Fox's Glade Failure has been all to familiar
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#1
Shadowheart had continued his journey northward, trotting across the meadow until the snow covered grasses gave way to silent trees. He was covered in snow by the time he arrived at the edges of the forest, and he was also hungry. Although he had been in these new lands for a few days, Shadowheart had been unable to catch anything. So, after slipping in among the snow covered trees, he began to cast around for the scent of any prey.

As he continued, the dark male thought upon the purpose of his journey thus far. He had wandered for some time, simply trying to survive and bury the past. But he had no great purpose to his life, and that was a potential concern to him. Perhaps it's time I think about pack life again, at least I would find some purpose there, he thought. In his heart through, the dark male had his doubts.

His musings were interrupted by the scent of a rabbit up ahead. Quickly dropping into a crouch, Shadowheart crept forward toward his prey. A few seconds later, he spotted the small animal, feeding upon the bitter branches of a bush. the dark male kneaded the ground in anticipation, preparing to spring. But before he could launch his assault, the shrill warning call of a squirrel broke the silence, sending the rabbit down a nearby hole before Shadowheart could catch it. He growled in frustration, thrusting his muzzle down the hole in a vain attempt to catch his prey, but the rabbit was long gone. Cursing his luck, the dark male backed away, resuming his search for more prey.
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#2
Phone post. Format later. I'll likely change around some wording too, if you dont mind.

she moved outside wapun valley, to its west in an area she had yet to explore.  she did not recognize the distinction between territories but had recognized a shift all the same.

the day was drawing on.  it seemed she would be spending her first night away from the valley since her acceptance, but it was much needed since her (mostly) self-imposed isolation during her heat.

this territory was much less occupied than wapun and proved to be a better hunting ground as well.  she itched to hunt; xan had brought her all her meals for an entire week.

and it was not long before she was hot on the trail of a rabbit.  with a clamp of her jaws and a shake of her head, the creatures life slipped from its body, and she carried it with her as she sought to find a safe place to sleep.
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#3
thats fine
Shadowheart continued trotting through the forest, muttering under his breath. His eyes were constantly scanning the area, looking for any potential prey. But his mind was farther away, worrying about purpose, and his ability to handle the world. For a time, it had seemed like the dark male could maintain a strong front against the events the world threw at him; that he would be able to survive in spite of adversity. But that wolf had been replaced as of late. His abilities had been compromised, and his will had been dealt a heavy blow.

As he walked along with a head full of heavy thoughts, Shadowheart heard rustling up ahead. He paused, hoping for another shot at prey. But the possibility of a respite to his hunger was quickly dashed as he made out the shape of another wolf. His curiosity was instantly piqued, as this was the first wolf he had come across since entering the wilds. Perhaps he  could gain some information on exactly were he was, and what other wolves might be in the surrounding area.

Shadowheart took a few paces forward, before chuffing a friendly "hello," to the other wolf.
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#4
i always feel bad when people want info from her because she doesn't understand english lmfao

her head swings around to catch his gaze, rabbit swaying between her jaws.  he is friendly and forward, and the guard hairs along her spine come to life, standing erect before flattening back down.

her tail wags once, twice, before stopping entirely.  she moves closer to him, bridging the distance with a frightening and wild self-assured step, and then does something entirely uncharacteristic:

she drops the rabbit at his feet.

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#5
The wolf before him is a slim built figure, but Shadowheart still keeps his guard up when he saw the fur rise along her back. Size certainly wasn't everything, and the male knew it paid to ready for any possible move by a stranger. As he got closer, he could make out her different eye colors, an observation that was both confusing and intriguing, as he had never seen such a thing. She soon dropped her guard, wagging her tail at him, a gesture that he returned, although more hesitantly. Shadowheart tenses slightly when she steps closer to him. He hasn't survived this long alone by letting just anyone get close. However, before he can step back, the female does something entirely unexpected.

She drops the rabbit at his feet.

The tension drains from his body, replaced by a relaxed confusion at her action. He knows that sharing food is common among packmates, it was an activity that he participated in many times. But to have a complete stranger make such a gesture, particularly in the middle of winter when food is scarce, is confounding to the dark male. "Why" he asks, "The kill is yours, not mine." ​
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#6

his hesitance is something she is intimately familiar with.  he has no reason to trust her; she senses (and smells) that he has been alone for some time now.  any pack scent, or even the intermingling of other wolves had worn off from his coat entirely. 

as far as she knew, he could be like her — alone his entire life until someone would take him in.

but then he spoke, and that illusion was shattered, and she was kind of annoyed about it.  she senses his confusion, and pushes it towards him once more.  um hello, i'm being nice?  so you should like, put it in your mouth now before i get too irritated.

