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+--- Thread: AW New Life New World (/showthread.php?tid=12475)
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New Life New World - Yelp - 7/3/2026
The afternoon had settled into one of those lazy stretches where nothing important was expected of anyone. Yelp preferred those. Those types of hours made him feel less seen somehow.
He wove between packmates through the tall green grass, laughing a little too loudly at his own jokes as his parents walked alongside him. His father rolled his eyes for what had to be the hundredth time that day while his mother snorted into a smile, both of them indulging him with the same endless patience they always had. His parents always seemed entertained by him, though he was sure they didn't quite understand his sense of humor. But they did try to at least keep up, making teasing comments in return at their boy's silly antics.
They would all laugh, but sometimes, in the pause that followed, Yelp found his eyes lingering on his parents. Had those wrinkles always been there? Was his father favoring that right leg of his more? His mother looked so tired, softer around the eyes. Their fur had more silver than he remembered. The signs were impossible to ignore, no matter how he tried...His parents were old, and soon, they’d step back from pack life. The pack would care for them, of course, everyone knew that. But as for Yelp, he was barely an adult, and he hadn’t done much with his life to amount to anything really. He’d never hunted, never fought, never even left the boundaries of home. Most days, he felt forgotten, untested, while trailing behind everyone else. Whenever he voiced any of this, his parents would offer their gentle reassurances.
It's no rush.
You'll figure it out.
We love you no matter what.
Life isn't a race.
Maybe they were right. But everyone else seemed to be racing anyway, and the more he noticed it, the more exposed he felt. His peers were leagues ahead, while he was still at the starting line trying not to look lost. The guilt made him restless, but he did his best to ignore it.
"Alright, don't go missing me too much," Yelp called, already turning away.
His parents would wave acknowledgment and continue their conversation
Yelp padded into the trees, the hum of voices fading behind him until only birdsong and the gentle rustle of leaves remained. He found a quiet pool nestled in the roots and bent for a drink.
One lap.Two.Thre--
Huh?
The texture of hard earth changed underpaw, causing a sinking sensation. Grass became wet sand, and the cool forest air was replaced with something briney and warm. The quiet pool’s hush exploded into crashing waters.
My mouth--
"...BLEGHKK-KK!!!" Yelp spat a mouthful of seawater, coughing as he scrambled back, tongue flailing all around. "PTUH! GAHHH! WHAT the hell?!" He swiped at his tongue with a paw, only succeeding in working sand deeper into his mouth."What the HELL?!"
Green eyes darted everywhere. no trees, no fields, no familiar scents. Just endless blue water, strange birds overhead, and a place that looked all wrong. His ears pinned back as he tried to slow his breathing. "...What. the. hell..." The words came out smaller this time. He turned in place, heart pounding so loud, staring at the alien horizon like he could will the forest back somehow.
"...What..."
Panic finally burst free.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
RE: New Life New World - Gemini - 7/6/2026
"You're doing the face again," said Dove, flopping down beside her in a heap of legs and burrs. Dove was young enough to think everyone's business was hers, which Gemini found tiresome and also a little dear, if she was being honest. "The far-away face. Bracken says you'll do it when you're planning to leave us."
"Bracken says a lot of things. Bracken once told me a badger cursed his grandmother."
"It did," Bracken rumbled from across the hollow, not lifting his nose from whatever he was fussing over in the leaf litter. He was an old lout of a wolf, grey to the gums, and he treated every camp like a den he'd owned for years. "Died with mange and a bad temper, didn't she? Curse."
"That's just being a grandmother," said Alder, who was watching the treeline. He was the sort who slept with one ear cocked and never told a single joke the entire time Gemini had traveled with him—which was long enough to assess him a chronic bore. The closest he'd come was when Gemini had tried reading his pads once, a moon ago, and he'd let her hold his paw for a full minute before saying, flat as slate, "It says I don't believe in this." She'd laughed so hard she'd choked.
Three moons she'd traveled with this troop. Longer than most. Long enough that Dove had started sleeping against her flank and Alder had stopped counting his cache of pretty stones when she walked past, which was foolish of him, because there was a snail shell in that cache with a whorl like a curled fern and it was going to be hers eventually.
But Dove and Braken were right. That the leaving-itch had crept back in under her skin. They were almost to their destination: a bustling trade hub on the far coast. The perfect place for Gemini to continue her search and bid a fond farewell to her new friends.
