A Visit to Friends

A Visit to Friends
Date of Scene:	01 December 2012
Location:	Bramble Forest
Synopsis:	Avira ends up snowed in, in the Bramble Forest, as visits her furry wolfie friends. She's joined by Skoll - the source of her having befriended these wolves in a ways.
Cast of Characters:	Skoll Ulfang, Avira

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Avira has posed:
It had taken some time, but this forest, which Avira had only visited before with Skoll's assistance, was eventually found. Its location quickly became firmly enshrined upon the crude maps that Avira carries around with her. In fact, she's doing such now, with paper sprawled out on a rock she's located. In her journey, she had found a few other new places as well and they too became features upon the map.

She works hastily, the cold of the forest starting to bother her a little-while she had brought a heavy coat with her, the temperature was still significantly lower than what Avira had become comfortable with in Rabanastre. A puff of steamy breath escapes her as she starts to roll up the papers again.

There's about three inches of snow on the ground. Her tracks are easy to follow, sticking out amongst the forest. The snow works to her benefit too since it allows her to spot the pawprints of wolves.

Avira hadn't told Skoll that she set out for this place. But she did tell him that she found it through a quick text message.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
No response had come from Skoll - but that wasn't particularly unusual. Unless it was an emergency - at which point he had this knack for replying almost immediately. Who knows when the werewolf might pop up - or if he even /would/ pop up.

Tracking the wolves isn't that hard, their paws are fairly easily spotted within the sand. It helps that there's not too terrible of a wind and that there's no new snow falling right now. But that doesn't remain true. The wind starts picking up, and the cold wind starts cutting through her heavy coat. And there are gray clouds overhead.

A little more time passes, and she manages to make her way to a small cave-side on a hill, where the wolves are all curled up around eachother in one giant doggy-pile. One of them perks up, looking up at the girl, and growls at her first. The wind leads 'away' from the cave, so they probably can't smell her. Yet there's probably some level of uncertainty or recognition, as they don't get up to attack her.

That, or they are just too cold. And just in that moment of that growl... a nice white flake of snow lands onto her nose.

Avira has posed:
It would be kind of nice if Skoll came, Avira thought, because then she could 'introduce' them. She was pretty proud of her new friends, after all. She was also pretty proud that she finally located this forest all on her own. Yep, she didn't even ask Raiya or Riku how to get here, both of whom responded to Skoll's emergency call.

Quickly locating the tracks, she follows them, moving quietly as she had learned to while out here. Rumor had it that there really was a beast in this forest but frankly, Avira had not seen it. Given all the disturbances she made during those five days of training here, if there was a beast, surely it would have showed up!

As she moves along, she starts to shiver, her coat doing little against the biting wind. The cold was starting to wear at her willpower to keep following and she starts to consider turning back.

But finally, she comes upon the cave. The growl gives her pause, but she continues approaching. "Hey.." she says softly, "It's me, remember?" But at least they aren't lunging to attack. She wrinkles her nose as a snowflake lands upon it and continues onward, ducking into the cave. That wolfpile looked warm.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
The wolf that had growled at her quiets upon hearing her voice, and looks up at her. It patiently waits for her to get closer, whining a little as the wind picks up outside and snow starts to come down more heavily. And when she finally reaches the furpile, the wolf noses towards her, sniffing at her, before licking at her cheek! Puppylove.

The wolves then all bark at her once, almost as if they were inviting her.

Avira has posed:
The steadily growing heavy snow is starting to become quite a concern for Avira. However, that concern is buried in the back of her head when the wolf quiets. She can tell that they're calmer now and had definitely recognized her voice based on behavior alone. After hanging out with them for so long, she certainly recognizes these things.

She hurries just a little more when the wind hits her, dipping down to all fours as she approaches so she can meet them on her level. This is rewarded by friendly nosing and a lick. "Awww, you do remember..." she coos before climbing into the little cave fully.

Snuggling and petting follows. "I missed you guys! Guess I really should have visited sooner." Avira glances out of the cave, now noticing the really heavy snow. A frown graces her face-shame she can't use those portals like Skoll can to get around easy. Then again, those did make her feel unclean whenever she went through one. "Seems I might be staying for a while."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
There's a little whining from the pups when the wind and snow continues to pick up, but her petting and general presence seems to calm her down. To think that it had been their presence that had once made her feel safer. Of course, the wolves can't communicate with her in words. Instead, they just make for little head-rubs and wolfish sounds to express that she is 'welcome' amongst them. Now and again, one will tremble a little in cold, and she will note the pack-behavior. How one wolf will move to warm the other. Then, a sound comes from her Ma Bell.

