Gideon rolled. First onto his side and then his back, then back to his side and then over the other way. He simply could not get comfortable. The reasons kept changing, but the end result did not. At first a stick and then a bug and finally he was standing with a huff and a shake of his fur. This was hopeless, he'd just have to get on with the day. Sleep still clung to his limbs, a drowsy weight that discouraged him from standing upright. It was a pawful of hours past dawn, thought the sun did poor work to warm the earth. It was not the deep, heartless winter he'd been born into but that didn't mean he had to like it. He'd made his den amongst the roots of an old tree, a natural hollow he'd dug deeper into the ground. It now fit him comfortably, and he'd spent the better part of the last two days collecting scraps of moss to line it with. Finally, after great toiling, he'd achieved both 'comfortable' and 'warm,' just in time for what looked like one of the first real snow storm he'd seen all year. Then again the clouds overhead could mean nothing at all, but he'd rather be safe than sorry. Today he would try to find a meal, he decided, and marked his direction carefully before setting off in the direction of a thicket he'd passed the other day, where a large tree had fallen and given way to lesser plants, a tangle of tall grass and shrubs. There was bound to be a bite to eat lingering there, right? "Talk" "You" Think

She... should probably get home, and soon. The broiling clouds above and the biting, cold winds bespoke something quite unpleasant, and Vali eyed the sky warily. She wasn't certain she'd have the time to get back; it might be safer to hunker down here and wait out the storm, instead of try to run back to her den in Abaven. Grumbling to herself, she glanced at the herbs she snagged, too. The last vestiges of fresh herb stock should be enough to last through the remainders of winter, though hopefully she won't need them at all. There wasn't much, because she didn't want to make it so all growth in the spring would be eliminated, but...

A fresh scent drifted into her nose at that moment, and her ears swiveled in curiosity. Her head turned and peeked to the side - yep, there was fresh evidence of another wolf. That was a den she spotted, in the roots of an old tree. "Hmm," she hummed thoughtfully, tracking the scent with ease. It was so fresh - undoubtedly, the wolf was still there. Indeed, it only took a few seconds to find the wolf, and she slowed as she blinked at him. Okay. He has a natural reddish brown color... with... brilliant blue threaded in his fur. Alright. She'd roll with that. You didn't see that every day, but. "Hello, stranger," she called out softly, trying to catch he attention of the male. He seemed to have a goal in mind; maybe she could assist?

""

©sanctuare-2k16

He was not prepared for the unexpected arrival of a stranger, nor had he anticipated entertaining anyone at all for several days. In fact, the storm had occupied the entirety of his consciousness. Gideon, upon hearing the footsteps of some intruder, let out a low sigh. Surely it was not loud enough to be heard by anyone other than him (he was not purposefully rude, of course). Still, his head flew up involuntarily as he sought out the source of the noise. A wolf, certainly. He was no moron, obviously he'd know the difference between it and whatever else. All the same he was cautious in his surveillance. He seemed to make eye contact with the woman in the same moment she saw him. Obviously unable to flee or hide or pretend he hadn't noticed, Gideon restrained another sigh as he wormed his way back into the open. She seemed as worried about the weather as he was, if the set of her ears and light in her eyes was ought to go off of. She greeted him, plain and simple, yet he still bit back a response laced with rude intent. He instead intoned, "Greetings. Pray the weather plans mercy for us." Hell yeah it was a little weird, but it was no less true ,and Gideon wasn't really in the business of making others comfortable around him. He gave no shits whatsoever what was thought of him, and whether this fae chose to move on or linger was of no consequence. He sniffed, looking again for a meal. "Talk" "You" Think

Blue eyes et yellow, and she blinked. His eyes matched the same hue as the snaking markings on his pelt, and it was quite interesting. When he spoke, her ears flicked a bit. Well, he was certainly... polite. He wiggled his way back into the open, his face completely neutral, and even spoke neutrally, without any infliction. Oookay, so he wasn't friendly, but he wasn't hostile either. That was a start, wasn't it? "Indeed. It wouldn't be pleasant if that storm hit us," she sighed softly. Yellow eyes focused on the younger male, flickering his curiosity as he visibly sniffed the air. "What are you looking for?" she questioned, approaching. "Perhaps I could help?" she suggested only a mere moment later. Really, unless it involved hurting someone, she'd be more than willing to help out with whatever was needed.

