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@Åshe

Steady had moved on from the hills early in the night after resting. He found moving in the dark suited him much more than during the day. His dark pelt blended in to the shadows, and so did what was left of his soul. 

He came upon the southern edge of what he could only describe as a red forest.It may have been dark, but his eyes could tell the leaves were far from their usual green color. An usual feeling washed over him, as if telling him entering wouldn't be the best option. Had be been more of sound mind, he might have listened. But, his brooding mood propelled him forward, as if it wanted to be consumed by the eerie forest.

By the time he reached the northern border of the forest, the sun's ray were just peaking over the eastern horizon. He paused between two trees at the edge, the fog blocking his view of the land before him. He looked back into the forest, playing with the idea of heading back in a ways to find a spot to rest. He didn't want to be caught in the plains again on a sunny day, and he couldn't determine exactly what lay ahead of him.
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Åshe had come to the red forest in hopes of one thing— Goatweed. When she had traversed this forest weeks ago with the white wolf named Aakron, she knew that her supplies of the herb had been low. Why had they been low? Because Goatweed smelled wretched. Åshe couldn't stomach it.

But that couldn't do anymore. Åshe needed to set aside her petty feelings regarding the plant and simply suck it up. What would happen if she came across a wounded wolf? Her entire life's work of intense medicinal and spiritual training would've gone to sheer waste. And Åshe, strong and mighty as she might be, was anything but a failure.

So as she entered the Ichorwood, as Aakron described it, she'd bathe beneath the crimson hue of the leaves as she amicably strolled through. But near the border, she had caught a whiff of a scent that was foreign to her. Someone unknown. She thought for a moment that it could've been her white coated friend, but she would've recognized his scent. This, to her, had been entirely new. Masculine and rough, Åshe's ears perked forward with intrigue, her tail swaying lightly side to side.

She followed the scent, lazily, careful not to attract the notion that she was hunting him down. No, the regal matriarch of Ravenspire was simply curious about what man laid on the end of such a rugged, haughty smell. Her feet carried her through the forest, lingering on the borders, and she stopped when she saw a tall, built structure of dark fur and mass.

Through the bushes she peered, taking a onceover glance over his well-crafted physique. Well, she thought, he's certainly a man. It was an understatement. The man before her was well decorated in bouts of muscle all around his body— head to toe, she imagined. His fur was dark, too, but in the light, it reflected a brown hue.

With slow steps, she emerged from the bush she hid in, pose teetering submissive, but overall curious. Her head was low, eyes peering up at him as she watched him. "You...new?"
 

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Having made his decision to remain among the scarlet leaves, Steady turned to head back into the forest to find a spot to rest. Movement from a bush ahead had him stopping in his tracks once more. Steady wasn't one to startle easily, and this wasn't an exception. He stood neutral and still as she emerged, a slender but tall build in a submissive stance. Her coat was a mixture of bluish-gray and gray hues and she had the bluest of eyes. Had he thought of such things these days, he might have said she was stunning. But, he didn't. 

The twitch of an ear confirmed he was paying attention, though only two words were spoken. Was he knew here? He had been here before, but he hadn't stayed very long. Not really, he settled on. He hadn't meant to come back here, he hadn't even realized here was where he was headed until he was here. 

His form remained neutral but Steady didn't relax as he waited. He wasn't a man of many words these days, so he offered up no questions of his own. Some may have found him awkward, but he didn't find that opinions mattered to him much. At all, really.
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The male wasn't surprised by her appearance, moreso gave her a simple, bored once over. Hmm, Åshe's mind bubbled. The words he had spoke were all the more illusive, too. 'Not really,' he had said. What does that mean? Is he new, or not? Åshe understood it as a relatively simple concept to grasp.

But he decided to make it complicated. Åshe's brows furrowed. "Lie," she would say, pointedly. "You do not smell of here," She'd approach him, cautiously, her nose jutting lightly up and down, making sure her assumption was correct. She pulled away from him quickly, humming to herself. "You are new."

Åshe stepped back from him, then, letting herself stand up straight, revealing her regal stature. Her eyes narrowed further at his figure— it reminded her of Bartel's, carved from shadow and stone. But his was different. It was warmer in hue, relaxing for her eyes. His eyes were sweltering depths of deep brown and mandarin, a sweet tone to his rather stoic disposition.

The matriarch circled him as she spoke, ogling the shapes and turns of his body. Observing. Making a judgement of whether he was worth her time or not. When she made a completed circle, she asked him but one other question.

