Kintla Flatlands i hear your voice glide through the cracks

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"Hello?"

Her soft voice drifts through the slowly-thinning trees, the body of a doe-like she-wolf its origin as she slips around petitely and carefully over the earth between the branches. She's mindful not to make much sound other than the words from her slightly-parted maw. The scents around her had gradually grown unfamiliar to her; all the things she'd been used to before were slowly dispersing the further she wandered in. It wasn't surprising to her, if only because she was familiar with this all too well by now; more, it's something a little deeper that causes her to speak out into the night.

She'd had two acquaintences with her at this point, until now. Her steps gradually drifted herself away from them accidentally as she'd kept walking, looking for a good place to sleep, but had been negligent in keeping tabs on her two companions. It doesn't bother her in any soul-crushing, earth-shattering way, because she knew their situation could and would change at any moment, if not now then later on. If that was to be now, she had no reason to try and forcefully keep them with her. They all had lives outside of the simple way in which they knew one another, that much was certain. They weren't unlike ships in the night, and this hardly bothered her. It was the way things were and had been all her life; a familiar face was welcome, surely, but she hadn't seen many reoccuring faces in her lifetime.

She can't help but to call out their names, though; at least once, to ensure she was truly alone now. And if not, then to see if they may still be around.

"Robin? Nyssa?"

(@Robyn @Nyssa - but welcome to all!)

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The femme had noticed when Fawna branched off and she changed her own course accordingly, following at a comfortable distance. Close enough to keep her scent fresh but not close enough to have eyes on the pale female, as she didn't want to appear overbearing. She had gestured briefly to Robin before padding away, giving a non-verbal cue that hopefully stated her intentions while also inviting her to tag along. Not that Robin needed any permissions, she'd do what she pleased even if Nyssa insisted.

While the other females might not have been entirely committed to their little alliance, Nyssa was vageuly aware that there was strength in numbers: especially in unfamiliar territory. Something deep and primal told her so, even though she was more than content to remain a solo operation. She also could not deny the disconnect between the three of them, especially with each of them having such independant personalities. It would be unwise to rely on them too much.

Nyssa used her nose to part brush and occasionally snuffled along the leaf litter, acting far more interested than she actually was. She, personally, could not care any less where they bedded down. She could sleep in a tree and be content, as long as the air was crisp and her pelt was warm and dry. She was not picky. Her only real inclination was to be in the general vicinity of the others, just in case they were met with hostilities in this strange, new land.

At the sound of her name she gave a soft chuff, picking up the pace until she could once again see Fawna slinking between the trees. "I'm here."

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Robin normally didn't travel with companions. She was perfectly content to watch her own hide, and wasn't sure how to feel about the prospect of having to look out for two other companions. Granted, there was no requirement that she had to, but she wouldn't deny that she felt a certain obligation to do so. At least these two seemed fully capable of taking care of themselves, and all three of them had a certain independence to their personality that likely contributed to their ability to get along as well as they did. "Get along" being a loose term, because Robin wasn't exactly friendly with them by any means. But, they managed to coexist without feeling the need to kill each other, and that was a win in Robin's book.

It was also nice that they didn't constantly need to rely on each other, occasionally breaking away from the trio to forge their own paths. It was usually a brief departure, but Robin was grateful for it regardless. Something about the short reprieves of solitude allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief, relax the tension in her shoulders that she'd only just noticed. Such was the case as Fawna departed, which she only noticed when Nyssa signaled to her. She lifted her head from where it had been angled toward the ground, her gaze settling on the brown femme for a moment as she, too, slipped into the underbrush. Robin's pace slowed slightly, and she lowered her nose back to the earth. The only scents she found belonged to the three of them, which was something of a relief. With evening encroaching, finding a secure place to rest was an important goal, and coming into conflict now would be utterly inconvenient. 