Skoll: "I'll come visit in a bit. Good luck finding them!"

Avira has posed:
Back then, when the woods was infested with Noise, the wolves became critical to her survival. Without them, she would not have been able to sleep at all. They were her protectors and warning system for when the deadly heartless-like creatures drew near. Avira doesn't actually quite 'get' it that the reverse may very well be happening right now.

After all, she needs their warmth just as much. Avira hunkers down with the rest of them, snuggling up against their fuzzy bodies. Her coat is unbuttoned, but not removed, giving them the option to slip beneath the coat she wears for extra warmth, should they feel like it.

She doesn't move all that much after that, enjoying the warmth. Just as she's about to doze off, her text message get noise fires off and she gropes for her Ma Belle.

Upon reading the message, Avira smirks. "Way ahead of you~"

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
A little time passes, and then Avira gets another message. "It's cold out here." Clearly, Skoll is out there and trying to find her. The wolves look at her using her cellphone, and then lay their heads down again. The wind outside has gotten really bad, and the snow is piling up quickly. But luckily, thanks to the snow piling - the cave lets through less wind.

Then... a little later. Another message: "Wherer ytuhtu ';."

Avira has posed:
"It's very cold." Avira texts back, the backlit screen of her phone inadvertantly lighting up the whole cave since it is basically the only source of light now. She sits up a little now, frowning, and watching the entrance of the cave. She trusts that Skoll can find her...unless her tracks have already been snowed over and the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. Hmmm.

"I'm in a cave." Avira texts back, suddenly concerned at the incoherance of his text. Putting her phone away, she starts to crawl to the edge of the cave and pokes her head out into the cold and snow. Yuck.

Then she starts to call out. "SKOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLL!!! SKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLL!!!!!" Amusingly, it's almost like howling. Apologetically, she looks back to the wolfpack. "My friend is out there." she says, unsure if they understand, but speaking anyway.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
It ends up being Avira's shouts that draw Skoll to her - as well as the concert that follows her calling for his name; the wolves singing her song. Yet, he doesn't come not in a way she might recognize at first. Arms around its body, a massive... /massive/ figure approaches the cave. First shown as nothing but a dark shadow in the snow, the beast moves upon her position. She might think it a monster at first. The wolves growl, then whimper... and then quiet. It's like they are uncertain what to think of this approaching figure.

With heavy steps, a large muscular werewolf steps out into the open, and then into her cave. Its jaw is clenched, and it barely fits into the cave due to how tall it is. Yet still, she would recognize these markings. This is Skoll's massive werewolf form. And the wolves welcome him with a howl of their own. It doesn't speak, instead it breathes heavily, snow packed against his body... shivering.

Avira has posed:
And here thought the incoherant text was a sign of impending frostbite to the fingers. Turns out it was due to big fat werewolf fingers being impossible to text with. Strange that she never thought of it, but to be fair, she's never seen him changed in front of her as an adult.

It's pretty touching to her that the wolves call with her. She'd hug them right now, but she wants to see if Skoll will hear. Something does hear though...something huge and coming their way. Was that the legendary beast of the forest?! The wolves seemed unsettled by its presence. Avira even shrinks back a little.

But slowly, he comes into view, and right away Avira knows it's him, recognizing the markings she saw in her strange visit to that memory. Avira has to back out of the entrance of the cave for Skoll to fit in, he's so large. "You made it!" Avira sounds...surprise, or more accurately, in awe now that she's finally seen him changed. Reaching out with a hand, she starts to knock snow off his body. "That blizzard started shortly after I got here so I've sort of been stuck."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll ducks, holding a satchel of his stuff. The beast nods his head quietly when the girl moves away to make room, and speaks to him. His eyes seem strong, but his body certainly is cold. The fact that he'd failed at typing that message might have been an effect of /both/. Who knows. She'd have to ask him.

The beast slowly puts the satchel down, quietly, and then takes out a few pieces of wood and starts to make a fire. Moments later, he has put his human clothing out onto a rock to warm near the fire - they look wet, suggesting that he'd fallen into the snow or maybe a river.

