Walk | Talk | Think
 
Saga was here. Somewhere - he had no idea where - but still here. It made him smile to think about it. The whole ordeal that had surrounded her joining had been a less than pleasant experience, particularly since his dad had been in a less than stellar mood even before he showed up with her in tow after fetching her, and yet the event was still a highlight for him. In a way, she was his first recruit, and knowing she had stuck around, especially when he had feared her gone when she had failed to show at their first pack meeting, was heartening. 

It was just a shame he saw so little of her. Often his rosy eyes would be on the lookout for her, hoping to see her somewhere either out on the Prairie hunting or tracking something through the Gulley, but only rarely could she be found, and usually badly timed when he was busy with something else. Eirik had begun to wonder, after she had shown up at the hunt, if she took her job as a hunter so seriously that she used her stealthy techniques even to hide from her packmates, or whether she was just not fitting in as well as she hoped and was evading awkwardness for it. Liking to think himself as a friendly sort, and a mentor of some kind for her in particular since it was his fault she was here, he felt it was his responsibility to find out. 

He knew next to nothing about her even before she joined and so had no idea where she might have decided to make her den. Most of the pack, or at least his family, chose to keep den sites within the central portion of the Gulley, close to each other, but if she was feeling isolated he doubted she would be near. For that reason his dark paws carried him not toward the center location but around it, wandering and winding through the thick vegetation interspersed with pockets of wintry white snow. The nose at the end of his muzzle worked to draw in the scents that he passed by, seeking one that was hers though steady doubts lingered. If she had been doing such a good job of not being seen so far, maybe this was all pointless. But then...no one had really sought her out either. "Saga!" he called on a whim, not sure she would answer but too chicken to howl outright for her. 

OOC: He's totally outgrown this table, but Chrono made me miss it so. xD

Solitude was something that Saga was familiar with -- and truthfully, she was more comfortable being alone. Even as a child she had been distant from her siblings, though none of her littermates were overly social. The death of Descant had affected her deeply, though she had never spoken to anyone about it, and her mother's abandonment -- and blatant lack of apology -- had only worsened her desire to distance herself from her family. Part of her wasn't even surprised that nobody had come looking for her. She figured her brothers might at least try to find her, for she'd always been close to Requiem and Dutiron, though her relationship with Sound was all but nonexistent. Perhaps they thought her dead, washed away from the dangerous storms that had tormented the packlands... or perhaps they were simply glad she had left them. It was painful to consider, but she had been the one to leave them of her own accord and she would try to not constantly dwell on the fact that it felt as though none of her siblings cared enough to find her. Though she had all but avoided the other members of Secretua for awhile, the recent pack hunt had given her a bit of courage. If not courage to meet the other members of her pack, then courage to sharpen her own skills at tracking and hunting. She knew she could be of some use, even if she didn't seem particularly sociable or personable. Silently she would stalk through the gulley, grateful for the cover of snow that helped her blend in even more with her surroundings. She didn't expect anyone to come looking for her, and she couldn't help but jump slightly when she heard Eirik's family voice. Had he been following her? Brows furrowed as the tiny girl jerked around, searching for him in the distance. It took a moment for her to find him, and with a wary eye she would creep a bit closer, announcing her presence to him quietly.  "What?" she would ask gently, attempting to seem less standoffish than usual. Did he need her for something? It struck her as slightly strange that he would try to find her, but her slightly perplexed expression would soften a bit as curiosity made its way over her features.

Walk | Talk | Think

His searching felt aimless and without direction, but it seemed to pay off in the end. He supposed that Saga really had been doing something either to hide because of her hunting or just because she was avoiding people, but it took him calling out to her for her tiny white figure to finally manifest itself within the snowy Gulley, looking uncertain but for all he knew it could have just been curiosity. Eirik's ambling gait ceased the moment he saw her, a grin stretching across his face and his tail wagging a bit before he could still it. She was still here! And still being as stealthy of a hunter as ever. 

"Hey," he greeted cheerfully in response to her quiet inquiry, answering as if she had spoken back with a hello rather than a question. The bulky grey wolf padded over to her, closing the distance until he could stand before her and speak over a more comfortable distance. Jeez, had she gotten smaller? Or maybe he had grown. Either way, it hardly felt to him like she had been this small when they had first met, or even when he had found and vouched for her at the pack's bad weather meeting. Funny how things changed. 

"I was wondering how you were doing," he stated, getting himself back on track with the conversation he intended to have rather than be distracted by his silly observations, "and since I hadn't seen you around, I figured I'd come find you." Eirik said it with a small, shrug-like motion of his shoulders, playing at nonchalance though he really was concerned. For having joined, she seemed awfully distant to him, though he supposed interacting with his family as often as he did was easier for him than it was for her. 

