Nothing Helps Anymore [Archer]

[forte]

@archer

Gren walked in silence through the forest, his paw steps silent. Birds were singing, springs were chattering, a warm wind was blowing. Spring had come at last, but for the first time he felt no joy at the thought. His life was void and lonely, with no one else in it.

All of his pack members had disappeared the previous year, and he had been unable to rebuild it, or even interact with any wolves beyond a short encounter. The lack of company had taken a toll on the wolf. Having been unable to find much food, he was now thin and gaunt, his fur dull from malnutrition. He looked ragged as patches of his thick winter fur were clumping up and falling off him.

Truth be told, he wasn't sure what he was going to do now. His territory wasn't really his with no one else to help him defend it, and he wasn't sure if there were any other packs out there he might be able to join or if they had all disappeared as well. It had been a long time since he had heard another wolf howl. Should he leave his home, or stay in the hopes of finding someone to join him? Maybe now that spring had come, more wolves would be out and about.

The Adoette Tree had long been a favorite spot of Gren's. It made him feel at peace, at least as much as he imagined was possible at the moment. But this time, as he entered the clearing and approached the imposing, mysterious tree, he felt nothing. No sense of peace or hopefulness or happiness; just the same loneliness and melancholy that had taken a hold of him these past winter months.

With a sigh, Gren laid down beneath the tree. The grass was vibrant and green, but too short to offer a buffer against the muddy ground. He didn't care. He put his head down and fixed his yellow eyes on someplace far away, where the times had been happier, the days less empty.

[Deleted]

"Stop stop stop stop," Euphrata begged futilely as she chased the rabbit, words in time with each quick stride she churned out. But the rabbit didn't heed her in the least, twisting and pivoting in different directions as it ran to try and shake its pursuer. She should just give it up for a loss, with her legs screaming in protest and her lungs burning with the effort. But she was hungry and the drive of winter was still in her mind, like it would still be the last prey she'd see for days.

With her single-minded drive, she chased the creature into an area that would have been familiar if she'd been more aware. She probably would have noticed the scent of another. As it was, the rabbit cut a sharp corner around the far side of the massive tree, and Euphrata didn't realize her blunder until much too late. She yelped as she saw the black form, but could no longer alter her course.

(If he doesn't move, she'll trip/barrel right over him and probably not be moving for a minute since she knocked the wind out of herself xD Or he can move if you want. Just something to work with if he doesn't.)

[forte]

((Sorry for the wait. Busy few days))

The sound of paw steps caught Gren's attention and pulled him back to the present. He could see nothing out in the meadow, and he was just turning around to check the other side of the tree when a rabbit dashed around the trunk. It swerved to avoid him and booked it across the meadow. In his depressed state, Gren's thoughts and movements were slow. He didn't even try to catch the creature as it ran practically under his nose—just watched it escape toward the forest across the clearing. It also didn't occur to him that something might be chasing the rabbit. He was caught totally off guard when a wolf rounded the tree as well—and barreled right into him. All the breath left his lungs and he lay on the ground gasping, "Wh— wh—", unable to draw a full breath to say "What the hell!?"

[Deleted]

Euphrata hit the other wolf hard, the world spinning in a swirl of colors around her as she tumbled head over heels onto the dirt. She slammed down pretty hard, having been in a full-out run, and the ground knocked the wind quite thoroughly from her lungs. She struggled to draw in wheezing gasps, barely hearing the half-formed sounds of the wolf behind her. She made a weak keening sound, then finally pushed herself to her feet. She blinked a few times, finally able to take in the world around her. She took in the state of the other wolf and immediately whined in mortification. She took a few steps forward, hovering worriedly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Her words were a little weak but she had almost caught her breath even, even if she would have bruises later. Any of the fear she might have originally felt at meeting a new wolf was temporarily forgotten in the face of her massive blunder.

(No worries, I don't mind a bit of a wait <3)

[forte]

Gren lay dazed on the ground for a few moments, staring up at the tree branches. The yellowish face of a she-wolf entered his view, but it took him another few moments to recover enough to say anything. "It's—hh—fine," he wheezed as he haltingly righted himself. He now sported wet mud stains and several blades of grass caught in his black fur. Once he was sitting he found it a bit easier to breathe, and he inhaled deeply. "Sorry I ruined your hunt," he said finally as he turned to her. She was small and lean, and her fur was of an interesting mix of hues. She was the first wolf Gren had seen in a while so he was quite interested in seeing what she would be like to talk to.

[Deleted]

She felt the vivid heat of embarrassment when she took in his dirtied form - her fault - and realized she wasn't much better. Dirt smeared her right side, flattening the vibrant fur, and she self-consciously turned so that side was away from him. "Please don't apologize," she said a little miserably, eyes cast at his paws rather than at his face. She couldn't help remember the last male she'd come in contact with. She'd startled him as well, and he had turned out less than friendly. But she didn't flee like she wanted to - that would be impolite after she'd just run the poor guy down.

[forte]

Despite having been living alone for so long and thus being a bit rusty at socializing, Gren picked up on the female's chagrin with ease. He could see it in her downward gaze, her shrunken posture. He reached out his nose to her to show that he wasn't upset about the blunder. "Don't worry about it, seriously," he said. "Mistakes happen. To err is lupine." He gave a smile, but it faltered as the wolf found the feel of it on his face almost foreign. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, what's your name?"