She wasn't sure how long it had been before the silence was broken, Fawna's voice sounding like a distant whisper as she called out Robin's name. Her head lifted immediately, her ears pricked for any other sounds, though the only thing she heard was Nyssa's closer response, just up ahead. As she pushed her way through a thick tangle of ferns and branches, the darker female's form came into sight, and Robin picked up her pace a little to pad beside her. 

"Right behind you," she added, catching a glimpse of Fawna's tail swishing between the underbrush. "You're not rid of us yet." Her apathetic tone suggested that the fact was almost unfortunate in her mind, even if that wasn't completely the case. There were benefits to sticking with a group in unknown lands, and if nothing else, it meant she didn't have to expend as much effort when it came to finding a meal. That was pretty much the only appeal she could see in pack life, though this was likely the extent of what she'd ever be able to tolerate.

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Fawna's body could be seen jumping in place, minimally, as her companions made themselves known from the silence. There had been a distant, innate knowledge that they hadn't gone very far, but to hear their voices so close in such a short amount of time from her own had jarred her, if only a little. The surprise didn't anger her, though; it was a pleasant knowledge to learn that they hadn't, in fact, been separated very long - if at all.

Her tail waves as she cranes her neck around and back to greet them with a small grin. Eyes squint in the process, before they blink open as she huffs through the darkness. Even despite Nyssa's nonchalant disposition and Robin's phlegmatic response, Fawna simply offers them a bright smile and her usual patient voice. "Neither would I want to be! I'll admit I accidentally lost track... Probably not surprising, though." It could be difficult for her to remain focus on too many things at once, though this was a trait that hardly bothered her only when it became an issue.

Focusing back on the path ahead, Fawna turns a bit more serious as she continues, taking a few steps more toward the thinner trees, the endless plains beyond them. "This territory is unfamiliar to me. There's so many different kinds of smells... Have either of you been here before?" Her path continues, pacingly now, as she remains in earshot of the two - careful not to stray away from them again.

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The dark female hums in response as she tags a few wolf-lengths behind Fawna, accutely aware that venturing out of the forest and into the open expanse before them could be tricky. While it offered the possibility to see for miles in either direction, it also certainly offered them no shelter from the elements or any dangers that might be lurking deeper in the woods. They'd be spotted quickly unless they were careful. However, she shows no signs of hestiation as she plows forwards, nose angled down.

"No." She pauses to investigate a particularly foul smelling bush, regretting it almost immediately. "I've never been this far in, at least." The corners of her lips pull in disgust before she makes her way to Fawna's side, doing her best to match the others stride. Nyssa cast her gaze around, considering, then let it land on Fawna and then Robin in turn.

"We should hunker down in the trees," she says, offering the ghost of a smile. "I'd feel better moving when we have daylight on our side."

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Robin's muscles relaxed at the mention of hunkering down for the night, and had she cared less about appearances, she would've flopped down onto the earth right there. She wasn't willing to be quite that jaunty around these companions yet. She settled instead for pausing where she stood, shuffling one forepaw in the soft dirt underfoot. "I've not been in these parts before, either," she said simply, casting her unmatched gaze around the woods surrounding them. "But pausing to rest now, before we get much further, seems like a good idea." There were only so many trees left before they'd be in open fields, and that wasn't a gamble she felt like taking at this hour.

She dipped her muzzle to the ground again, drawing in another huff of air and sorting through the scents she was met with. A couple strange smells, but nothing notably fresh. She hummed quietly, flicking an ear at her companions. "At least it seems like we're alone here." The last thing they needed at the moment was to fight over a sleeping spot, especially since this particular stretch of land obviously wasn't spoken for by a specific pack. As an afterthought, she added a brusque, "For now."

She nodded to her companions, before slipping away into another clump of brush, twitching her tail in a lazy invitation to follow if they so desired. She didn't particularly care where she slept; an actual den would be wonderful, but she wasn't optimistic enough to deem that likely. She'd be lucky if she found somewhere warm, sheltered, and dry, maybe even free of bugs. Though, at this rate, she was sure the only thing in her future would be a nice tree stump.