"HA." Bracken reared back from the leaf litter like he'd unearthed a king's leg bone. "Ha! Come see. Come see and be humbled."
Dove got there first. "It's... weeds."
"It is silverleaf, you unlettered pup. Dried on the stem, sweet as a spring morning, and not a spot of rot on it." The old wolf was near trembling. He had one true love in this world and it was steeping plants in warm water and forcing everyone to pretend to enjoy it. "Do you know how rare this is, this far north? Do you? A find like this wants brewing! All I need is water and a sun-warmed stone."
"The creek's a fair walk," Alder said, in the tone of a wolf who was not going to be the one walking it.
"I'll go," said Gemini.
She said it fast. Gemini was usually the first to volunteer, the same way she was first to fetch and first to scout and first to carry messages between camps. An errand was a door left open, and a wolf who ran errands was a wolf nobody chained down. Generosity with an exit built into it. Her whole life, more or less.
"See how she serves her elders?" Bracken said grandly to Dove.
Gemini was already trotting, laughing as she left. Under her breath she hummed as she made her way towards the trickling sound of the creek somewhere ahead through the birches.
She followed and followed and followed. Strange, she didn't remember the creek being this far out of camp.
She stopped. Cocked her head. The water sounded near, then far, then to her left where the ground rose. Her hackles stirred as a strange feeling crept up her spine, and she turned to mark her backtrail.
There was no backtrail. There were no birches. But there was mist, thick and sweet-smelling, and under her paws the ground had gone from loam to cool sand that gave easily under her paws. The sound she'd been chasing wasn't a creek at all. It was surf.
"Ah," she said to no one. "That's a new one. Bracken…? Dove…?"
Her calls went unanswered, which wasn't surprising. It wasn't even the same time of day. Evening had begun to set in when they stopped for the night, but now it was hot and so sunny that she had to squint against the glare of it off the sand. Gulls squalled overhead, replacing the gentle birdsong of the clearing she'd just been in.
Behind her, foreign trees and rocks. Before her, dark water to the world's edge. Wet sand in her fur, so perhaps she'd washed up; she had no memory of swimming. For a long moment, she looked around, frowning, ears swiveling. How did she get here? Was this the coastline they were headed for, and she somehow forgot the rest of the trip? No, it should have been a hub bustling with wolves, and there was no one here.
Wait, there was one wolf here—a scruffy youngster who promptly shouted: "WHAT THE HELL?!"
My thoughts exactly.
Giving herself a quick shake, she trotted up the beach towards the bi-colored yearling. He reminded her of herself, only instead of his colors being split bilaterally, it was as though whatever gods had created him had simply stopped coloring him halfway down.
"Hello?" She called out as she approached, her hesitance clear in her voice.
RE: New Life New World - Maral - 7/6/2026
The swamp released her with one final squelch of mud.
Möngön!Maral called, her voice carrying across the unfamiliar landscape.
Möngön!
There was no answering whinny.
Her brows knit with worry as she stepped from tangled reeds onto blinding white sand, blinking against the afternoon sun. Salt hung thick in the air, the endless sea glittering before her like polished glass. This was no marsh she had ever crossed, nor any coast she remembered from the steppe. The warmth was foreign. The palms stranger still.
Möngön...she called again, quieter this time, amber eyes searching the shoreline.
Nothing.
Only crashing waves... and voices? The widow turned toward them at once.
Two wolves stood farther down the beach, both clearly as bewildered as she felt. One young male was sputtering and shouting at the ocean itself, while the other—an older she-wolf with an observant gaze—had approached him with cautious curiosity. Their words reached Maral clearly.
Common.
Relief loosened the knot in her chest, they were not han. At least, she assumed they weren't.
She approached at an easy pace, careful not to startle them. Her feathered tail hung low in a peaceful posture, ears forward, concern softening her already gentle features. Damp earth still clung to her paws and lower legs, carrying the scent of marsh water into the salty breeze.
Excuse me...she called softly, stopping a respectful distance away.
Her amber eyes moved between the frightened youth and the older traveler, lingering on the panic written across the younger wolf's face.
Are you both alright?The question came instinctively, spoken with quiet sincerity rather than caution. Whatever strange place this was, it was obvious they were just as lost as she was. Maral offered them a small, reassuring smile, though it carried a melancholy that never quite left her eyes.
