+Far from home+ [open]

[⋆Ravɛn]

Seek me, call me

r o w a n

Perhaps it was fate that Rowan’s paws had led him here, to the base of this nameless mountain. Nameless to him, anyways, much like the rest of this land he had stumbled upon days earlier. He’d been traveling for what had seemed like ages, avoiding heavily populated areas like the plague. His journey had brought him down from the north, further and further until he veered east, and somehow he had ended up here. It was late autumn, approaching winter quickly, and although there was no snow on the ground, if Rowan tilted his head back far enough he could see the white-capped tips of the mountain. Almost like home. Not quite the same, but…almost.

Sucking in a deep breath, Rowan shifted through the scents in his mind, identifying each one quickly and accurately. It had been some time since another had been here, it seemed, and he only hoped that with winter approaching that others would stay away. The mountain was clearly not a home that could be claimed – for who could ever claim a mountain? – but perhaps he would camp here for a little while. He would be able to learn the trails and run them like he had used to, and the forest surrounding the base seemed well-populated with deer and hare. Water was another story, and he could probably find a source later…but he was getting ahead of himself. First he had to play scout, had to ensure that there were no lurking cougars, or worse.

After a moment of poking around in the underbrush, Rowan discovered the beginning of a well-worn trail. As quietly as possible he began to climb, one step after the other, never faltering. Even when the path curved sharply or began to incline, Rowan trudged on, up and up until he had to dig his claws into the rocks. Higher up he could see where the path plateaued, but he was in no rush; the burning in his muscles was both familiar and welcome. His fur flashed silver in the sunlight as he moved, making him a beacon for anything to see…but Rowan wasn’t particularly worried about that.

Finally he reached a flat area of the path, where he paused to glance around. So far he had spotted no signs of large cats or predators, and as he stared out from his high position, nothing caught his eye. The forest was calm far below, still save for the occasional hawk that wheeled above the trees before diving sharply. Breathing deeply, Rowan turned and continued along the path. His steps were slower now, full of endless patience. He did not rush unless he needed to, and today he was thankful to have finally stopped. He had traveled for so long, farther than he’d originally thought if his suspicions about his whereabouts were right. He’d heard rumors of a land where slavery was common, and on his way to these mountains, he had passed a plan that had reeked of oppression; slave pens, he’d assumed. Slaves were far less common in the north, but not entirely unheard of. Rowan cared little for the matter one way or the other; it had nothing to do with him.

On and on he went, further along the pass. The brute knew that eventually he would need to stop, to find a place to rest...but for now, with the chilly autumn wind caressing his face and the sun slowly setting, Rowan was as content as he could be.

WORDS: 582	TAG
NOTES

I'll be waiting

✿

[Ὀδύσσεια♐]

Ida

There was a chill in the air in this pass, sweeping around her with the rustle of wind that warred with the tendrils of her coat. The lightly colored wrap of creams and greys was gradually growing thicker with the change of seasons, though should have still been thin enough to cause a shiver or two. As it was, Ida was very much adapted to the cold by now. She could still remember the snow that flurried outside the den when she was nothing more than a pup. Her and her sister would be trapped in its small confines for days at a time, huddling for warmth, one parent abandoning them for food in shifts. The hunger had been an ever present leech. Their survival a miracle in of itself. What a hellish experience it had been, but she was all the tougher for it. The winds still bit, surely, but after three years Ida had grown to mostly ignore it.

She had ventured far and wide since then, always with eyes on the horizon. What brought her here she did not know, only aware of the fact that she very much wanted something in this life of hers. The prospect of becoming a low-life, scavenging rat much as her father had been did not sit well with the she-wolf. She'd dreamed of one day becoming an alphess, of ruling lush lands that did not resemble the blizzarding hell that she had been birthed into. She would not become her mother, content to bring pups forth into a world of scarce meals or cower under the rule of a vicious brute. No, she would be greater than them. Better.

