Dawn

She wasn't sure what to think of the world around her when her eyes opened. It wasn't what she left. The mountains had run away from her and loomed distantly. The creek had turned to a lake. How curious. She stretched, thin legs reaching for nothing but air as she rolled around on the shore. Her eyes skimmed the horizon and she lazed about a bit more before finally getting to her feet.

Some might freak out in one way or another, but Cadenza was her usual unconcerned self, sashaying her way up to the water to take a drink. After licking the droplets from her maw, again she looked around again, but seeing nothing canine nearby -- just some distant hooved beasts -- it seemed she would for now be left to amuse herself. And so she trotted along the shore, free.
the staff team luvs u

Ezra had spent days searching for his lost companions with no luck. He was quickly approaching the moment he would be forced to accept that they simply weren't here. He wasn't unaware of thid eventuality; he often wondered what then would be his next move. Did he continue on from this place and try to find his way back home? Or did he settle in and try to make a new life for himself? These were not things he liked to think about, but he did so anyway. He would not walk blindly into his own future.

When he spotted the other wolf ahead, his heart leaped into his throat. It was a momentary reaction. It fled him quickly as he realized that this wasn't someone he recognized. The scent was unfamiliar, the face belonging to someone else. His hope fell, but he approached nonetheless, letting out a quick chuff to announce his presence before he came closer.

"'Ello, ma'am," Ezra said once he was near enough, offering her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
the staff team luvs u

While he might be mourning the loss of people he knew, Cadenza was one who would make the best of whatever fate dealt her. She had been on her own for a while anyway, or at least that was the feeling -- the exact details were fuzzy, but she didn't feel as though anything was wrong at the very least. She was okay with that.

At some point her trot had turned into a brief gallop, running down the shore a ways before slowing and spotting the other wolf nearly at the same time. His distant greeting seemed friendly enough so she met him halfway, tail waving behind her. “Oh what ever did I do to get a ma'am?” she said with a bit of a laugh. “Cadenza will be just fine, thanks -- who might you be?” A birdlike tilt of her head as she asked.
the staff team luvs u

Ezra kept his eyes on the girl, watching her posture and the way she reacted to his presence. Fortunately, it was a positive reaction, so he was able to release some of the tension he'd held onto just in case this went South. He didn't completely drop her guard, though her comments and her manner made him want to. She seemed friendly and in good spirits--a nice change from what he'd encountered thus far.

"Habit," Ezra replied with a soft chuckle, "Nice t'meet you, Cadenza. I'll try to restrain my ma'ams and my miss's for you. I'm Ezra Blackwater, new to these parts and on the hunt for some of my companions. You wouldn't happen to have come across any other searchers that talk a little slow and a little funny like me, would ya?" He smiled at his own self-deprecation.
the staff team luvs u

Wrapping since Stevie left!

---

Well, Cadenza hadn't. In fact, he was the first wolf she'd run into here, so, after answering thusly there was likely a brief discussion about the weather and she went on her way. To what? Probably nothing exciting right now.
the staff team luvs u