Blackfoot Forest threats and honey

@Heloise

the morning is dim when laurent wakes. stirred into consciousness by distant birdsong, he takes a moment to stretch his limbs and slowly rises from the patch of moss he'd claimed the previous night. his steps are slow at first, sluggish with sleep and entirely undetermined, though after a handful of moments his hazy mind finds itself confronted by the promise of new territories and experiences.

this is what he has always wanted, he reminds himself. 

chocolate eyes trace his surroundings as he trots through the thicket, reminded of the forest surrounding selwyn point. the memory lingers for a beat before he brushes it away.

her steps are light despite the various sparring she had associated with upon entry to the Teekons. she refused to show any form of weakness, to allow others to see how she had been bruised and cut. her imposing figure was only due to her tallness; her eyes did the rest with their neutral almost icy look. she supposed she should try to smile more. frightening off people was never her goal. though it seemed she was always destined to get into some form of conflict.

even if they had been friendly spars, her bruises were fresh under her ivory coat. still healing. tender. Heloise winched a bit as she placed her paw down, though luckily no one... well, she assumed no one had been around to see. her eyes had searched the ground before lifting, spotting a pale figure a few feet away. a man by scent. he was willowy, lanky... as if a breeze could throw him off course. she watches as he walks, unknowingly getting closer to her. the thicket is, well, thick. 

"greetings" she chooses to let him know, her form slightly hidden by the foliage, that she is there. her head rises to a full height, looking at him dead on.

the egde of his vision snags on a flash of white mere seconds before the greeting reaches him. his posture straightens, head rising, though not in a display of dominance. nothing of the kind is necessary from what he can tell, besides—the man is ultimately not a fighter despite the initial frigidity of his nature...and it shows. 

greetings, he says in return. a moment of silence settles between them, growing when laurent finds himself at a loss for words. it isn't the first time. do you wander these woods alone? it doesn't matter to him, frankly, but it's the only thing that comes to mind.

he returns her hail. a refreshing change of pace to use the more formal greeting than 'hey' or 'hello'. she has no reason to lie to the man either. "usually" she responds, for she has no community to her name yet. Heloise does not mind having any company. sometimes this is best for her and others. she is a true wanderer, and a wanderer has a hard time holding ties. her head softly tilts. he smells of outside. so does that mean... "I beg your pardon me, sir, are you new to the Teekons?" she assumes he is. perhaps she could help him with directions.