Deathbelle and her niece Banshee eventually left the small island of Ibon after a much deserved rest and a bit of relaxation. They made their way across the coral and tide pools carefully, eventually returning to the mainland. The beach on the other side was smaller, and bordered a cliff that reached up to a heavily planted area of briars. The Klein she wolves picked their way up the cliff and found themselves in the quiet of the briar.

There didn’t seem to be any paths through at first, but once Deathbelle found a deer path the going became much easier. She was pricked on more than one occasion and thanked her lucky stars for her perfect pelt. Banshee followed behind her, avoiding most of the pointed ends. They stumbled onto one of the deer that called this place home, and it was so surprised to see them Belle made it an easy meal. They finished, and Belle decided she needed to do a bit of scouting.

There were no scents of other predators, so she felt safe leaving Ban with the carcass and she continued on, searching for a way out of the briar patch.

pricked and prodded, Nimbus was having a miserable time. he was too tall to avoid the thorns, and he easily had more than a few scratches already. he wondered why he was making this difficult for himself. surely there was an easier way to walk around, but he had decided to explore. gods help him. he had just been following the sound of the birds when he came across this area. honestly, it was a very pretty place. full of hidden wonders, he assumed, but the thick briar plants were in the way most of the time. he could see if he dared bend his head, some weaving paths. but the foliage was too dense for him to make sense of them. suddenly, the scent of blood hit his nose and he recoiled. it wasn't old and it wasn't new. it smelt like other wolves had made a meal recently. Nimbus' ears piqued, evergreen eyes looking around as if to spot them. he failed to notice the child and the carcass if they were close by. he wasn't going to steal their food anyway. walking further in, he was relieved of the thorns when he found a path. ahead of him, he could smell a distinctive female scent. "h-hello?" the young man called out, wondering if the other was nearby or not. he'd halt as he entered the pathway, tail drooping behind him and his coat a mess of soft blood and stray thorns. "Speech." | "you" | ----------------------------------------------------------- OC: 1/3 rounds for navigation. 1/3 for intellect. Translations:

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The sound of someone’s voice made her halt, even with the thick briars she knew they were close. It hadn’t been the most confident voice either, but Belle still turned herself around to make sure there was no threat to Banshee. As her snow splattered form shifted beneath the thorns she was pricked a few more time. The fur on her body was thick enough to avoid most of the damage, but her face and ears suffered the most. Little nicks and cuts weren’t completely obvious on her dark fur but her shining white ear as a different story.

She grumbled quietly to herself as she got herself in the right direction before saying anything. Hopefully the wolf veered in her direction instead of Banshee’s. ”Hello?” She answered before she could see him. Decorated paws carried her further down the deer trail before his grayscale form came into view. He didn’t hold himself with the same pride Belle did. While he could still be a threat she was sure even Banshee could take him herself. ”Yes?” She tried not to snap at him as her magenta gaze looked him over.

a woman appeared quickly, too quickly for his liking. but when did he really like anything? this whole area was misery-inducing. but back to her. she was a pretty young thing, but he wasn't a pig nor a flirt. he just marveled in the best of times. it probably had to do with his low self-esteem; he thought anyone was better looking than him. slowly, he'd hang his head as the woman quietly demanded he explains his reasoning for calling out. "s-sorry. I thought... uh..." his eyes downcasted to the earth. he thought the others had moved on. anyone was foolish to remain here for long. just then, his belly gave a mighty rumble. jolting up, his cheeks flustered deep red. well, if wolves could even blush. "t-that was rude. sorry." he'd fumble with an answer, stating the obvious facts. he wasn't salivating but he could still smell the deer and he hadn't eaten since he arrived here. not that it was this lady's business nor her concern. he'd tear his eyes away from her face as Nimbus looked once more around. any large prey had to know what they were doing to make a home or roam here. the paths of thorn were enough to bleed out anything that wandered in before it could escape. maybe he could find some corpses to scavenge. the thought made him sick. he didn't want to touch a long dead animal. even if he was hungry. taking a deep breath, he'd try to steady himself. "I uh didn't want anything... I just smelt others nearby. I thought... I thought it was a stale scent." "Speech." | "you" | ----------------------------------------------------------- OC: 2/3 rounds for navigation. Translations:

Stock by Kati.H

The stranger returned her quick assessment, his eyes taking her in as her took him. Then his gaze was on the ground and he stuttered before her. He was younger, but not so much as Banshee was. He didn’t have the self confidence of the girl either. ”You’re hungry.” She’d state as fact as he.. apologized for his grumbling stomach? She tilted her head slightly as he looked around nervously before going on. He’d figured their scent was stale and was likely looking to scavenge off of their leftovers.