The werewolf then finally turns around and nods his head. His voice comes out, heavy, strong, rugged - less 'punkish' and more true to his nature. An honorful wolf. "My appologies for being late and worrying you. I heard your voice though... thank you for calling to me."

Avira has posed:
Avira backs up enough and settles down on the floor, curling up with her wolves again. The cave grew a shade colder with Skoll's big, wet self now inside it. Though he was certainly blocking the wind from the entrance now. She watches him make a fire with some surprise, hoping that the wolves aren't bothered by it, then sees his clothing come out.

Wow, he must've been wandering for a while. It looked soaked! Avira is comparatively drier thanks to getting into the cave before the blizzard hit.

"W..wow, your voice..." she murmurs, again in awe, "Er, right. I didn't realize at first the snow would cover my tracks and my scent. I'm glad you were able to hear us though." Avira smiles and lifts a hand, petting one of the wolves lying on the floor nearby her. "I found the place." she says proudly, "And my friends."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
The massive beast nods his head a little, before he plomps down onto the ground in front of the fire and continues to block the wind. Wether he's doing this on purpose or not is anyone's guess. But more snow will inevitably gather to block the wind as well. It'll just take a while. Either way, it also ensures that the fire doesnt' jump around. But at the same time, he does have to wrap his arms around himself to keep himself from being cold.

"Something wrong with my voice?" Skoll asks, tilting his head like a confused dog, before shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. I should check my messages more commonly - and I would not have gotten into that situation." His eyes move towards her hands, which are petting the wolves; who seem quite appreciative.

"I am glad you found your friends. And it looks like they are quite happy you found them as well."

Avira has posed:
From her spot, she's still looking over Skoll curiously. His size reminded her a lot of his father. Not only that, she can easily tell the difference between him and his sister in werewolf form. Skoll was far bigger. "No, nothing at all, it just sounds different when you're like this. Deeper. Well. Obviously, because you are larger."

Avira wraps her coat around herself and lies sideways, resting her head against the fuzzy belly of a wolf. "It's all good now...you'll be warmed up in no time." She reaches up to rub the wolf behind the ears.

Avira smiles. "You were right! They really missed me. I sort of...wish they could come with me but I know this is their home. And....there are other wolves out there so..." She's had some success with the desert wolves around Rabanastre too, as far as befriending the creatures went.

She watches him, sitting there by the fire, "Once you're all dry, maybe you should join us. You know, for keeping warm and stuff."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"I will join you when the snow covers the entrance. Until then - it would endanger the flame." There's a small rush of wind coming from the back of the cave, suggesting that there's another entrance that is not being covered by the snow. It's a draft more than anything else. At least that would protect them from air running out.

"But yes, it would not be good to take them from this place. It is their home - they know how to hunt here." His eyes shift towards one of the wolves. "And it is where they will soon have their children, when spring comes."

The wolf then nods his head a little and let out a howling sigh. "They remind me of my home." He then admits. "My clan was not much unlike a wolf's pack. A bit more complicated - due to the human level intelligence. But... there was little difference." The beast then looks back towards the entrance. It's half covered now. "How has your other training been going? Have you been... getting in tune with nature more?"

Avira has posed:
"Are you keeping the fire going all night, then?" Well, according to her phone it was night. Or night in Dalamasca. Interworld time zones must be horrid. "Had I known there'd be such bad snow tonight, I would have picked a different day..."

There's a sad smile on Avira's face as she nods in agreement with Skoll's words about not removing the wolves from their natural environment. "Travelling all the time would probably be upsetting for them too."

She falls silent suddenly as Avira mentions his home. "I saw it...when we went to that place filled with memories. It looked very nice." He pointedly switches subjects and Avira is happy to allow this. "I have. I feel like I've become more aware of the environment around me too. It's...pretty relaxing, actually, though I haven't been able to reach out to other animals yet. I think I need to work on my approach."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Perhaps one day, you will find a Wolf who is willing to dedicate their life to you." Skoll comments with that deep voice of him, looking Avira in the eyes as he says this. He doesn't go on to reply to the topic of his home. Instead; "But take your time. Learning to interact with nature is your current goal more than 'interacting' with animals. Remember, I wanted you to observe them."

