cold and alone — it suits you well

 

 Continuing her expedition within the mountains, Vedette headed northeast, making her way to the more jagged parts of the jutting hills. She could not just sit still in the ford, even if she tried. The expansive land beckoned her to search and return, helping in the best way she knew how — and trying to find more out about her new homeland. The Ford probably did not need someone to tell them about their surrounding outside places, they probably knew, but Vedette looked closer to each turn of the clouds and shift of the wind. Her eyes were keen on how the weather shifted and the animals acted. It was one of the few things she did well; knowing the way disasters start and how they will end. 

 The dusk dragon hopped the final rock up into the unfamiliar territory she faced. Instead of finding a garden of stone and vines, she found the exact opposite. Flowers popped brightly against the rocky expanse, outlining it. Grass filled in between where jutting rocks should be. It was a surprise for sure, but the only thing that crossed her face was the small twitch of an eyebrow. Without another moment to waste, she descended into the conclave of wildlife.

the staff team luvs u

A goldenrod gaze flickers over the small valley, a similar site to the one he had awoken to only days prior. Niklaus lounges lazily across an outcrop of stone, his chest flush against the cold boulders and his tail draped hastily across his dark hind-legs. With each intake of breath, his nose would flare, shuffling through the unfamiliar scents that dotted the landscape before him. Wildflowers were abundant in warm tones of pink and purple, highlighted against the particular shade of mocha travelling up his physique. His pose is calm, relaxed, nearly impervious to nerves.

A figure appears from the left, and her presence does not go unnoticed for long. Leaning forward, the man blinks slowly, adjusting his position so that he may have a better vantage point to survey this stranger. She hadn't seemed to notice him yet, and that was fine by him - if only for a little while. It gave him a chance to practice something he had been wanting to for quite some time. A small, thin whistle of air blows through his nostrils as he flexes his dormant muscles, rising to a low crouch under the cover of fallen rock and foliage. He steadies against the ground, and narrows his eyes, watching the female move through the flowers as though she had a clear path to her next destination.

He takes his time slipping away from his resting area. By the time he is on flatter earth, she is a few strides away. He only wants to see how close he can get before she notices. How silent he can be despite the clear upperhand she may have in regards to being downwind. His paws graze the soft grasses, pressing tightly forward, ears taut and focused on his own footfalls.

Don't notice. He croons in his mind, face a mask of concentration. Not yet.

the staff team luvs u

 

 Ichorwood seemed eerie to others in a way that she could not feel. Blood-soaked leaves and the sickly hue of bark that painted each of the trees with a green glow. Wolves that traversed through them were put off, standing in the aura of their radiation. But Vedette, well, she'd moved through it quite easily. It was a spot that reminded her of home. A past life that she wished she could find herself yearning for, but could never focus on that part of her long enough. She needed to keep moving. There was no time to dwell on a pastime, when she was in the present, needing information to grasp to what she had. Moving through the wildflowers, this was her Ichorwood. She felt uneasy around all the blinding colors. Pink flowers brushed across her knee, caressing the sides of her. Her black nose twitched; not used to the perfume-like plants. 

 As she moved through the valley of fauna, she noticed something. Usually, there was an abundance of noise. Birds singing or squawking, small mammals skittering across the undergrowth, larger hooved creatures staring then darting off into the distance. But here, there was none of that. And that could only mean that something had startled it all off. And considering she was doing nothing but passing through, it couldn't be her, could it? A blaze of orange eyes scan the area in front of her, then she takes another step forward as her head snapped backwards, cutting sharply around the turn of a rock. "Come out." She states, in a cool and collected manner. Not the demeanor someone being hunted would act like. "Now." She commands the surrounding air like an inferior subordinate. She didn't have time for this. And if it was some kid trying to scare her, she'd find a nice cliff to scare them off — not enough to hurt them, but surely teach the kid a lesson. 

the staff team luvs u

What had began as a happenstance stroll through the hollow was now becoming something quite different. The flat edge of Klaus's belly now kissed the top of the wildflowers, his body rolled into a hunter's crouch as he prepared his muscles for a long haul of dodging and stalking. As if this girl - this stranger - was nothing but a stray fawn, lost in the field and stranded from her mother. A chance to practice his skills, if not a random bout of entertainment.