”We’ve just made a kill. If you’re alone I can offer a meal.” She said simply, her voice somewhat flat as she looked him over again. Would he even have anything worth her time? ”Have you anything to trade for a good meal? A bit of knowledge or story?” Banshee would appreciate the later while she craved the former. She asked him with a flick of her alabaster tail and her lavender gaze trained upon him.

he nodded slowly, agreeing with her assessment. he was really hungry. Nimbus had been so lost in his thoughts, trying to travel without making such a big fuss and attracting attention, that he forgot to catch himself food. it was his first time being alone, and he didn't much like it. the woman offered him food though, causing his evergreens to dart back to her. they were wide, embarrassed to take food from a stranger. "o-oh, it's... if it's a bother, I can f-find something else..." a trade? he didn't... have anything to trade with. a story or two maybe, and definitely some hidden knowledge though. "but t-thank you" he'd dip his head, in awe of her kindness. "I uh, know a few things about constellations. and have some n-nice stories..." even if he was terrible at surviving by himself, he knew enough to start a conversation. even carry one. he wondered if the woman was a storyteller looking to find more to add to her craft. his tail even lifted hopefully, though it was still quite low. he had no threat to him at all. Nimbus realized that he may appear very ill-prepared to deal with life alone. he'd lift his head to the sky above, noting the coming stars from between very thick trees. he knew he was south; the weather was warmer. Nimbus was tall enough to note their surroundings outside of the briars too. but it was mostly very dense woodland surrounding them all on sides. he wondered if the woman had a little camp somewhere beyond them. but judging that she just made the kill, he knew he shouldn't hope to be rid of the thorns. besides, it was up to her if she wanted to share her food for a few meager stories and thoughts about stars. "Speech." | "you" | ----------------------------------------------------------- OC: 3/3 rounds for navigation. Translations:

Stock by Kati.H

He nodded quickly as she offered her take on his condition, at first he didn’t want to bother her. However the trade seemed to appeal to hm. She and Banshee certainly weren’t going to be able to consume the whole thing before it brought more unwanted attention. He offered a little knowledge of the stars and stories. Deathbelle didn’t think there was much more she could ask of him and nodded once.

”Follow me.” Though it was a request Deathbelle felt like it could have been a command. He seemed rather malleable. She didn’t know if she might be able to use that to her advantage or not. There would be little keeping him after he’d eaten his meal, not that she thought he would run from their agreement. A few simple words was all he was asked for anyway.

Belle led the way to the deer carcass, Banshee had found a small thicket to curl up within to nap off her meal. ”Don’t wake the babe.” She said harshly through her teeth as she gestured to the deer.

if anything, he was a suspicious wolf. though he knew she was probably trying to be kind, he couldn't help but keep glancing over his shoulder as he followed the woman. he didn't know her name. didn't know who she was or what she wanted with him outside of a few stories. Nimbus kept trying to keep track of the trail and how to easily get back to where he had been. she led him away from that, to a small clearing. he spotted the child, ducking his head down as the woman snapped at him not to wake her. so the stories were probably for the pup. how was he to earn his share when the girl was asleep? would he have to tell it to the woman and she'd recite it later? that seemed probable. he didn't focus on that for long, for the woman gestured to the carcass. hunger threatened to overtake him, saliva trying to drip from his jaws. Nimbus went forward, trying to eat as quickly as possible and as little as possible so he wasn't entirely indebted. with two wolves; the deer carcass was a bit large for them. add one in and he was finishing off what they didn't take. licking his lips clear, he'd turn back to the woman as he filled his belly. his head dipped in a grateful nod, refusing to speak right now. even if the young man's voice was quite soft, he was fearful of what would happen if he woke the child. "Speech." | "you" | ----------------------------------------------------------- OC: 3/3 rounds for navigation. Translations:

Stock by Kati.H