 

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Her steps eventually come to a halt; Nyssa had come near her to investigate the surrounding area, and it was only when rest came into the conversation that Fawna figured that that was the best next course of action here. No matter how much her curiosity pulled at the outlands of fields upon fields, new experiences and smells and sights, she knew the moonlit dark could only offer so much help in such an endeavor.

A grateful smile is cast to Nyssa for suggesting the idea, and her body is tilting, turning back toward where Robin was disappearing into the trees and brush further in. "It is a good idea... We can figure out where we are exactly in the morning." Her nose twitched in thought, but gave it no other thought as she turned her head to meet Nyssa's eyes again before continuing on. Robin had set to looking for a place to rest while Fawna looked further off in the circumference of their surroundings, if only to scan and make sure their general area was free of anything but the leaves, bushes, trees, and brush that made the outskirts of the plains ahead.

It isn't long in following Robin that she slows with a silent yawn, "I smell wolves, but I think it's distant. Or maybe it's us. But, I don't think anyone's passed through here for a while at least. A night's sleep shouldn't hurt us. Hopefully." It's clear she's not completely certain in her thoughts or evidence. As they all knew in some capacity or other, things could change on a dime in a loner's life. It was smart not to weigh in  opportunities or assumptions with too much certainty; luck would either be on your side or not. When her paws eventually find the makings of soft earth, padded by moss or other kinds of vegetation of the forest, she's finally comfortable in slowing to a stop. Briefly, slowly, she cranes her head down to sniff at the earth delicately, before stating her opinion on it. "Maybe here? The ground's soft enough..."

In time, the three settled, Fawna personally taking up her own small spot in the brush. Curled up among the greenery, she almost looks like a tiny fawn; nose tucked under her tail and her body snuggly wrapped in a ball. It doesn't take long for her world to go black and for her mind to send her carefree dreams.

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The sun had risen over the plains and was creeping up between the trees in a pink-to-yellow dawn when Fawna begins to stir again. Blinking hard against the encroaching light, her head tilts up and she stretches in her place upon the ground. Rising, stretching her limbs and shaking some of the sleep away from her groggy state, her eyes naturally find the area around her to see if her companions were there; awake or still asleep. Regardless of what she finds, she'd offer a warm smile to both before directing her attention to the sun-bathed plains ahead, better seen now in the daylight as Nyssa had expected the night before. Wistfully, her eyes scan the area slowly, taking a seat facing the flatlands to appreciate the sights. At her side, her tailtip taps against the earth in a way which suggested how much she appreciated what she was looking at. "Beautiful..." Her chest full, a gentle sigh leaves slightly parted lips and, like water off a goose's back, she could feel her sleepiness ebb away and off of her at the prospect of being able to venture further today; nearly as giddy as a newborn fawn, or a pup seeing the world with open eyes for the very first time.

(powerplay allowed in assuming the group sleeps here <3)

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Not having been able to sleep the whole night through, Nyssa was indeed awake when Fawna rose. She watched the other female through hooded eyes, clacking her jaws in quiet acknowledgement before allowing her lids to drift shut again. It was brief, simply because, of course, she'd never be able to fall back asleep. But it never hurt to try. Some minutes would pass before the femme finally stood and gave herself a solid shake, the action running through her completely: from the bridge of her nose to the end of her white-tipped tail. Once effectively fluffed and debried, Nyssa would drop into a bone-cracking stretch. "Hey." 

She continues to stretch even as she moves to Fawna's side, extending her legs behind her and arching her back in an attempt to get some blood flowing again. Only once she's dropped to her haunches near Fawna does Nyssa finally turn to study the fields laid bare before them. It truly was beautiful, however she'd never been one particularly moved by pretty scenery and instead took the moment to scan for any signs of life. She thinks she sees something out in the fields, but even at this distance the femme feels comfortable making the assumption that they are not likely to be wolves. If anything, it's deer or some other prey animals out there. "I think there's something there." She states anyways, indicating the direction with her nose.

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