The beast then looks behind him once more at the snow, after which he nods. "Yes, I will keep the fire going all night. It's safer for you and me. Unlike the wolves, you don't have a fur coat to protect you, nor the fat." Suggesting that she's 'skinny'.

Avira has posed:
"Maybe." Avira smiles a little, looking right back at him. "But I'm not going to hold my breath for it. Keeping up with me can be pretty difficult." She looks away from him, letting her head flop back down against one of the wolves she's currently curled against. Her assumption that he wanted to drop talk about the werewolf's home seems to be true. "I do remember. And I have. ...mostly." She did try to approach some animals! Most notably the ones in the memory and that turned out poorly.

"No, I really don't..." Something suddenly strikes her. If he saw old memories of her from college, then he's definitely witnessed her chubbier version. The 'freshmen fifteen' they usually call it. Intense training regimens and fleeing heartless had pretty much eliminated that. Oh dear, she's turned a little red at this, "But /you/ have a fur coat." Hah, yes, passing the topic back to Skoll himself!

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"I've heard that many times. You'd be surprised how far a loyal wolf will go." The beastly werewolf then turns his gaze towards the wolves at her side. "Perhaps not these common wolves though. Perhaps something more... from the World of Ruin. Something with fiend blood even - perhaps." He comments, before he looks back to her. As if noticing disappointment within her words about her approach with animals, he nods his head. "Don't give up, Avira. I believe you can do this. Have faith."

The werewolf then slowly looks behind. "The cave has been snowed in." There's some stirring in the wolves. Yawns and stretching, no longer trembling or needing to be quite that close to one-another. No longer diving into her coat when they needed the extra warmth. The blush has the wolf grinning a /strange/ wolfish grin. Really, some human expressions looked more threatening on a wolf than they were meant to be. "I /do/ have a fur coat. But I was refering to you. And I keep my body weight up by eating more to go along with the constant excercise."

Avira has posed:
"I probably will." She says, reaching up to pet the nearby wolf again. It was just so relaxing to pet them! Not to mention unreal on so many levels to her. "Fiend blood? I've heard that fiends are all bad news, though." She actually hasn't had all that much contact of exploration of the world where fiends are problems. She's heard plenty of stories though. "T-thanks, I don't want to give up on this either..."

It doesn't go unnoticed that the wolves seem a lot more settled. She's actually kind of sad that they're no longer nosing up to her and wiggling beneath her coat. Now that they aren't, she's able to button up her coat again.

That expression on his face...Avira's flustered blushing only worsens. "Wait, are you saying I don't eat enough, Skoll?" She's acually not sure. Tracking, hunting, and beating marks took a lot of energy.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll shakes his head a little. "Fiends are bad news. But there are ones that can be trained. I've heard stories of beasts and even humans with the blood of a fiend - or even full fledged fiends - who carry strong hearts, or have helped humans. Ones who have not let darkness corrupt their hearts. I am certain that out there, there must be a wolf for you of a strong nature, for you. Much like there is a Golden wolf out there for me."

The beast then eyes the wolves, and chuckles at the girl's slight sagging of shoulders - a natural human thing to do when growing a little sadder. "You can still hug them, you know? I think they've accepted you as part of their pack." He explains. "And you could probably call upon them if you are within this area." The beast then glances up at her again, and... looks confused. What was with the flustered blush? He turns his head down for a moment, looking away. Somehow, this moment felt a little awkward. "I think you should eat more. A smart wolf eats more than what is balanced, for days of extra exhertion. Not too much - but not too little. It's a difficult balance. But I think that... between your world's lifestyle and this one's - you have unbalanced yourself."

Avira has posed:
"Well that's a little mind blowing." Avira murmurs, finding it difficult to think of Heartless and fiends as differing that much. "And a human with the blood of a fiend? Wouldn't that just make them a fiend?" Yeah, she clearly knows nothing about that.

She frowns a little. "What exactly is this Golden Wolf thing again?"

Defiantly, she does hug one! She really enjoys it too! It stirs a little at Avira and seems to be a little confused by her exhuberance. "If I am in this area, of course I will." she peers beyond him, at the snow covered entryway, "But if it continues to snow like this, my visits will be scarce."