A scuffle of rocks and footfall had reddish ears careening forward, gaze of the lightest blue peeking over the edge of the large overhang that was currently occupied. Beneath it was a bit of a cave, walled mostly on three sides and above (where she was) and somewhat sheltered from the wind that haunted this pass. It had been her home since approximately two hours ago. She craned her neck to peer far ahead and over rocky outcroppings until the effort was lifting her body with it. A sliver of silver met her eyes for a moment before it had disappeared once more. Ida stared in the direction of the mild disturbance, perched atop the rock in a stance that suggested little fear. Of course, she was somewhat apprehensive of what came her way. Ida wasn't stupid enough to think herself immune to the brutality that life had to offer, but she wasn't about to turn tail and run at the simple glance of another creature. Maybe if it had been a bear or a cougar, but she'd never seen a silver one of either species before. No, instead what met her gaze was another of her very own kind, making his way towards her very, very slowly.

He was a large brute covered in that silvery grey that had so easily captured her attention. Upon him were some spaces of black, most notably and strikingly upon his face. And he was huge. Ida had seen large wolves before, but he surpassed them all if she were to take a guess. Even from here, in the low light of the setting sun, she could see that he was well muscled, well toned, an obvious beast to be reckoned with and one Ida had no intention of provoking. Then again, she'd never been one to start pointless confrontations. Instead, she merely remained where she was, sure that he would notice her with every step he took in her direction and Ida ready to meet his gaze head on.



tag: ⋆Ravɛn | notes: hrrrnnng. hope it's not too atrocious. still getting a feel for her.

[⋆Ravɛn]

Seek me, call me

r o w a n

If Rowan had thought he was alone, he was quickly proven wrong, if the way his spine pricked was any indication…and it certainly was. He had long ago learned to trust his instinct, to go with his gut, and it was currently telling him that he was being watched. But…by who? Frowning, Rowan came to a halt, ears pricked forward, listening. From his vantage point, and due to the angle of the path, it was difficult to see ahead of him, but clearly something could see him. He narrowed his gray eyes, casting a quick glance behind him to ensure that no threat stalked his tail, before staring hard at the incline ahead of him. A few steps and the path would flatten out again, and he’d be able to see…

Carefully, so carefully, he moved. His mind was as much of a warrior as his body was, and already he was considering escape options and evaluating where loose patches of rock hid, his chiseled muscles bunching in anticipation. If it was a bear he could certainly outrun it, but if it was a cougar, he’d have to outsmart it. And he didn’t particularly feel like slipping down the mountain and cracking his skull, either.

As he finally came over the edge of the incline, his eyes met the opening of a spacious cave first…but nothing lurked within the debts, waiting to make him prey. No, the one that watched him did so from above, and she was neither bear nor cat. She was a wolf. Stopping where he stood, Rowan lifted his head, his gaze quickly roving over her - because it was a her; he could smell the feminine scent of her on the breeze that wafted towards him. She was much smaller than him, like most wolves he encountered, and colored in varying shades of creams and reds. When he lifted his gaze to meet hers, icy gray meeting clear blue, he found no trace of fear or terror. Most females that he came across were either disgustingly coquettish or too skittish to do more than tremble in his wake. Not that he had any interest in them, anyways. But this one…she stood proudly, meeting his gaze head-on. And, small though she may be, she currently had the advantage of height over him from her place on the rocky overhang. Hm.

Truly, if he was being honest (and he always was), he wanted nothing to do with her. Without uttering a word, he turned to take the path around her, away from the cave that smelled of her. He would travel further up, find somewhere unoccupied, pay her little mind…but he’d have to be careful when he slept now. He didn’t know why she was here, or the nature of her sanity. But then Rowan realized that he still knew nothing of his whereabouts, what this mountain or even this country was called. And she was the only one that he had encountered so far.

Fighting a growl he stopped, turning to face her again. He could make this quick and painless, he supposed; no use lingering to make conversation that he really did not desire. Clearing his throat, he called up to her, his deep voice rumbling and echoing off the rock.

