still living somewhere

He was grateful, just to have a place to be. Dunstan and him could rest their head not wondering about what might sneak through the unknown night and come for them. It allowed Shale to breath, try and find his bearings and he was able to dig out a small burrow that would serve as a temporary den while he tried to sort where to go from here. The dusty brown wolf rose early, insistent on providing for Vanderfell while they gave him shelter. And he and his badger friend would head out for a nearby creek he had spotted when picking this location to bed. 

Paws graced the earth, enjoying the cool soil against his pads as he followed the gentle sound of running water and eased in before it. Copper eyes surveyed the water, it was clear and crisp, easy to see the small fish swimming about below. The wolf bided his time tail twitching eagerly as Dunstan came up beside him; the badger was a far better fisherman ─ but he was learning.

Tongue would stick out just slightly as he concentrated, brows knitting before he pounced, water spraying everywhere around him, but he only got water. Coming up with a dripping muzzle and nothing to show for it "Don't look at me like that; I can do this" he'd say to Dunstan who smirked knowingly. He shook his head and readied himself to try again. 

@Katja

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Badger.

The young woman's eyes narrowed, the barest hint of teeth as she drew in the scent, nostrils flaring as she processed it. Held the breath in her lungs as she held the scent in her mind, gripping it with a fierceness that came from her sense of protectiveness. If she had been more impulsive, she'd have shot off like a bat from hell, racing to chase it down and dispatch it. Badgers were every bit as dangerous as a wolf, and she would not have one terrorizing Vanderfell.

Something gave her pause, however.

The badger's scent twined closely with another's, a wolf's. She had seen others with companions of a different species; could a badger be one of those? A dangerous companion, if so, but as long as it was no threat...

The Military Advisor frowned.

Only one way to find out.

---

Eventually, she came to them, having followed their scents for some time now. A firm bark announced her presence, tail and ears up to establish rank. “You, there!” The distance between them closed, pausing at the very distance where the water he splashed could not reach. “Runar accepted you? ... Both of you?” For the two of them weren't showing aggression towards each other.

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  “You, there!” 

Shale jumped. His entire body would jolt as he rocked to his feet and almost went face first into the creek. Front paws would dip into the cold, to which he quickly backed out of and swung his head around wildly heart hammering in his chest. “Runar accepted you? ... Both of you?”  he struggled for a moment to process; still certain he almost leapt out of his own hide. "...Huh? I ─ O-oh, yes. " he stammered, golden eyes flickering down to Dunstan.

"I'm sorry ─ you scared me half to death" he took a shaky breath as he laughed and lightly shook his head. "I-I'm Shale and this is Dunstan. We just arrived...here...and Runar said we could stay here at least until we find our footing" he offered, giving a wary glance to his companion. 

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“Don't apologize.” Those words were rough, too. She didn't mean them to be.

“I'm the one that should apologize.” Her ears flickered as she looked to the side, away, frowning. “I am too...” Katja huffed, immediately feeling like a child that had been admonished. Which... was kind of true, it was just that she had admonished herself. “I... I was rude. I assumed the worst. I'm... I'm sorry.”

She grimaced, wrinkling her nose. She sounded so stupid. Why were apologies so... so stupid?

“What are you doing?” She asked, finally looking back to them, observing their project. “... Can I help?”

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 “Don't apologize.” earthy ears flickered back as he gave an uncertain glance to Dunstan. “I'm the one that should apologize.” he tilted his head now...why? But he didn't say anything, allowing the woman the room to speak, if only licking some of the dripping water from his muzzle. “I am too...” he waited, ever patiently letting his eyes wander so he didn't stare the poor thing down. “I... I was rude. I assumed the worst. I'm... I'm sorry.”

When she finally got there; Shale's face lit up in a genuine manner. "Hey, don't worry about it...you're just looking out for your family...I think anyone could understand that ─ I do." a knot formed in his throat at the sentiment. Family. His family. That were back home; not knowing what happened to him. The boy swallowed it, just as grateful for the change of topic as much as she probably was. 

“What are you doing?”  he looked back to the stream, “... Can I help?”  "O─oh! Yeah of course!" he hopped to his feet, tail wagging with excitement. "We're fishing! For...Vanderfells cache ─ we wanted to pull our weight" he offered, "....my dad always said life is a shared load; and that's how we show trust and respect in each other" 

He was so proud, and so sad. 

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She did not respond to his reassurances, holding herself to a standard far and above what any might have expected of her. Youth and inexperiences were lessons, not excuses, and she would learn. She would do better. She would be better.

Fishing. Building caches. Pulling their weight. All things Katja fully approved of. “Your father sounds wise,” She would comment as she ventured closer. “Our parents taught us something similar. All for one, one for all.” They were all brothers and sisters, chosen and blood-tied and everything in between. Vanderfell was a family, and they looked out for each other.

Exactly as these two were doing.

“I will assist you.” Or try. Fishing had never really been a strong suit of hers. “I am Katja, by the way.” already her focus was upon the waters that didn’t quite touch her -was. She wondered what it felt like.
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"Your father sounds wise," Shale smiled “He is,” ...was? No. Is. They weren't gone, they couldn't be gone. “Our parents taught us something similar. All for one, one for all.” at least he was doing the right thing here. This world was so much different than where he came from.

Bustling towns and trade; here the wolves seemed to live more like the more primitive ones back home that lived far away from town even further than Shale and his family. They lived with no jobs, no purpose other than survival. Under scrutiny of the kingdom.

“I will assist you.” the boy beamed. “I am Katja, by the way.” he nodded, turning back to the creek where Dunstan had already begun again. He crouched down, rump in the air so he could get his face close to the water. “Patience is key...” he whispered, copper eyes focusing waiting for one to come by.

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