I saw her in the rightest way

Sleep. That's all it felt like. A deep, peaceful slumber. He was like a bear hibernating, thick fur keeping him warm as the winds raged around his still form.

When his eyes finally braved the glow of the bright sun, the bear-man groaned. The aches should have been gone. They were gone, leaving only phantom pain in the time of their vanquish. The days he'd spent walking—more like limping—took a toll on him. Both physically and mentally. But he was tough. He could handle it. Right?

Head set on a swivel, he groggily glanced around. He found himself resting on a low peak, jagged mountain tops overshadowing him. But not quite blocking the sun's rays. How kind of them.

“What is this place...” he wondered aloud, voice scratchy and bone-dry from disuse. What he wouldn't give for some water right about now. 

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@Ries As promised :3

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Usually, Ries would be wandering by now. This was the longest he'd spent in it since his father's death, and he had Belenus to thank for that, but some days were harder than others.

Today was one of those days.

He wondered if his siblings struggled with the loss as much as he did. Perhaps they were just better at hiding it than he was, or better at managing their emotions. Ries had always been an emotional wolf, and he felt crushed beneath it now, unsure of how to cope.

So, he sought distraction.

Ries had always preferred the lower part of their territory. The high points had their positives, but the lower areas were easier to navigate and he had less of a chance of tumbling to his death over clumsy, soft paws.

He had run into no one today, even hoping for it. Ries had walked and walked until his legs ached and his paws felt raw, incapable of sitting still, and was ready to bolt from the territory altogether when a strange scent caught his nose.

Confused, he followed it, clambering up each crag and cliff until the scent grew stronger and eventually he spotted the source. A massive, bear-like man lay atop one of the peaks - dark fur lit silver by the sun. Ries had never seen him before, he was certain, but he couldn't be sure if that meant he wasn't part of the pack yet or not.

"Oh," he said, dumbly, a bit out of breath. "Hello."

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Thank you for getting this up <3

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There had been silence, the sounds of nature the only thing tethering him to what was left of his sanity. 

That quickly changed.

"Oh." Then a pause. "Hello."

Whirling so fast his feet nearly sent his mass over the peak's edge, he bared his teeth, hoping the obvious threat would ward off the potential danger. Only, there was none.

“Fuck—” He hissed, chest heaving. “You scared the ever living shit out of me. Not a great place to sneak up on someone, if you didn't notice.” Here he was, blaming someone else. When really, it was his fault for not paying attention to the approaching presence.

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No problem at all!

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The stranger spun and Ries' eyes widened in surprise and alarm both - this was not the place to be making such sudden movements! He took a quick step forward, unsure of exactly how to help, but driven by instinct to try regardless.

"Sorry, sorry!" he apologized immediately, ears swiveling as guilt festered in his gut. "I didn't mean to scare you! I was just, you know, walking around, and I smelled you, and I didn't recognize the smell, so I found you, and I didn't mean to sneak up like that." Oh, gods, he was babbling and he couldn't make himself stop, but it wasn't often that he nearly scared someone enough for them to almost fall off a cliff.

What a way to make a first impression. Ries lowered his head a little, sheepish and guilty, as he waited on a response.

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The poor thing, he thought to himself, his expression screwed up a bit in response to the onslaught of words to his words.

“Easy there,” he muttered, taking a few paces away from the stony edge. “It's fine. I'm not that easy to scare.” He chuffed, as though the idea were beneath him. But there was a tinge of humor lacing his gravelly tone.

Tipping his head to the side, he observed the stranger, tongue running along his lower lip as a question came to mind. “What are you doing wandering around here anyway? You say I should be careful. But what about you?” Was he really all that concerned? It was probably just from instinct, no thanks to the many heart attacks his baby brother used to cause him.

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Easy there.

The man's next words were far less accusatory, even going as far as to joke a little. Relief washed over him and he exhaled a soft sigh, shoulders relaxing. He went on to say how he wasn't that easy to scare, which Ries wanted to argue a little, because he hadn't even been trying to scare the guy and it happened, but he thought better of it. Instead, he offered him a small smile and wag of his tail.

The line of questioning turned toward him, then, and he perked his ears, head tilting to the side. "I, uh, live here? I'm usually pretty careful," he said, more a question to the question. And then it hit him, eyes lighting up in understanding. "Oh. Did you wake up here?" Because that was definitely a thing that happened, sometimes.

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Had he woken here? So.. that was a common thing, then? “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I don't remember much of a what happened. I fell asleep somewhere else, and then woke up here. I'm guessing you've seen weird shit like that before?”

The fact that the other had just admitted he lived here made his skin prickle and his hackles, but he did his best to hide the tension. The remaining questions floating in his mind could wait. For now.

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Oh, poor guy. So Ries really must've scared him, if he'd just woken up out of the blue like that.

"I've seen it a couple of times," he said, a small, apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry about that. You show up in a new place and nearly get spooked off a cliff. No wonder you got all snarl-y at me." He chuckled a little, hoping to ease some of the tension.

He took a tentative step forward - not threatening, but interested. "I'm Ries, by the way. Ries Boesch. You're in Fate's Summit." Best to give him some information about the place, at the very least. He tilted his head to the side, inquisitive. "What's your name?"