”Do you know where we are?” He asked abruptly, already longing to turn and go. But now he had spoken, and he had to wait for her answer, if she even decided to give him one. Trying hard not to frown, he elaborated, lest she think he was crazy. Or lost. Which, technically, he was but…Rowan wasn’t admitting that to her.

”I arrived here only days ago from the north. I’m unsure of how far I wandered.”

WORDS: 623	tagged: Ὀδύσσεια♐
NOTES; still getting used to him too D;

I'll be waiting

✿

[Ὀδύσσεια♐]

Ida

Ida scrutinized him for a long moment, her gaze locking on to him from her perch many feet above. There was some amount of tension rolling off his larger frame that might have had a lesser wolf trembling at the sight of him. Even from where she stood his presence was a commanding one. As it was, the she-wolf felt no trace of fear over him as no more than a glance at her and the brute already seemed disinterested. He turned from her, seeming ready to take leave without a word. Perhaps a more trampish female would have felt insulted at the lack of interest. Ida, however, was very much intrigued by this. It was not often one met a brute so willing to turn his back on a lone she-wolf, too eager to make the most of such a situation. But this... it certainly was a welcomed surprise. Even so, she had every intention of letting him go. Pleasantries obviously weren't his style. Ida couldn't say she minded. They were not but two wolves encountering each other on a deserted path. This brief meeting would probably slip from their memories in a matter of hours or days.

Her eyes scanned him from behind, absently wondering where it was he must have come from. There had been many large wolves to the far north which might have been why Ida wasn't at all surprised by a beast his size. But what could make one come all the way down to Ravensbruck? It wasn't a common endeavor, even if it might have been her own. Perhaps it was the fairer weather, but this place had its own share of dangers veiled behind the faces of its residents.

Suddenly he stopped and turned his body towards her once more. Ida had been ready to settle herself upon her rock and watch him go, but was mildly startled by the presence of his voice. Her ears were still planted forward though her head tilted at his words. She wondered if he were crazy or merely lost. Blue gaze swept up the path he had come from, the very same she had taken some time ago and as she did this he clarified his question. She turned back to look at him. "You are in Ravensbruck, land of many slaves." Ida didn't care one way or the other for the practice as it had yet to concern her. She disliked cruelty, to be sure, but she had heard of many dominors that took good care of their possessions.

With the rise and fall of a shoulder she shrugged, hopping down a rock or two until her paws planted many feet from the brute. "I'd turn back now if you don't wish to become one of them," this was offered with an undertone of a jest. She doubted most wolves in this land were large enough to take on one of his size. "But the north, you say? You've wandered fairly far. Whereabouts are you from?" Half of Ida was expecting him to turn away without answering her question and she couldn't say she would have been too upset if he had. Now that he had his answer there was nothing to keep him here a moment longer. She scanned him again before turning and situating herself under the overhang of rock that was her brief residence. "There's no suitable shelter for a few miles. I have checked," this was offered as almost an afterthought, one passing wolf to another.



tag: ⋆Ravɛn | notes: you're fine <3

[⋆Ravɛn]

Seek me, call me

r o w a n

Ah, Ravenbruck. So he had traveled quite a ways, then.

Rowan could faintly hear the whisper of his mother's voice as she whispered tales of Ravensbruck, nothing but a long-lost memory caressing his ears. For perhaps the hundredth time he was reminded of her death, and again he felt nothing. No pangs of loneliness, no regret, no sadness. She'd served her purpose in his life. Flicking the memory of her away like an irksome fly, Rowan considered his journey. He must have take a far more drastic turn east than he'd expected, the, if he'd ended up in the slave lands. No wonder he'd passed those pens earlier; he was fairly certain that they were quite common in this strange, ruthless place. 