"Name?"
 

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Lie. Something inside him snapped, and he abruptly took several steps towards her, hackles raising and teeth barred as he growled out, "I am not a liar!" Steady had not shown any real type of emotion in months, and his heart was racing. Somewhere, deep down, he still held his morals. And one of the very strongest was honesty. He was usually not the offended type, but having a stranger brand him so quickly after only saying two words was not something he would take. 

However, he was also not going to waste his energy on this. Fighting, verbally or physically, over her words was not something he was going to partake in. When she retreated, his muscles contracted to do the same, thinking this little introduction would be over. But, as she rose to her full height, he took that as a challenge and a deep growl released from his chest. 

When she began to circle him, Steady opened his jaws and snapped them on air towards her, his body moving so that he kept his face towards her. His body was tense, his muscles trembling with the anticipation of a brawl. She had the audacity to demand his name. "I don't answer to you," he said as a response, his voice firm, but on the edge. He gave the only warning he would, but he would also not make the first strike. Eyes on her, he waited.
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The male had gotten offended by her words. That was clear to her. Åshe said nothing, her expression neutral. This was not the first time she had been faced with such aggression, nor would it be the last.

When she had circled him, he had looked ready to pounce. Such anger in his heart, she thought, knowing better now how to form her words. "Fine. You are no liar," she would agree with him, not moving from her tall stance before him. If he wished to maim her, scratch her, defile her, then so be it. If the Nords wished such a fate on her, then it will be that way.

She would shrug her shoulders, his voice had been firm. It was unwavering against her question. "My name Åshe," she would say, her accent coming through as she spoke, forepaw lifting to point at herself. "Not to harm you. Just...curious." she'd say, focusing hard to piece her common tongue sentence together into coherent words. "Not many new faces. I apologize."

Åshe conceded, her own apology had matched the firm tone of his own voice. She was being genuine. She could only hope that he would see to that. Her stomach bubbled with a light hunger, not loud enough for him to hear, but for her to feel. "Hungry? There are...how do you say...hares? Hare families nearby."
 

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The female took back her words, and while his brain had accepted her retrieval, he did not relax until she finished circling him. The air was thick with tension, but Steady silently noted how she had remained neutral the entire time, even at his physical warnings. He would not say as such, because he was still trying to calm himself down. 

She offered her name, and Steady made a mental note of it. He would not say it was nice to meet her, since from his view point, it really hadn't started out that way. His ear flicked as she spoke, noting her accent, but understanding her words. Alright, she meant him no harm. Maybe he had overreacted, but he simply wasn't in the right headspace to admit it. 

While he still maintained he did not answer to her, he decided he would give her an explanation. He sat back on his haunches. I have been in the area before, I've just been gone awhile, he stated, the growl now gone from his voice. My name... is Steady, he added. 

When she mentioned the hares, rabbits as he would usually call them, he nodded. He hadn't hunted in a couple of days and he needed sustenance. Do you want to hunt together? he asked openly. While he may have been on his own the last several months, turning down a hunting partner would be idiotic. Two wolves together increased their chances of catching something.
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Gone awhile. She could empathize with that. When her family at Hrafnsvaktin disappeared, leaving her alone in the sister clan, she felt more than alone. She only listens to him as he speaks, noticing how he sits down before her. More relaxed now. That was good. For the moment, Åshe thought she would've lost a limb, an eye, anything, but she didn't.

"You are welcome back." She said quietly, nodding her head at his name, too. "Steady." She'd test his name out on her tongue, finding the pronunciation a bit difficult, but what matters is that she tried.

She took an eager step closer to him out of pure excitement, eyes glistening. "Please, that..." she noticed her bout of excitement and retreated, embarrassed. "— would be helpful."

Åshe concluded, beginning to make a beeline for the thick trees of the forest. Before she got lost in the shrouds, she looked over her shoulder towards Steady. "Come. I show you." If followed her, she would take him through the woodland, nose close to the ground.
 

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When she welcome him back, Steady was pretty sure he had turned into a jackass because he sure felt like one. It was clear she was the friendly sort, and their communication had just gotten off on the wrong paw. He dipped his maw ever so slightly as a silent thank you. He wasn't sure how he really felt about being back. Was she still here? It wouldn't matter if she was. She didn't remember him anyways, so why should he care?

Before his brain could dwell on the dark thoughts again, Ashe was up and stepping towards him. His ears perked and his head drew back slightly in surprise, but her body language told him she was simply excited. She was respectful, though, and retreated. Before he could blink, she was off in the direction of the food source. He watched her almost disappear and then return, beckoning him to follow her, before he lifted his backend off the ground and lopped after her. 