Now on the topic of food and "her world," yes, the moment did feel pretty awkward now. "Oh. Well, I try to push myself hard lately, you know? If...you saw me at..." she trails off. 'Your world.' she could barely call it that anymore.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"I've heard about it once or twice. It's a rare occurrence. But just having a fiend's blood, doesn't make you a fiend. A tiger and a lion can have a child together, and it even depends on who is the mother what comes out of it. But you can't call their a Tiger, or a Lion - either way. Skoll explains. "Don't worry about it. But just know - there is nothing out there like the Heartless. Nothing I've ever met - anyhow.

The wolf then quiets when she comments on the Golden Wolf. His brow forrows, and the werewolf grumps a little. In that moment, he watches her hug that confused wolf, and nods a little in regards to her words. "I don't think it always snows that badly here. And it's simply winter." He explains.

"And as for you pushing yourself. I've seen it. I see how far you push yourself, and how much you can achieve. But more importantly than that - how you haven't changed your diet." He reaches a hand out towards her, and his size truly shows in that moment. He's like a really broad and tall human... and then some. His hand touches her arm. "Your muscles can only develop so far if you don't adjust." He explains. "Watch those around you, and don't push yourself too hard. Your body might not be able to keep up."

Still holding his arm forwards to point out her muscles, he continues to speak; "As for the Golden Wolf. A foolish little story. Don't worry about it."

Avira has posed:
Slowly, she shakes her head, "If you say so. Ultimately, I'd have to cross paths with such a rare occurance so again, I will not hold my breath. Now Skoll has her thinking ligers. Damn him!

By now she's not looking at him as he goes into the bit about her pushing herself. How far he sees her pushing herself. It's actually kind of reassuring that someone besides her notices. Well...and Agnantry, he seemed to notice. "Well yeah, but..." she holds out her own arm, though it's covered by her coat. "I'm a human. I don't get big bulging werewolf muscles like you have." She lets him touch her arm and feel the lean muscle there. She seems flustered again, though her reasons are primarily embarassment. Being told that her pushing could be a bad thing...yeah.

"Well, we're not going anywhere for a while." In theory. Skoll could always portal them away. "So maybe we need a foolish little story."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll nods his head, touching her outstretched arm and legging his large hand wrap around her arm, feeling her muscles. She can probably tell that he's being careful - holding back so that his massive and strong form does not harm her. "Bulging werewolf muscles aside. You should still heed my words." His thumb rubs over the bottom of her arm for a moment, and then he lets go of her rather casually.

The werewolf then nods, "It's a silly story really." And so the werewolf begins to explain how his mother used to tell him and Hati a story - the story of how Hati and Skoll tried to catch the Sun and the Moon. Yet how in their culture, they were refered to as the Golden and the White wolf. And how Hati had latched onto the idea of that White Wolf, and he - though he didn't really want everyone to know - had later on caught onto the Golden Wolf thing.

"Mother suggested it would be a fated someone. Likely, my mate. That I'd know when I'd found them - and things were ready." He then adds; "I have not found them yet." Before shaking his head and turning his head to gaze at the ceiling. "But one day..."

Avira has posed:
It is definitely not lost on Avira that, in this form, he could easily wrap his whole hand around her upper arm and squeeze it into nothing. Part of it comes from being so petite though. "I'll keep it in mind for later. When I actually have some food to eat." She give him a look, but it soon fades as that big thumb brushes against her arm like that. Her offered arm remains there for a second longer afterwrds before Avira brings it back to her for her own warmth.

While curled up with her wolves, she listens to his story, knowing the slightly altered recap of the similar norse legend. Up until the part where he mentions the sun and moon also were golden and white wolves.

Now she's uncomfortably silent though. A fated someone...likely his mate...likely someone that had perished when his world was destroyed, unless there were other werewolves that had escaped. She doesn't voice this depressing thought, opting to go with a "Hopefully one day you /will/ find your Golden Wolf." which sounded far more encouraging.

Unable to help herself, a yawn escapes her. Not from boredom but the relaxed environment and her own tiredness.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
The werewolf nods his head. "I have hopes. Even if nobody but my sister lived from my world, there is still hope that I might find my destined Golden Wolf. After all... if it were destined that my world fall..." One might be surprised that Skoll - normally the one with a good head on his shoulders - would believe in such a concept.

