Someone to count on (C L O S E D)

The thick-cloaked yearling strode leisurely along the treacherous terrain, brief bounds lifting her prance. Her ears perked, erected and alert, whilst her expression remained nonchalant. She hadn't been wandering for very long, at least, not in the Upland Meadows. The area was foreign to her, however her adventurous antics got the best of her and the young one found herself roaming the unfamiliar valley, noting how... eerily barren it was, unlike any other region she'd have yet to see.
Jasper's glare lifted to the skies as ash tinted blankets set over the horizon, her tail following the wisps of cool air she received every so often. She found enjoyment in the cool winter's air and the soft, nearly melted snow underneath her ebony pads as she trekked on. She might not reveal it, but numbness gradually began to nip at her ankles and down, not only from the frigid climate and icy paths, but also from her lack of rest.

However, Jasper drew to a smooth halt as the faint echo of what sounded like a bark of... some sorts. She couldn't decipher the origin of the signal, though her glare told otherwise. Her golden honey orbs swiftly examined the surrounding territory, her fur bristling with urgency and yet excitement, which she hadn't witnessed in months. Soon enough, the strong aroma of another canine flooded into her nostrils as the female embraced a step forward, ascending her nose even higher than before. Jasper caught on to which direction the origin was located, and almost immediately afterwards, began after it, only managing to flow deeper into the unknown area.

"H-hello?" She called out, faint echoes trailing moments after another. Her hackles remained lifted, and her heart raced, the beating ringing in her ears- almost as if she was on an adrenaline rush. With cupped forward ears, she awaited a response from within the distance. Hopefully.

Seconds felt as though hours as she young female stood here in complete silence, her eyes positioned ahead of her, continually examining the area in front of her and beyond. Her fur began to relax across her spine, however her muscles told another story. They remained vividly constricted, ready to flee if the need were to rise. She was concerned for who released the bark, however nothing was revealing it's presence- nothing other than herself. Jasper opened her jaws once again, prepared to bark a second time, just when the silhouette of another wolf appeared behind a large boulder, their physique almost a mirror image to her's. She shut her mouth, and her throat locked up for a few seconds to keep herself from saying something completely stupid. Instead, the young fae kept herself still, with her tail falling limp and her ears remaining stiff. The other canine gradually began to walk towards her, rather than away. The gesture was rather surprising to Jasper, considering all the others she's encountered in the past had avoided her, which she could never figure out why. Perhaps, she found some potential for her.

The male halted, his coat compiled with various warm browns and bronzes, such as her own. He looked a few months older and herself as well. The she-wolf took a single step forward, extending her nose toward him, however once he spoke up, it caused her neck to recoil. So his name is Misha she noted, returning his small grin. He appeared cordial, so she'd return the gesture. "My name is Jasper," she introduced herself, her muscles loosening briefly. She decided she'd explain the reason for coming here, so she did. "I came here because I heard a bark not far from here..." Jasper had no idea how to continue with her statement, so she praised that Misha knew what she was talking about, and perhaps noticed the slight spark of concern in her voice.

The female couldn't resist a brief chuckle as the male admitted the bark was his own. Her grin widened briefly and her muscles relaxed almost completely. She nodded slightly as he explained the reason as to why he signaled the bark. "We've all done that at least one," she replied, her tone laced in sarcasm. She departed her glare from his and onto the boulder that now set a distance behind him. Her brow arched in mild curiosity. She opened her jaws, as in to speak, just when she was cut short by the male's question.

His inquire was rather odd, at least to Jasper. She hadn't really been questioned that before. "Er... yes. I am alone," she couldn't lie, mainly because she would have anything to back her statement up. It was obvious. This male couldn't be that gullible. "Are you?" She followed her reply up with a question of her own, her gaze returning to his.


(OCC: Sorry for the late response!)

The female nodded leisurely toward the male's response. Yeah sure, she already had a hunch he was, she was just refining the idea. Her ear flicked briefly as the abrupt barks and ructions of distant coyotes began to fill the surrounding air. She altered her snout toward the origins, however her expression remained nonchalant. Perhaps, she had just made a new acquaintance- and perhaps, she wouldn't be alone any longer. The male mentioned about having a look at the commotion, so the yearling took interest in the suggestion. "Sounds good," she briefly added, awaiting until the male had a slight head start before deciding to approach his side.
Silence once again began to flood through, soon separating their sparks of attempted conversation. Jasper would admit that, that was more than likely the fasted she's ever made an acquaintance, but only due to the notion that she hadn't met a ton of other canines in her small lifetime, so she wouldn't abuse the thought.

Her honey tinted optics maneuvered to the corner of her eyes, the direction where the male was walking aside her. Her ears flicked briefly as she heard his vocals fall out of his throat, and once he made eye contact with her, her eyes almost immediately shot back to the path ahead of them. Her fur bristled slightly, though she tried her best to settle her nerves. Things were getting quieter and things were getting more awkward. "So..." she spoke, almost inaudibly. Her mind rushed, as if a small wave continually attempting to bring down a large brick wall. What else was there to say? To talk about? "Was that your boulder?" Jasper inquired, trying to make at least some effort to making their situation less awkward.

The bronzed cloaked yearling's stride was growing unsteady. She lacked rest, due to her fiery will to explore more range. However now, she was regretting her decisions. Her eyes ducked, resting onto her paws as her pads were falling numb under the soft, fragile snow. Her paws were as if a ball rolling ever so slowly, rolling until it reached a stopping point, never to roll again. She'd rest wherever suited her most, however her options were running thin. Her thoughts flickered to the male that paced aside her. What about him? What if they decided to aid another in survival? Jasper was prone to the suggestion, though wasn't certain where the notion would end her up. She released an inaudible breath as her honey toned optics rested on the path in front of her, small blades of grass peaking through the snow-capped terrain, some strands even managing to thread themselves together, and intertwine another. It was odd, and rather foreign to her, however it was a pleasing site. The young she-wolf never actually found pleasure in the winter winds. They were frigid and ruthless; removing every spark of hope one might be foolish enough to own. Though now, she wasn't so certain about. She had Misha, now.

His words dragged her back into reality, her glare relaxing after they had subconsciously dilated. She praised he hadn't noticed. His actions were similar to her own. Jasper would wander place to place, not really claiming anything as her own, considering there was so much that she had yet to explore. She couldn't support that much tolerance possessing a domain. She'd more than likely hand it to the next vagabond she'd see. However nonetheless, the yearling simply nodded to Misha's reply, not wishing to be ill-mannered about it.
She drew in another smooth breath, her pace gradually weakening. They needed to locate a haven soon, or else Jasper would be dragging herself- and her muscles were already raw as it was. Though, the female paused briefly toward his question. What do I usually do? She inquired internally, proceeding onward. "I-It depends..." She commented, her vocals were light, attempting to make an effort at sounding affable- even under her current condition.