It was raining. Not hard, but the drizzle was fine and bitter cold - the sort that pierces straight to the bone and forgoes even the thick winter pelt many wolves still retained this early in the year. A light wind blew, but it was more than enough to drive the miniature droplets into the face of anyone who was forced to brave such a day in the open. It was nothing short of dismal.

Kuwindwa was already wet and cold before the rain started; she had crossed a river a little under an hour ago to the east, soaking her already bedraggled pelt. When the rain began, her step had become heavy. Even her head and tail drooped, as if they were too much to lift in this mist. The woman was every bit the image of a run-down, world-weary traveler as she forced her paws over the muddy grass. Her ears splayed to keep rain out, lending her hawkish face an annoyed expression though in her heart she admittedly felt more fatigued than she had in several weeks. With winter reaching its end, she had hoped it would be different.

Glancing up through the rain and licking a few stray droplets from her nose, Kuwindwa's bronze eyes noted something new on this hill above her: a great boulder stretching to the sky. Her ears perked curiously before she began trudging forward once more, eyes narrowing yet again against the wind and wet. She approached the circle of stones cautiously, her head lifting from its lowered position as she appeared to drink in the view (just as much as her pelt soaked up the rain! Blast it all!) before noting a small place where she might find shelter - however minimal - against the driving weather. The damp and cold was doing nothing for her downtrodden spirit, but at least she could curl at the base of one of the stones and hide from some of the wind, just for a while.

Wawindaji - what have you become? Wawindaji, once a proud warrior and hunter, was now Kuwindwa, a rain-sodden loner with nothing more to lose... and she was making shelter beneath a stone. How odd life could be. How bitter and bleak, just as this weather was. Tucking her paws as close to her body as she could, the woman lowered her head and covered her wet nose with her tail. It didn't really offer much to dry her with but it was some warmth for the cold extremity. She wouldn't sleep, but she could wait out this rain for a little while at least.

Wolf wandered through the area, his fur absorbing every drop of bone-freezing rain and forcing it to stay near his skin. His thick coat felt near as heavy as boulders as he tried to force himself to continue walking forward. Sighing, he shook his coat of the water that would soon regain. He knew a decently long journey still remained in head of him.

Relief flooded over Wolf as he spotted shelter in the distance. No, it wasn't luck. He was a skilled navigator and had been here a little over a month ago, seeking shelter from a sudden snowstorm. He made his way up towards the circle of stones, cautious not to step in a mud puddle and do further damage to his beautiful coat which he had earlier taken so much pride in. He grumbled to himself, annoyed by how much work it would later take to get his coat back to perfect condition.

As he neared the stones, he soon became aware of the fact he wasn't the only one here. Normally, he would walk away and search for shelter elsewhere. However, today he was irritated, cold and tired and all he simply card about was finding shelter to claim as his own. He gave out a low growl outside the shelter the stones had formed.

Maybe it was the rain playing with her ears? Perhaps the wind toyed with her mind? Whatever the case, the woman did not immediately hear the signs another was approaching. The rain dampened her sense of smell - it was nearly useless at any range. It was an unusual gap in her usually alert manner, likely the result of her exhausted state. As such, it was with much haste her head lifted and body tensed when she heard that growl. Kuwindwa's ears pressed as far forward as they would go and her eyes flew wide. Half a second later and she was on her paws, her sodden fur unable to stand on end - but the prickle down her spine was undeniable. Fear took her like an unwelcome companion; she forced it down and replaced it with the same mask of false bravado that followed her everywhere now.

Kuwindwa took a few steps forward, her head lowered cautiously. She stopped only when she could properly see the dark shape of the man who had growled at her. Her tail arched stiffly behind her, the end pointing up, her fangs appearing in the half-snarl of her own warning. Kuwindwa was no fool - this man with the deep violet pelt was several inches taller than her and weighed more. Kuwindwa may have been stout by nature, but she looked torn between remaining and fleeing. But she could not flee until she had ascertained certain facts. She could not smell the Pack on him... but then, how would she know? If this was an enemy of the old pack, then their pack-smell could have worn away by now, just as Kuwindwa's had.

If he were one of her pursuers, then she could take no risks.

"Name yourself! What do you want?" Demanded the woman tersely, her bronze eyes blinking away raindrops furiously. She was cold, wet, and nothing short of pathetic. Still, she would never let this stranger know how she felt. She wanted him to see what she was - and that was a wolf who was skilled and would be dangerous to mess with, in spite of her unkempt appearance. Even if her body was muddied (and more exhausted than she let on), her eyes were sharp and bright. She was sizing him up every moment.

