He crept through the forest as quiet as a mouse, wall-eyed, his ears pinned to his skull and his tail tucked firmly between his legs. He let out a series of low whimpers as he crawled through briars and under fallen trees, jumping at the slightest sound rather than doing what he came there to do. His stomach grumbled irritably in an attempt to remind him to keep his focus, but it did little to quell the fear that somewhere something bigger was watching him. He had never been much of a hunter in all honesty, his sister had always been the one bringing home food while he saw to it that her many ailments were cared for. When he was younger his brother had teased him relentlessly for his ineptitude with hunting and he would never forget the look of shame on his father’s face when he started to cry over the first rabbit he had killed. He huffed and shook out his fur attempting to clear the bitter memories from his head. Maybe he wasn’t as good of a hunter as some wolves, he was a better healer than most, and that was definitely important right? ….Right? “R-r-r-right.” Talk

hang on to the glory at my right hand

Even travelling to the smaller continent hadn't sated Nati's craving. She just wanted to explore without any worry, any responsibility. But a girl had to eat. She'd been forgetting more frequently lately, often so high on adrenaline that she didn't feel the hunger pains until she was falling asleep. That was rather inconvenient. After last night's awakening, she became determined not to forget a meal again. She couldn't keep feeling like she was dying night after night.

The forest turned out to be a prime hunting spot. She caught a rabbit in no time and was trying to find a nice place to settle down with her kill when another wolf stopped her in her tracks. There seemed to be an awfully large number of loners in these lands... Not that she could criticize, being one herself. The male that crossed the path before her looked absolutely terrified. With wide eyes, Nati looked back and forth over the area, searching for anything that posed a threat. The rabbit in her mouth swayed side to side with the movement of her head.

Quickly, she snapped back to attention. Was he talking to himself? "Are you talking to yourself?" she asked abruptly, the rabbit dropping ungracefully from her maw.

n a t i e l .

He yelped, jumped immediately and entered a tunnel eyed fit of sheer panic. His paws hit the earth and slipped on a patch of moss, causing his ribs to hit the ground painfully, his hind paws flailed in the air momentarily before catching on the ground again and propelling him forward, half his body still digging into the soft earth. His forepaws caught on the ground and finally he could run at full tilt…straight into a tree. He bounced off the bark with another series of yelps and hit the ground shoulders first. “S-S-STAY AWAY!” He shrieked his paws wheeling through the air in an attempt to fight off whatever unseen attacker had found him. His heart pounded wildly his eyes darting from side to side as the shadows around him closed in. He saw nothing but could smell blood, his own blood at that, the searing pain of fresh cut in his shoulder however went unnoticed. Talk

hang on to the glory at my right hand

The reaction that followed her words was, well, unexpected. She'd imagined, after loosing the question, that he might jump but continue to cower, or jump and run away from her - just something more controlled. Nati's jaw dropped as she watched the male descend into utter chaos, from his initial yelp, through his first fall, to the moment he sprinted directly into the trunk of a tree.

"WHOA," she shouted, then immediately softened her tone as she moved quickly to stand over the brute, taking care to keep clear of his flailing legs but getting close enough to be within view. He didn't appear to know where her voice had originally come from, despite her standing only a couple of yards away when she spoke. She looked around again with wide eyes, trying to figure out what had the guy so spooked to begin with. "Whoa, whoa, easy does it, dude. Just a little lady here. Can I help you with something? Is something after you?"

n a t i e l .

He craned his neck to look at the girl, still wall-eyed and tucked his paws to his chest. “N-n-no? I don’t..I d-d-don’t know.” He whimpered, swallowing a growing lump that had formed in his throat. Once he saw that the girl intended him no harm, or at least didn’t seem to, he rolled onto his paws, keeping his ears pinned and his tail tucked. “I t-t-think I’m l-lost.” He muttered, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. He shut his eyes and shook out his neck “No…S-sorry, that’s not entirely t-true.” He said, mentally berating himself for his own perceived stupidity. “I’m n-n-not lost b-because I h-have n-nowhere t-t-to be.” He said to himself with a soft whine. He cautioned a glance at the girl’s eyes before quickly looking away and raising his paw to bat at his ear. He opened his mouth to say something else but as soon as he did his stomach growled irritably, causing a- thankfully hidden- blush to rise over his face. “S-sorry.” Talk

hang on to the glory at my right hand

Watching this male react to his fear, watching him cower from her even after taking the time to see her - it made her heart ache. Nati's expression softened to a point where she felt a bit like her face was melting off and she regarded him with a gentle gaze. He was lost, perhaps not physically but otherwise for sure. He was alone, clearly, for why else would he feel so lost? His stomach growled and he apologized, and Nati shook her head. "Wait here," she said as she turned and bounded back to the spot where she'd scared him senseless.