Gemini Yelp
RE: New Life New World - Yelp - 7/6/2026
The sound of a new voice caused him to jolt hard, his front paws sending an arch of sand skyward.
...Random lady.
The knot in his chest loosened somewhat.
"Oh thank God."
The words escaped him before he could even think. The relief at seeing another of his own kind was rather small, but another wolf meant he wasn't completely alone in... whatever this was. And other wolves meant help. Or something like that... He didn't stop to wonder whether approaching a stranger was wise or not. Yelp wasn't exactly wired to view other wolves as potential threats or beings to be wary of. Wolves were wolves. And every wolf he had ever interacted with was nice and helpful. So he figured even some random stranger would make no difference.
Yelp hurried toward her with quick, uneven strides, only slowing once he got close enough to really look. "...Whoa." His ears flicked forward. Her face was split, pale on one side, dark on the other, tiny pale flecks scattered across the black like stars. He'd never seen markings like that before. For one distracted second, the panic in his brain stalled.
Hey, that's kinda cool!
However, the thought was shoved away almost as quickly as it'd come, his green eyes now darting past her shoulder to scan the shoreline once more as if there was some kind of answer to be found there.
"So, like," he blurted, almost talking over himself, "I am so confused." He gestured one of his large forepaws wildly behind him toward the ocean. "I was in a forest, right? Grass. Nice little pond. Trees, it wasn’t hot as shit. I bend down for a drink—" As he prattled on, he mimed the action of bending down to take a sip of water, his brows pinched tightly as he worked through his jumbled mess of a story. "—and then suddenly..." He sat up and fanned a paw at the air. Everywhere, so to speak. "And now I got sand all up in my mouth. Why does the water taste like that? And where am--" Seeming to catch himself, Yelp cut his chatter off with a slight vocal hitch as his gaze traveled back to the stranger.
He didn’t get the chance to apologize for his word vomit before another voice, a gentle accented one, carried over the sound of rolling waves. Yelp’s ears flicked up and he turned to find another random lady standing just far enough away to be fully seen and heard, concern clear in her amber eyes.
The question, “Are you both alright?”, was simple and seemed honest, but the sincerity made Yelp pause for a moment and straighten up a little, drawing in a steady breath. Of course he was alright, right?
Maybe I need to get a grip...
His tail gave a weak wag as he tried to answer her gaze with something that looked assured.
“Yeah,” he said, a genuine attempt at bravery surfacing as he looked at one wolf to the other. “I’m good. Just uh, I think there are some things to figure out here?”
RE: New Life New World - Gemini - 7/6/2026
The boy talked like a spring flood. Grass, pond, trees, hot as shit, sand in his mouth, all of it tumbling out in one breath while his big paws drew pictures in the air. Gemini let it wash over her and found that she was grateful for his exuberance. Panic was easier to watch than to feel. As long as he was doing it, she didn't have to.
"Same thing happened to me, except I was fetching creek water for an old grump's tea." She looked out at the enormous, glittering, entirely wrong ocean, and her tail gave a wry little sweep. "Good news is I found water..."
It was the truth. But what it didn't say was that her heart was going like a rabbit's, or that somewhere behind a copse of vanished birches there was a snail shell she'd never get to steal now, and a pup who slept against her flank, and a bore with one cocked ear. None of them would know where she'd gone. She had left a dozen camps in her life, but always on her own terms. Something had finally beaten her out the door, and she did not care for it one bit.
Then came a second stranger, soft-footed with colors that made Gemini think of a sunset, marsh-mud drying on her legs. Oh thank goodness, another adult. Gemini's ears tipped toward her. She had good eyes for faces, and this one's face was gentle, seeming to her to be an earnest, if a bit sad, stranger.
"Alright enough. Better than him, anyway." A tilt of her muzzle at Yelp, softened with a smile so he'd know it for teasing. "Though he's braver than he was a moment ago, so the day's improving."
"I'm good. Just uh, I think there are some things to figure out here?"
Gemini nodded in agreement. "Were you with anyone? I was traveling with three others. A girl about your age, an old grump who was about to brew tea, and a long-legged fellow." She watched the stranger as she spoke, hoping to see any sign of recognition. Saying it out loud made their absence feel heavier than she liked, so she kept her tone light. "I could help you look for yours while I look for mine. Unless you know more about this place than we do? We don't really know how we got here."
