Deep in the ocean, dead and cast away

@Aerwyn !!! <3

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He was lost, well and truly. Even if he'd been able to tell where he was, the universe had decided that now was certainly not the time, the skies opening up to hide any natural path that might have existed in a heavy snowfall. Once again, the man had woken up here, this time on frozen shores. There was no cheetah to greet him upon his wake, and no one else either.

So, he had decided to follow the shoreline West, until he saw a cluster of trees up ahead. This gave the bluesteel male the ability to dart into the grove to take some sort of cover, huffing as he shook out his coat. Snow went everywhere, some still sticking to his fur, some settling back down as the snowfall continued, though much lighter in the cover of the forest.

Ears pricked at the sound of a voice, not at all far from him by the sounds of it, rooting him to the spot. Should he run? Should he stay right here, in this exact spot? Or should he press forward and discover who it was in this forest with him? Hackles prickled as indecisiveness frayed his nerves, wore at his mind as a dog would scratch at a door.

Don' be 'n idiot. Go 'n find out where you are. Another huff, this time at himself, mentally kicking his brain into gear. His paws felt weighed down with lead as he forced himself to walk in the direction of the voice, ears slicked back against his skull as he started to move closer to the shore, this one spread in sand rather than the ice he'd woken upon himself.

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Soft, pale light sunlight peered through the canopy of trees lining the mysterious grove. Its gentle rays dappled the lithosphere around the outsider as if giving her a warm and kind welcome. There, upon the shoreline of the grove and ocean lay a strawberry-blonde beauty. Her coat was encapsulated in salty water, and her eyes remained closed. Where was she? How did she end up here? Where was here exactly? A million thoughts soared through her mind before she finally worked up the courage to allow her eyelids to flutter open.

The female took a moment to allow her eyes to adjust before her emerald eyes fell upon the scene before her. She had somehow washed upon along a treeline of a beautiful grove... or a meadow. She wasn't too sure which one it was. Either way, it was breathtaking. The sun was warm, but not hot. The bite of the sea was gentle, not harsh. Everything within her proximity seemed... almost welcoming in a sense? Not that she minded. She was just confused as to how she got to such a place. Or why she couldn't remember where she can come from. Nonetheless, Aerwyn figured it was a new adventure to embark on.

Slowly, the small yet lean she-wolf rose to her dappled paws. Her movements were slightly erratic as she swayed with the breeze, but that quickly faded as she allowed herself to take a second glance. Instead of the sunlit meadow that she thought she had originally seen, instead was a snow-barren forest. Soft trickles of snowflakes fluttered down in beautiful and casual cascades, and the intruder couldn’t help but smile softly. It didn’t matter where she was, she was just happy to be in such a beautiful place. It was a new chapter for her, and she had no reason to mourn a life she could not remember.

Ever so slowly Aerwyn placed one paw in front of the other, beginning her journey into a foreign land. Her eyes danced across the scenery with awe and light. Her tar-like lips were pulled back into a pup-like grin as she marveled at the wonder that she stalked through. “Hello!” She shouted, her voice echoing through the trees. It rattled against the ribcage of the towering pines, causing some of the snow to come toppling down. The strawberry blonde giggled, as she picked up her pace. A once casual stroll turned into a playful prance as she barked throughout the forest. “This. Is. Amazing!”

Lost in her own train of thoughts, Aerwyn didn't catch the scent in time to notice she was not the only one lurking in the woods. However, she found out soon enough as she plowed right into another being. Colliding with said animal, Aerwyn came tumbling down with a soft oof. What the heck?, she thought to herself as she slowly scrambled to her paws. Whipping around, only to have a small mound of snow stuck to the tip of her nose did she come face to face with another wolf. "Oh! Hello! I am so sorry, I didn't see you there! My bad," she laughed with a large, toothy grin. "I'm Aerwyn! Nice to meet ya," she cooed as she continued to babble on. "Do you know where we are?"
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Callan expected many things; the appearance of one of his captors, an attack from some unknown source, or even someone he would rather run away from. What he did not expect was for another body to tumble into him. A tangle of limbs, a sharp injection of adrenaline, an involuntary growl as he pulled himself free, jumping back and away from them with his front lowered and his teeth bared. He was ready to fight at a moment's notice, the flee option of his fight or flight response so far removed from his brain right then that he never even thought of it.