Not for long, though. He should have known that eventually the silence that had grown thickly around the pair would catch up to his plans. With a sharp turn, the female would jerk around, looking squarely in his direction but not yet at him. Enough of a hint that she knew he was there, but not exactly where. Before the taller man could react properly, or adjust his angle, the girl spoke - her voice a booming echo throughout the area. "Come out. Now."

So .. serious. Klaus grinned, woeful that his playtime was over but enthused nonetheless that he had such an engaged prey. So quick to notice the lack of life, and take control of her situation. Admirable, at the very least. His chest rose with one heavy, slow breath, the first time in a few moments that he was able to truly relax. His crown would rise first, then his upper-half, and finally, his legs would gather beneath him, long and sturdy. His gaze would quickly shift to her line of vision, granting her one nod and shrug of his shoulders - a subtle sign of defeat.

"You caught me." He'd purr, knowing that if he had fingers and working arms his hands would be firm in the air, palms out. Stepping further out and away from his now-crumpled hiding spot, Klaus opts to watch her with a neutral face, gauging. He half-wondered if she'd dismiss him as creepy and run away before they had even gotten properly introduced. He wouldn't necessarily blame her, but it wouldn't be as fun.

the staff team luvs u

 

 Vedette waited, patiently. Fear did not strike her nor irritable, just clear and collected aura, trusting her command would beckon whomever out. And if not, well, she'd find them. She had always been good at hide and seek. Hunting weather patterns made her pay attention to detail. She noticed the movement from her side and found him rising out of the brush that had covered him before. Admitting defeat with a shrug and a nod towards her. Vedette studied his coat and stature. He had her in height, but she had him with more weight. They both equaled out in build; muscles proving to be present without completely bulging outwards. 

 "Indeed. You should account ahead of time before anything sees you. Not just your target." She states, not letting her sight leave him. "Why were you watching me? Are you from Northfall?" She questions, taking a step closer to him, showing him she is not afraid in the slightest. Though his scent does not carry one of the same in bulk, she doesn't know much about Northfall or how many of them there are, but she knows she won't be caught off guard by them. She was alert, guarded almost all the time. Even in her sleep, she awoke at the slightest things. The darkness under her eyes was not only from coloring, but lack of sleep throughout her whole life. 

the staff team luvs u

Klaus's eyes drift to a dance of amusement as the woman begins to reprimand him like she would a child, critiquing his lack of awareness should another had been lurking in the near distance. Now that he was no longer lowered into an uncomfortable crouch, he brought his paws to his forefront, lowering into a tense squat that didn't quite allow him to be completely relaxed. "Yes, ma'am." He nods stiffly, intentionally, with a swift jerk of his dark chin. As though he were heeding the orders of a leader - or perhaps his mother.

The mention of some "Northfall" catches his attention moreso than her previous comment, and the man shakes his head briefly in response, slightly puzzled. Was this a pack? Did he somehow snag himself on some of their scent markers, perhaps drag a bit of their smell with him here? He almost ignores the part where she questions him watching her, instead skipping to the strange name that fell from her lips. "I don't know of any Northfall." Curt, but to the point. Almost as an afterthought, he adds: "Practicing. Y'know, for when I finally get to act out my super-spy dream. I could have tried this on a bunny, but it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining."

the staff team luvs u

 

 Vedette's burnt orange gaze stayed upon the man and her head dipped in a firm nod once he heeded her lesson. At least he had half a mind to listen to her. The woman allowed her eyes to roll over him, taking in his appearance. Colored with shades of oak tree bark with a jagged scar that looked as if it'd been long healed, accompanied by dashing, fiery amber. Hints of cinnamon tangle within his fur as if he'd been mixing herbs with it not long ago. All of it, she notes underneath her quick study. 

