Jade Fern Grove up the creek without a poodle

@Djinn

Their numbers had fluctuated. Vihaan and Elora were gone, without a trace for her to find them, but she felt they could take care of themselves, she supposed, while she felt her tie to Sriracha and Xan became stronger. The ground had gotten colder and most days she could see her own breath in front of her face. Running off after two wolves that didn’t have the nerve to say goodbye ended up low on her list. Instead, she kept to the grove with the few they had left behind if only so they could survive the upcoming winter.

She’d managed to come across a rabbit that was a little worse for wear but would do and satisfy her hunger for a while. Ocra considered briefly searching out her two friends but she didn’t follow a scent that might have led her to them. Instead, she wandered to the southern reaches of the grove. It gave her a moment to clear her mind as she put herself to use and wear the energy out of her limbs. Her legs picked up speed before she realized it and her trot turned into a sprint, sending her out into a clearing. Only then did she slow to a stop, panting, realizing it was snowflakes falling from the sky.

@Ocra

Djinn had entered the Teekon Wilds from the north, through the Bracken Woods. He decided to travel southward, avoiding the packlands he had smelled along the way. The young wolf-dog want ready to join a pack just yet and – let's be real – maybe he never would be. He knew to be alone in the winter was dangerous and would likely mean his death. But being chased off because he was half dog had left a bitter taste in the young canine’s mouth.

Granted, it didn't make him any better for leaving his mother and sisters, but Djinn was beginning to feel the urge to find a place of his own. His hormones were starting to kick in and the wolf-dog wanted to find a female, maybe two, that he could have relations with. That's what he felt, but who knew if it would ever happen. Other wolves might be just as unaccepting of him as his family's former pack. Still, he had to try.

He found himself in a grove now. The scent of evergreen filled the air, but a few other scents wafted into the young wolf-dog's nostrils. The smell of wolf was one of them. Djinn debated between leaving the grove or following the scent. It smelled inviting enough, and what good would continuously running away so him? He had to overcome his fear of rejection sooner or later. This encounter could easily determine his future.

Djinn carefully followed the scent of the wolf, slowly learning that it was a she-wolf he smelled. That explained the pleasant odor… The scent became stronger and the wolf-dog soon spotted the tawny she-wolf through the trees. She was standing still beneath a small clearing where the cloudy sky was able to let more light through.

Djinn bit his lip, hesitating. But gathering his courage, he said, “Hello.”

Ocra’s jaws snapped shut the moment another came into view. Her dark green eyes narrowed as he began his approach but something seemed a little off still that she didn’t know how to place. Rickon had not turned out to be terrible, even if she hadn’t seen him again since, and Xan had managed… to stick around somehow and she’d managed to grow fond of him or whatever. He was still annoying. She stood upon ground they have claimed for themselves and a simple call would bring them closer as they were never too far away.

She took a step forward and searched his features before she decided to speak. He seemed just as uncertain, perhaps nervous, that gave her a weird feeling. Her ears dropped against the top of her head and she glanced behind her, in case one of her companions had followed along on her run, but they were not there—at least that she could tell. Instead, she swung back to the stranger before she offered her own greeting. Ocra took another step forward but not enough to close much of the distance, if only for safety.

“Why are you here?”