Yelp Maral
RE: New Life New World - Maral - 7/6/2026
Maral listened without interruption, her amber eyes moving from the excitable young wolf to the older traveler as each recounted nearly the same impossible tale. A forest. A creek. A single moment, and then... here.
The familiarity of it made her heart sink. Her ears lowered ever so slightly.
I... see.For a moment, only the waves answered them.
When Gemini spoke of those she'd been traveling with, Maral searched her memory, hoping against reason that the descriptions might stir some recognition. A young girl. An old wolf with his tea. A long-legged companion.
Nothing. She lowered her gaze with quiet regret.
I am sorry.Her voice remained soft, touched with genuine sympathy.
I have not seen any wolves matching those descriptions.A faint sadness settled across her features.
And...She hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
...I think it would be unfair of me to give either of you false hope.
Her eyes lifted to meet theirs once more.
I don't believe your companions are nearby.She glanced toward the endless horizon before continuing.
I wasn't born in this land either. I arrived here much the same way you did—without understanding how, or why.A small sigh escaped her.
I've searched for answers since then, and all I've learned is that this place...She paused.
...is separate from the homes we remember.The words were gentle, but no less painful for it.
I don't know whether we'll ever find the paths that lead back.Silence lingered for only a heartbeat before she offered a small, reassuring smile.
But that does not mean you have to search alone.She turned slightly, gesturing inland with a nod of her muzzle.
I live with a forming clan called Alukhai. They're a few days' journey from here. They are made of wolves from my old home.There was quiet pride in the way she spoke the clan's name.
Our Khann has traveled far more of these lands than I have. If anyone might know where to begin looking—or have heard of wolves arriving as you have—it would be him.
Her tail gave a slow sweep through the sand.
If you'd like, you're welcome to come with me.
Then her expression softened once again, touched by the same worry that had first brought her to them.
Though...she admitted with an apologetic smile,
...I should confess I'm searching for someone as well.Her gaze wandered briefly toward the inland grasses.
My stallion, Möngön. He wandered off not long ago, and I've yet to find him.
A quiet breath escaped her, equal parts fondness and concern.
Knowing him, he's probably found something interesting and forgotten I was following. He is a troublemaker, as all grey horses are.For the first time since they'd met, a hint of warmth reached her eyes.
Once I've found that stubborn horse, I'd be glad to lead you to Alukhai. If that is what you want your next step to be.
Yelp Gemini
RE: New Life New World - Yelp - 7/7/2026
Yelp's ears flicked, his gaze catching on the female with the split face. For half a heartbeat, he simply stared. "...Aw, man..." The words slipped out under his breath before he could stop them.
So she'd been somewhere else too. Somewhere completely different. She had people she'd been with. Then, just like him, suddenly appeared wherever they were.
Even though the two older wolves being around did ease his nerves, the story shared caused more discomfort than he expected. He gave himself a quick shake, as though he could physically fling the feeling off his back. Composure snapping back into place the best way he could manage.
When the older wolf poked fun at him, Yelp let out an exaggerated huff, his tail giving an indignant thump against the sand. "Hey, lady," he protested, "I think I'm handling this, like... waaaay better than most would right now!" He puffed out a dramatic sigh to really sell it, lips pushed into a pout. His final huff was even bigger, just to make it clear he wasn’t actually offended. Well, maybe that wasn't entirely true. As unearned as it was, he did have an ego on him, and her comment nicked at it just a little bit. Though he moved on easily, shooting the two a lopsided grin. But when the questions came about who he'd been with and what he'd left behind? That grin softened around the edges.
"I was with my parents." His voice dipped just a little. "Super old... Starting to have that old smell type of old."
His ears lowered, though only briefly.
"The rest of my pack were probably out hunting... or doing something I dunno." He gave an awkward little shrug. "I just wandered off for a drink and..." Another glance swept across the beach.
The offer to help stirred something warm in his chest. His tail gave a slow, appreciative wag, but uncertainty lingered behind his eyes. "Thanks, but..." He scratched absently at the back of his neck. "I dunno, I think learning about this place would be a nice start, yeah?" Between the two of them, Yelp wasn't so sure his pack was anywhere close to here.
As the sunset-colored wolf spoke, Yelp turned to listen, ears swiveling forward. With every sentence she spoke, the tiny hope that this was all some bizarre misunderstanding seemed to shrink another inch.
