Whitefish River hope i'm not doing too much

a basic sense of direction went a long way. andraste's instructions, while vague as they might have been, eventually led bhediya to a border.

this was unknown land to the aging scout. what lie beyond the valley was mysterious, hidden; it was only in her adulthood that she dared venture so far west. 

thus, there was no evidence to back up her assumption. this is kaistleoki, she thought, and tilted her head back to call for @Evergreen and @Ira.

Hoshor Plains have been the main post for Kaistleoki since the flooding worsened, and the quakes trapped their leadership in the very cavern Evergreen’s feared since the beginning. Now worn and off in every way, the bearish Count spends most of his time close to his pack. Primarily @Winterbourne, @Speedy and Ira.

Still, something brings him here to these lands. The Wilds have taken everything from him, and he insists that the lost members of Kaistleoki may return—or that he must find them. His head woozy, gait clumsy and too large paws doing little to keep him standing. Eve trudges on anyway, stomping with little grace through the swamp that Whitefish River has become.

It wouldn’t be surprising  if Winterbourne shadowed him here, if Eve just thought he was being sneaky, when in truth, he’s far from it now.

His head lifts, freezing in motion and then falling forward until he catches himself with a large splash echoing after. A call for them? He hasn’t heard one in some time…  

Stomping towards the source, he finds himself cold as he grows closer to the borders and away from the freezing waters of his river.

Hhh, he tries, speech frustrating on his tongue as if it doesn’t want to work. Round ears flicker, mismatched eyes focusing on the dog-like visitor on his doorstep.

the unfamiliar frame of a brutish stranger quickly came into view. unsure of how to react, bhediya took a half-step back and waited for him to speak. hhh, he'd said, only further adding to the confusion. the scout nervously cleared her throat before beginning her introduction.

i'm bhe, from uaine gorsedd in the valley. andraste told me that i could find a pack here. kaistleoki, run by evergreen? from where she stood, it was impossible to know the full extent of the flooding. some foreknowledge of what she might have been walking into would have veered her from their border.

The Valley? Rising Sun Valley? Far from home she is then, and Eve is unfamiliar with the other names she speaks of. He racks his aching brain, trying to recall any memorance “Andraste” and “Uaine Gorsedd”. In the end, he gives a confused tilt of his boxy head.

Yess, he slurs, I am Ever-gree-uhn. Although Kaistleoki no longer thrives in this neck of the Flatlands, he is not keen to correct it. They would return home, eventually, he thinks. His fear of the Wilds, however, may never dim.

the accumulated anxiety began to die down as she heard evergreen speak. there was something wrong with him, but it was something that bhediya couldn't fix. this wasn't an issue of the mind but an obvious affliction of the body.

are you okay? she asked, taking a half-step forward. there was still a distant amount of space between them that she longed to close, but bhe knew better than to approach a sickly wolf (and leader, at that!)

Mismatched eyes blink and a flicker of confusion washes over his face. He thinks he'll get answers, of who the people—things?—she spoke of were. Yet, she surprises him with her question instead. Is he okay? Eve is not sure.

He dips his head, just enough to briefly show the swollen knot and stained fur upon the back of it where the rock hit initially. The caverns ceiling had been jostled by the rescue. Unfortunately, the Count ended up a victim of the cave-in just like Ira.

A sheepish grin curves across his lips nonetheless.

bhediya was no caregiver, but she could clearly make out the wound atop evergreen's head. the sight was gruesome enough to turn her stomach, at which point she chose to look away. once the alpha straightened himself, she turned back with an apologetic gaze. from the quakes? bhe asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

she cleared her throat. is your pack still settled here? the scene provided conflicting information, so she thought to just ask.

To her first question, the bearish wolf dips his head in a brief nod. The quakes were at fault for the damage to himself, and to his home around him. If not for them, perhaps Kaistleoki could continue their lives in this blissful haven. Eve could continue catching fish in the river, and sunbathing after with his packmates.

To her second question, his head shakes slowly. South. He points towards Hosher Plains, where they now sit in wait, and with hope that the River will return to it’s glory come spring.

there wasn't much left to be said, then. kaistleoki had been displaced for the time being and from the looks of it, evergreen had suffered in the process. once things settled and the pack regained their bearings, bhediya would come back. until then...

the scout smiled and dipped her head. well, then, she began, i wish kaistleoki the best of luck. what else could she give them? it was not in bhediya's power to restore their home; what more could they have wanted? i'll check in again soon.

she turned to walk away then, hoping to make it to the next destination by morning.