He was quick to catch up with her, keeping pace at her right flank, his ears swiveling to pick up sounds of danger as she worked her nose to find the prey. He kept an eye on her, as he would follow her body language. If she stopped, he would stop. When she went, so did he.
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Steady caught up with Åshe fairly quickly. She didn't slow down with him at her side, merely kept pace the entire way. She was more focused at the task at hand, anyways, not paying much mind to him. Her desire was to find the colony of hares that claimed this part of the Ichorwood as their own. She knew they were here, has seen them before.

When she caught a scent, faint but present, she'd cock her head to the side— this way— her body language said. Åshe veered to the right, paws hitting the ground harder now to mask the sound of her arrival. Hares were tricky, conniving creatures, but they were relatively unbothered here. They wouldn't have a clue.

"Look—" She said quietly, pointing ahead to the hares that grazed quietly in a clearing. "There." She'd lower herself to the ground, hunting position at the ready. "Get as many as you can."

She didn't give him a chance before she separated from him, taking the right side of the flank from the hares. The foliage covered her, and the color of her fur aided in her camouflage. Around she went, her feet muffled by the weight that she put on them. Quietly, the sound died around her.

And then she pounced on the closest hare near her, letting its head snap in her jaws. She hoped that Steady made his move, too, now that they made a ruckus.
 

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He followed her quietly, never once second-guessing her. She motioned with her head, and he turned to follow. He nodded his understanding and went left a moment after she went right. His dark pelt blended into the underbrush well, and he moved slowly into position. There were a few hares munching on grass several feet before him. Every few seconds they would raise their heads to look around, but Steady was still and they hadn't caught sight of him yet. 

Suddenly, there was commotion and the rabbit nearest to him jerked its head up and froze for a fraction of a second as it looked away from Steady. He took the opportunity and pushed off with his back legs, propelling him forward towards his intended target. The rabbit freaked and took off, running for its life. Literally. 

Steady's muscles went into overdrive, and he extended his neck as his jaws opened towards the rabbit fleeing from him. It zigged and zagged and Steady was right on it., In an effort to shake the wolf, the rabbit extended its back legs, possibly in an attempt to kick Steady. It was a bad move for the prey, as Steady used it as an opportunity to grab on to a leg. His jaws snapped shut, and his head jerked, first up, and then down, bringing the rabbit to a sudden stop as it hit the ground. Steady repeated this, trying to break the rabbit's neck. Instead, the leg was ripped from the rabbit's body at the hip. The rabbit, in shock, laid there, allowing Steady to drop the leg and grab its neck. With a final closing of his jaws, the rabbit hung limp in his mouth. 

As blood spilled from the carcass, Steady's head swiveled to find Ashe, and it appeared they had both been successful. Not wasting any time, he lowered his body to ground and began to devour his meal. For the next little while, the only noise he made was the crunching of bone and meat.
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Åshe was glad to see Steady tear a hare into two, letting it crumple and lay numb in his jaw. Proficient hunter. Her mind cooed internally, letting her eyes wander against him as he began to gnaw on his meal. He protected it against himself, holding the hare's small body between his paws.

She dipped her head down, too, taking careful and meticulous bites from the hare. She took only the upper half of the mammal, eating to her content, but the bottom half she let remain as is. Full. Stocked with meat and fresh nutrients. She picked it up, limp in her jaws, and she took cautious steps towards Steady.

Åshe stopped before him, two feet away, dropping the half hare carcass. She let her nose nudge it towards his feet. "You eat," she would say, voice firm as she took her retracting steps away. "Need to be strong."

She hoped that he would accept it. The summit of Morðfjall had held more than a surplus of different types of mammals— she had no need to go hunting elsewhere. This, between her and the dark colored male, was a mere test to see if he had what it takes to survive.

"Strong veiðimaðr" Åshe breathed. Huntsman, it meant. But he wouldn't know that. "You are...alone?"
 

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He wasn't the most mannered when it came to eating. He didn't care if he was covered in blood at the end of his meal as long as it was in his belly. He almost delighted in ripping muscle from bone. The sound of the tear was unlike any other, and it did something to calm his darkened soul. He had never been one to shy away from killing when it needed to be done, whether it be rabbit or wolf. It was interesting that eating his former Alpha to stay alive, or even offering her body to her own children, didn't take away his softer side. But, a broken heart was more than enough to take the light from his life. 

