What he had expected to be the start of warmer seasons instead brought more chill and cold than the winged male was expecting. He was getting used to the chill, at least a bit, though the temperature was making poor Jessie feel a bit on the lethargic side. The poor bat spent much of her time sleeping now and, leaving James with her, the young man slipped from the den and into the open around the lake he currently called home.

The clouds overhead were steely gray and cold with the promise of more snow. Gav stared at them for a long moment, a thoughtful frown on his face, before he started to make his way through the tall, brownish grass towards the lake. The edges were frozen, and he had to step across the ice to reach the water, but at least he was light enough that, so long as he was careful, he wouldn't slip in.

Gav's ears twitched as he made his way out onto the open lake. Things were quiet, much like they tended to be during winter but... he couldn't shake this feeling like he wasn't alone. Maybe he was just being paranoid after what happened in Lyenne...?

Her feet brought her closer to home. She still wasn't sure that word even applied though. She had for almost two years lived a life where there was no home, just the next nice place to lay her head at night. That was what home was to her anymore. The cold of the lands meant nothing to her. She had felt this numbing cold all her life on the inside, now it just seemed the universe wanted to reflect how she felt inside on the outside. The graying clouds were almost a comfort. She gave a sad smile as she stopped and looked up at the clouds. Her ruby reds were dull and lacked the light of hope, they really should have hope shouldn't they? How to hope when she was alone though? She put her eyes back on the path ahead of her. She had seen the thicket in the distance now for a bit. But she had stopped, courage had failed her. She didn't know if she really could do this. A sigh passed through her lips. How would she even do this? She hadn't been back to the sight of her family's tragedy since Kuzon had taken her from it, but here she was determined to go back, to pay her respects and bury the bodies of all those she could find if she could find any skeletons that was. Her hindquarters folded next to the lake, her rump meeting the cold ground. Eventually she would find the courage to go, but maybe not tonight. Mindless wandering "Hopeless words"

Yeah, that had to be it. His mind was merely playing tricks on him after what had happened... No one was coming to grab him and haul him back to Lyenne. Besides... Narcissa was dead. Who would want him now? As far as the man knew he hadn't made any enemies...

The winged male stepped onto the ice, scenting the air again, and that's when he froze. He lifted his gaze and that was when he saw her there; a figure sitting downwind from his position at the edge of the lake. For a moment he froze, a reflex that something might go badly if he was noticed. But, as he watched the female, who had yet to take notice of him, he relaxed his tense posture.

Ears lowered when he noticed that she actually looked rather down. It was a look he knew all too well. That defeated posture, that loss of hope... back when he was younger he had felt that way often... at least until, by an act of "mercy" his grandmother cast him from an Empire that no longer stood. He glanced around, reassuring himself that no one else was present, and started to step onto the iced edges of the lake - it'd be easier than traveling through the tall grasses.

"Excuse me," Gavroche called as he carefully balanced on the snow covered ice. "Could you use some company?"

The femme was really lost in her own head. She hadn't even taken notice that she wasn't alone tonight at the lake. So wrapped up in her thoughts and what she intended to do in what used to be Abaven that as the male made his approach she still took no notice. It wasn't until he spoke and was basically beside her that she took notice of him. She gave a startled jump before she slowly looked his way. He was peculiar looking. A set of wings spouted from his shoulders and he kind of looked like a patchwork doll. Like his creator couldn't decide what color to put where so they smeared it on him in a patchy manner. Not that it looked bad, just unlike what she was used to. She settled her eyes on him. There was no emotion on her nor real life in her eyes. She rolled his words over in her mind as if she didn't know the answer to them, or maybe she didn't know if she knew how to answer that. Company, it wasn't something she usually had. "I..... don't know.... do you want me to need company?" she was quiet when she spoke. She was unsure of her own voice, if he would hear it or if that was what he wanted to hear. She lowered her head and pressed her ears back. She was meek for all lack of other words, meek and weak. Thats what kuzon had called her. All good girls did what they were told and didn't fight back. She lowered her gaze to the man's forepaws as she waited in the snow for him to make whatever move he was going to. Mindless wandering "Hopeless words"

The winged male frowned some as the female looked towards him. Her eyes were devoid of emotion, of that shine of life. It was something he had seen in the slaves of Lyenne time and time again after their spirits had been broken. He furrowed his brow, ears twitching as he caught the quiet words that she spoke. She definitely seemed to be broken, her body language suggesting the same sort of thing. His ears lowered and he came closer, though he was still mindful to give her a little bit of space. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable... if she even felt that anymore.

"That's not for me to decide." The male said softly. "Someone hurt you, didn't they? Broke your spirit." He came to a stop about a full size wolf length from her and moved to the edge of the lake to sit down on more solid ground. His expression softened and Gav tilted his head to the side. "They're wrong, you know." The winged male offered a sad smile.

"My name is Gavroche, by the way. What's your name?"