"I'd turn back now if you don't wish to become one of them." It took only a fraction of a second for Rowan to realize that this was a joke, but he didn't laugh. Silently, he turned a keen eye on the female, looking her over again. Despite how very rude he had been, she didn't seem particularly ruffled over it, which was new. Usually ignoring a fae had her spitting fire, but not this one. Curious, really, but not entirely uncommon. He'd met a few females who behaved with grace and poise, but it had been a while. In fact, this stranger before him reminded him of someone. Someone that he hadn't seen in months, since her passing. And yet that was a death that did sting, and Rowan could scarcely stand to think of his lovely queen that walked with the gods now. She had been more of a mother than his own at the time, and the fact that he could see some of her regal-ness in this wolf that he had known for all of two minutes...he didn't know rather he should be disgusted with himself or amazed. It made him want to turn and leave more than anything.

"But the north, you say? You've wandered fairly far. Whereabouts are you from?"

Her question gave him pause again, and Rowan stared at her with open contempt. Did she truly think that he would deign to give her an answer? She, a total stranger who'd already taken precious moments of his time? Ah, but she had answered his questions when he'd asked, and she was looking at him so blankly that he assumed she thought as little of him as he did of her. So with a soft sigh, he gave his response, his words clipped but true.

"I have come from the Nivei Mountains, as far north as you can go," he said, wondering if she was familiar with the icy, treacherous terrain. Almost as an absent afterthought, he added, "Unless you're part fish or keen on frigid water, that is." He could remember a day when he was just a pup, and he'd trailed Gavin and Avery, his siblings, down the mountain to the ocean that stretched far ahead. They'd dared him to jump in, but he'd known better, so Avery had gone in his place. The moment she touched the water, she'd let out a gasping yelping, and Rowan had to pull her from the icy depths. By the time they returned to their den, her fur had been tipped with ice.

"There's no suitable shelter for a few miles. I have checked."

Swearing softly, Rowan turned his head away from her for a long moment, considering. It wasn't like he couldn't make a temporary home in the forests, but he didn't know the area, and he had no more time to scout. He'd have to find somewhere fairly concealed until the morning time when he could continue on his way, but on his way here, he'd toed the borders of what he assumed to be a pack. Which meant he'd need more information from the she-wolf. Lovely.

"And do you know anything about the packs in the surrounding areas? Roughly their locations, and which are the least likely to give me grief for wandering close to their borders, if you're aware."

It was fairly obvious she didn't belong to a pack if she was camping in the mountains, but perhaps she might have encountered them at some point. It was worth a try.

WORDS: 713	tagged: Ὀδύσσεια♐
NOTES; rude Rowan xD

I'll be waiting

✿

[Ὀδύσσεια♐]

Ida

The stranger had cast a keen eye on her in the aftermath of her simple question. There was something akin to disdain that lit his gaze, as if it had ruffled him that she dare show any ounce of interest in his wanderings. Because really, she wasn't very interested. It took more than a passing and clipped conversation from a large brute to heat the skin under Ida's fur. In fact, the look of contempt had one edge of her maw quirking, amusement flooding her own eyes. It was dampened and masked quickly enough, but it wouldn't have been difficult to discover and she wouldn't have cared if he had.

And then somehow, from somewhere deep within his over-sized frame and mixture of apathy and disdain, came a joke. A smile fully lit along her jaw, her brows raised like she was impressed, almost as if she were somehow proud of this sudden capacity for humor. Ida herself wasn't entirely one for silliness, but she couldn't say she lacked a good sense of humor when needed. And as for the male and the way he had completely disregarded her own jab she was taken aback by this. "Well, I always did like the water," she quips back. Maybe because she'd never really had the luxury of much swimming in the far north.