 The lingering hint of obligating duty fell away once he deemed he was not from Northfall. The slight lift in her hackles smoothing over and the tension in her jaw, ready to crank open at the slightest movement, ceased. Her charcoal eyebrows lift at his confession, and there's a tickle of amusement underneath her ribcage, but it didn't show. "Hm. With this new piece of information, maybe your dreams of being a spy will come true." She commented, now comfortable enough to pry her eyes off of him and gaze over the surrounding area, watching wildlife flood back to life as normality seeped back in. "Bunnies do not make good teachers." She concluded, even though she would have rather him not use her as target practice. "So then. You have no home, super-spy?"

the staff team luvs u

Klaus watched silently as the tension in her body dipped back to neutrality, and felt relieved that at least his presence wasn't a threat to her anymore. It was so much easier to make new acquaintances when they didn't want to rip his throat out. At her bunny comment, a deep chuckle tickles his throat. "I suppose a wolf doesn't need to be taught how to be prey," he relented, thoughtfully. Bunnies were good for one thing, and usually one thing only: food. Their conversation did leave him wondering if it would benefit them to learn more about how they act around predators, though. Isn't the point of being a good hunter understanding your target?

"Home is where I wander," he replies enigmatically, with a slight tilt to his head in her direction. She wasn't looking directly at him anymore, and he took the chance to study her features. It seemed her expression never deviated from vexed. "But yes, you're right. I don't belong to any pack. I quite like it. Always a new adventure to be had," he adds as an afterthought, training his gaze on the autumnal hue of her own. "I suppose you're not fond of this Northfall, then? Rivals to your pack?" The assumption had to be made that she belonged to one, considering her hastiness to figure out where he came from.

the staff team luvs u

 

 There were little clouds in the sky to shield the sun from their current location. Heat wafted freely over them. Summer's warm days seemed to never come to an end. Of course, it made the trek up here a little weary, but now that she had reached the peak — and had a little bit of rest with this... stranger, she felt better. 'Home is where I wander.' He deemed. Vedette's nose twitched at the thought. Not having a purpose or duty made her feel uneasy, having no one to serve. It would make her life worthless. Her whole childhood wolves had relied on her. She never had time to wander or even be alone, not until her grandmother died. And even then, she had to be there for her drunken father. Vedette's lips stayed pulled straight, a thin line void of emotion. "Good for you then." The soldier finally returned her gaze to him. Her words came off curt, monotoned, and probably ruder than she meant for them to. Tone of voice, along with emotions, had been something she never fully grasped. 

 Northfall came up again, and this did cause her lips to twist into an unfavorable frown. "Hm. You could say that." It's best not to give all your secrets away, to enemies or to strangers that could easily become enemies. "We're not close. I'll leave it at that." Vedette found her footing, shifting her paws underneath her until the ground felt right, like it wasn't digging into her paw pads. "This was fun, super spy, but I must be going back to my home." She says, really with no concept of the word 'fun', but she tossed it in, anyway. 

 Vedette readied herself to leave, and as she started to walk away, she cast her gaze over her shoulder once more and left him with, "Be careful who you hunt next time." Before taking her leave. 

the staff team luvs u

This woman came off like a statue, all stone and practice contrasted Klaus's messy jest. "Good for you," she'd state matter-of-factly, and he'd suffer a quick jerk of a nod. Suppose it was, even though this life was not for everyone - maybe she was part of that group. He didn't know enough about her to gauge whether or not she'd do well roaming the wilderness, always having to guess what came next and never being correct in the end.

She enlightened him - in a way that was devastatingly vague - but it gave him a hint that led to answers, anyway. Pack wolf, unfavorable or lacking relationship with some pack named Northfall, very tight-lipped with details. He understood why. Klaus just settled for nosy habits. The other female turned to leave, then, but not before anointing him the oh-so-official super-spy. He might just keep that name after all.

"So, next time then?" He grinned, watching her leave with an unreadable look in his gaze. Maybe he'd approach from the back then.

 

FIN.

the staff team luvs u