Mudminnow River a fallen star

Ego.

For awhile, she believed that to be her name for how often hushed whispers about her carried that word. Irene refused to believe it though and yet she found herself now on foreign lands cursing those who had casted her out.

"It wasn't my fault!" She cried out as anger manifested in a form of tears. She was no stranger to tears, but when real she only let fall in times where she found herself alone and now solitude was all she found. And so on her trek west, she followed the river up until now as it had slowly progressed into more murk than water.

"So stupid."

Hunger would soon begin to rise as winter had begun to take hold of the land and prey scarce. Irene always hated winter for this and that her vibrant pelt made her stand out like oasis in a desert. Annoyed, Irene sat herself near the river's edge as small minnows seemed to scatter at the sight of her.

frederick found himself wandering back to where he'd first been found by lestan. he was thinking, now, about what would have happened if he had never come to the river, and instead went to the meadow first. if he had found milan first. a long sigh left him as he continued along, staring at the water. humming a tune from a distant memory.

when he looked up, he spotted something ; someone. a woman of russet and gold and pale, snow-like white, similar to the winter that had begun to blanket the ground already. he gave a soft, echoing 'woof' as he furthered his approach, pace growing to a trot.

once close enough, he would heard her words. an angry cry, one that seemed defensive in nature, claiming it was 'not her fault'. an expression of weariness grew upon his face, then. 'so stupid', she had said, next. and frederick continued towards her. his voice was a low hum when he grew closer, speaking: hello ... are you alright?

he looked down to the river, noticing the absence of fish, the starkness of the winter. without proper thought, an offer was made: are you hungry? a side-glance.

The hunt was never a favorite part of pack life, instead she preferred to bask in the sun, keeping her pelt clear of debris as the wandering eyes of the bachelors of her pack feed into her already inflated id that drove her ego. So naturally her removal from the pack made acquiring a meal an exhaustive activity that she would let herself starve for days. Being birthed with the expectations to have the most ideal genetics would have made her a sigh for sore eyes but now, she was a mere shell of who she once was.

And now to hear another's voice made her heart leap, it meant she was actually not alone in the world where she placed herself at the center. So whatever tears had fallen she was quick to shake off, if another knew she could feel emotions then she must be a weakling.

"Oh um hi I didn't realize I wasn't alone." She couldn't deny how peculiar he appeared to her, of scars and intense blue-green eyes, almost like the shimmering of the lake she used to spend most of her young pups days by. 

"I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I am utterly famished." She looked down at her paws sheepishly. "Me and hunting don't mix very well."

she was quick to shake away her tears, and frederick tilted his head, curious. nonetheless, the quick dismissal was not something he would comment on, instead he chuckled at her shock. there are many within these lands ; i don't think you'd find yourself alone anywhere. the three nearby packs, swiftcurrent, bearclaw and kvarsheim, proved that.

that's alright, he stood, then, testing the air with his nose. scents flowed, ebbed on the winds, though the cold bit at his skin. a cold that he was used to ; borne from it, having lived in it. he would walk upstream, then, a wide sway of his tail inviting her to walk with him. winter is a difficult hunting season, though it is not impossible. smiling.

while they would search for scents, he would make light conversation: what's your name? the goliath would hum, drinking in the smells of the land while he held the stranger in his peripheral vision. you must be new to these lands, right?

She nodded, curiously watching him take in their surroundings as if he could see beyond her own scope of vision. She let her own nose begin to wander as her clouded judgement had hindered her ability to care for herself.

"I'm Irene and I am new to well whatever here is."

She flashed him on of her cheeky smiles, one that she had spent hours practicing in her reflections at the lake, always telling herself she needed to outshine others to matter. Unfortunately for her, this hobby offered not many rewards.

"I have been a bit lost in my head lately so if there has been others well I haven't noticed them. And for you, what name has been graced upon you?"

irene, it is a pleasure, a polite greeting, and he would smile back at her. that's alright. i was new at one point, as well. continuing to pad alongside the riverbed, a scent caught his attention ; a deer. the smell was faint, but it could be followed. tracked.

she said something about being lost within her head, then, and asked for his name. frederick alban, the man gave a nod of his head when he said it. but you may call me fred, if you like. so far, etienne was the only one that had accepted this nickname.

he paused in his tracks, lifting his muzzle to the air. she's nearby, he murmured, then, before turning his sky-sage eyes towards those of emeralds. the deer ; do you smell her? he would ask for confirmation before continuing — curious of her abilities.

"Frederick or Fred." Irene took a moment to ponder the idea of a nickname, she did not have one or rather one that was not used for taunting purposes. But she decided that this new journey would not be like the last and that forging new friendships were to be her new priority, so what better way than to offer a new one. "I think I want to call you Freddy," she responded enthusiastically, offering this time a genuine smile, one that was crooked but authentic.

Irene followed close beside him, still offering him the lead until the breeze shifted and her mouth was quick to salivate.

"You know, it's rude to say that someone smells" she teased. Though he paused, she continued forward, veering slightly to the left towards a bush that had a small patch of fur that the deer had brushed past. Though she hated the hunt, there was a reason she was always dragged onto hunting parties, she was one of their best trackers.

"Looks like we got a dinner date to attend."

sorry for the delay! <3

freddy, he tilted his head at the name, brows drawing together. he did not think he liked it, but would keep silent on the matter as not to hurt the feelings of this stranger. you know that wasn't my intention, he smiled, then ; one of his learnt charms.

and now it was he who followed after her, instead. tail swished low behind him. watchful, curious, paws careful beneath them as to not make too loud of a sound. i suppose we do, frederick mused, curious. well then, lead the way.

perhaps, if this hunt went well, he could bring her back to the creek.

Irene crouched lower, her emerald eyes narrowing with fierce determination as she locked onto the trail. The scent was faint but distinct, and she was convinced she was closing in. Her tail swayed behind her, not in concentration but in poorly-contained excitement that rustled leaves and snapped twigs with every sweep.  

Almost there, she muttered under her breath, her tone rich with self-assurance. Her paws pressed forward, each step louder than the last as she clumsily navigated the uneven terrain. She hadn’t noticed the way the noise echoed in the quiet forest, nor the way her scent carried on the wind.  

The bush she’d been stalking trembled ever so slightly, and Irene’s heart leapt in anticipation. Got you now, she whispered with a sharp grin, her body tensing for a leap.  

But the leap did not come, instead she froze, confidence drained as her raised paw hovered over what should have been the first step to an easy kill.

Irene blinked, panting as she stared at the empty space in front of her. Doubt crossed her face as the hunger in her stomach was the result of many failed solo hunts and as much as she hated to admit error in her ways, she truly missed the presence of others.