Whitefish River the world's a beast of a burden

mastery thread—tracking

focus.

on the small things—the trail that stretches before her, the gentle pater of rain on an aging canopy, the heed smell of petrichor and raccoon. the crush of loose soil underfoot, the way her whole frame stills at the flash of movement up ahead, the soft sound of ears twisting atop her skull. the hunt, the quarry. 

not the big things—those will tear you apart and gut you, leave you gasping and reeling and unable to contemplate a future. 

she moves, a sliding stalk as smooth as water over rocks. the trail is concrete, fresh enough to promise reward. she makes it only a few yards before pausing again, hearing the gentle chittering of the creature ahead and knowing it is close.

and then the sounds of its foraging stop, and she hears the rustling of leaves, claws against bark, and it is gone. rising, she begins her search for another trail.

“Dawn?”

Ever since the bearish Count heard her call upon Kaistleoki’s borders, he has been curious. It is odd how the past continues to find him, and though he is always relieved to see familiar faces, his mind cannot help but wonder what has become of Sindri and Chai. Both have vanished without trace; their scent fading as the days continue to pass. And others, too, have moved on from their humble home. He worries, hoping they are alright, while also feeling a bitter feeling rising in his chest.

A soft smile nonetheless curves across the bear’s lips, his head tilted, with the hesitant wag of his tail tip. He is uncertain if the silver woman remembers him, but he remembers the successful hunt they shared—although she ended up fighting with a nasty thorn bush, and he still wishes he had the skills then to help her more.

she steps out into a clearing, and the rain falls uninterrupted on her pelt. the grasses here are bent and bowed, and lingering scents, musky and sweet, tell of the deer that would have passed through here. small piles of scat, and draped delicately over a stunted branch, a thin strand of velvet. her brow creases at that, about to step forward and investigate.

"evergreen." she turns, recognizing the voice and scent easily. it was Ira that had first brought those memories to the surface, and they'd lingered there. she does not smile and her tail moves only barely, but her expression softens. "are you well?" so different than the wolf she'd seen last, though the scars are plenty and evident.

Surreal how they stand here together, and it is what Kaistleoki promotes that almost makes Evergreen feel wary in this moment. New beginnings ought to be good, of changing oneself to better themself, but sometimes they are forced—and he worries that Dawn may have been one of the unlucky upon their doorstep. His round ears airplane to the side, tail tip continuing it’s slow, nervous sway.

His lips quirk a touch wider, if only for a moment, at the fact she remembers him.

“Uh,” he starts, growing flustered with heat crawling under the skin of his cheeks. Not many have asked that question to him lately, and Eve is uncertain how to answer. “I think so. It’s been kinda… unsettling lately. How are you? What brings you to Kaistleoki?” He has gotten better about directly asking, but nonetheless, the bearish wolf is understanding—any topics others don’t wish to broach can stay locked behind hidden doors.

her attention returns briefly to the tattered piece of velvet as a breeze teases it along the branch, but she glances back to Evergreen after a brief moment. his answer isn't unexpected; she's not sure when last she's spoken to someone who is truly doing "well". when he asks, however, she skirts the question almost entirely. "I'm alright. it seemed a good pack, and I needed a place I could be useful." 

curious, seeing the state she'd seen him in last, she asked, "how long have you led here?" 

Eve hums, curious yet proud that she thinks of Kaistleoki so highly—at least, he counts it as a win. Although it is a shame she could not find her calling elsewhere, he and Kaistleoki are very fortunate someone as talented as Dawn has taken up residence here with them. Helping hands are always great!

Uh, well… since the beginning? He pauses, chuckling awkwardly. Kaistleoki is kinda… something I help found alongside a group of others. It’s been, uh, about three moon cycles now I think. In his thought, his mismatched eyes wander to the object that caught Dawn’s attention initially.

What’s that?

he'd left easthollow, then. she understood that easily, having been unable to stay in Swiftcurrent herself after the tragedy. she wondered, briefly, if they were doing alright. but Evergreen's question has her inspect the velvet again, drawing a little closer. "a scrap of velvet, from the antler of a stag. it's odd, though - they shouldn't be scraping it away so early." her brow crinkled briefly, wondering if it meant anything. deviations in the usual patterns of herd animals and prey usually did, to her knowledge.

Unfamiliar with hunting large game, the bear makes a soft “oooh” noise under his breath as Dawn explained the velvet. It is odd that he’s never noticed it before… perhaps never cared to pay close attention to smaller details within nature, until another pointed it out. Eve steps closer, too, following her lead to inspect the piece despite not knowing what to look for. Maybe it is… sick? Should we try to find him?

she thinks on it a moment before nodding, adding after a moment, "odd behavior like this could point to a bigger problem within the herd, or the environment. it could just as easily be nothing, but better safe than sorry." she glances to him, asking, "have you much experience in tracking?" if he didn't, and wanted to learn, she'd be eager to do so.

No, the bear admits quietly—tracking has always been more of Kaisyn and Thistle’s ordeal. They did well hunting game on land. More of a fisher. He adds, with a sheepish grin. I’ll follow your lead? Of course, he will take any teaching Dawn is willing to share.