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As he waits for her response, Shadowheart takes the time to further observe the female before him. He can smell the scent of other wolves on her, so it is likely that she is part of a pack. What pack it is, or where they might be however, is a mystery to him.

When she pushes the rabbit forward once more, his confusion deepens. Nevertheless, he isn't going to pass up food at this time of year, if she insists. So he bows his head towards the ground, aware of how vulnerable such a movement is. If this gift is some sort of trick, she could have the back of neck quite easily. Thus, he keeps an eye locked on her as he grabs the rabbit in his jaws.

After picking the lifeless creature off the ground, he takes a few paces away, preparing to feed. However, he does rip off one of the back legs, leaving it in case the female wants a piece of her kill.
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#8

she understands the narrowing of his eyes and once again, that same hesitance.  she does not push for a response, but is happy once he picks up the kill.

she grabs the leg he left her, taking it in at a casual speed, before turning and waiting for him to finish, gnawing on her bone.  hallo, she says (with confidence, finally).

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#9
Shadowheart is pleased to see that she accepted his unspoken compromise by taking the leg he left her. It wasn't that he didn't want the food, it simply didn't feel right to take all of her kill, even if it was a gift.

He is somewhat surprised to hear her speak, but hides the emotion well. He glances over, nodding in acknowledgment. He senses that her speech is something of a struggle, so he doesn't pressure her into talking. If she wants to speak, he'll let her go at her own pace.
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#10

it was the only word she knew, so she was pleased when he defaulted back to the language she was fluent in — nonverbal; body language.

a smile tugs at her flews, pulling them up before her usual stoic expression falls back, and she stands, dropping the bone she had been gnawing on.

she pads over to the male and offers him a play-bow, her spine curving to a deep arch as she gives her entire rear end a wag, before bounding off a step or two — intentionally closer to home.

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#11
He continued eating the rabbit as he lay in the snow, his thoughts both here and far away. He was interested in this female, as he had never met a wolf like her on his travels. Did she simply not know his own language? Had she been through some sort of trauma? It was a interesting puzzle to him. At the same time, he was internally guarded. The last female he had taken interest in, had allowed to get close-

He cut the train of thought of with a low growl under his breath. Those memories had to stay buried, lest they get in the way of survival. Suddenly, the female rose, walking over and play bowing in front of him. The move was so unexpected that Shadowheart growled lowly, a knee-jerk reaction brought on by his internal torment. His expression, which had been relaxed, morphed into tension.
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#12

oh.

his growling cut through every bit of excitement and energy she had.  she understood, of course, where he was coming from but it did not do much to make her feel better.  truthfully, it hurt (even though this man was a stranger) that he did not want to play.

maybe he was just scared, like that other girl who had run off.  maybe she should be easier.  slowly, she settled herself onto the ground and let out a low, expectant whine.

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The disappointment and pain that flashed through her eyes cut him like a knife. He saw how his rejection hurt her, he could hear it in the whine she let out. Shadowheart immediately felt guilty for his mild aggression. He certainly had not intended to hurt her feelings. In his heart, shame slowly built as he gazed into the distance. He had forgotten that he was not the only one who had suffered adversity, that he was not the only one who had experienced loss. He couldn't speak of her past of course, but he sensed it had been a lonely one.

Shadowheart switched his gaze back to her, debating on his next course of action. He sighed lowly, before standing and wagging his tail. Then he took a few light steps away from her, almost skipping across the ground. He let out a playful whine, hoping that she would understand. It was the least he could do.
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#14


her demeanor changed entirely, accepting and kind.  her fear of dark men was yet to come upon her, and her trust came quick.  she skipped gleefully across the snow, doing a quick round of zoomies before arching her rear in the air with her front half across the ground, her entire body wagging.  she let out a few delighted yips and darted closer, still hoping she could lure him back to bearclaw and claim him as her packmate.

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#15
The dark male watched her run and skip, chuckling internally. It had been a while since he had played with another, so the experience was refreshing for him. Shadowheart growled playfully as she darted near him. He made a sudden lunge for her, then just as quickly spun in the opposite direction. Then he was off, running from her, hoping to entice the female into a game of tag.
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it was not exactly what she wanted, but she was easy to entice.  she punctuated the air with a variety of delighted noises, posturing in mock-defense as he lunged for her.  

she darted after him, nipping gently at his hocks and tail, then dipping away again, waiting for retaliation.

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