough to get her through the day was becoming near to impossible. A glance out the entrance brought the girls focus upon the lake, a puzzling possibility forming. "What about the lake though? Perhapse not all the food has vanished." But to be honest, Cearney had no idea what mysteries the lake harboured..

Heldi nodded in return to the thanks, feeling it was undeserved. Packs needed wolves, Zephyr would probably take anyone who was able bodied. 

"There were birds for awhile, feasting on the bugs. They hardly bother to stop here anymore though there's still a bit of waterfowl- the ones that like to feed on underwater growth. A few small animals like mice can be found sometimes and fish are still around. One just has to be resourceful to survive this kind of thing." 

She sense sensed the others discomfort, stealing her a kind glance before shuffling her paws and sitting upwards. Though she may seem like an agile canid in the woman's eyes, Cearney knew that hunger was beginning to weaken her frame and her inexperience just seemed to add to her weakness. Nevertheless, she'd be sure to keep the prospect of joining a pack fresh in her mind. But for now, the maiden would focus on trying to survive long enough to be reunited with her family. As the other spoke, she listened intently, glad to hear that there was at least some life around the lake. True it was that the bugs, or whatever had caused the famine, had nearly all vanished and it was lucky that not all the prey had gone with them.

With a flick of her tail she nodded, looking back out at the darkening sky. "Well, it's getting dark," she sighed, fearful of possibly staying the night in the cramped cavern. Yet returning to the outside world would be a dangerous move, especially as she didn't know where else she was going to find shelter. Besides, she could do with someone to keep her company for the night. "Mind if I rest here?"

gonna fade here, feel free to reply again and/or archive

Heldi shook her head. "Make yourself at home." After extending an invitation to the woman to stay, the bastard of Vledfest stretched out and rested her head on her paws. Closing her eyes, she slipped into the dark confines of sleep peacefully.