It took several, long moments for the bluesteel to realize that the wolf in front of him was not... any of those things. In fact, she was so far removed from his captors or an attacker that it was almost shocking; surely enough, his brain stuttered to a stop as he looked at her, blue eyes blinking rapidly. While he didn't quite process anything she said, he processed enough to know that she didn't seem to be any kind of threat.

“Sorry?” He asked, clearly confused and taken off-guard.

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As the two scrambled to climb to their paws, Aerwyn took the mistake and mishap as a funny coincidence. A laugh rumbled within her chest as she rolled in the dirt for a few lingering moments before climbing to her paws. Just as she finished her final sentence, her eyes grazed over the bluesteel brute and realized he was not in the same chipper mood as herself. Evergreen eyes flashed with panic as she tried to take in his stance. He was large, much larger than herself as he bowed down before her. His yellow-tinted teeth glistened in the light as he released a low growl that rattled the space between them. At that moment, the she-wolf merely stared. Her eyes widened slightly as her body stilled. When it came to fight or flight, she was usually a freeze until in the throngs of battle. This would be no different as she glanced at the male.

After what seemed like ages, the man came to the realization she meant no harm. The growl ceased and his eyes blinked rapidly as if blinking away the fog that clouded his judgment. Once he relaxed, Aerwyn did too. She expelled a long breath before offering the stranger a warm and kind smile. "No need to be sorry!," she exclaimed happily. "I totally bumped into you, so I can see how I scared you. My bad." It was a genuine apology as the strawberry babe gave him a sympathetic grin and a small shrug of her small shoulders. "You okay?"
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She froze like a deer in the headlights. Fitting, really, as he had gotten aggressive with her so quickly, so suddenly. It wasn’t that he meant to; it was a method of protecting himself, of making sure that whatever had happened to him before didn’t happen to him again, for even though he couldn’t remember anything save for brief flashes of pain and agony, Callan was adamant in every way possible that he would never let himself be trapped and caged and tortured like that again.

He was still surprised, however, when she greeted him so warmly after… that. He would frown slightly at her words; she hadn’t scared him. Only startled. Taken him off guard.

“I’m fine.” His voice was gruff, hoarse almost after not having been used for so long. Now that he thought of it, his mouth felt like a desert. He wanted water. First though…

“You good, doll?” The pet name was automatic, something he didn’t even think of. He’d at least make sure she was alright before he moved on.
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Aerwyn took notice of his frown and was quick to try and recover. "Oh! I'm sorry. Did I offend you? I noticed your frown and wanted to apologize," she stammered as she fumbled for her words. "Gosh, talk about a rough start, right? First I bump into you, and then I startle you, and then I upset you! I am so so so sorry." Her words came out like a whirlwind, a vomit of re-arranged alphabet letters that strung together her somewhat coherent words. This was not like her. Typically she was good at making friends, maintaining the peace, and bringing a conversation back to life. But this brute... gosh he was so quiet. So easy to startle and scare. Like a mouse. He reminded her of a mouse. While she herself was a bumbling and chaotic hound who lacked the social skills to notice he might be uncomfortable.

That's until he muttered he was fine. Fine? He didn't seem like it but to each their own! Who was she to question him? They had just met, and even she knew that was pushing a boundary. "Oh good. I'm glad." Aerwyn released a small breath before she lowered her rump to the ground below. Sitting, she took a moment to drink him in. He was large and reminded her of a swamp with his colors. They were dark and dreary... almost like his personality. But she still felt intrigued. Like there was more to him than what lay at the surface.

All of it came to a head when she heard the little pet name he gave her. Or maybe everyone. But the word doll rang in her ears. It was so simple, yet cute. Her cheeks flushed a soft pale pink, one that matched her hues well. She was sure it wasn't a compliment, and she was even more sure he wasn't flirting with her, but nonetheless, her body reacted. "I'm fine as well. Just worried, is all. You're the first wolf I've met since waking up... wherever I did. Which reminds me, where exactly are we?"
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Her rush of words made an eyebrow lift, his nerves settling down rather quickly now that he knew the situation was not what he expected. He let her continue talking, let her carry on until she seemed about done, though she did give one more apology. She seemed... bright. Sunny, just as colorful as her fur. He still wasn't quite sure why he was a wolf again but... it was better than being a rat in a cage. He would take practically anything over that.