Perhaps she would've felt a bit less cold toward her family if someone had come looking for her. Perhaps she would've even gone home. Though she was quickly nearing two years of age, she still subconsciously yearned for her family; she wanted to belong somewhere, and she had never quite felt that way, even when she'd lived among the Destructions back in Sawtooth. Was it because Descant had died at such a young age that she felt something was missing? Or perhaps it was because of her mother's abandonment, even though the rest of her family considered it justified? She felt no more at home here in Secretua than she had anywhere else. She felt on edge being approached suddenly, even by a face she considered friendly, and she bristled silently on the inside as he began to speak to her. Eirik was honestly her only friend -- unless she considered Requiem and Dutiron her friends. The small girl searched his face, watching something like happiness appear and dance across his pleasant features. With some effort she would mirror the expression, her own tail flicking restlessly behind her.  "Hi," she would greet him finally. There was part of her that was certain he might have come to punish her, for not showing up at the last pack meeting, and for keeping to herself far more often than was necessary. But his demeanor was nonthreatening and pleasant and he continued talking, no hint of irritation in his deep tones.  "I'm okay," she replied, her tone slightly guarded.  "How are you?" Though she considered Eirik a friend, she didn't really know a lot about him, other than that a good part of Secretua's population was his family.  "I'm sorry I'm not around more." Would her apology suffice? He seemed genuinely happy to see her -- why, she didn't entirely know -- and it made her feel guilty for hiding so often. Quietly she would watch him, assessing his reaction to her presence as though it might suddenly change, as though he might be done talking to her so soon after finding her.

Walk | Talk | Think

His own smile grew when he saw the effort put in by Saga to make her own expression reflect his, his tail yet again getting in a few wags without his control. Good! She could, in fact, smile after all, and was not completely made up of straight faces and nervous looks. Though there was something decidedly nervous within her green eyes as he stared at her, his rosy gaze fixed on her as he tried to remain casual. He could not place it and only hoped his prolonged presence might eventually convince it to go away and talk the rest of her into relaxing. It was something he had yet to see her do within his - and now her - home.

The tall, pale grey wolf was glad that she was doing well, and when the question was turned on him his answer came readily, "I'm great. Better now that Akemi's helping us out. She's trying to be the Sentinel of the pack," he explained, realizing then that Saga had not been there for the pack meeting and likely missed the list of Advisory position volunteers, "and she's been offering lessons." It still surprised him greatly how brave and fierce the little, rag-doll-looking wolf was, and how much strength she had within. He could not read his father's thoughts regarding her desire to become the Sentinel of Secretua, but Eirik was convinced she could fill the role well.

Unexpectedly, the small Hunter apologized for being reclusive, for not being actively around the rest of the pack as it probably seemed he was. Though, in Eirik's case, it was far easier being related to half the pack, and being a social individual made the rest of it rather easy as well. "It's okay, no need to be worried," he assured her with a gentle shake of his head and a reassuring smile, "you're just doing your job. Really good too. I couldn't even find you until I called for you and you showed up." Not that he prided himself on his tracking abilities, but if Saga had been keeping herself hidden this long, he supposed she must have been very good at her job as a Hunter. And, because he was curious and just a little bit concerned with how she might have been settling in, he decided to ask still in his casual, nonchalant tone, "Are you liking being a Hunter?"

Though her knowledge of him was limited at best, she was more content in his company than in the presence of anyone else. Perhaps her life was too secluded for a pack wolf -- void of much interaction beyond the bare minimum, when necessary -- but there was safety and comfort in the loneliness. Letting others in had given her more pain than she wished to feel and she had vowed, upon leaving her family, that she would not grow close to others.. at least not right away. Despite her wariness and subdued nature, he seemed genuinely happy to speak to her and she caught the slight wag that had begun in his tail. Eirik answered quite quickly that he was doing better, admittedly better now that he had some help. Despite being young, it seemed an awful lot of responsibility fell on his shoulders, though she supposed that was something that simply came along with being the son of Secretua's leader.  "That's good," came her soft, uncertain tones. Who was Akemi, and what was Sentinel, exactly? Some kind of fighting position, it seemed, and a higher position if she was to be offering lessons. As for herself, she had no interest in fighting and she wondered if Eirik's comment was a kind of invitation. There was no doubt she could gain something from hunting lessons, from the experience of taking down larger game in bigger groups, but as for fighting, she had no interest. Careful green eyes watched him, scrutinizing and curious as he spoke. Still a small hint of a smile remained, something that seemed to be reserved solely for him since she had joined Secretua, though her overall demeanor was reserved still. He asked her then if she liked being a hunter.  "It's okay, I think," came her simple, honest answer. As a woman of few words, she felt no need for excess, unless he insisted upon it.  Life could be better. There was an emptiness that lingered in her heart, a void left unfilled since she had left her brothers, her family; and yet she was far too stubborn to admit it was a problem at all, let alone to consider how she might fix it. At the same time, though, it could be much worse. Of that, she was certain. "But I should probably be seen more. And participate more." came her next solemn statement. Though she was indeed good at tracking, and at remaining unseen, it was difficult to maintain any level of respect or camaraderie if she was rarely seen by her packmates. There was so much more she wished she could say. There was a longing to know him better, but there was a disconnect as to what she wanted to say and what she knew how to say... and so she settled for the simple conversation that came most easily to her.