DotW RP: An Icebreaker

MatrixPotato:

Quiet. That was all that surrounded Isolde. Her mind was blank and so was the atmosphere in which she sat. She was just outside the border of Aryn, sitting in the snow around dusk. In the distance, crickets could be heard, but that was it; the only other sound was her own breath as she inhaled and exhaled, creating puffs of white air in front of her. This was sort of a routine for Isolde. She tried, everyday, to remember what had happened- or at least anything from her past at all besides her own name. It always ended in frustration and darkness- not just inside her head but the moon would usually be high in the sky before she was ready to call it quits. Nevertheless, she continued to come, to think. She shut her eyes tightly, trying her very hardest to recall something.

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Anhurs:

Not far off, Tristan wandered through the snow with a lowered head and a grim expression, very unlike his usual chipper attitude. He was growing weary after such a long day of searching for his sibling, his paws ached and his legs felt more and more like weights the longer he walked. Still, the white male was determined. He would need to stop soon, as it was getting dark, but for now he could try to keep going... At least until he found a safe spot to sleep. Tristan forced himself to pick up the pace, speeding up to a quick lope as he approached the borders of Aryn, unknown to him of course. He paused a little when he realized there were scent markers somewhere nearby. That was strange, last time he was here there was no pack... Where did they come from?

Tristan had little time to dwell on these thoughts, however, as he noticed a wolf sitting off in the distance. She was outside the border... Maybe she could tell him about this pack. Tristan trotted leisurely over to her, tail wagging in a friendly greeting. "Hello!" he called, ears perked as he smiled, though it was a weary one.

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MatrixPotato:

Nothing, absolutely nothing. Isolde groaned and opened her eyes, just in time to inhale the scent of another wolf nearby. She looked up, only to see a white shape in the distance approaching. He nearly blended in with the snow around him. She stood when he called to her. He sounded friendly; could she possibly know him? For a moment she grew excited; she took a few steps forward hoping that, by seeing this wolf up close, she might be able to remember something. However, when he came into view, she waited, only to be disappointed with no memory whatsoever of him. She sighed, and sat back down, aggravated again.

"Yes, hello." She said, sounding very bored and uninterested. As she looked him over now, she could tell that they didn't know each other. He was indeed being friendly, but he was wary. She was a stranger to him. "Is there something you want?" She guessed there was; she hadn't seen this wolf around Aryn and his thin stature he was obviously a loner. She had to admit though, he had a nice smile and he wasn't hard on the eyes.

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Anhurs:

Tristan studied her briefly, his expression calm and collected as he stood before her, lowering his head a bit. "Well... Sort of. I was just wondering about the markers... Is there a pack here? Last time I was in this area, it was free land." The added territory was troublesome, really. He would have to go all the way around to find a place to sleep, or go back, neither of which was appealing. Sighing, Tristan sat before the female, resting his aching, frozen feet. It was then that he noticed his paws were bleeding a little, nails cracked and worn from all the walking he'd done on the harsh terrain.

Clearing his throat, Tristan looked up from his paws and met Isolde's gaze. She was very pretty, he decided. "I'm Tristan," he introduced himself politely, an even wider smile returning to his face.

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MatrixPotato:

Isolde sighed, making her irritation known as he began to speak. She honestly didn't want to answer it; why had he asked such a stupid question anyway? She had to physically restrain herself form rolling her eyes and groaning. Instead, she shifted her paws so that she was sitting elegantly; both paws placed parallel and her tail laying straight out behind her as she stared at him, almost like she was a queen addressing one of her peasants- although, it made it a little awkward because she had to look up at him. It took her by surprise how tall he was for a moment, but then that only added to how much his presence irritated her. However, when he she noticed his slightly bloody paws- meaning that he had been traveling for quite some time -she did feel a little pity for the poor lad.

"Yes, there is indeed a pack here." Isolde put a little bit more emphasis, sounding almost patronizing, as she answered him. "As if the scent markers were not a more obvious indication of that." She couldn't hold back the eye roll this time. "The pack is called Aryn, though I honestly can't tell you much more than that. I've not been here long enough to know of it's conception." She finished and looked away, seeming bored once again.

She thought he would thank her and leave, but he only introduced himself. She exhaled deeply; he didn't plan on leaving anytime soon. "How average of a name you have." She said, raising a brow at him. "My name is Isolde."

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Anhurs:

Tristan sat briefly in silence, blinking a few times with a surprised expression. He wasn't used to being addressed like this... Well, unless it was his older brother he was talking to. Back at home, his parents had doted on him, raising him to be a spoiled little thing, always treated like a prince... But he liked this, surprisingly. It was new. Different.