The beast returns his both hands to his lap and then moves to sit closer to the edge of the cave. He doesn't want to bother her and her wolves. He closes his eyes for a moment and let out his own wolfish yawn. "I will let you sleep. You are tired. Tomorrow, the snow should have settled, and I will help you leave this place if you so desire."

Avira has posed:
It does strike her as very odd for him to be so superstitious like this-or to hold on to this legend so harshly in light of the fact ath Skoll and his sister may be the last. Well, the alternative was crushing depression so maybe he wasn't on board with that. "But if there's nobody from your people left..." Avira says, slightly uncomfortably, "Who would it be?"

Then he moves away from her and the wolves. Her frown deepens. "You're not going to..." she starts quietly and suddenly clams up. Well, if he wanted to sleep seperately and tend the fire, then that was his decision, right? "Yes, I'll want to head back tomorrow. There are other things I need to tend to so I shouldn't stay for very long." She lets her eyes close and she falls still, curled up against her wolf 'family.'

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Anyone." Skoll answers. "Be it a human, be it a demon, be it a gargoyle or a werewolf. The golden wolf has not to be a wolf." Skoll answers her, his head tilted up and his eyes partially lidded. He raises one hand to the sky. "I am a noble wolf, and I will wait for that person. Even if I grow old doing so. Until then, I will live for their sake... so that they may find me too." He whispers.

The werewolf keeps looking at his massive hand for a while longer, before he turns his head and watches her frown. His expression saddens a little. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wished for me to sleep with the wolves too. They are your family... I am... but an outsider." He explains. He then slowly moves up and travels towards the wolves - taking care to step around the fire - and then lays against the opposite side of her's. Behind her, to be exact. He lays his large body down and curls up with his back against the wolves. If he laid truly 'on' them, he'd possibly crush them after all. "Then here I will sleep."

Avira has posed:
Little odd, she thinks, for his golden wolf to not actually be a wolf. Little odd for Gargoyle to get thrown in there all the sudden too. Well, maybe he'd met Deidra and fancies her a little? "Oh." Even then that doesn't seem to make it any less heart-wrenching. Her awkward questions regarding this seem to finally end.

"But you're also a wolf. It's pretty clear that you don't bother them." Avira has seen these wolves angry and agitated. If they didn't want Skoll in this cave, they would have drove him out long ago. She watches him creep over and curl up, then nods, satisfied. "Better." She sits up for a second to get an even better look at him and starts to reach out.

Much like the little boy wolf Skoll she saw, she kind of wanted to pet his head. She stops herself quickly, and settles back onto the floor because randomly petting people is rude. "Goodnight, Skoll." she murmurs softly.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll's ears kind of 'perk' when the girl reaches out with her hand towards his head, swiveling a little. Did they hear her move? There's no chance she could remove the sound of her coat rubbing against itself and the wolves as she stretched out that hand. Still, Skoll said nothing in regards to it. "Hrrm." Is all he mutters, in regards to her earlier 'oh'. No, it wasn't Deidra - but then, Avira had not met the other Gargoyle. But most of all - he'd just listed off some unique races, and Gargoyle was one of the rarest ones he'd ever met.

"Goodnight." The werewolf then whispers, keeping his eyes closed. "Sleep well..." He then whispers. "May the moon keep your nightmares away."

Avira has posed:
Time passes. Avira quickly drifts off to sleep. Skoll, depending on deep of a sleeper he is will sometimes hear Avira making small noises in the night. Murmurs, whimpers, sighing. Who knows what she may be dreaming-she could be very well being plagued by more nightmares of her world ending around her.

She also squirms every now and then, shifts, or rolls over. Thanks to the wolves and Skoll around her, she's definitely warm enough during the night.

She won't be the first to awaken. Skoll will likely be the first, and when he does, he'll find that Avira has shifted around in the night and now remains curled up against his chest with one arm thrown haphazardly over his neck. She, at the very least, seems quite comfortable.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Indeed, Skoll is quite the deep sleeper. But with someone like her around, he wakes up now and again. The sounds of fear are something this wolf responds to after all. But it's the wolves who end up being the ones to calm her by giving a nuzzle now and again. Yet, when he wakes up again and the sun has started shining through the snow that covers up the cave, he still is surprised. He never noticed her rolling around that much - getting that close.