When she returned to him, she carried the rabbit she'd lost in her surprise. Nati laid it carefully down in front of his nose and nudged it toward him with a paw. "You can have this, I only caught it for sport." Not a lie... necessarily. She'd intended to eat it, but not for some time. She could always catch another. Sitting back on her haunches, she spoke again. "You're out here alone, no? And you have nowhere you are supposed to be?"

n a t i e l .

He looked at the rabbit then at the girl warily, gauging if it was a trick before his hunger overtook him. He snatched the rabbit and dug into it feverishly, filling his belly as the girl spoke to him. “N-no. I mean y-yes, I mean…” He shook out his neck and scraped fluff off his tongue with his teeth. “I h-have n-n-nowhere t-to go” he said, clearly becoming flustered by his own stuttering. “D-do y-you belong t-to a p-p-p-pack?” he asked She didn’t seem like it, and her scent seemed to lack the overbearing presence of numerous other wolves that pack wolves so often carried. His eyes darted away momentarily to look at the rabbit before they quickly returned to her. He cautiously dipped his head and continued eating while waiting for an answer, his eyes drifting upwards every so often as he greedily swallowed the meat he had been provided

hang on to the glory at my right hand

Her tail flicked up and down at her feet as she watched him eat. It was as though he hadn't been fed in years, the way he tore into that rabbit. Her face showed only that she was listening as he spoke, absorbing every word he managed to get out. She had to wonder, how had he even survived without a pack? Without a family or somewhere to go? How could he be alive if he was alone? The mere sound of her voice had sent him running head on into a tree.

Nati smirked at his question and shook her head. "No, no pack for me." Being in a pack didn't really fit with her life plan anymore. She'd done that, barely survived it, and didn't think she ever would again. "Do you want me to help you find someone? Surely there has to be someone out there looking for you?" It was a question, not a statement. She didn't want to assume, but she simply couldn't believe he'd made it this far on his own.

n a t i e l .

He paused as his jaws reached for another chunk of meat. “N-n-no one is l-l-looking f-f-for me.” He muttered, his tone deathly serious even through the stutter. He pulled back from the carcass, his appetite lost at the question. If anyone were looking for him they wouldn’t have kind intentions. He realized he had no idea what the girl’s name was and he had made no effort to introduce himself. “M-m-my n-n-name is S-s-s-spider b-by the w-w-way.” He said, still not looking directly at her. For most of his life Spider had survived by the seat of his pants, never one to start a fight and always depending on others to look after him. He had learned early on from the abuse of his brother that he was basically useless unable to hunt effectively or defend himself. He had only washed up on the new continent a few weeks ago and already what few survival techniques he had were beginning to fail him. Speech

hang on to the glory at my right hand

This was just sad. And not in a "sad-pathetic-deserving of judgment" kind of way, but in the way that made her heart ache. She struggled to keep the emotions subtle on her face as empathy forced her to worry for the male and made her eyes burn. She grimaced slightly as she asked quietly, "Do you have any family?" He indicated otherwise, but she had to be absolutely sure before she decided what to do. She couldn't, in good conscious, let him wander alone after meeting him. But if she had someone she could take him to, that would be much better. She had so much to accomplish, and it wouldn't do well to have a dependent with her. Beside, she doubted he'd like her much after spending real time together. Few did.

He spoke again and reminded her that she hadn't introduced herself. How rude of her, especially while she was interrogating him. "Nice to meet you, Spider. I'm Natiel."

n a t i e l .

She asked if he had family, and answer came immediately; “N-no.” He squeaked. He didn’t know where on earth his parents were, and if he went back to them it would only be to live the rest of his life in shame. Otherwise there was his brother who never wanted to see again if he could help it and who hopefully hadn’t found his way to the continent as well. She introduced herself and he felt a small, shy smile return to his features. “P-p-pleasure to m-m-meet you N-n-natiel.” He said with a wan smile. He hadn’t realized before just how alone he truly was without his sister or how much he had come to depend on her despite her sickly nature. Now he was on his own, but there was no reason the girl needed to be troubled with him, no matter how much he needed it. He supposed he had always been a burden, and in this new place, with a fresh start he was determined to change that. Talk

hang on to the glory at my right hand

A soft smile was what she offered him, but it didn't match the storm in her head. Her mind was working at a million thoughts per minute, generating and vetoing ideas. He had no one, which was both painful and surprising to think about considering the fact that he was alive... That meant she had to consider the fact that he'd made it this far on his own. Sure, he was fearful and appeared a bit ill, but he was alive. It counted for something, but it wasn't enough to convince her conscience that she could simply walk away from him. Her head turned toward the sky and she closed her eyes, deep in thought until finally satisfied.