Auds bolt forward when he's speaking again. It's too fast to be considered casual conversation. To the she-wolf he sounds like he wants to escape her presence as quickly as possible. And she wasn't offended by this, because she was still convinced she would never see this wandering stranger in front of her again. Bright eyes flick around the barren, rocky, cold landscape. There's nothing there to see, really, but it helps her get a handle on her surroundings and her struggles to recall what she knew. "No," it was a simple answer; she really did not know anything of it. Sure, she had allowed herself to skirt around some of the lands thus far but what she had gathered would be little use to his request. "But I do know the wolves here are very... possessive, it almost seams. I wouldn't dabble too long near any borders. When you go down there, everything and everyone seems on edge."



tag: ⋆Ravɛn | notes: eeeehhh short and crappy but hey it's there.

[⋆Ravɛn]

Seek me, call me

r o w a n

Her response had Rowan frowning, confusion momentarily written on his features. He’d been so caught up in his thoughts that he’d nearly forgotten he’d made a joke, albeit a horrible one. The frown faded from his muzzle as quickly as it appeared, and if one was looking closely enough, they might see the ghost of a smile twitch across his features. ”You wouldn’t like it very much if you took a swim in the midst of winter,” he warned, a knowing gleam in his eyes. ”Trust me. I’ve fallen in before. I thought I’d turn into a block of ice right then and there.”

He quieted then, turning to continue scanning their surroundings as she spoke once more. While she had no specific knowledge of the packs, it was good to know that they were highly territorial. Some packs, Rowan had found, didn’t mind a stranger passing through so long as he did not cause trouble. Often times he’d had an alpha appoint a warrior or a hunter to see him safely across the land. This would apparently not be an option here in Ravensbruck. Again he remembered that they kept slaves here, and their unfriendliness made a tad bit more sense. They’d be wary if a wolf of his size came waltzing in their territory; they’d likely think he was after their sklavins, although truthfully Rowan couldn’t have cared any less about them.

”Thank you,” he said gruffly, turning away as if he would leave. He had quite a task ahead of him, finding somewhere with sufficient prey and shelter to last him for a while. Fleetingly he considered joining one of the packs, but just as quickly as the idea had come, he snorted it away. He knew very well how testy alphas could be, especially when a rude colossus of a brute came thudding across their borders. He did not typically fit into pack life, so he would continue to roam, avoiding populated areas like the plague.

He took several steps away from her before he stopped, turning to glance over his shoulder. ”I realized that I never received your name,” he said quietly. While he would surely never encounter her again, it would not hurt to match a calling to the she-wolf who had helped him. ”I’m Rowan. Truly, I appreciate your assistance.” It was as close as he would come to politeness, despite the rough edge that still tinged his voice.

WORDS: 406	tagged: Ὀδύσσεια♐
NOTES; you're fine <3 if you want, we can be done with this thread after your next reply and go on with the rest of the plot. Entirely up to you (:

I'll be waiting

✿

[Ὀδύσσεια♐]

Ida

The she-wolf always liked to consider herself perceptive and she was not unaware of the smile that twitched his maw, ghost-like in its brief existence. He even had the sense to join in the joke. She quirks her auds forward with the lift of a brow but says nothing of it. If she were to acknowledge the moment she expected he might turn a disgruntled shoulder. And so she merely smiles in return, matching the knowing look gleaming his eye but for a variation of other reasons. It was a difficult task not openly laughing at his admittance.

Nodding once at his thanks Ida shifts and situates herself more comfortably in her space under the overhang. Her gaze casts off somewhere as if she too were done with the conversation. She was not at all put off or insulted when he turned then, content to leave him be and on his way. What brought him here was anyone's guess but the she-wolf suspected it might have been similar to her own: an effort for a new start in a land not as imprisoned in ice and howling winds. But she didn't ask, didn't even make a mention of it.

It was several seconds later when that gruff voice ruffled her ears again and she turns with a glance of surprise. "Ida," she grants pleasantly after his request and in response to his brief display of appreciation. "Good luck out there, Rowan." She didn't stop him after that, happy to watch him amble away. Some souls were easy to forget, but somehow she thought she might remember him. If only because he's a giant, she mused.



tag: ⋆Ravɛn | notes: yeah I'll go claim something now!