"Oh," Tristan said, quite dumbly if he did say so himself. Carefully he shifted his weight, clearing his throat and lowering his head a little more, ears pinned back in submission. "Well... I don't want to trouble you, but... I've been walking a long time. Do you know if there's any place around here I could sleep? I won't stay long, really."

He raised his head slightly when she spoke her name. His name did seem boring compared to that, didn't it? "Isolde..." he echoed, smiling fondly. He loved it. "That sounds like the name of a queen," he mused, bowing his head to her. "Pleasure to meet you, my lady."

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MatrixPotato:

Isolde wasn't sure what she expected from this Tristan character, but what she certainly did not expect was him to react like that. He was seemed to know his place, or at least he acted like he did. Perhaps he had been in a pack once before? Either way, the use of the term "my lady" inflated her ego enough to let go some of the irritation she felt toward him. She probably wouldn't get anywhere with her thinking tonight- like she ever did anyway -and hey, at least he had good manners. She stood, very pleased with his reaction. Although, that didn't mean she would give up her attitude just yet.

"Yes, it does indeed." She said, matter-of-factly- though it was more to herself. She seemed distant for a moment, the feeling of deja vous washing over her. She had always thought of her name that way, she now remembered. Yes, it was truly an elegant name. She snapped out of her daze and turned back to him. "Well, I supposed there is somewhere I know of that I could take you to." She looked him over again, and at his paws once more. "That is, if you're able to handle the trek." She sounded skeptical.

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Anhurs:

Tristan raised his head after a moment, though he kept it at a still submissive level. That seemed to be the way to go with her, and he didn't mind. He smiled a little wider at her shift in demeanor, though she still had an attitude... But Tristan loved it.

"I would be most grateful," Tristan replied, giving a wag of his tail. When she looked at him again, her gaze going to his paws, Tristan immediately stood up, standing steadily on all four of his battered paws. "Of course. I'm used to walking many miles a day, I won't slow you down." Spending day and night for weeks tracking Niels had done that to him, but he didn't mind it much. A little hardship built character... At least that's what his father would say, moreso concerning Niels than anyone else.

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MatrixPotato:

"Let's hope for both of our sakes, you're correct." Isolde added a little bit of urgency to that. Hopefully it would scare him a bit. Still looking skeptical, Isolde abruptly turned her back to him and began at a prancing trot. She led him along the border, toward the river. She never once looked back to make sure he was following or slowing down; she kept up her pace, her paws carrying her gracefully over the top of the snow as if it were nothing. As they came upon the river, Isolde inspected it. It was frozen; a thin layer of ice covered the top. However, beneath the clear ice the waters were rushing past. They would have to move quickly.

Isolde turned to look back at him finally, noticing that he was indeed right behind her. She looked him over again, sizing him up and estimating. He was tall, but he was lanky, thin. She was sure if he was fast enough he could make it. She gave a curt nod, agreeing with herself. "Yes, you'll do." She said. "Follow me quickly, but do not rush or frighten. The ice is thin and you would do us both well to not crack it." Without waiting for his reply, she stepped onto the surface of the lake and slowly but confidently walked forward. Her eyes were on the ground at all times, checking and making sure that her steps were sure.

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Anhurs:

Tristan said nothing, following along after her in silence. He quite liked her so far, if he was being honest. Sure, she was a little touchy... And blunt. And a little rude. Tristan loved it. As he followed her, he thought about his brother. Niels would probably hate this girl, he decided, but wouldn't that be funny?

Tristan paused when Isolde approached the frozen river, looking slightly uneasy. Would the ice hold them both? It looked thin. Still, Isolde seemed to be confident, so Tristan swallowed his fear and trailed after her, tentatively placing a paw on the ice. When it didn't crack, he felt satisfied  and slowly began to walk after her, making sure his steps were even. His paws left small droplets of red on snow, but they were so numb he couldn't feel the cuts. Slowly, he made his way across the river, only a few feet behind Isolde. "This isn't so bad.." he said, giving a nervous laugh. A moment later he heard the ice groan, and he hesitated briefly in placing his other paw forward. A second later, the ice cracked and broke under one of his back legs, causing his paw to get stuck. He tried to pull free, but the angle was awkward and he couldn't get a grip on the ice, his paws slipping every time he tried. This wasn't good.

