Despite the warm weather coming to a gradual end, the air here was sweltering and thick; the wind silently played with soft ashes on the expanse of black horizon, creating a guise of snowing gunpowder. A lone wolf escorted herself through the dismal remains of what used to be, meandering a mindless trail through tree carcasses and forgotten footprints. Her delicate head was lowered pathetically as she cared little for her wanderings: she had no destination, all she sought was to rid of the monster who wished her dead. Morte had promised Caede he would always be with her, promised to keep her caged like the helpless dove she was.

Yet she had escaped his confines for the time being, but she had no home to flee to, no loved ones waiting in their warm den for her to return to. They were gone, decaying like the tarnished trunks she passed. She elevated her chin to the sky and paused in her travels, her baby-blue eyes rimmed with an unintelligible sadness as she questioned the morals of her Gods. Her lower lip quivered before her eyes narrowed at the desolate Heavens, unsatisfied with her Deities' silence.

Earlier this morning she had tried to assuage herself and lift her spirits, but it was hopeless. Not today and maybe not tomorrow, and maybe not ever but certainly not today. Her heart murmured with sorrow for which no words could touch, with flickering images of fickle memories she wished she could relive. She was plagued with uncertainty for the future.

Caede's stomach growled angrily, upset with the lack of nourishment her body had been receiving, but she ignored her deprived anatomy and seated herself among the ruin, accepted her pitiful doom, and awaited Morte's arrival.

TABLE BY ESTHER, DO NOT USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

The weather had obtained a slight nip in it's winds, chilled air causing Cronan's fur to ruffle up slightly in order to keep him warm. He'd been wandering for quite some time, on the trail of a hare, a small morsel but enough to be considered a decent meal in the wintery months. Snow had yet to cover the ground, but even still, the hare's paws has made subtle tracks in the ground, shown only to the keenest of eyes. Cronan had grown to be quite a fair tracker; the little hare would be no match for his skills, especially now that he was nearing in on it.

However, a new scent quickly distracted the young man from his hunt. The scent of a female wolf was not far off. He could hear her moving, the slight pawsteps gently crunching against the cold, barren ground. Soon he spotted her and couldn't help but take a bit of a closer look. He wasn't often a curious soul, but the woman seemed to carry such an air of melancholy about her and she seemed rather thin as well. Now, typically he cared not to deal with the suffering of others; if they couldn't care for themselves, that was no problem of his.

Even still, he had no better way to spend his time, did he? He was rather well fed, a good amount of meat and muscle on his bones... others were less fortunate, not nearly as skilled in tracking and hunting as he was. The winter months weren't friendly to those types.

?Surely winter doesn't bode well for an already starving soul...? he spoke up, ears perked as he watched her. ?Don't you have a pack to help care for you? Being out on your own in such a week state isn't all that wise.? he mentioned, taking a seat a long distance from her, close enough for chatting but keeping a good space between himself and the stranger. Even weak wolves were a potential threat; he wasn't stupid enough to underestimate her.



OOC: sorry for the wait. Been low on muse, I'll try to post more @_@