So... There were more like them here.
Im really not getting home tonight...
His ears flattened, but he forced himself not to dwell. Thinking too hard about it now felt dangerous somehow, like he would crack, spiral, scream and cry. If he could make himself think it wasn't a big deal and that he could handle this, then he could will that. Hed be okay. Instead, he drew a steady breath and squared his shoulders. "...Yeah." He nodded. "Okay, lady. I'll come with." Another nod, firmer this time. "At least check out whatever this clan thing is."
Then one word snagged in his brain.
Stallion?
He blinked. That's a new one.
The fondness in her expression gave him enough context to know it was probably someone she cared about, but then she said another unfamiliar word.
"Horse."
His mouth beat his brain, a race it usually wins.
"The hell's a horse?"
His ears slowly folded back a beat after. "...Uh." followed by a sheepish cough."I mean—" He gestured vaguely forward with a paw."Yeah. I'm down to go to this... Al-loo-kai." Another beat passed before he realized something. "Oh!" His eyes bounced between the two wolves, his tail wagging with a bit more energy now, the uneven smile returning "I'm Yelp, by the way."
RE: New Life New World - Gemini - 7/7/2026
A gull went screaming by overhead, and for a moment that was the only sound Gemini could hear.
Separate from the homes we remember.
Her smile stayed where it was. Under it, her gut had dropped like a stone down a well, and it was still falling.
The woman went on. Talkative, this one. Clan, Khann, some horse with a silly name. Gemini watched her mouth move and thought of a wolf on the far side of nowhere, wearing her face, growing older every day she wasn't looking. Two and a half years of singing for scraps and reading paws, all of it to find him, and this muddy-legged stranger had just smiled and said never, sweet as you please.
The sadness in those eyes that Gemini had thought so gentle a moment ago didn't look so innocent anymore. She looked at it again and it looked different now, with a more sinister truth beneath all that. Pretty bait. So sweet and unassuming, until she led you back to the den of wolves she shared a bed with and they robbed you blind or worse.
"Mm," she said.
She licked her nose. Took her time with it.
"That's a lot of world to have figured out, friend. No way home. No hope. Best come inland with me, my clan is lovely."
And there was the kid, already nodding along. Okay, lady. I'll come with. Barely off his mother's milk, lost, scared spitless, and saying yes to a three-day walk with the first wolf that offered him one. Gemini's ears went flat.
"Don't listen to her, kid. Sun's obviously bleached her brain. At best, she's crazy and guessing." She tipped her muzzle at the white beach, the flat hammering sky. "At worst, she's leading you into a trap. Quiet spot inland, no witnesses, whole batshit clan of hers waiting."
It was a rotten thing to say with the woman standing right there. Gemini knew it, but she said it anyway. She couldn't just let this kid walk off with this stranger after spouting crazy-talk about being nowhere with no way back home. That was just crazy!
"There's a way back, and I'm going to find out what's really going on. Someone's waiting on me."
She paused, looking at Yelp before jerking her head forward and to the side in a let's go gesture, stepping off down the shore with every intent to pick her way down the beach until she ran into someone useful. Hopefully the kid was smart enough to take his chances with her and not the sad, insane woman.
RE: New Life New World - Maral - 7/7/2026
Maral watched the exchange in silence. The young wolf's uncertainty was easy to understand. Despite everything she'd told him, he'd chosen hope over fear. It reminded her of someone she used to know. When Yelp agreed to accompany her, she offered him a warm smile.
I am glad.She dipped her head politely.
My name is Maral.Her smile grew a touch more genuine as he stumbled over the unfamiliar words.
And a horse…she began softly,
...is rather difficult to describe if you've never seen one.
She lifted a paw, tracing an invisible outline through the air.
They're much taller than we are, with long legs built for running. They have hooves instead of paws, long faces, and manes that grow from the tops of their necks.A hint of fondness crept into her voice.
They're gentle creatures, though clever enough to ignore you whenever it suits them.
Her ears flicked with quiet amusement.
Möngön has perfected that particular talent.Then her attention shifted to the older traveler.
She listened without interruption as suspicion replaced kindness. Crazy. A trap. A clan waiting to rob them or worse. The accusations drifted over her like the evening wind. Maral did not flinch, nor did she seem offended. Instead, a quiet sadness settled behind her amber eyes. The woman's words were sharp, but they sounded painfully familiar.
