It had been a hard month hiking down from the Northern mountains. It shouldn?t have taken that long, he knew and because of that, he hadn?t prepared properly. At the beginning of his journey, Selyan had only suspected it would take one or two weeks at the most, after all that was how long it had taken him to get up into the lower apexes. But here he was, limping in through the forest, paws fevered from the snow. He was built for the season, but he wasn?t built for stumbling down hills and wading through chilling ponds. His coat on one flank was a partially frozen sheet of ice, similar to the frost across his cheeks. He didn?t feel terribly cold like he had in the mounts, though. Here, it was better. Even with tears streaming trails on his face and ears pressed down to his neck, he preferred this. So into the trees, he padded, following a trail he?d found at sunset. It wasn?t too clever to track during the night. He could be ambushed by healthier wolves or lose his way and with the temperature exponentially lower, it was even more dangerous in the weather aspect as well. But here he was, head dropped and nostrils flaring, desperately searching for the wolfly scents he?d held tight to for days. Sel?s breathing quickened. Where is it? Where?s it gone?? His chest convulsed with panicked collections of air beating at his lungs. No No No No NO NO NO! He turned around, backtracking. I couldn?t have lost it! I couldn?t have! His legs suddenly felt weighted, broken. He felt tired. Just moments ago, his body was alive with the hope of community, his body invigorated with the joy of a wolf. But now, he was only alive with dread.
Fever came and went, the heat making her miserable, when it was upon her- and chilling her when it left. She had left her small den, to find a stream to wash the blood from her face- the mark she carried of the epidemic that would surely destroy the land, when she scented a stranger. She tensed, as she followed the smell- praying that another pack hadn't taken advantage of their weakness. She was so tired, but she was the Queen, and she'd be damned if someone would attack her home without reason. As she came into sights of the strange wolf- she realized quickly that an attack was most likely not imminent. Crossing the Tortuga borders, she approached the stranger who looked.... like he didn't belong in such a cold tundra. Her ears pricked warily towards him, and she halted a few feet away. "Are you okay?". The words would leave her, a solemn tone- firm and in charge, if not a tiny bit wavering, as she stood, waiting for him to answer- so she could get back to the warmth of her den.
He licked his lips, which were dry and splitting, after collapsing to the chilled ground. His eyes shifted across the snow and he grimaced. Solitude was peaceful, but after so long without companionship, life becomes a struggle for social animals. A year of wandering the land had left Selyan with a yen for friendship and wounds of those that were lost. So when he?d picked up the scent of a fellow wolf, he?d been filled with excitement. Over the past few weeks, he?d felt hopeless. His life didn?t seem to be improving and the light had disappeared from his eyes.
Now, lying in the winter forest, he decided it was time. Selyan let his eyes close and his heart slow. The cold crept into his body quickly, biting at his muscles and slivering across his skin.
A voice, solid, mere feet away, inquired of his health. Breaking a ghastly reverie within him, he didn?t bother to raise his head or even open his eyes. He knew that the wolf only existed in his world, not the one in which others lived.
Or perhaps not. Maybe this creature was something ethereal, beyond him. ?Are you the angel of death, come to take my soul??
The male lying before her on the ground was both irritating and concerning. Part of her was annoyed to be out in the snow, as ill as she was. Most of her however couldn't fathom, why he was just lying there. Letting out a slight huff as he spoke, she stepped closer to him. She would come to a halt nearly standing over him. "I've been called many things, but certainly, I am no angel." She remarked to his strange question. Her neck stretched forward, her muzzle seeking to bump against his shoulder. "Can you walk? Should I call for a healer?" Already, she was far more concerned with seeing to it that the seemingly delusional male was cared for, rather than left out here to freeze. "If you lay out here, you'll freeze to death." She remarked pointedly. What would she do with him? Why was he just laying here? Was he lost?
