Aniyu

She's always loved the taste of the mountain air. There was something about being closer to the heavens that made Aniyu's head clearer. Whether that was the thin oxygen or just her own personal psyche, Aniyu didn't know the science. With the temperatures tipping into the above-freezing zone, and the snow slowly dissipating with it, the trek up the snow-laden mountains was less of a journey and Aniyu decided it was prime time to embark to the peaks. A failed attempt previously, when the Valley lay blanketed in snow, hindered the she-wolf from visiting her favorite place. It had been since late autumn since her last visit. Her winter alone, faltering along the dangerous line of dying-a-loner and barely-scraping-by, had changed the she-wolf. Her shaggy coat clung against a lithe body, that could use a few more pounds back on it, and dried mud clung to her underside and parts of her legs. She'd seen better days.

But the sun was out. And the air warm, at least for the season. Her dinner the day before had been a chunky hare, and she still felt full from her feast. So she was content, even thriving in the moment. Ignoring the wariness that dragged her paws a bit, Aniyu made the climb up the mountains to the peak of one. She clamored upon a slick granite bolder, gazing out once against at the vast landscape sweeping before her. Alone, scrappy and lost, Aniyu still felt like the queen of the Valley. The mountain wind buffeted her winter coat, sinking in and threading along her skin. Closing her eyes, Aniyu drew in a long, steady inhale of the crisp air. She'd survived winter. She'd survived the hellstorm of the wildfire when she was a pup. Surely not even the gods themselves could kill Aniyu so easily.

Lore

One large, silver paw after the other, Lore made his way along the breathtaking patchwork of ancient stone and rugged pines. The subtle warming of the land and promising retreat of snow had invigorated the wolf, and compelled him out of his usual haunts in the lowlands of the Valley, to explore some of the higher reaching lands. He had no particular goal in mind today, with his belly already full after a lucky discovery of a winter-killed pike at the edge of the Lake earlier in the morning, and no pack to keep him bound to any one place or duty.

The bright sun seemed to sparkle as it rained down through the needles of the trees Lore was now traveling under. The specks of light danced upon his coat, causing his dark gray fur to look even more silvery than it already was, and forcing the male to squint his copper eyes whenever a particularly strong beam crossed his face. He welcomed it though, enjoying the warmth the sun brought, and imagining the blossoming of greenery that would soon follow. 'Just a few more weeks until spring, that's all.' Lore mused hopefully to himself, even if the well-muscled brute didn't mind the snow and cold so much, having had a few winters under his pelt now and the experience needed to make it a bit easier.

Eyes squinted, Lore tilted his muzzle into the oncoming breeze that skirted down the side of the mountain. In an instant, those brown-orange eyes flashed back open and his already perked ears turned forward more alertly. He'd smelled another on the wind. With the sun reflecting so brightly off stubborn sheets of ice and the slick edges of the rocks themselves, he couldn't yet see the wolfess perched atop her granite throne, but his nose told him she was up there somewhere. "Hello?" Ever the bold and confident wolf, Lore didn't hesitate to call out in a firm but inquisitive bark.

Aniyu

An eagle scrapes at the sky from below where Aniyu is perched. The she-wolf watches the feathered predator soar through the wind, her mind wandering as she fathomed a world in which she too could fly like the eagle. Blue eyes squint against the vibrant rays of sunlight, lost in the world sweeping out from beneath her. This was exactly why she had made way here. Gazing down at the Valley sprawling before her, gentle rolls of a mess of brown, white and gray at this point in the season, gave one a different perspective. She was wholly insignificant in this vast world. And, oddly enough, she sought the comfort of that factor.

Aniyu's wandering mind had always been a flaw of hers. She was a poor partner to hunt with if the going got boring. One of her first hunts with her old pack, Aniyu altogether missed the cue to charge on her pack's prey, and hadn't heard the end of that tale for sunrises to follow. Her brain was absorbed in the scenery before her, allowing the sunlight to soak into her coat and the mountain to absorb her, that Aniyu couldn't have heard Lore's pawsteps if he was a thousand-pound bull moose. It was only when his voice broke over the gentle stir of the mountain wind did Aniyu awaken to the fact that she was not alone. Ears twitching, the she-wolf flinches as her vibrant eyes search for the source of the voice. Studying between the graying branches of the pines, Aniyu catches sight of movement. There.

