outlander

Warm winds carried voices far, and Ruadhán followed what he heard northwards. He ventured from the tall grasses and brushlands he had first awoken in into the barren expanse. Familiar abrasive warmth met his paws: sand. Beyond the cracked earth and rock towered great dunes, sweeping across the sky. Even in this harsh landscape, Rua smelled others.

He recognized none, so he kept his distance, for the moment. Eventually, however, his curiosity would get the better of him. Between the wiry, dry shrubs he crouched under, he spotted another wolf in the distance. Her scent was mingled with the landscape's; she must belong here. If Rua was to understand what had brought him here, he would have to understand this place itself.

So Ruadhán strode out into the open where the woman would see him, tail wagging in a peaceful manner. He let out a short bark to hail her.

“I am not here to fight,” Rua said. “I only wish to talk.”

@Kamaria
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His appearance, while it didn't startle her, did set the honeyclad girl on edge. She hadn't expected to be accosted when she was off wandering by her lonesome, made clear by the way her hackles lifted slightly, bristling along her back. Her ears turned backwards, eyes wide and wary of the male as he approached her. Every few steps closer, Kamaria took one back, a minor way of keeping some semblance of distance between them.

Lips licked, nervous. Eyes darted, searching. There were many paths she could take to escape back home, but if she did that, she would lead him directly to the others. she was already enough of a burden without bringing trouble to their doorstep. She did not answer him; how could she?

Still, she tilted her head, eyes still upon the sandy yearling, attempting to convey her silent question:

What do you want?
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Despite his efforts, the other wolf was clearly nervous of him. Rua stopped where he was, not wishing to push her if she did not wish to speak. As much as he needed answers, it was not his intention to frighten or cause offense. She seemed on the verge of fleeing. He lowered his head and body in a clear signal of submission.

“Do you know where I can find water?” he asked. A pause. Perhaps she could not understand him? Rua paused again, and looked down at the ground. An idea came to him. The yearling scratched a small depression in the earth, and pretended to lap at an imaginary puddle.

“Water,” he repeated for good measure. He did not know if his miming would work, but it was worth a try.
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Surprise. It hit her like a train as she watched him, frozen in place. In her shock, the fur along her spine began to settle, other reactions having taken priority. Did he know just by looking at her? Could he tell, like she had some mark upon her face? Did it matter?

A nod, and a step to her right. West. It wasn't far. From here, Kamaria could smell it, though she knew that others might not be able to. Eyes followed her thoughts, as if from here, she would be able to see the watering hole just as well as she could smell it. Impossible, but the honeywolf felt like she could, nonetheless.

Gaze upon him once more, Kamaria moved towards their destination, pace slow, eyes ever upon him until he was close enough that she could keep him in her peripheral vision as they walked.
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It worked! Rua did not know why she did not speak, but all that mattered was he'd made himself understood. She nodded, and Rua trotted forwards to join her. He meant to follow, but she seemed intent on keeping him within sight. She still didn't completely trust him, it seemed, but at least she was willing to help.

His ears swivelled back and forth, listening in case any other wolves decided to join them. He could smell more of them, mixed in with her scent. When he was close enough to be alongside her, he tried to make conversation again.

“Ruadhán,” he said, pawing at his own chest. “My name is Ruadhán. Your name?” He lifted a paw towards her.
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movement, and it was made towards her. kamaria flinched, her progress halting as she hopped away a step, sky blue eyes staring at him in... fear? accusation? a frown tinged her expression as she realized that he had just been... moving. talking. looking from his face to his paw, back again, the honey wolf reassured herself that he hadn't been intending to spook her, much less cause her any harm.

her head lowered apologetically, ears pressing back against her skull before she slunk forward again, leading him to the one source of water she held knowledge of in this land. it was a firm decision made to not look at him, ashamed and embarrassed at her own reaction.

that he had introduced himself had never occurred to her.
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Again, no response—save for fear. She reminded him in some ways of the girl he had met recently in the shade of an acacia. Though this one seemed better fed, she seemed to jump at his every movement.

It made Rua uneasy. Was it just him she feared? He pawed at his face, wondering if his arrival here had disfigured him somehow. Or, perhaps, she had been taught to fear. What sort of wolves did she dwell amongst?

He kept quiet after that, following her path in silence. He was wary, but he would not flee. Whoever had harmed this woman would face Ruadhán’s teeth if they tried again. His ears swivelled back and forth as he listened for any disturbance in the desert.
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their arrival to their destination was insignificant and uneventful. another minute in the day, another leaf floating down from a tree that stood nearby. there was a peacefulness here that pervaded the immediate area surrounding the source of water; animals did not scuffle here, predators did not lie in wait for prey. it was a shared understanding that this space was one of truce and treaty.

ignoring the hooved creature across from them, kamaria stopped at the edge of the water and lowered her head to drink, finding herself quite thirsty as well.
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Ruadhán felt the change in atmosphere as they approached the oasis. Tranquility blanketed the glittering water and its sun-baked shores. No wolf of honour would stain this place with blood.

Still, Rua stayed alert and watchful. He kept reasonably close to the silent woman, golden eyes scanning the scarce vegetation for any sign of movement. He did not bend his head to drink until he was sure that no ambush lay hidden in the reeds.

The water was cool and clean on his tongue. Once he had his fill, he turned to her.

“Thank you, Silent One,” Rua said with a grateful smile. He bowed his head to her. “I owe you a debt.” One that he was determined to repay, somehow.
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With her eyes closed as she drank, Kamaria did not see his movement, nor that of his mouth. This meant that there was no response given, verbal or otherwise. Her ears did not twitch as he spoke. Her eyes did not open and flicker in his direction. The honeywolf could not hear him, so she could not react, even subconsciously.

Only when her thirst had been quenched did her head lift from the water and her eyes open, only to find him looking at her. For the second time that she could remember, Kamaria found herself being watched — scrutinized? — by a male’s gaze. There was meaning in them, a softness that she was so unused to seeing that it almost made her uncomfortable.

Head tilted, eyebrows furrowed, Kamaria looked back at him with a question in her eyes. Why was he looking at her like that?
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