She seemed to shuffle her feet before she spoke again, her words breathy; there was a curious scent in the air, too, but nothing that distracted him too much. He would instead focus on her words, thinking back to the last time he'd woken here; there'd been... a cheetah and a desert, a canyon. Not... this beach where 100 yards to the east, it was snowing (did that even make sense??). “Nothin' t' worry about really. Everybody seems to wake up here.” Everybody that he'd met anyway; her, the cheetah, maybe one or two others.

“Far as I know, it's just some... place. People jus' appear here. No reason. No explanation.” That's what Callan had experienced, anyway. He didn't remember much, but he wasn't sure if that had been the same wherever he'd been before, either.

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Now that the air had settled between them, Aerwyn felt a bit better about opening up. Not that she had truly been holding back, but more so that she knew he wouldn't maul her. At least, not yet anyways. He seemed kind enough. A bit clunky and a bit shy if anything, but normal beyond that. Heck, he seemed to be the only normal thing around. His tone was a bit... lackluster. Like he wasn't excited to see her, but also was somewhat thrilled. It lay in the space between, where she couldn't really conjure his emotion. Perhaps he was just... like this? More muted like his pelt, while she was bubbling and sunny like her own. Huh. Who knew one could tell another's personality via their coat hues! A new trick she would have to try out on others in the area.

As he spoke, the lass soaked in his words. So, it was normal for others to wake up around this place. How odd and peculiar. A mystery was about, and she was going to find out! What brought them to this place? What caused their memories to be in a haze? How could such a place exist? Was it on a map? Not that she could read one anyways, but it's the thought that counts! "That's so odd but so interesting! Do you remember your past? I had a hard time trying to remember mine... whenever I do, I get a bad headache." A true statement. The second she tried to remember her past, the fog would cloud her mind, and her skull would throb. It would pound against her skull, begging for the pressure to be released. So, she would force herself to forget and to succumb to the wolf she is now. Out with the old and in with the new, goodbye skies of gray, hello skies of blue.

So it seems he's a man of very few words. No worries, Aerwyn would fill in the blanks. "Huh..." she trailed off for a moment, mulling over her next set of words. "Well, what do you think of it so far? I obviously haven't made it all too far. I woke up on the beach. A bit wet, but nothing too bad. Have yet to run into anyone else."
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“No.” His answer was firm, and quick to be given. At least it was honest, to a point anyways. He did not remember his past and what he did remember, he really didn't want to. “I don' remember. And if you don' either, maybe there's a reason.” Not to say that something had happened to her; maybe it hadn't, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Not to mention, if she was getting such bad headaches when she tried to recall those memories, it was probably better that she stopped anyway.

Silence seemed to bother the fair colored woman, her voice filling it again when it had gone on for more than a few seconds. Callan didn't mind it so much as he simply noticed it about her and the way she seemed to prattle on without any suggested topic or question asked. “'ve woken up here b'fore.” It wasn't quite as direct an answer as she was likely looking for, but it also helped explain his lack of confusion.

“It's a place, same's any other. Woke up this time East a'here. Snowin'.” A shrug lifted then subsequently dropped his shoulders. He didn't think again about how weird it was that there was beach right next to some snowy landscape he didn't know the name of. It was too much for his brain, especially as he was still getting his bearings between waking up again and being spooked into a brief flashback by the sunny girl. “No'ne 'cept you, doll. 'Bout you?”

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*No*. Well. He was.. direct? It was off-settling. For someone who was so outgoing and kind and cherished everyone and everything, he was.. or appeared to be the opposite. He had shut her down so quickly that any thoughts that had originally been running amuck had shut down. How was she to respond to such a thing? For a while, she remained quiet and perplexed. He had a point, but wasn't it important to remember where you came from? To prevent yourself from making similar mistakes? To learn and develop fully? Some memories were worth cherishing. "Some memories are worth remembering," she finally stated, a smile returning to her facial features. It was warm and bright like the sun had sewn a piece of itself into her grin. "Good or bad, memories are worth remembering. At least to me!" She finished before Aerwyn took a moment to admire her surroundings. Well, at least she didn't end up in an ugly place! Not that there was such a place. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder. She knew this very well.

