The Bracken Woods Dear fellow traveler,

Dear fellow traveler, whose paws travel forward, an endless walk toward nothingness. There was no goal for the wanderer, she was only on an endless loop, a path to a journey that she did not know where to. A thousand steps, a thousand more to go. An ethereal being, she walked through the unknown north, and entered a thorny palace. Silence wrapped around the wolf and made her feel utterly alone.

Peaceful however, she didn't relinquish this peace and embraced what was. She had been in this silence for miles and miles, it was a friend to the journeyman. Quest, continued forth in a venture of the land.

Hemlocke lingered once more to the vast forestry he had called home all to his own for months now. No longer did he think the women of Skyward would return to him yet return to the forest he did as though they may one day come again. His desire to try and find another home yet still tugged him one way, whilst clinging to his past drew him here. 

It was silent for hours, hours and hours like he was used to. The nightwalker stalked on, endless, each stride seemingly more determined then the other but for no paticular cause. And then the large creature paused, bloodied eyes locked to movement within the forest, dashing along briskly, on a mission perhaps. 

The strides came from a little wolf, perhaps not fully wolf with ears as pointed and perked as his own. She walked as though on air, smooth, confident. He wished he could have such purpose.

Her head lifted, and eyes yellow as the sunflowers, were greeted with eyes red as the rubies in the earth, or the blood coursing in her veins. He was a blackened creature, an opposite of her light colors of the winter world. However, neither seemed to speak with each other. She watched in an eerie silence, and stood without a motion.

She was an enchanting little creature and quiet. As quiet as the first morning after a snowfall. And she looked like winter, too. White and soft grays which reminded him of snow and ice and even more specifically, like a frozen over creek or pond. Seemingly asleep, dormant, and yet filled still so much with life. 

Hemlocke enjoyed what few little moments like these he had with fellow wolves. Where the need for conversation would sometime come for names, reasons, understanding... he didnt have to stress over all the answers he did not have. Not yet, not now. 

So he remained quiet, his devilishly pointed ears perked with obvious curiosity. His tail, curled up at its end, swayed friendly at his hocks. With a few long strides he approaches closer, then pauses and waits for her next move.

The man of black moved closer, but she moved to the side, a lure to have him enter a circular motion between the two. Both of them in silence, both of opposites. She wondered if all from this land were of darkness, with blood-red eyes, or a simple coincidence for stepping into the foreign land.

Though neither asked questions, just silently watching each other. She didn't make the attempt for the first contact.

She side steps as he approaches and they find themselves winding around one another is a little dance. His nose went to work, assessing her as any animal might. After a time he would pause, his head perking up once more, tilting slightly. An idea crosses his mind...

Hemlocke turns away from her then, padding a few long yet slow strides away before pausing and tossing his head over shoulder to view her, waiting. Would she follow?

She would not follow. When he drew away, the coywolf remained in spot, only continuing their constant stare. While silent, and of no threat, she was not a fool to follow another that spoke of no words, and only met. She contemplated, on simply leaving instead. Though compelled to stay in that spot, and watch the man further.

Thinking ima drop Locke for now so going to wrap this up.

 

She did not follow and he did not blame her. He spoke not even to try and convince. After all, a man of his look was not someone often would be willing to follow deeper into the vast bramble forest. Passing her another look, he took a moment to enjoy her until turning and moving on through his forrst home silently, and alone.

The man of darkness left, and she wouldn't follow him into the forest's black nature. And so, she too, left in the opposite direction.

Thinking, what an odd encounter.