She isn't afraid of her visitor. These mountains are a shared unit, last time Aniyu knew, and she didn't smell any territory markers on her trek here. Perhaps he's no more than a wanderer such as she, and they could share that mutual hobby. The she-wolf's tail gently wags against her back legs, ears perked as she awaits for Lore to approach her. To her throne, she muses silently with an inward chuckle. Her lips part as she addresses Lore, "I'm afraid I've taken the best view on this mountain." Eyes ripple with delight. "But, I would consider sharing."

Lore

A swift shadow from high above briefly fell over the wolf's line of sight before it soared out past the rocks. In times past, when he was just a young thing, Lore would have tucked tail and darted away from the raptor in the sky, or scrambled beneath the bellies of his watchful parents. But now, much like Aniyu, the great feathered creatures evoked a much different response in the wolf's matured mind. If only he hadn't already been distracted by the scent of another fellow canine, Lore might have indulged a bit of eagle-watching himself. Now though, those keen, copper eyes were searching against the glare of ice and sunlight until the gentle pat of Aniyu's tail finally gave up her position.

Lore stepped back a few paces to get a better view, just as a merciful cloud briefly dimmed the sun's blinding reflections. Before him, or rather above him, sat a she-wolf atop a boulder, a bit of mud clinging to her underside, and a pleasant demeanor directing her body language and tone. Lore's tail swayed behind him in an unconscious gesture of amiability. "Had you been a cougar, I might have been a mid-morning snack." His eyes reflected humor and good nature, just as his lightened vocals did. "If you're inviting me, I couldn't be so rude as to turn down that offer."

He was unexpectedly pleased to have stumbled across some company when he'd traveled on his own for far too long, not quite realizing how drudgingly boring and lonesome things had been for him lately. Lore took another step or two back to inspect the rocks before moving forward again and scrambling up the steep incline, until he too was atop the large stone and no longer blinded by the dazzling light. Giving his fur a bit of a shake, Lore padded closer to the stranger, his body language as confident and bold as ever, but carrying no trace of hostility. "The name's Lore. It's good to meet another face."

Aniyu

The soft padding of her newfound companion approaching her perch elicited an amount of uncertainty, but also excitement, from Aniyu. Her tail wags again at Lore's humor, smiling a bit. "Well, I'm neither a giant cat nor am I very hungry right now," she muses with a chuckle, blue eyes shining. She then cocks her head a bit, rethinking her words. "Not that I'd eat another wolf....I don't believe my appetite sways that way." The words tumble off Aniyu's tongue precociously, and immediately she regrets every sentence with heat creeping through her skin. Always a social prodigy, Aniyu thinks to herself. Finally she just laughs, shaking her head. "In case I haven't completely jeopardized my chance at being a friendly face..." She coughs, bashfully ducking her head down.

She scoots away as Lore clamors up to her rocky perch, her eyes not quite wavering towards him, but rather remaining glued to the expanse before them. There's not much of her that conjures alarm within the she-wolf about Lore's presence, actually she's more or less relieved to have companionship, for however brief. But Aniyu's already embarrassed herself once in this interaction, so she's hoping to buy her more time before she stumbles into another spell of mortification. Aniyu has a way with words. Meaning, she was a master at painting her own awkward goofiness out without any need to exert effort. Her mother had called her "amusing" often when she was young. Whether that trait was good or bad, Aniyu is still trying to figure that out. She finally tilts her head towards Lore, ears flopping a bit as she presses a warm gaze, taking in his introduction. "I'm Aniyu," she greets with an amount of warmth in her voice. "It's nice to meet you, Lore."

Lore

The big male, his silvery hued sides heaving only slightly from the exertion of his climb, was careful to note all the subtle and not-so-subtle gestures and tones that this stranger used. The wagging tail and gentle smile encouraged him, while the scoot away told Lore that she either needed her space, or was simply making more space for him to sit comfortably on their granite throne. Either way, Lore gave the wolfess ample room as he planted his haunches against the sun-warmed rock.

"We've got something in common then it seems. I've never fancied canine myself." Lore grinned, almost more at her bashfulness and embarrassment than the jesting. Just to assuage some of that discomfort in her though, his grin sobered into more of a friendly smile moments later, "Don't worry, I grew up with seven siblings. You should have heard our jokes. Rather, attempts at them." With a hardy 'thump, thump, thump' his tail beat a few times against the granite. He found her behavior endearing, and when she finally turned her gaze back at him and away from the beautiful scenery below, his tail thudded a few more times in sheer, simple happiness. He really had been craving companionship more than he'd realized. "Is this a usual hangout for you? I must admit, this is quite the view. I mostly stick to the bottom lands myself."

