Sunset Valley Where to now?

Another possible follower, if there's space in the pack and if you're interested @Hosannah

Solus had recovered some since his arrival to the wilds weeks before. He wasn't as exahusted, but his traveling pace had slown consiterably as he'd made little progress. Ever once in awhile when he closed his eyes he would see everything again, but it wasn't every time anymore. Slowly, he'd grown to accept what happened and his abandonment of those he cared about. He was acting out of the selfish need to survive, even if it meant sacrificing those closest to you. 

He stopped for a short rest, drawing his gaze to the sky to check the time of day. To him the sun appeared to be setting, but it was hard for him to tell. Either way, he hadn't traveled more then a few miles and he was already thinking of stopping until tomorrow. Maybe he'd switch directions tomorrow, so he wasn't just walking in one direction.

following hosannah's many discoveries (that things could go on without her being present was something of an oddity to her, this narcissistic creature who coveted the sun), she decided quickly and firmly to cleanse the realm of these strange things. these sinful acts, perpetrated by the man she perceived as the high priest no less, would be paid for with prayer and ritual; reek would understand his folly then, and not allow himself to be tainted by the wiles of another woman. she would be sure to fix this, to cleanse the sin from him. thus, heading north across the jagged terrain of her home and then beyond, hosannah sought the materials for a purifying ritual.

she would need frogs. an odd thing to search for now, with the heat of summer on her back, but she needed them nonetheless. frogs, feathers, skulls — but where could she seek them? beyond the grotto lay this strange place she had never delved in to before; hosannah knew that marshland held pieces of what she required, but not everything. it was warm enough now that the north was pleasant, but she doubted she would find anything remotely close to the habitat of her intended targets; including the famine to her scheme, and she began to doubt. she could not as Raas for aid in this. it was a mortal issue and she, a mortal, would solve it. 

as she paced through the northlands and in to the strange valley, her attention was splitting. she looked to the sky for any indication that she was on the right track, muttering soft little prayers despite knowing she was unguided in her desires now; she looked to each dark figure coasting above, or roosted in trees, to spy upon them. if she found the correct feathers here then that would do - the rest she would delve south to find, if necessary. as she quested she came upon  something entirely unwanted, something she had not been hunting — a wolfish figure with their head craned towards the setting sun.

The grey wolf didn't notice the approach of another as quickly as he should have. Only when he lowered his head and shook did he see something out of the corner of his eye that wasn't there before. He stopped and watched the form of another wolf, which had become a rare sight to him despite the packs he knew were around. The stranger's scent only just reached him. Solus could separate individual scents of other wolves.

Seeing, or smelling in this case, that the wolf belonged to a pack the events of the past few months started to play again. He found some of the details missing such as what their attackers looked like, but that wasn't important. He shook his head once again. Not even ten minutes ago he'd told himself all of it was behind him.

they regarded one another for a brief series of moments, with hosannah wondering what the stranger was up to - but she had other matters to attend to, thus the thoughts drifted from her mind. he seemed able-bodied. perhaps this soul was fresh to the lands of the wilds? if so, he was hale and hearty, barely touched by the famine; given time things would change. perhaps this beast came from the last remnant of green upon this earth. but she deviated from him. was looking, was speculating, then turning away and drifting with her steps and her thoughts.

hosannah meant him no harm. she continued to look up at the setting sun, and to the barren trees around her, hoping so spy a bird whose feathers she desperately needed. it was difficult, as birds were experts at hiding in the night hours. some flit between the branches overhead and were cast in a baleful vibrance; they were not the kind she required, so the sparrows and larks and all manner of little things were also ignored.

she huffed eventually, and decided it would be impossible to find the feathers at this hour. what else? what could she possibly bring back with her to the grotto? and then her attention drifted back to the stranger, and she seemed much more interested in him. as she advanced upon him she was slow and steady, with a sullen manner, but by the time she was near enough to speak she boasted confidence. you are new to this place, are you not? it was not the most friendly way to greet a person, but hosannah was nursing a small headache from all of her searching. she squinted because of this, feeling the pulse behind her eyes. from where have you come?

He'd thought the stranger would just move on, it never occured to him that they would come to speak. So, he didn't give another though to the other as he laid down. Even when the scent got stronger, the voice scared him. Solus rose to his feet and took a step back. "Some what, I've been here for a few weeks." He didn't mind the absence of a friendly tone, as it was still better then the one word he got from the first person he'd come across.

When she squinted, he took it as 'you shouldn't be here.' His ears went down as well as his head. "What does it matter? No one's left and even if there were I wouldn't be able to go back." After answering the male looked away, he didn't want to cause a problem. Putting what he knew into spoken words was difficult, because it solidified them in his mind.

this was a flighty creature indeed. she wondered if he would make it through the world - although not because she truly cared - she was hungry, and hosannah was not afraid to eat her own kind. this thought, of making him a meal, was short-lived. he was out of sorts and quite a submissive thing, which appealed to her.

without thinking too hard on the subject, she commented swiftly by saying:

it seems our paths were meant to cross. she smiled to him. it was a thin expression, clearly not a heartfelt one. it was like slipping on a mask. you are alone, no doubt in need of many things... which i could provide for you. if you are worthy of it. again she squints, although it is mostly the natural shape of her eye that makes her look like a fox, or perhaps a weasel. this land is dying, and you will die upon it without care. will you let me help you?

Solus looked back to the red tinted female when she spoke. "Meant to cross? I have a feeling you're going to say all meetings are like that." His head turned away once more, not wanting to see what expression her face would take. Then the other words hit him, she could provide things he needed? Somewhere deep in his mind he doubted it, but the hope far out shined the weak thought. Living was what most would choose, and he agreed with them. With the lack of ability to survive in the current conditions of the land he didn't have a choice. Looking up yet again to meet her gaze, he nodded. There was more then the basic water and occasional meal that he needed to survive, and he had a feeling that, too, could be given in time.

Sorry for the lag on this. I'll title him up and fade.

He accepted the offer with a nod of his head, and while she left his words to drift in the air, she pondered over them. One could assume any meeting was a fortuitous event; that they should cross at any point, due to fate or the influence of Raas, it mattered little. Come then, she murmured, and began to lead him home. Once there things would be explained, but for now, Hosannah was silent.