Wolf flicked the freezing water from his ears as he slowly went around one of the huge stones, preparing to turn the corner and attack if needed. Although, being so cold, tired and hungry, his senses told him escaping might have to be a possibility. He shook his head. Confront your enemies, running isn't an option he told himself. Although, he wasn't stupid. He knew it was.

The wind started to pick up, blowing the already freezing rain into Wolfs face, disorientating him as the water blurred his vision temporarily. He could feel a tingle run up his spine as the hair stood up on the back of his neck and he realized he may have put himself in a really bad situation. His heart rate started to increase and his breathing got faster. He took a few steps back and tried to remain calm. Wolf took a few deep breaths before moving forward with his head lowered near the ground, and his ears bent backwards. He peaked around the corner just in time to hear the stranger speak.

"Name yourself! What do you want?" she demanded. Wolf loosened up, feeling less threatened after seeing the size of the female. Although, he stayed cautious. She could be skilled and he needed to protect himself. He walked into the strangers eyesight slowly and sat down, eying her carefully. "I apologize if I startled you miss. He bowed his head slightly as he stood out in the rain. He flicked his left in a failed attempt to keep water from flowing into his eye. Leaning towards not telling the stranger his name just yet, he left it out.

Observing the surroundings of the stones, he took in details he had not noticed before. He stared at the beauty it had to offer, soon becoming unaware of the fact it was pouring down on him, and he was in the presence of a stranger who could easily take advantage of him in this day-dream state he was in.

He had moved into a position where Kuwindwa could see him even better now, and it did nothing to ease her tension. The only reason every hair on her back didn't stand on end was because of the moisture plastering it down and spiking it together. Her lips quivered, threatening another snarl even as he seated himself before her - a move she interpreted as being incredibly bold. He wasn't afraid of her (not that she necessarily expected a bigger wolf to be afraid of a smaller one), and that could present problems for her if he chose to remain aggressive.

As they sized one another up, Kuwindwa took a step back, ready to flee out of range if she had to. Even his words did little to ease her mind. If anything, they incensed her further - though she only revealed a few teeth in response - it was barely a proper snarl. He may be taking back his initial warning, but that did not decrease the danger nor did it answer any of her questions, whether they be spoken or unspoken. Nevertheless, she made no further motion away from the man, or toward him. She erred instead to remain as civil as possible given the circumstances of this meeting.

"Stay back," she warned him. Her voice was almost soft, especially compared to the venom it had contained mere moments ago, but the warning was clear enough. She wasn't comfortable with him being this close - never mind risking him drawing nearer. "What do you want?" She reiterated her previous question, her tone less pernicious. He did not give her a name, but Kuwindwa had demanded that rather fiercely - and even in this state she was aware she was in no position to demand anything of anyone. If he had been one of those she believed to be pursuing her, she would have been attacked already. Then again, he might also be tricking her into letting her guard down. She couldn't risk that, not for a moment.

As the irritation grew deeper, Wolf rolled his eyes in annoyance at the stranger. He chuckled to himself. She believed he would fall for her dominant look that tried to cover her confusion. He stood up and took a few steps back, shaking some mud out from between his toes before standing tall, showing his full large size. The air grew colder, as the rain grew harder and the wind howled. It was almost an eerie feeling.

"If I wanted to hurt you, don't you think I would have already done that by now?"Wolf spoke in his deep tone. He continued to sit there in the pouring rain, refusing to go elsewhere, only wanting the shelter the female had been hogging to herself for the past 5 minutes. He opened his mouth to speak again, this time the words came out more quiet and smoother, some what calming. I'm here in search of the same thing you had been looking for. He paused for a second, before spitting out a final word. Shelter. *In case you weren't smart enough to know what I inferred by the original sentence.* he mumbled to himself.

The man at least had the courtesy to take a few steps back at her request, albeit with a bothered expression. Kuwindwa did not think her request unreasonable however and only watched as he proceeded to seat himself in the rain and mud once more. His words prompted her eyes to narrow and nose to scrunch distastefully. What he said was in part true, but that did not stop her from being wary. This much she said: "And if you had, my wariness would have kept my head where it belongs: on my shoulders," and will continue to do so.