Aniyu

Lore was a good sport with Aniyu's faltering humor, allowing the she-wolf to relax further. She smiled softly at his reassurance, drawing in each word carefully. Seven siblings. Aniyu's breath hitched itself in her chest, even for the fleetest of seconds, before the she-wolf forced herself to push through the nagging feeling. Once upon a time, Aniyu had been a squirming pup amongst a litter of four. Her vague memories of their warmth, and the pleasantry of pressing up against them in their den still clung in the rear recesses of Aniyu's mind. None of them survived the wildfire that ravaged her family's home years ago. Grappling desperately to suppress that thought, she gazes back at Lore with a forced amount of happiness. Her head tilts towards the blue sky above them, eyelids fluttering close as she absorbs the warmth radiating down on them. "Sometimes," she answers his inquiry, tilting her head back down to meet Lore's eyes. "I first climbed up here last summer. I try to make the journey every so often, but it's been a while. I'm not the sort to brave the snow to get up here. That's too much work on my bones." She chuckles a little bit at her comment, because she's a measly two years old and traveling headlong into the prime of her life.

For a moment, Aniyu gazes at Lore with the simple elation of his companion. A little laugh passes her mouth again. "I'm sorry, I just was not expecting the pleasure of sharing my day with someone," she admits with a blush. "I've been roughing it on my own for the last few seasons. My last canine interaction was being chased out of a grumpy wolf's territory."

Lore

It seemed to him that the wolfess had relaxed somewhat from her social blunder. And yet, was there something else behind that veil of happiness? Lore was mindful to keep a pleasant expression himself, without appearing like he was studying the fae that sat beside him, but he couldn't help but feel there a second issue lurking just beneath the surface. Or perhaps not; it was a bit nerve wracking meeting a stranger in such a big, hostile world. It could just be the remnants of anxiety that Lore thought he saw in her. Whatever the cause, the big male let it go in favor of keeping a pleasant conversation. He too turned his muzzle in the direction of the sun and let his eyes close for a luxurious moment or two. "I don't blame you there, it was an arduous climb to get this far, and I can only imagine it being twice as worse with snowdrifts and howling wind. Nice find though - I'm so often traveling the lowlands that I lose perspective of just how big and... well, beautiful the land can be." Lore sucked in a deep breath, feeling the pleasant sting of cold air through his nose and lungs. It was refreshing, invigorating even!

The wolf turned his copper eyes back to Aniyu, smiling now at her mirth. "Neither was I, but here we are. And I can't complain." His eyes squinted a bit in merriment, then shifted subtly in thought. "Sounds like the both of us have been going it alone for a while. Much as I enjoy not having the responsibilities of a pack, it does get a bit weary subsiding on small game-" He gave a slight shrug, "What do you say to a joint hunt sometime?"

Aniyu

Aniyu gives a hearty shake to her winter coat, smiling back at Lore as he speaks. Her single endeavor back in the winter to climb the mountains hardly got Aniyu beyond the base of the large, rolling hills of the Croal Mountains. The defeated she-wolf called it quits when she found herself chest-deep in the frigid snowdrifts, a bitter wind nipping against her flesh. It probably had to be a sight to see, the poor she-wolf drowning in snow, gazing upward at the peaks with defeat. A smirk plays on her lips as she thinks back to her foolishly attempt. "It would've been a sight to see in the winter after the blizzards," she muses with a little hum. "But it was much too cold. Even today...the sun is warm, but the moment this breeze picks up, it weaves it way to my skin." She laughs.

No sooner had she spoken, a gust presses against her. The she-wolf bitterly laughs, suddenly popping to her paws and navigating herself so that Lore stands as a barrier to the chilly wind. Her blue eyes blink innocently, head held down below the brute's shoulder. A mischievous grin plasters her face. "Wait, never mind. All is well," she explains. Her shoulder brushes against Lore's for a fleeting second. Aniyu glances away, shifting a bit to give him space, but still gladly utilizing him as a shield to the wind.

Aniyu's tail wags at his proposal, the she-wolf straightening up at the thought. "Only if we're intending on a feast and nothing less," she jests. "I've been eating squirrels and hares for months now. I could go for something a bit larger if I have an able-bodied hunting partner!"

