Sunset Valley New Arrival

[ooc - thread is open to one other character <3]

She had travelled so far from home, Calida no longer knew where she was; everything was foreign and strange in her eyes, and she moved with, perhaps, an overabundance of caution. Calida had been on her own for over a year now, ever since her mother had taken her own life. She didn't mind being alone - nothing good had ever come from being around others, at least in her experience. Even so, some small part of her knew that she could not be alone forever, and based on the abundance of wolf scents all around her, she expected to run into one sooner or later.

Calida exhaled slowly, and her breath came out as frost. Winter would soon be upon the land, and at some point, she would need to settle in; the valley she'd entered was breathtakingly beautiful, and it could suit her, so long as she could find prey. Even so, hunting alone was no small task... lately, she'd been living off hares and scavenged kills. Calida sighed, shaking out her pelt, and sat for a moment, merely gazing around herself.

'Perhaps I could settle here... for the time being,' Calida thought to herself, idly reaching up with a hind paw to scratch at her ear. It wouldn't be so bad... after all, she'd left her past behind her, and she'd vowed to never return home, though she'd never thought of her birthplace as a true home. No, Calida was a wanderer, plain and simple. But maybe here, she could have a new life - a better life.

Lane moved steadily across the valley, searching for the little mounds of snow that would make up the Moonglow hunter's camp. Lane's son, Veteran, had been camped out here for some time now with them, living like a wild man with the Moonglow hunters and enjoying every second of it. It was a stay-cation that Lane had encouraged. Veteran had seemed torn at first, believing it was his duty to guard Duskfire Glacier, but his mother insisted that he would have the rest of his life to walk the Glacier border. At five months of age, he didn't serve as much of a deterrent anyway. It was much better for him to take this opportunity to learn the ways of a pack hunter from those who knew best. 

Of course, Veteran's mother would come to check on him from time to time, and make sure he wasn't making a nuisance of himself. Lane searched the snowy valley at a steady clip, knowing that the Moonglow camp would shift from day to day, depending on the position of the herd. Her honey gaze landed on a lone wolf-- the sole occupant of the valley, to the naked eye. With a bark of greeting and a large swing of her tail, Lane signaled she was friendly. She then changed course to approach the stranger.

A bark made Calida's head snap up, and for a moment, she stiffened. Her sharp jade gaze turned to the wolf that was approaching her, searching for signs of aggression. When she saw none, she forced herself to relax; it would be clear to the stranger that she was uncomfortable, for no matter how hard she tried, she could not get her hackles to remain flat. Her ears angled back slightly, uncertain. She tried to greet the other female, but her voice only came out in a low rasp - she'd not spoken aloud for many, many months. She tried again.

"Uh... hello." Calida's voice sounded foreign in her ears, and she cleared her throat roughly, shaking her pelt out again in the hopes of dispelling some of her discomfort. She wished her hackles would lie flat. "Sorry," she muttered, avoiding the other wolf's gaze. "I'm... not used to company. My name is..." What even was her name? She'd nearly forgotten, and it took her a few moments to recall. "It's Calida."

Lane was used to strangers who received company with caution; such was the way with some. Not all the Moonglow wolves knew her, after all. However, as soon as this woman spoke, it was clear she did not belong to Moonglow, or any pack for that matter, asserting that she wasn't used to company. Her voice was so scratchy she could hardly get the words out. Had she been injured.. grabbed too roughly by the throat, perhaps? That would go a long way towards explaining why she was so on edge. 

The woman paused before delivering her name, and Lane assumed it was because she was making one up. That was fine, not really any concern of hers. People hid their identities all the time, for all kinds of reasons. 

"Hi. Sorry." Lane backed up a few paces. "Didn't mean to crowd you. I just thought you were one of the Moonglow hunters. Their whole pack is out here, somewhere..." Lane's gaze drifted out across the valley. "They're following the caribou..." Which clearly weren't here. 

Oh! Calida had given her name (or she'd given a name, at least), so Lane ought to give hers. "I'm Lane. I lead Duskfire Glacier." She swung her head around to point to the glacier.

Calida was grateful when the other wolf took a few steps back, and slowly, she began to relax. She listened as the wolf spoke about Moonglow hunters, and she asked, "Are there many packs in the area?" Calida had been lucky enough so far to not accidentally wander onto claimed land, and she wanted to keep it that way. Then, the other wolf introduced herself as Lane - leader of one of the nearby packs.