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MatrixPotato:

As the two padded gently across the frozen waters, Isolde grinned realizing that they were closing in on the bank to the other side of the river. She glanced behind her, and sure enough Tristan was there. He still looked nervous and uneasy, but he seemed to be getting the hang of it. She was about to open her mouth to tell him that it was almost over when she heard the groaning of the ice.

"Run!" She hollered, but her words came too late. In the blink of an eye, the ice cracked behind Tristan, catching his hind paw. He held on, but his grip was slowly losing it's power. Isolde could see more cracks beginning to form around him, the sound of snapping and popping filling the air. There was a moment of hesitation for Isolde; what to do? What would her old self do? Time seemed to slow down as she took in the situation; his helpless form, about to be taken by the current, and her own body, standing close to the edge of the river. If she took a few steps forward, or even jumped, she would be safe.

No. She couldn't leave him like that. Time seemed to revert back to normal as Isolde rushed forward, her jaws wide open and aimed for his neck. She grabbed a mouthful of his scruff and yanked him with an unusual amount of strength for someone of her stature, jerking his leg free from the ice. She didn't wait for him to get to his feet and start running- she just started pulling him along as she bolted for the shore.

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Anhurs:

Tristan, for a brief second, almost thought Isolde was going to leave him behind... The thought was a scary one, and Tristan briefly panicked, trying to scramble onto the ice, but it was too slippery and his leg wouldn't budge, not from this angle. Faced with the possibility of his own demise, Tristan realized he had never reconciled with his brother. Niels was out there somewhere, still hating him, and Tristan was very likely not going to see him again. It filled him with sorrow.

Suddenly, however, there was hope. Isolde lunged for him, grabbing his nape in her teeth and yanking him roughly out of the ice just before it cracked and broke where he had just stood. If not for her quick thinking, he would surely have drowned.

They couldn't rest yet, though, as the ice was still breaking behind them even as they darted to the shore. Tristan leapt the last few feet, landing with a loud thump on the bank of the river beside Isolde as the ice broke off and plummeted into the water. Panting, Tristan looked towards Isolde with a wide-eyed expression. "You just saved my life..."

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MatrixPotato:

As Tristan leapt for the shore, Isolde let go of him, a little surprised at his sudden burst of energy. But then again, adrenaline could do that to you. Within seconds, the two were safely on the bank, the ice collapsing in on itself and being washed away downstream, where more ice was beginning to crack. Isolde stared at it, panting lightly, as large pieces collided and broke, the rushing waters slowly easing out of the chaos they had caused, coming back to the controlled current it usually had. Tristan's voice caught her attention and she turned to face him.

Isolde raised a brow at him as she opened her mouth to reply, "Your observational skills survived as well, I see." She shook her head in exasperation and took a few more steps up the bank, farther away from the river.

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Anhurs:

Tristan eyed the river as all the ice cracked and washed downstream. That had been close... Far too close for his liking. When Isolde spoke again, Tristan turned to look at her, smiling a little and laughing sheepishly. He followed her as she turned and walked up the bank, keeping right at her heels.

"So..." he began, clearing his throat. "Where are you from..? I mean it's obvious you haven't always been in Aryn." He tried to make conversation, wanting to know more about her. Honestly, she was completely fascinating to him... Like a puzzle he couldn't quite piece together just right.

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MatrixPotato:

Almost instantly forgetting about the river incident, Isolde refocused back on the task at hand- finding this, rather bothersome, male a place to rest. Although, indeed he was bothersome, there was a certain charm he had to him. He had manners and he wasn't overbearing- at least she didn't think so until he began to speak again. Her mood almost immediately deflated; if Isolde hadn't been smiling before, she certainly wasn't now. She wasn't quite sure how to answer that question. She wished he hadn't asked it in the first place, but he did and now she had to decide what to say.

She slid her tongue over her teeth, contemplating. For a moment, she tried hard to remember anything of her past, but she couldn't. She flipped her ears back in irritation. "There is nothing I am able to recall of my past. But it is just that; the past. There is no real need for me to remember it anyway." Isolde finally replied, sounding distant and uninterested. In reality though, her mind burned with the desire to remember. She inhaled deeply and glanced back at him. "And what of you?" She said as she exhaled, hoping to take the spotlight off of herself for once.

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Anhurs:

Tristan paused briefly, wondering if that was too forward of him. He was really just trying to make small talk. "Oh," he replied, unsure how to respond to that. She couldn't remember? That was something new. Idly he wondered if she would ever regain her memories, but she grabbed his attention again by asking about his past.

Well... That was new. He wasn't typically asked about where he was from or anything like that. Suddenly he felt slightly uncomfortable, but her words gave him a little push. The past was the past, it didn't matter.