The massive werewolf looks down upon his chest, the girl with her arm slung around his neck. The beast blinks his eyes in wild confusion, but believes it would be unfair if he woke her up due to this. He moves a hand to her head and carefully touches her head to see if a simple touch will awaken her. This is followed with a rumble from deep inside of his chest, after which he breathes out slowly.

"Lady Avira..." He whispers, confused.

Avira has posed:
Avira is quite the tumultuous sleeper. She has spent most of her life having a bed, or now sleeping area, all to herself and sharing it with other living people was never really a thing for her. A stuffed animal, maybe, but a real animal that could accidentally be hit? But with each soft cry in her sleep, she eventually quiets as her wolf companions nuzzle her gently.

But right now, she seems content, as if snuggled up in a warm blanket. It isn't the gentle touch on her head that wakes her but the rumble from deep within Skoll's chest.

"Hmm?" she murmurs, shifting and moving that arm away. Her eyes peek open and she sees fur...then the face of Skoll right there. Realization slowly dawns upon her and she turns red with embarassment. "Sorry!" she says hastily, sitting straight up. "I thought I...I was over there...and..."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll can't help but be amused a little at the embarassment on Avira's face. "During the deep winter, our family would sometimes be like this during the cold." Skoll rumbles, putting his big hand on the top of her head carefully, and then removes it as she tries to sit up.

The wolves tip their heads up, awoken by the sound of the girl stammering like she does. Skoll slowly comes up, his large form easily dwarfing her, even when he sits. He then looks past her towards the entrance. Really, he seems entirely unscathed by this interaction. "It seems the storm has stopped."

Avira has posed:
That big hand of his could easily palm her head like a basketball...or crush it if he wanted. Though Avira's not at all afraid of this.

"In your wolf forms, you mean?" Avira says quickly, remaining on her knees, though even here he's far larger than her. Compared to Skoll, yes, it's easy to view Avira as downright scrawny right now. Seems she's also trying to banish the embarassment away but it's not going anywhere. Avira's also having a lot of trouble meeting his eyes after that.

"Has it?" she too looks towards the entrance. "...there's lots of snow out there still. It'll make getting back tricky...unless..." she glances to Skoll for a moment. Hmm. Brave the snow or go through that corridor. Both were uncomfortable.

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"In our wolf forms. It's what we spend most of our time in. Only absolute exhaustion draws us back into our human forms. That, or staring into a reflection. Eyes - or a mirror." He explains. It explains why he generally doesn't look directly into Avira's eyes - or anyone else's. Not when he's too close anyhow. So... you know... he ends up looking away from her eyes any time she might look at him, and vice-versa.

The werewolf then slowly stands up, ducking since the cave is short, and moves closer to the edge of it. The fire is on its last 'feet', going out. "I can help you wade your way through." He offers. "It would be a bit of a journey of course. That, or I draw you through the portal."

Avira has posed:
"...really? How odd that this is the first time I've seen you like this, Skoll." Avira stands now, turning away from him fully to stare at the entrance of the cave. She's careful to not step on any of the wolfpack that still remain curled up or sleeping. "I would think you'd be like this more often."

She considers his offers and taps the side of her face. The portal would be the easy way.

If she took the easy way, she'd never learn. "Let's go through the snow. I will need to deal with snow eventually."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Skoll shakes his head. "I try not to. This form tends to scare people - especially in worlds such as Manhattan." He explains, "Besides, I try not to stare at my reflection if I can help it. And it's not like a quick glance does it." He continues to explain.

The werewolf then pushes against the snow, creating a hole, before he waddles back to his clothing which he'd laid out on the rock, and sticks them into the bag he'd brought. After that, he kneels back besides the wolves and head-nuzzles each of them, before he moves to the edge of the cave. "I am ready."

Avira has posed:
"In Manhattan, maybe, but I bet you can get away with it in Fluorgis." Though at the same time, they might also mistake Skoll for some species of worgen and attack him. "...or not...hmmm." Avira tilts her head to the side, "I can't say I'm terribly afraid of you when you're like this. Well, unless you actually attacked me or something but I doubt you'd do that."

She remembers that red flash of light though. Part of her has a tiny bit of doubt still there.

Avira pets her wolf friends thoroughly as her way of saying goodbye to the pack. Once she has said 'goodbye' to everyone, she follows after the huge werewolf. "Me too. Let's do this."