Again, she found herself looking around before settling back onto him. He was so uniquely colored. Dark blues meshed with murky greys, it was long and shaggy, but clearly hid a well-maintained frame. But the main thing that caught her attention was his tail or the lack thereof. Instead of a usually long and bushy appendage, his was cut off -- gone. Never had she seen such a thing. Part of her itches to ask about it, but another part of her thought that might be rude. So, she decided to keep her mouth shut, and maybe once she was close enough, could ask him about his missing tail. Aerwyn's attention was brought back to the lad when he spoke. "Oh? Really!" She exclaimed, her interest growing by the second. Even if it was a half answer, she still enjoyed knowing she wasn't the only one who had woken up here. "Snowing?" Her tone was shocked, mulling over that possibility.

"How weird! Does the weather usually change often? I mean, I suppose you wouldn't really know if you haven't been around all that long. But any information is good information." Aerwyn prattled before he stated his final sentence. Again, he used that sweet little pet name. Maybe he liked her as a friend! Her first friend. Wow. Go her! "Me either. But you know, just woke up and all. So I'm hoping to meet some new wolves here soon! Or other creatures. Havent had the chance to explore all that much."
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Were they though? Callan disagreed. He did not want to try and remember the pain that sundered his mind like a bolt of lightning cracked the night sky. He would harrumph at her optimistic view about it, but did not speak to the matter again; it wasn't worth the wasted breath. Instead, the man would let the silence hang, watching as she looked about, and then at him. His weight shifted beneath her gaze, almost uncomfortable with the attention, though he didn't speak such things. Let her look. They wouldn't be around each other long anyway.

His only reply to her was a nod; it was strange that it was snowing so close to here, but there was little point in trying to figure out why. Callan likened it to the same mystery that left them here in this world, out of sorts and alone. “Dunno.” A gruff response, but not unkind. “Jus' stopped snowin' when I hit the forest.” Another unknown. They were racking up, alongside the memories that lingered just out of reach. They could stay that way.

“'ll leave y' to it, then.” For Callan did not want to go meeting every wolf, butterfly, deer, and every animal in between. She was a right Snow White if she thought she was going to befriend all of them. He would turn then, towards the way he had come, fully intent on leaving, unless of course the sunny lass were to stop him from doing so.

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Trying to keep a conversation going with this brute was a difficult task. One she was up for, of course, in the name of friendship – but he didn’t seem too interested in her. Which, most would catch that hint. Aerwyn allowed it to smack her in the face and slowly ooze off her in a painfully slow manner. Friendship sometimes started off slow, right? Surely this would be no different.

Just as she was about to try and pick a new conversation topic, the man spoke. *Il leave y’ to it, then.* It was quick, simple. A direct end to their conversation. One that would leave the strawberry babe high and dry. *What?* He was leaving? But they just met! Where was he going? Though, she didn’t really have the right to ask. The beast had given the babe all the signs that he didn’t want anything to do with her, and while she either blatantly ignored that fact or was blissfully unaware, Aerwyn didn’t want to be alone. She had just woken up in an unfamiliar space, had no friends, no family, nothing. Born into a magical world was exciting and new, but fear could be found underneath her surface.

Panic was quick to flood her veins as she watched the distance between them grow. Part of her wanted to let the man go on his own, since he didn’t seem to enjoy her company. On the other hand, she wanted to stay with someone. Anyone. It didn’t matter.

Fear got the best of her. “Hey, wait up!” She piped up as last. Her long limbs carried her swiftly to his side once more, a smile still upon her lips. Though, if one looked close enough they would be able to see a small quiver. “I don’t have anywhere to go, so…” the woman trailed off briefly, trying to find any excuse in the book to tag-team this journey with him, “would you mind if I came along? Wolves do better in groups, ya know! I’m a pretty good hunter, though I don’t look like it.” Maybe stating her strengths would show him she could be useful. That she wasn’t just all talk… even though she mainly was.

“I-I don’t want to be alone.”
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He shouldn't have been surprised when she rushed to join him but he was anyway, pausing when she ran up to him if only because of that. Dark eyes considered her with some unnamed emotion, silently taking consideration of the tremble to her form, the low-lying panic that laced her voice. He wanted to be alone, yes, but he could not leave a woman in need on her own in good conscience. With a short silence lapsing after she finished her spiel, Callan could only issue a soft huff of resignation.

“C'me on then.”

And with that, the two of them moved on from their meeting spot here in the grove, heading towards the snow and the mountains beyond.

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