Lore

"That's why I usually stick to the bottom lands. Less wind, less exposure." Lore explained, now imagining this younger fae attempting these mountains during the brutal grip of winter. Just the thought of trying to navigate those punishing winds and deep drifts made him feel cold! "Though, I do see why this view is certainly worth the effort." Naturally, the moment he had turned his grayed muzzle back out towards the Valley was the moment a strong and bitter winter wind had whipped up the side of the mountain to blast him in the face. It cut through even his dense coat and nipped at the skin below, like so many icy little thorns.

"Gahh!" Lore squinted his watering eyes and exclaimed his displeasure. Half-shuttered lids still didn't stop him from seeing the wolfess scramble up and behind him, taking advantage of his larger frame as a handy shield against against the elements. He couldn't help but laugh as he turned to look at her, one eye closed against incoming zephyr, and the other open and looking towards Aniyu with faux accusation, "Oh, I see how it is." But the grin showed that his words were all in fun, and his loosely-held tail wagged as best it could against the stiff breeze.

Once the wind had died down, Lore gave his pelt a quick shake and blinked both bright eyes to clear them. No longer needed as a buffer against the breeze, at least for the moment, the wolf turned more directly to the she-wolf who now stood a little closer to him than before, "We'll turn our noses up at anything smaller than a moose." His lips parted in a grin, for he knew that such a beast would be too formidable for two wolves to take on, and that a doe or winter-weakened buck would probably be the prey they'd have best luck with. "Say; since you've been kind enough to share this location with me, there's a place I like to visit now and then, down in the Valley. I could show you, if you want? It'd get us out of the wind for a bit, and if we're lucky, we might come across something worthy of a chase on the way." Lore wasn't particularly hungry at the moment, what with a belly full of fish, but then it wasn't really food he was interested in so much as it was simple companionship.

Aniyu

She laughs at the indignant Lore, a bustle of ego burning in her chest as his filippant dismay. It amazes the she-wolf how comfortable she's become in this short span of time with Lore. Perhaps part of that is driven by the yearning for companionship, and only realizing it when suddenly company found her here on the side of the mountain. Her gray-and-white tail wags happily, a motion suddenly becoming common here in this interaction. Friend. The word resonates in Aniyu's brain. Yes, perhaps Lore could be a friend. He was kind, and humorous.

Aniyu smiles at his proposal of the moose, a little chuckle humming in her chest. "Deal," she agrees. She puffs out her chest, drawing in a long inhale to expand her frame. Like a wolf-form of a muscular flex. "A bull moose might be on the small side for me, if you can't tell," She jests. The truth is, Aniyu hasn't even hunted anything larger than a white-tailed doe, and that was in partnership with her pack growing up. The mere thought of a bull moose sounds enthralling, but also way beyond Aniyu's parameters of daring heart. The she-wolf laughs again, peaking at Lore. "That is...if we're looking for an early death sentence."

Eyes take one last sweep of the Valley below them. Aniyu takes a little sigh of ecstasy before nodding back at Lore. "I'm always down for exploring new places...especially since this wind is starting to freeze my paws," Aniyu accepts eagerly. She prances a few steps in place, shaking her head playfully. Nose pointing down the mountain, her azure eyes prompt Lore, "Shall you lead the way?"

Lore

He could just picture it now, the two of them staring down an enormous bull moose, a hundred points across its wide, splayed antlers, and great bouts of steam rolling from its nostrils. The imagery was epic in the wolf's mind! Of course, he knew the realistic outcome of such an encounter would end in a pair of very flattened wolves, but it was fun to entertain the notion, and he laughed along side his new-found friend. Copper eyes danced with enthusiasm and mirth as they flicked back to Aniyu, and then to the boulder they were upon as he sought the easiest path back down, "Alright, alright - a cow moose will suffice." Lore's silvery banner waved in the air, accentuating the grin he carried as he continued the farcical, knowing that anything larger than a weak yearling moose would be more than the pair of them could safely tackle.

Shifting his paws and taking one last survey of their perch, Lore scampered down the side of the large rock, then leaped a short distance to the ground below it. "You wont have to worry about wind, where we're going." The wolf's grin had turned to a smile again, as he now turned his head back to make sure Aniyu made it off the granite platform okay. "And actually, it should warm our paws up pretty nicely. It's a bit of a trek, but well worth the travel, I think." He waited until the wolfess was ready before starting back down the mountain, leading her down into the lowlands and towards the foothills of the older mountains to the south.