His posture was relatively lax; he had size and brute strength on his side. The same could not be said of Kuwindwa, who slunk away from the stones even as the man spoke. Her gaze was caustic as she looked at him, but it was clear enough now what his aforementioned growl had been about. All he wanted was the shelter she had happened across first. Exhausted as she was, it wasn't worth a fight. She was alone and friendless: she could not afford injuries. That understanding didn't make her any more amicable however as her eyes flicked from him to the small space she'd just vacated. She left plenty of space between herself and the shadowy male, circumventing him so she could move on. Her posture remained half-crouched, ready to spring at a moment's notice. She was the image of a wolf who was afraid, but her stony expression told another story altogether as she snapped coldly, "Then take it."

Emotionally Kuwindwa felt as bitter and cold as the weather. Her voice all but dripped with it. Under other circumstances she might have shown less emotion but where her posture might betray her now, her face did remain a constant mask frozen in place but for the brief shows of expression she'd given him thus far. It was like something dead lived inside Kuwindwa - the emotion was the facade, not the other way around. She was running for crimes she didn't even commit! The only thing she was guilty of was not acting quickly enough... and that left an icy chill in her spirit she had not been able to shake. Now she used that bitterness against this stranger, however unintentionally.

Kuwindwa didn't proceed to leave immediately, instead watching the man almost expectantly. What kind of reaction was she expecting? She didn't want thanks or appreciation. Maybe she only wanted to make sure he was settled before she dared turn her back on him. That seemed most likely. In any case she waited, rain seeping into her pelt anew. She could withstand bitter winter and snow - but cold and damp? This is not worth a fight... she reminded herself.

The stranger seemed to grow more wary as Wolf tried to be more polite. He looked away from the female and down to the ground, pawing at it anxiously before directing his gaze to the sky. He was aware that it was wrong to steal the shelter. After all, the stranger had found it first. He gave out a sigh as the female told him to take it. He directed is gaze back to her, and shook his head in disagreement. Slightly ashamed with the way he had treated her earlier, even in the moments of such suspense, he looked back down at the ground. Keep it. he mumbled before getting back up to his paws and leaving, the same way he had come in. The rain still grew harder, but he dealt with it the best he could as he continued away from the stones. He pondered if he'd ever cross tracks with the strange, yet intriguing, female again.

-Exit Post-

In those waiting moments, Kuwindwa noted a change - his gaze flicked from her to the ground, to the sky - but not on her, not again, not in the same, direct, take-charge way. Ku's ears splayed uncertainly as she remained and her paws shifted in the grassy mud until he shook his head and told her simply, "Keep it." He rose and left without another word and Kuwindwa, too startled by this decision, did nothing to stop him. She had told him to take it! Albeit, her tone had held all the spite she could muster at any given moment... she just hadn't expected him to give up. No, that wasn't right, she decided. He hadn't given up - he could easily have forced her away. He had relented. It didn't matter if it was remorse, or shame, or honor that had changed his mind. All that mattered was the fact he had left her be - just as she would have asked given the chance.

Why was that surprising? Kuwindwa wondered. Had she really become so paranoid as to expect violence from any wolf she met? Trust no one. They will all stab you in the back the moment you turn away. Yes, she supposed she had. It was a disturbing revelation. She had not realized how strongly it affected her until just now... but then, when was the last time she had anything like "healthy" interaction with another wolf? Weeks? Months? "Rusty" would be a kind way of defining her already poor social skills.

The dark male was long gone when Kuwindwa finally broke her statuesque trance with a brutal shake of her coat. She dodged back into her shelter just as the wind picked up again, angry and snarling. The mist had become a real downpour, something she would have to wait out... though she almost thought she should move on. She was conflicted as she also felt she should stay. She told herself it was because there was no point in wasting what she had here - a small shelter where, with any luck, she would not be disturbed again. But in her heart she knew it was something else: to leave now would be spiteful, after the man had allowed her to return to the shelter regardless of circumstance. Kuwindwa could not do that, could not leave, even though no one would witness her behavior. She blinked rain out of her eyes.

In time perhaps her shell would soften. If perchance she ever met that same, strange wolf again, maybe her words would be softer - if not kinder. Maybe. But it was unlikely their paths might cross again, and her fate had determined she might run forever. Lowering her head, Kuwindwa closed her eyes. This rain would pass, and when it did, she would be gone.

Exit Kuwindwa.