King Elk Forest like a square peg in a circular hole

@Cynefrid

The earthen man had barely had time to acquaint himself with his new packmates during the move, though he was admittedly pretty nervous to do so now that the opportunity presented itself. More than a few of them were... Perhaps a bit intimidating, to no fault of their own. They all seemed to sure and knowing of themselves, while he was understandably an outsider. A tenderfoot. He only knew bits and pieces, a far cry from those who'd grown in the family.

Had he been younger, the outcasted feeling would have had him turning tail and going on his own way again. But he'd been alone for far too long now... And the vision he'd seen, it had him strung along to at least see it through to an end. Whether that end was him finding his place or failing miserably, he only wish he had that foresight.

So today, not long after he'd awoken, he'd went into the morning fog and ran down an unexpecting hare- one that now dangled from his jaws. An offering. Now, he just needed a kind face...

He found it within the woman whose pelt reminded him of a spring fawn, dashed with flecks of white. The man had been told names and vaguely remembered the many earth-toned faces but it'd take him a while to make those connections stick. Oh, what was her name? 

Pardon me, miss- ah...

Wait! He did remember! Maybe?

Miss Cynefrid, was it?

The fawnish woman had stood just a few feet away, rummaging her head in an abandoned fox den to gather its tangled cobwebs. These past couple of days were quite a mess to say the least — with Cel having been attacked, high tensions festering quickly within their ranks, and even a recent scuffle with a pack nearby. It seemed as if Déorwine couldn't catch a break nowadays. She couldn't help but wonder if the omen was true; the poor fawn children fused in the womb and left to die back in the forest. Was her God really giving her a message that something bad was amist?

Still, she wanted to trust her current kings, and it would only be fair to give them a chance at ruling — the pack had not been fully established yet anyway. And they did manage to make it to a safe place in which the high elk's light shined the brightest. Hopefully, this meant more peaceful days to come as well.

Cynefrid's ears took a sharp turn when she heard a voice nearby, then her own name being addressed. This voice however, it did not belong to a farmiliar. "Oh! H-hello..." the sire before her was dressed in earthen tones, with eyes a foggy shade of green. A new recruit? "I don't believe we've been acquainted yet. We just have so many new members pouring in I can't keep up!" She said with a lighthearted chuckle, turning to walk over to him with cobwebs in her maw. "Just Cynefrid is fine dear. Are you new?"

The corner of his lip drew upward with her smile, and with the fact that she seemed unabashed talking while her maw was full of cobwebs.

I'm afraid we haven't. My name's Henryk. The man introduced himself politely with his dark tail gently swaying behind him. I'm... newer than I'd like to be. It was an honest jest paired with an awkward chuckle of his own. Being the new one wasn't too pleasant a feeling, but he guessed it was an inevitable step in the process. Especially for a wolf like him, who'd always been a loner-type.

I hope it's not too forward of me to ask. I've been told small bits here and there about the Great Elk, but I have to admit... I feel like a pup.

Like a child among adults, hearing them speak but not really understanding what they were saying just yet. At least not the weight of what was being said. He was out of the loop when it came to stories and lore, all things that would ultimately come with time but, still- he yearned to know more and to do that he'd have to inquire about it. The worst he could be told was to pester someone else.

I was hoping... Maybe you could tell me more about Him. Perhaps more about Kingslend itself too. This is my home now.

He made a clearly gestured glace to the hare at his feet that he'd laid down prior, lifting a paw to give it a soft tap. I- ah... I even brought a rabbit for the trouble.

Sorry for holding this up for so long! ;-;

Cynefrid gave the sire a welcoming smile, wagging a tail behind her in a freindly manner and casting the webs aside for now. "A pleasure to meet you Henryk. I hope you find our home to your liking." Soon to be home, that is. Though, even if Kingslend hadn't completely settled here yet, the damsel knew for a fact that home was where they stood; under the high elk's protection.

The doe lent an ear to listen to Henryk's concerns and let out a soft chuckle at his rather akward demenor. It was understandable, at best, to feel easily out of place as a new member of a pack. It was the same heart-tugging feeling Cyne had felt when first arriving to Kingslend as a yearling -- she couldn't help but sympathize and offer a comforting paw on his shoulder. "I can assure you there is no need to feel that way dear. Sometimes, a little anxiousness is a good thing -- it pushes us to ask what we need to know. So I'm glad you came to me with your troubles; I'd be delighted to teach you about our ways!"

As the she-wolf took a step back, Henryk would plop something between them. Another smile crossed her features upon seeing that it was a rabbit -- an offer of peace in her eyes. "You are very sweet, Henryk. Célnes must've taken quite the liking to you when you two met." Cynefrid said as an assumption that it was Célnes who'd found and recruited him. After a while, the doe eventually settled on her haunches and invited ryk to do the same. The rabbit was left untouched for now -- she wanted to share it with the wolf who'd been kind enough to bring it to her. "Now then, what do you wish to learn first?"

"Yes of course! It's really nice here. The forest is beautiful." He murmured with a dull delight, mimicking her little tail wags happily. Even more so when Cynefrid gladly agreed to tell him more and was even excited to do so. I've definitely come to the right wolf, then.

"Thank you, miss Cynefrid, I'll try to remember that." He chuckled, shifting the weight on his front paws as he notably tried not to be as self-conscious about his current situation. It was natural to feel the way he did, but she was absolutely right. It had pushed him to want to learn more. Still... The familial ties of the majority of the wolves made him feel like a bit of an outsider or someone who isn't in on the inside jokes. He wasn't yet aware that Cynefrid herself was a self-made Deorwine, not a blood relative. Perhaps one day he'd be a self-made Deorwine too...

A touch of warmth lit below his cheeks and he grinned wider, happy she was delighted by the rabbit he'd brought. Although he couldn't confirm nor deny her statement that was tacked onto it. Celnes was... Hard to read, and he had a difficult time reading wolves anyway. He hadn't exactly caught the feeling that he'd expressly charmed her on their first meeting, but she'd offered him packship nonetheless.

"You're sweet for saying that. Ah... Where to start... I have so many questions. The Great Elk, who is he- er- they?" He only knew the bare minimum thus far, little snippets of legends and such but nothing coherently laid out.