""

©sanctuare-2k16

The fact that this woman, a complete stranger, offered him aid was enough to give Gideon pause. He was not used to accepting help from others. He did not like accepting help from others, nor did he seek out the comfort of their company. All the same, he did not fancy being stuck out in a blizzard either. He sighed, letting his head drop only a fraction of an inch. Fine. He would not let this affect his mood, and instead turned back to the woman with open and honest eyes. She seemed much older than he, if he had to guess, so hopefully not as insufferable as most other wolves he'd met in his age range. Her offer to assist him was met with a polite frown. "There really is no need, but if you need to shelter from the storm there is room here amongst the roots." It would be inhospitable for him to say anything else of course. "Currently I seek a meal, nothing too arduous." His speech was stiff and formal, a clear indicator that he was not looking for friendship. If she proved an able companion through the weather, fine. He knew that the pack survived when the lone wolf died but all the same, it did not make his interactions with others pleasant. In fact, he'd found himself better off alone more often than not. The war between 'be nice to the stranger' and 'leave without another word' continued to rage in his mind, an he unwittingly gave her room to respond to his... offer. Of sorts. Kind of. "Talk" "You" Think

This man was cold, polite, and not at all friendly - but he wasn't hostile, either, and Váli would try her damned hardest to make him friendly. He was indeed courteous, though, and that she respected. She inclined her head respectfully. "I thank you for your offer," she returned with. He explained he was looking for a meal, and she eyed the skies. "Let's work together," she suggested. "It'll give us more of a chance to bring something good down, and it will likely be quicker that way. Time's not exactly on our hands, and I'm not about to leave my fate to nature." Her words were reasonable enough. She had cracked hard cases like this before, and she would do it again.

Of course, she was absolutely oblivious to his internal war; she simply couldn't comprehend a wolf that always wanted to be left alone. There were, of course, moments when she wanted to interact with no one - but all the time? That was insanity! And when she did interact with others... why limit it to wolves she already knew? Why not strike out, and befriend those not in packs, or other packs. A lot of the time, too, she could be of assistance to those outside of packs, and that she truly enjoyed. She wanted nothing in return, because she already got her reward - the satisfaction knowing that she assisted.

""

©sanctuare-2k16

She proposed... working together. He withheld an anguished sigh. The prospect of a meal that was both wholesome and filling appealed to him but this woman was practically glowing with friendly optimism, and it was honestly a bit unnerving. Of course, at the end of the day, her offer was a good one and he'd already extended her an invitation to wait out the weather with him, so he might as well get used to it. He forced a small smile, barely a twitch of the lips, and raised a brow. "Well," he began, slowly and with more age in his tone than he was necessarily afforded by his obvious youth. "You make a good point. We don't have much time though, I'd wager." He looked skyward towards the advancing storm front which continued closing in. He gave them an hour tops, and less before the snow or sleet or whatever actually started coming down. He stretched out, loosening the muscles of his shoulders and neck as he went. No use in pulling something, right? Hunting was such an arduous task, but he could admit that he occasionally found some enjoyment in it. Gideon turned back to the pale woman once he was done and said, "My name is Gideon," though she had not asked. "Did you have any particular quarry in mind?" He could not say that he would blindly follow her lead but he was similarly disinclined to make any sort of decision. She wanted to hunt, fine. He wanted a good meal, fine. But he wasn't about to do any more work than he had to, although he tried his best to keep that little nugget on the down low. "Talk" "You" Think