Shrugging, Tristan glanced away, head slightly lowered. "I was a prince," he said casually, like he was discussing the weather.

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MatrixPotato:

Isolde waited for his reply as they continued their trudge through the snow. She honestly wasn't quite sure where she was taking him, but part of her remembers a structure of rocks somewhere this way on her first day after recovery, exploring Aryn. Thankfully the wound she had received to her head wasn't as severe as it seemed- at least not on the surface. When Tristan finally did reply, she turned to look at him with raised brows. That definitely wasn't an answer she was expecting. She would've thought him being born to loners was a more appropriate tale, but a prince?

He seemed so nonchalant about it, though, which was the most surprising of all. Perhaps he was doing the same thing she was; perhaps it mattered more to him than he was letting on. Either way, Isolde slowly turned forward again, letting her brows settle back to normal. "Hm." She said, sounding intrigued for the first time in their brief conversation. "The princely lifestyle must have been quite a drag for you to give it up for this." She said, sounding only slightly patronizing this time, as she gestured to his cracked and bloody paws.

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Anhurs:

Tristan let out a soft huff of amusement, shaking his head. "Definitely. People doting on you all the time, bowing their heads when you walk by, constantly referring to you as 'sir' or 'prince' or 'your highness.' Such a drag," he mused jokingly, though he supposed there was a little truth to it. Being groomed to be a prince since birth didn't mean you actually enjoyed it.

Glancing down at his feet, Tristan lifted a paw to inspect the bloody pad, furrowing his brow. "In all seriousness," he began, placing his foot back on the ground. "I left because of my brother. He was banished, and I miss him... Even though he hates my guts."

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MatrixPotato:

"Indeed." Isolde huffed out, in response to Tristan's musing. For a moment, she stopped and sniffed about, trying to pinpoint exactly where she had seen that structure. She decided on a direction and turned only slightly to the northwest. As Tristan spoke again, she glanced back at him, a brow raising in amusement. "Oh, how noble of you." She retorted.

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Anhurs:

"Noble?" Tristan echoed, sounding genuinely surprised. Not a word he would use to describe himself, that was for sure. He trailed after her for a moment, thinking it over. "I suppose... He's my brother, though. That's just what family does." Tristan cleared his throat, going quiet again for a moment or two. "Besides, I owe him... His life was awful because of me. I'm trying to make up for that... Fix it, you know? Maybe then... He won't hate me so much, or something."

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MatrixPotato:

Isolde chuckled lightly. She liked that she took him by surprise, even though it was an accident and she was only joking. More silence passed between them and Isolde took the time to make sure they were headed in the right direction- which they were. She could see the pile of boulders up ahead. She turned to hear him speak again, this time about family. That made her frown. She didn't know how to answer that. Isolde knew nothing of her family; her mother, her father, her siblings. Did she even have siblings? Were her parents looking for her? Were they even alive?

"I see." was all she could say, turning back on her disinterested demeanor as they closed in on the rock structure. Making their way silently over a small hill, Isolde came to a slow halt, her eyes pointed toward the hideaway in front of them. She stared at it for a moment before turning to Tristan, who had finally come to her side. "I hope this will suit your needs." She said, rather hospitably, even though the little den ended up being just outside the borders of Aryn.

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Anhurs:

Tristan stood beside her, smiling a little. His tail wagged and he dipped his head to her respectfully, still showing a more subordinate nature despite his obviously dominant origins. "Thank you for helping me, Isolde," he said, lifting his head to smile at her. "I hope I can one day repay the favor." He genuinely hoped to see her again, actually, if he were being perfectly honest with himself. Despite her apparent disinterest in him, he found her fascinating... Maybe he'd get to know her better one day.

"Well, I suppose I should let you get back to your pack, my lady," he said after a pause, grinning still, though he looked tired.

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MatrixPotato:

Isolde nodded at him, a silent you're welcome. She honestly didn't expect to see him again, but she had to admit he was an interesting character. Perhaps one day she would meet his brother- or maybe she would meet them together. Isolde smiled, though it was still a little patronizing and cold, as she turned to let him get settled in.

"Perhaps." She said in regards to his repayment. "I did save your life after all." She flicked her tail, in a sort of joking manner. "But do stay as long as you like. You're outside of Aryn's borders so you should be perfectly safe." Isolde stepped away, but then stopped and turned once more to look at Tristan. "And, best of luck with your brother." Her tone took on a more serious note. Tristan wasn't a bad wolf, and so she truly did hope things went well for him. With one last look she turned and trotted off, back into Aryn lands.