Did that child ever forgive him for that?

He wasn't so lost in thought that Ashe's movement slipped by him. An ear flicked towards her as she walked towards him with some of her hare left hanging from her jaws. At first, he thought she wanted company while she ate, but then she nudged it towards him. His tongue licked the dripping blood from his maw as his head turned in her direction. She told him to take it, and he wondered if she was always that bossy. I am, he said in response to her strength comment, his voice flat instead of offended. But, he could not argue that he was not as strong as he once was. Life as a lone wolf had taken a toll. While he was by no means weak or small, he had lost some muscle mass. 

Shifting his body, he stretched his head towards the hare that she offered, taking it in his jaws to bring it back to his own and continued eating. After a few moments, he paused after swallowing a piece of meet. Glancing towards her, he gave her a soft Thank you. It was a glimpse into the old Steady before the wall slammed back down. 

He didn't quiet catch what she said in what he assumed to be her native tongue. A few more pieces of meat shoved down his throat and the meal was finished off. He lifted himself into a sitting position as he considered her question. No, he settled on. You're here, he said matter-of-factly. Technically, he was telling the truth. Besides, he figured she already knew the answer to her question . He had not been apart of a pack in some time, nor had he even been around other wolves in a while. By scent alone, others would know he was alone. 

He went to work cleaning up his paws and face, waiting to see if she would ask more questions. 
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Åshe nodded once in acknowledgement of his thanks. She thought it was interesting that he had gone from wanting to slash her face, to giving her partial gratitude. Anger lingered at his surface, but she had to wonder if there was something more. Not my business, she would remind herself. She liked to know things, a curious, foolish trait, but it didn't stop her from continuing to snoop.

She couldn't help but offer a slight smile at his words. 'You're here,' they repeated in her mind. She shook her head, smile still present. "Do you wish for new home?" Åshe would question, head tilting to the side.

He began to lick at his dirtied paws and face. She kept talking. "I have home not far from here," she'd say, lowering her head to lick at her own paw to get rid of the lingering blood there.

"Many members. Could use more strong veiðimaðr." She looked at him. In his eyes. "Like you. Strong man."
 

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He was glad she didn't made a fuss over his thanks, and instead let it go. He gained a smidgeon of likeness for her when her maw lifted into a slight smile at his sass, rather than bicker that he hadn't given her a straight answer. Steady didn't feel like the wolf he used to be; he was rougher around the edges, more private, and he suspected a lot harder to put up with. But, he would not soon forget those who chose to offer their friendship anyways.

He paused his grooming when she asked if he wanted a new home, and then explained hers was not too far from here. He considered her a moment, not taking her eye contact as a sign on aggression or authority, but as a consideration of her own of him. Are you the Alpha? he asked. If so, he might just consider saying yes. If not, he knew there would be another that he would have to go through, and he knew his first impressions did not go well. It wasn't that he had a problem with authority, he just had a problem with those who reached beyond what he thought they needed to know. So far, Ashe hadn't pushed him to give more information than he wanted to, and he respected her for that.
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Åshe was glad that Steady didn't flat out say no. She only wanted him to have a home. Wanted him to not have to hunt the extra hare himself. While it may be an overwhelming gesture on Åshe's part, she thought it would be better to offer than leave him here alone. If he had been weaker— skinnier, frailer, unable to hunt— she would've abandoned the idea entirely. But he proved that he can hunt.

While it may seem like a trivial survival aspect of any animal, Åshe could think of wolves that were not proficient in such a task. At home in Ravenspire, a man was valued based on his competent skills in hunting, and fighting. Those that were unable to universally perform would be banished, killed in a spar perhaps.

She shook her head at his question. "No, no. I do not lead," she had a feeling that he was going to deny her proposition. "but you should come with me." Her words were gentle, soft.

"To see it for yourself. Alpha is nice man. We almost like...siblings."
 

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She admitted that she wasn't the leader. He had hoped by her stature earlier that she had been, but those hopes were crushed by the weight of the truth. He thought a moment before he realized he didn't really have anything to lose by meeting her Alpha. A nice man, she had called him. 

With a shrug, he accepted her offer. I guess, he said, his voice giving away his lack of hope that he would be accepted. Maybe her Alpha wouldn't ask many questions. He was fine with confirming what he could bring to the pack, he just didn't want to answer anything personal. 

Lead the way, he added. Once she began walking, he would follow. 

If you'd like to start a thread at your pack borders, we can close this with either this post or your next one, if you like.

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