Calida had no idea what the proper etiquette was for greeting a pack leader, but she tried; she bowed her head for a moment, then said, "It's nice to meet you. I've not run into a pack in... well, ever." No, she'd always kept to herself, ever a wanderer. She'd never given any thought to joining a pack - it was a strange and foreign concept to Calida.

"Oh, a few... More lately." Lane answered, unsure of how exactly to answer. She did not know what Calida would think of as "many," and so her assessment came across somewhat equivocal. 

Lane tilted her head in curiosity. Calida hadn't run into a pack in.. ever? Ho boy. Welcome to the Teekons lady, where you can't hardly throw a stone without it bouncing off three different packs. 

"You're not from around here then," Lane assessed. Her gaze swept over the valley once more, searching for the telltale mounds of snow that would mark the Moonglow camp. "We're in the middle of a massive hunt," Lane told the newcomer. "Duskfire Glacier, Moonglow, wolves from other packs, and even loners have all joined efforts to cull the sick caribou from the herd. If you ever wanted to get a taste of pack life-- maybe join with a few others to fell a caribou-- this will be a good chance for you." Opportunities like this did not often come around for loners, especially this loner in particular from the sound of it.

Calida shifted uncomfortably as Lane spoke of packs and lone wolves alike, all following sick caribou. How had she managed to not meet any of them yet? If she were being honest with herself, she'd gotten lucky. Lane spoke about it like it was a good thing - and perhaps it was, for the stability of the environment - but to Calida, it was something to avoid. Grimacing, she told the glacier leader, "I - I don't like groups." Or packs, but that would be obvious now. Not intending to be rude, she sighed, adding, "They just make me nervous." And it was true - even one-on-one encounters spiked her nerves. She'd never been socialized - her mother had been a traumatized youth who'd had pups too early, and so she had kept her tiny family far away from others.

Thinking about the past didn't do her any favors, so Calida shook out her pelt, then said, "I'd be better off away from all the action, for now. I was actually hoping to find water... Are there any lakes or rivers nearby?" Water was something she'd always loved, be it swimming or simply stretching out on a large rock near near water. It helped to calm her, clear her thoughts.

Lane's brow wrinkled in confusion. A wolf who didn't like groups? What sort of nonsense was that?

"You're a wolf, Calida. Whether you know it or not, you are meant to be a part of a group. It's in your blood." 

Lane was surprised to hear herself sounding rather like Auntie Rue, giving out unsolicited advice like that. 

"..And anyway, how will you ever taste fresh caribou if you don't take a chance on hunting with a group?" The larger the prey, the better the taste. This was known. 

The woman again insisted it just wasn't for her, and asked instead where she could find water. 

Oh well. Lane sighed. You couldn't win them all. 

"Keep traveling east through the valley, and then turn south when you get past the glacier. That'll get you to the Whitebark Stream."  A pause, and she added, "If you change your mind about the group thing, you're welcome at the glacier." There. She was done. She wouldn't pester the poor, antisocial woman any further.

Calida shifted restlessly, her discomfort growing; she knew she could not be alone forever, but she couldn't just jump right in. No, she would have to ease herself into it all. It started, she supposed, with simply meeting others, and she had done just that with Lane. At any rate, the other female seemed to respect her wishes, and gave her directions to a nearby water source. When Lane mentioned that Calida would be welcome at the glacier, should she change her mind, the red wolf nodded, saying, "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

She took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Turning east, Calida said, "It was good meeting you. I doubt I'll stay in the area for too long, but if I'm ever around, I'll pay you a visit." She smiled slightly, feeling that she hadn't messed up too badly at her first stranger wolf meeting. "Thanks again," she added, bowing her head respectfully. Anxious to get moving again, Calida turned and headed east, ready for the familiar solitude that she was used to.

exit Calida

Calida said that she would stop in if she ever made it back to the area, but Lane wasn't all too convinced she meant it. God forbid she meet a stranger who wasn't as friendly as Lane... Calida seemed like she was one bad interaction away from diving underground for another two years. 

Lane would watch Calida disappear into the horizon before she continued east herself, just to avoid giving off any impression that she might be following the wanderer. Her eyes would scan the surface of the snow as she walked, searching for signs of Moonglow wolves or their campsite.