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Snarl-y? The bear-man lifted a brow at that, lip curling slightly in amusement. “I have my moments,” he admitted with a shrug, voice gruff and faint.

Instinctively, his chin lifted when they stepped closer, figure going rigid, solid muscle rippling in preparation. But there was no fight following. What the hell was he doing? As soon as he realized he was suddenly posturing, he eased up a bit. “Ries...” he repeated, clearing his throat. Right, introductions. “I'm uh— I'm Cain.”

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The man's lips twitched and Ries took it as a small victory, tail waving almost in triumph. And then stilled once more at the stiff reaction he received from stepping closer. Did he seem threatening? Ries was, like, half this guy's size.

Best not to address it, he figured, keeping his posture loose and relaxed. "Nice to meet you, Cain," he said, like this was a totally normal way to meet someone.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, then, stepping back a little. "If we take from the cache, we have to replace it, but I'm sure it'd be fine. I don't think anyone would mind."

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Silent thoughtfulness shone in his gaze, grateful that Ries didn't mention the abrupt, odd display.

“You too,” he hummed on a low, timbre note, dipping his muzzle in returned greeting.

“I appreciate the offer, but I won't take from your pack. I'm fine hunting for myself. Whenever I can find my way down this damn mountain, that is..” The last bit were quiet, disgruntled words. He'd somehow found his way up, and now he had no clue of how to get down. What a blow to a man's ego.

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Cain was quick to decline the offer, but it did little to discourage Ries.

"Hmm," he hummed in thought, glancing back the way he'd come, a smile forming on his maw as an idea popped into his head. "I think I'll head back down, then," he announced, a bit louder and with more flair than necessary. "If someone wanted to follow me, they'd probably have to watch their step, because it gets a little slippery on the rocky parts."

And with that, he started his descent, pausing once to check over his shoulder and see if Cain had gotten the hint.

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He chuckled at the not-so subtle hint, shaking his head to hide the hidden grin as he began his trek after Ries. Each step mirrored his, careful to place his weight in the right spot so he didn't lose his footing. The short journey was made with a held breath, only to be released when they finally made it to the bottom.

“I don't know how the hell you all do that on a daily basis. I'd just find myself flat out on my ass every time.” The image made him grimace. Just another surefire way to bruise his ego.

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Fortunately, the trip down went without a hitch. Ries was a bit worried that he, himself would slip and embarrass himself in front of this stranger, but he managed to keep his footing just fine.

A laugh escaped him at the comment. "Oh, I find myself flat on my ass plenty, don't worry. But you do get used to it," he assured, tail swishing. Maybe more surefooted wolves would find it a bit easier to keep their balance, but Ries struggled from time to time. He chalked it up to the prolonged travel he'd done in his youth, making him unaccustomed to the peaks.

"But hey. You didn't even fall on your ass this time, and you've never been here before," he pointed out, grin on his maw. "You did just fine."

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Ries was right. He hadn't fallen. This time.

Unintentionally brushing against his side, having lumbered too close, he cast a burning gaze the other's way. “Guess I had a pretty good guide,” he chuffed, going for nonchalant. But he moved along too quick to learn if the act had been bought or not.

“So, what's good to hunt around here?” He called over his shoulder, taking stride ahead of Ries as he took in the terrain.

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Ries felt his face warm a little, both at the act and the compliment. Had Cain meant to do that? Was it an accident? Ries hardly had any experience in the whole... flirting department, and was not feeling bold enough to try, so instead brushed off the strange embarrassment and trotted after him.

"Tour guide Ries, at your service," he announced, tail never ceasing in its wagging and smile not faltering from his face.

He hummed in thought, taking mental stock of the prey items around the territory. "Mm... rabbits and marmots would be the easiest, I think, but if you're willing to let me lend a paw, I think we could manage a goat or a deer," he reasoned. "Just depends on what you're in the mood for."

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As Ries caught up, Cain found found himself more in tune with his presence, knowing exactly when he caught up without having to turn his head.

But he did anyway, regarding the smaller male with an amused grunt. “Is that what I'm supposed to call you now? Tour Guide Ries?” It would be funny, especially around others who had no clue what they were referencing.

For breakfast, there seemed to be a decent menu of options. One in particular took his interest, as it had been a fan favorite back home. In his past life. “I like goat. Gotta watch for those horns, though. They hurt like a bitch. Once we get the legs, it'll be easy pickings.” Pausing, he turned to appraise Ries, sharp gaze skimming over his features. There was a burning gleam behind them that vanished just as quickly as it'd come, his snout changing direction. “You're smaller, more agile. Aim for the legs, run it to me. One snag of the throat, it'll be down for the count.”

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He tipped his head back in another laugh, golden eyes turning back toward the other man after. "Sure! It's my speciality," he announced, and it wasn't far off. After introducing Belenus and now Cain to the territory, he was beginning to fall more into the role.

Goat sounded nice. A little challenging, but not too bad. Ries perked up as Cain instructed him, imagining the hunting pattern. "Sounds good to me," he said breezily. Herding prey was what he was better at, anyway, and especially if there was someone more powerful at play. It would just work better.

So, he would get to work on tracking, nose to the ground, seeking out the goats they were looking for.

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tbc in the next thread <3

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