Meadowlark Prairie i'll be home for christmas.
Kvarsheim
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#1
All Welcome 
Made some assumptions about the state of the Caldera.

The path he tread was one very familiar to him, and yet traveling it now felt very different than ever it had before. Maybe it was because his intentions with this trip were not the same as usual. Maybe it was because he hadn't come from the South like he usually did. Or maybe it was because his timing, once fairly decent, had gone to absolute shit.

Any number of reasons could've applied, but Figment didn't consider these as he made his way along the slopes on the North Eastern edge of the Caldera that had once been claimed by the Redhawks. The scents of his family had not yet faded entirely, but there was no doubt in his mind that they were no longer here. Concern dampened what had been high spirits, but he grasped onto some hope that he was either wrong in his assumption and they were, perhaps, just staking a smaller claim on some other part of the collapsed mountain he hadn't gotten to yet, or that they were, regardless, perfectly safe and had simply chosen to move on.

The latter seemed more likely and was much easier for him to believe. It had been some time since he'd walked with the Frosthawks, so any messenger they may have sent there with word of what they were doing would not have been able to say it to him. It was odd still to think of how long he had gone without a pack, but he did not regret the decision. Eshe had been right when she had shared her thoughts with him--There was only so much growing you could do while confined within ranks. He'd wanted more, and that had meant stepping out from under the ceiling.

A cold twist of fog spun around his muzzle as he huffed in the chilly morning air. Fig glanced skyward and saw the telltale signs of approaching weather. He could already feel the damp collecting on his fur. Without his family here, there wasn't much point sticking around. He needed to ponder his next move, but there seemed no reason to do so standing on an empty slope in an abandoned territory. He went North again and away from the Caldera, uncharacteristically feeling unconcerned that he had no real plan as he did so.
-Signing.- | "Speaking." | -"Signing & speaking."- | "Mouthing (inaudible)." | Thoughts.
Fenn is welcome at all times and will in fact make me sad if she doesn't show up.
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#2
Lele had stopped by caldera, surprised to find the lands abandoned. It had been just recently, when they had hunted together, the pack had seemed strong in numbers and spirits. Therefore it was surprising to see them gone. Wolves did tend to roam, of course, nothing extraordinary there, still she pocketed that information to tell her packmates later. Perhaps, they would know more about the circumstances than she would. 

There was still time for her to do more exploring - she had allocated for herself at least two days worth of scouting - so she went northwards to see, what lied beyond the plains. It had snowed earlier, making it rather difficult to plough through the meadow, but lucky for her she found a trail (and a fresh one) already made by someone else. She hopped in the trodden path happily and followed it all the way, until she spotted the grand road architect in person. 

A dark-clad wolf, not yet aware that he had been unintentionally stalked.
Kvarsheim
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#3
It took Fig some time before he realized he was being followed. He felt a prickling in his spine that made him pause and turn to look back over his shoulder across the snows at the stranger. He tensed on instinct, but calmed in the next moment. There was something about her, something innate in her person, that told him she was no threat. He told himself to be wary still, but couldn't help but feel it was for naught.

"Are you following me?" Fig asked amicably, a small smile on his lips as he cocked his head at her. He couldn't fathom why she would be, but it seemed a fair enough question considering he'd caught her bouncing along in his footsteps like a wayward bunny.
-Signing.- | "Speaking." | -"Signing & speaking."- | "Mouthing (inaudible)." | Thoughts.
Fenn is welcome at all times and will in fact make me sad if she doesn't show up.
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#4
When Lele finally caught up with the trail-maker, she felt a little conflicted. The nomad in her wanted to veer off the path and put as much distance between them as possible. Self-preservation - first, social networking - later. The pack wolf, who was trying to be useful outside the borders, however, told that she ought to go out in people more and talk. However, the dark wolf put the end of this discussion going on inside her head, when he addressed her. 

There was a very pleasant quality about him and Lele felt at ease with him. Yes, he could always turn out to be something worse hiding behind that handsome facade of his, but she was ready to take those chances. "It is always easier to walk through a snow-ladden field, when someone has made the path already," she replied honestly. "I am Lele from Brecheliant. Who are you?"
Kvarsheim
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614 Posts
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#5
Whatever wariness he'd managed to muster slipped away in the next moment when the girl replied to his question. She seemed to be just as harmless as he'd thought at first glance. There was nothing threatening in her posture, no malice in her words or tone. She seemed sweet, so the Redhawk settled and turned his attention to enjoying a conversation with a stranger.

"Figment from... Well, no where at the moment," he answered hesitantly, offering a smile, "Formerly of Redhawk Caldera, though it's been some time since I ran with them." Time enough for them to have vanished, he thought to himself briefly before he continued. "I'm glad I could make your travels a little easier," he added with another smile.
-Signing.- | "Speaking." | -"Signing & speaking."- | "Mouthing (inaudible)." | Thoughts.
Fenn is welcome at all times and will in fact make me sad if she doesn't show up.
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#6
"Pleasure's all mine," Lele dipped her muzzle politely and offered Figment a small smile. It lit her face up for a moment, then it was replaced by concern, because she had no idea, how to go on from there. What to say next? She wanted to be liked and did not wish to be thought of as awkward and dumb. Far from it. She felt that there was so much locked inside her that she could show to the world, but key, once picked up in her hand, always fell down and she had to frantically search for it in the dark again. 

She stood there, quiet, her gaze going around nervously, shifting from one paw to the other, until it occurred to her to ask: "Where are you heading to?" She clung to this question as a person to a lifeline.
Kvarsheim
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#7
Fig watched in quiet concern as the girl began to struggle with something. He wanted to ask, but a shift in her posture gave him a better view of the mangled side of her face--something he hadn't noticed before. Sympathy rose in him instantly, burning in his throat. It took him a moment to realize that he too had become awkward, only in that he was staring and wearing his feelings on his face. One bad habit from growing up with a blind sister--he sometimes forgot that others could see him.

"I'm not totally sure," Fig answered, glad when she offered a distraction, "I was going to visit my family at the Caldera, but now that they're gone... I suppose I'll see if I can find some packs nearby that might know what happened." He paused thoughtfully before asking a question, "Brecheliant is nearby, isn't it?"
-Signing.- | "Speaking." | -"Signing & speaking."- | "Mouthing (inaudible)." | Thoughts.
Fenn is welcome at all times and will in fact make me sad if she doesn't show up.
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#8
"It is," Lele agreed beckoning in the general direction of her home, wondering, how this guy was related to her leaders, since both had had ties with the caldera in the past. "They left a while go, but I do not know the reasons," was the only thing she could add, because them leaving had come as a surprise and it had seemed that the Auspex had not been entirely at peace with it. 

"If you are a friend of Eljay's or Maia's - I think you can have a shelter there," she suggested, not sure, if she was supposed to do that on their behalf. "That is - if you are in need. I think that Caldera and Brecheliant were on friendly terms." 

She talked with the pleasant young man for a while after that and then left for home. In winter darkness comes soon and Lele wanted to avoid having any trouble with possibly dangerous night-prowlers.

Wrapping up my threads. Thank you for this one!