and you’re singing the songs

open to one or two others ^^

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Drifting on the breeze, never staying in one place for long, never settling, never making connections. That was what Hawkes wanted, what he had decided was necessary. It was safer, despite the yawning hunger in his belly and the strange loneliness that clung to him like a second skin. Sometimes, if he were brutally honest with himself, he wondered if life would be better if he had other wolves to rely on.

Not that he’d ever admit to that. Out loud, at least.

His stomach growled and he sucked on his teeth in mild annoyance. Winter did tend to make it more difficult to find enough to eat, after all. Hunger was a fairly constant companion at this point. Hawkes had wandered into the forest in search of more prey, but this place was pretty quiet, save for the quiet bubbling of the small streams that cut through the mossy floor. At the very least, the greenery was soft on his paws, soothing the cracks that had settled in the pads there.

The sun had drifted beyond the horizon a half an hour ago, blanketing the forest in darkness. Hawkes sighed heavily and set about trying to find a good place to rest for the night when something froze him in his tracks.

Well, now, wasn’t this a pretty sight?

As the sunlight faded, new light settled in. The fungi that Hawkes had previously overlooked had come to life, glowing green and illuminating the area enough for Hawkes to see where he was going.

Curious, he approached a patch of mushrooms growing low on the bark of a nearby tree. And as he watched, luminous spores floated off of them, dancing like fireflies right before his eyes and drawing a rare smile on Hawkes’ muzzle.

Hawkes wasn’t the type to appreciate nature’s beauty often, but this was certainly something else.
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Wintertime on the mountainside was waning, ticking endlessly towards a brand new spring to come. This had Jarilo in fair, rising spirits, for although the darkest months had remained quiet for them and they had several of their family that still scouted beyond, at the heart of it all, they had survived here once more--a perceivable win, at least. So with these good graces and hope for the days yet to come, he wanted to head down the elevations and stretch his own legs across the foothills to see what there was to be seen.

Usually, he did not route to the west but it was today's pick on a whim. Each time he ranged beyond their immediate doorstep, it always seemed to be into new, unknown territories, so he approached them all with an open mind--though keen for signs of others that might contest him, or lure back trouble to the mountain. At best, he wondered if he might connect with one of their scouts while abroad, though the chances were slim; he wasn't ranging that far, at least not with these intentions.

As he cruised, not following any one trail in particular, the forests shifted. Alongside his travels, night had come, and grown comfortable around him so now beneath the boughs of a mixed woodlot, he adjusted to the dimmed light. In this, he realized that there was more to see than just the trees--a strange glow?

Similar, in a way to the small woodland he had found east of the mountain--the one hidden away behind a cavern opening, next to waterway--a peculiar light caught his eye. This one presented differently from what he could see of it so far, though it was the luminescence that drew him in and kept him looking for more. It sprinkled up from the undergrowth, dotting the breezes, and beyond. He trailed along slowly, sniffing around, admiring, and once more found himself reminded of the spring--then summer--to come, of fireflies, almost.

Distracted, certainly, he continued on his way until he finally leveled his sights back down in time to notice someone else here too. He swallowed his momentary, self-inflicted surprise: he'd been so caught up in the scene. It was another wolf, at least.

“Have you ever seen anything like it before?” he asked as introduction, eyes bright and a hint of a grin even on his words. Though he approached a stranger, he measured himself carefully--not too fast, and ever-watchful, should their countenance not be as easy as his.

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So wrapped up in the beauty of the glowing fungi, Hawkes was too distracted to notice that he wasn’t alone in this forest. He jolted a little at the voice, head whipping toward the sound. Sizing up the other wolf took very little time - dark fur, an average size, with eyes made greener by the light emanated from the plants around them. Relaxed posture, calm voice… unthreatening, Hawkes’ mind supplied. The other man approached him, slowly, and Hawkes allowed it with a slow wagging of his tail.

Usually, a stranger’s presence would be unwelcome, so late at night and especially after catching Hawkes off guard as he had. And it wasn’t like Hawkes would be letting his guard down, but he didn’t feel any of the familiar tension that would normally have him on high alert.

”Have you ever seen anything like it before?” the stranger had asked, and Hawkes shook his head, a half smile on his maw.

“It’s the first I’ve seen of it. Sure is pretty, though,” he admitted, voice a little raspier than usual from disuse. “D’ya have any idea what this stuff might be?” he questioned, giving the stranger one more glance over before turning his attention back to the foliage he’d been studying beforehand.

Perhaps this dark wolf knew something he didn’t about this place, or perhaps he was just as wonderstruck by it as Hawkes was. A quick sniff told Hawkes he likely wasn’t from around here, much as he blended into the surroundings. Maybe this was his first time here, too, and neither of them would have any answers.

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