[Deleted]

She was quiet for a moment, trying to discern if she could take his words as truth. But she didn't sense any ill-will from him, and with a quiet sigh of breath she raised her head. Still a little unsure, but his brief flash of a smile made her feel more at ease than he could ever realize. "Euphrata," she offered, slowly lowering herself back to her haunches and letting the silver of her tail rest lightly on the damp ground. "And, um... what's yours?" She had never been the most eloquent creature, but it was always so much worse when she was nervous.

[forte]

Gren felt pleased as he watched the she-wolf relax a bit. He didn't like to see anyone be wary of him, for he knew what it felt like to have to always be on guard against other wolves. She also seemed nice and he didn't want to scare her away. He stated to try to project body language that was non-threatening: he followed her lead and sat down, and then yawned as if he were tired.

The black wolf tilted his head at Euphatra's introduction. Her name sounded so refined that he was suddenly a little self-conscious of his own name. "I'm...Gren," he replied. "Just Gren."

[Deleted]

He sat down as well, and she felt herself relax even more. Truly, he wasn't the same as Malice. He wouldn't chase her away just for... for talking too much, or... or whatever she'd done to make him angry. She wasn't a complicated creature. She just wanted companionship. When he offered his name, she looked him in the eye for the first time, quite a bright grin spreading over her features. Her tail lifted from the ground and tapped back down in a half-wag. "It's nice to meet you, Gren." And now that she was actually looking at him, she saw the gold of his eyes and the vibrant streaks of color in his dark fur. The way he was watching her with some interest instead of looking for a way out. She felt a flush of heat for very different reasons than her earlier mortification. Stumbling over the realization, she grasped at something to say so he'd maybe forget she'd just been staring. "U-Um, do you live here? Or... or no, you're probably just visiting... not that it's not okay for you to live here, that would be... okay..." She shut her mouth, feeling like an idiot. Yes, because rambling was so much better than staring.

[forte]

Seeing the smile light up Euphatra's face made Gren realize that he was actually glad she had run him over earlier. This time when he smiled back, it felt right. "You too," he responded as he watched her watch him. Though her body language told him she was friendly, he found himself doubting his intuition. He wondered what she was thinking, what she saw. A stranger to be wary of? A pathetic soul who could barely scrape by without the help of a pack? Perhaps her amity was sincere. He wanted to believe it was. Only time could tell.

There were a few seconds of silence during which Gren tried to think of something to say. He wanted to ask where she came from and who she was, but he didn't know if that would be appropriate so soon. Luckily Euphatra saved him by suddenly darting off into a half-thought-out sentence. Her stumbling words only endeared her all the more to Gren. He couldn't help but laugh at her rambling, but stopped himself short. "Sorry," he said quickly, "I'm not laughing at you, I'm just...uh...It's just...sorry." He wanted to tell her that he thought her floundering about for a topic was cute and funny, but he couldn't. He might end up scaring her away after all.

Gren cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. I live in Wildflower Clearing territory right now," he said, fully aware of how weird it sounded to inhabit a pack territory without a pack. "It's kind of empty right now, but...well, it's kind of a long story." He didn't want to bore her with mundane details of his past yet.

[Deleted]

The smile warmed her, as it was deliberate and sure this time. But then she was an idiot and oh, he probably thought she was so stupid. Addled and ridiculous and... and... but his laugh hadn't seemed mean, and she supposed she had earned it. His apology was what really convinced her, though, as he tripped over his own words trying to assure her he hadn't meant anything by it. She flicked her ears back momentarily, smiling a small, somewhat hesitant smile in acceptance of his apology. If he could accept hers from earlier, she could accept his over something so small. He really didn't seem to mind her bumbling too much.

Gren moved past the moment, answering the question she'd somehow managed to ask. She forgot her silliness at his words, a small frown passing her features. "Isn't that lonely?" She seemed to momentarily forget that she, too, lived alone for the most part. But the way he said it made her think that he hadn't always been, and that made it somehow even worse in her mind.

[forte]

Gren sighed at Euphatra's question. He tried to distance himself from negative emotions, but loneliness was the one that he just couldn't escape. "Yes..." he answered, eyes downcast. "Yes. I had a pack, but they're gone now. I don't know what happened to them." For a long time Gren had stayed in Wildflower Clearing in the hopes that someday his old friends might return, knowing full well how unlikely that was. After that hope had faded he had stayed to try to find loners to join him, but no one wanted to be in a pack of two, so Gren had remained the sole inhabitant of the territory. Now he was starting to realize he didn't really have a good reason to stick around. Maybe it was time he leave in search of a new pack. He would sure miss his comfy den, though.

[Deleted]

She almost immediately regretted the question, just because of the slightly downcast look on Gren's face. That hadn't been her intention at all. She scooted a little closer alongside of him, leaning in to touch his shoulder with her own for a moment before straightening again. She didn't really think about the action - she just wanted to make him feel better and physical contact was all she really had in her arsenal. "I'm sorry. That's awful." Her voice was quiet, but then she turned the subject a little. "Is Wildflower Clearing nice? It sounds beautiful."

[forte]

Gren looked at Euphatra, his eyes showing his surprise, when she touched her shoulder to his. It had been so long since he had felt the friendly touch of another wolf, and the simple action raised Gren's spirits to a higher point than he had felt in months.

He gave another smile at the female's next question. "Oh yeah, it's beautiful. It's green and quiet and there are flowers everywhere. It's one of the nicer territories I've seen." Now that he thought about that, maybe Gren wanted to stick around after all. He had a big capacity to appreciate natural beauty, and the tranquility and seclusion of his home was nothing to him if not beautiful. He had become quite attached to the place since he had been living there.