Redhawk Caldera watch me make 'em bow

i Scout thread #4

Annaliese’s journey west continues, though the barrier that lay between the Wilderness and Hinterlands is great. Mountains that tower even greater than the giants Diaspora is so fond of.

A man spoke of the bleak state of the north, however, it is thus that Annaliese trails southward. Ahead the Caldera, worn and rugged, weathered by the quakes. She rests at the base, nestling by a bush that’s yet to lose all its leaves—resilient in the wake of destruction.

There's something terribly wrong here — something Liir is far too inexperienced to pinpoint just yet. He notices things, of course; the piercing silence for miles that somehow seems louder than anything he's ever heard, the swirling dark phantom looming overhead, the way the land seems to have withered to bareness without the blanket of winter to sheath it. If he didn't know any better, he might think he'd stumbled into another world entirely.
But he does know better — or at least, that's what he tells himself. He pauses abruptly with his nose still near the ground, picking up a scent he hasn't encountered in far too long for comfort. A wolf. His heart jumps a little, and he chastises himself, determined not to allow his loneliness to turn him into a fool. He forces himself to follow the trail casually, to ignore the sudden swelling in his chest at the prospect of company. Though he would not admit it to himself or anyone else, the fiery girl he spots in the distance is one of the most welcome sights of his life, and would have been just as welcome had she been a grizzled, sickly thing or worse. He chuffs, hesitating suddenly when he realizes how close he is now, and how little he has thought this through. Not that that's anything new.

Though it is not much shelter from the biting breeze, Annaliese is grateful for its existence nonetheless. She is cold, hunkering closer to the freezing earth in an effort to find a touch of warmth. Her coat may be thick and ready for winter’s worse weather, but admittedly she misses the warmth her siblings once provided. It’s almost been a year.

Unaware of the following wolf, she is startled—lifting her head with ears perked and lips curling back in a defensive snarl. A show, certainly, but Annaliese has never feared using her fangs if need be. Fortunately, the yearling seems to be just as lost in the world as she had been prior. The foxfire relaxes with a sigh.

Yeah? She barks back, neither welcoming nor completely cold. It seems no one in these Wilds has the balls to approach her with words.

He tenses at the snarl, but there is no action behind the gesture, so he decides to take his chances when she calls out. Been awhile since I've seen anyone, He explains, gaze flitting briefly around but returning quickly to the stranger. Gotta remind myself I'm not a ghost every so often. A slight pause. You're traveling alone? He's not really interested, but it's something to say; something to remind him that he's not a ghost.

She can sympathize in a way. Before Diaspora, it had been awhile since she, too, interacted with anyone. Although her travels were less secretive, and she did converse with passersby on her adventure back to the Wilds. The boy is odd, however, in his approach and humor.

No, she lies—something about the question rubbed her the wrong way, as if this man is a bandit with a crew hiding in the bushes, ready to spring an ambush. Are you?

The answer is more than a little suspicious, given he doesn't smell anyone nearby, or even on her, but he lets it slide. Maybe her companions are far away right now; maybe she's lying. It makes no matter to him. Yep, He says, deciding he's bored of the interaction. Guess I'll leave you alone, then; wouldn't want to distract you from your... friends. He casts a pointed glance at the bush beside her, amusing himself with his own implication, and turns to leave.

Annaliese squints, already cautious of this wolf and his intentions. Apparently his desire to make himself not a “ghost” lasts a few moments, for he is quick to disappear after and the red woman is not interested in stopping him. She continues on her way in search of a different spot to rest at.