"Ahah, I've got it!" Nati uttered suddenly, her head snapping back down and her eyes meeting his. "I have an idea. You can say no, if you want." Natiel had been alone too. She'd been by herself since the day she ran, with only the company of random strangers along the way. She enjoyed meeting new people, she did, but she liked the idea of a more permanent friend, someone she could always find and count on. And she was a charitable spirit, always happy to help another. They could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, if he agreed with her idea.

"I've been looking for somewhere in this region to make a sort of home, somewhere I can always return to at the end of the night to rest or to store food, whatever I need really. Maybe... If you want to, that is, maybe you could join me? Not to go everywhere together that is, but we could share whatever space we find and we would both have somewhere to go back to."

n a t i e l .

His eyes lit up at the offer, his ratty tail giving a brief but enthusiastic wag. “I-I-I’d l-l-like t-t-that.” He said, his mouth hanging open in a wide grin that nearly split his face in two. The idea of having someone he could co-operate with eased his mind considerably, Natiel looked strong and resourceful and if she had any ailments he could certainly help, although, truth be told, it sounded rather one-sided. He paused momentarily at that thought. He reminded himself that he was starting over, that things had to be different now and sooner or later he would need to pull his own weight. Sharing a den with Natiel it seemed, would be the perfect place to start. A twig snapped behind him in the cold dark forest and he jumped immediately, ears pinning back and tail tucking. “B-b-but n-n-n-not h-h-here r-r-r-right?” He asked cautiously. What if she liked it here? His eyes darted to the ground immediately “I m-m-mean w-w-we c-can if y-y-you l-l-like it…” He trailed off with a soft whimper hoping that the dark and shadowy forest that seemed to reach out to grab him at every turn wouldn’t become his permanent residence. Talk

hang on to the glory at my right hand

He was quick to accept her offer and his enthusiasm made it so she couldn't help but smile. Happiness was infectious, especially when it was the result of a good deed. Natiel was happy that Spider was happy, and she was proud of herself for having a part in that. Perhaps this charity could even help her in achieving her goal in some way - maybe he would back her? It was a long time to be seen though, nothing to worry herself with now.

The male's mood quickly changed as a sound startled him. As he cowered and asked not to live in the forest, Nati couldn't help a small chuckle. "No no, not here," she reassured gently. "I've seen a few places that I think could work. Is there anywhere you've been that you'd like?" She wanted him to have some say. They'd search for a new place if they had to. But she wouldn't choose a spot without his approval.

n a t i e l .

“N-n-not r-r-really.” He muttered. He hadn’t had a chance to explore the land properly in the short time he’d been there. He’d mostly stayed in the south and so far had found it comfortable enough but he made a note to explore the land more once they were settled in. For now all he wanted to do was leave and get as far away from the forest as possible. He picked up what little remained of the rabbit and stood beside her. “R-r-read th’ ray.” He said, his words garbled by the rabbit in his mouth. “F-f-fank y-y-you…Agaim” He muttered, his eyes once again downcast in a sign of submission. They had only just met and she, a perfect stranger, had already been so kind to him. If he wasn’t sure before he was now, he would help her in any way he could no matter what she asked, and although he doubted she would ask him to kill for her he didn’t doubt that he would. Little did she know, he had already done it before. OOC: Feel free to exit with Spider Spider speaking Echo Speaking

hang on to the glory at my right hand

ooc;; quick overdue closing post,
new thread HERE

She couldn't help but frown a little at his reaction. He was such a nervous Nelly and seemed to be anxious simply because he worried about being a disappointment. "That's ok, we can just find something together."
Nati grinned at him when she spoke, hoping to ease any worries he had. When she thought about the places she'd passed through, she realized they all had significant downsides. She hoped it wouldn't take them all that long to find something great.

Thanks were something she didn't expect, but hearing those words gave Nati a spark of happiness. "It's no problem, really!" she replied quickly, feeling her cheeks warm. "Let's go ahead and get moving, see what we can find."

-exit with Spider-

n a t i e l .