Once, after she was first given news of her husband’s death, Maral had spoken with much the same desperation. She had refused to believe her husband was truly gone. She had searched every returning caravan, every battlefield, every rumor whispered between travelers. Anyone who suggested he would never come home had seemed cruel beyond measure. Grief often sounded like anger. She knew that better than most.
I understand,Maral said gently. There was no bitterness in her voice.
If someone I loved were waiting for me... I don't think I would wish to hear those words either.Her gaze lingered on the traveler with quiet compassion.
I wasn't trying to take your hope from you.
She offered the faintest smile.
I only wished to spare you the despair I felt when I first arrived.Her tail swept lightly through the sand.
But coming with me was never an obligation.She looked between them both.
If either of you wishes to search on your own, you should. I will not stop you.
Then, before another word could be spoken—
A loud, ringing whinny echoed across the shoreline. Maral's ears shot upright.
From the edge of the nearby swamp emerged a towering grey stallion, his silver coat catching the afternoon sun despite the mud splashed across his lower legs. He stood half-hidden among the reeds, tossing his broad head before bobbing it impatiently up and down as if asking what was taking so long.
Relief blossomed across Maral's face.
Möngön!The melancholy she'd carried since arriving seemed to lift, if only for a moment.
There you are!The stallion answered with another impatient nicker, pawing once at the soft earth before bobbing his head again, entirely unconcerned with the worry he'd caused. Maral couldn't suppress the small laugh that escaped her.
Gemini Yelp
RE: New Life New World - Yelp - 7/8/2026
He followed the shape Maral traced through the air with complete concentration, trying to piece the creature together in his head, ears perked and head tilted as he listened along.
Long legs. Hooves. A mane. Really tall.
His brow furrowed. Every new detail somehow made the picture less clear. He could almost see it... until he couldn't anymore.
"...That kinda just sounds like food."
The words slipped out before he'd thought them through. A beat later his eyes widened. "I—I mean not your friend! I doubt your friend is food. W-who eats their friends, amiright?" He laughed awkwardly,"It's just... where I'm from, thats kinda the description for stuff we'd hunt. hooves, runs really fast and all that..." He shrugged helplessly. "Sounds pretty deer-shaped." His tail gave an apologetic wag. Who knows, maybe this was some kinda freaky looking wolf? Could never be sure.
He puffed his chest just a little afterward, trying to recover from putting his paw squarely in his mouth. He'd never actually hunted anything himself, but he'd watched enough pack hunts growing up to sound like he knew what he was talking about. Probably.
Yelp offered her a crooked smile. Maral had this calmness about her that was... comforting to him. Like she'd already survived whatever this strange place was, while he still felt like he'd been dropped into somebody else's dream. She had answers, or at least more answers than he did, and that alone made following her seem like the obvious choice.
Then Gemini spoke.
Yelp's expression visibly crumpled. His head leaned back, muzzle wrinkling into an uncomfortable grimace as each accusation landed.
"...Whoa..."
A trap? Ambush?
He looked from Gemini to Maral, then back again, his ears slowly flattening. That... That wasn't where he'd expected the conversation to go. Until now he'd never really considered that another wolf could smile at you and mean something else entirely. Back home, strangers weren't really... strangers. They were neighbors. Packmates. Friends of friends. Somebody's aunt. Somebody's cousin.
Wolves helped wolves. That was just how things worked all his life to this point. Even now both these she-wolves seemed to want to help out which did little to shake that ingrained faith in him.
"...Shit," he muttered under his breath. His paws shifted uncertainly in the sand. But after a few moments and without really thinking about it, he found himself taking a couple hesitant steps after Gemini anyway. The little jerk of her head, the silent come on, had tugged at something instinctive inside him.
Follow, keep together, and don't get left behind.
But after only a few paces he slowed again, looking back over his shoulder toward Maral.
Both of them seemed... nice. But that was the problem wasnt it? His ears twitched nervously before he cleared his throat. "Uh... hang on." He looked between them again."I get why you're saying to be careful," he admitted to Gemini. "I mean... I woke up drinking that nasty big water by accident, so obviously I don't know what's going on." He scratched behind one ear. "But..." His gaze drifted back toward Maral. "If I shouldn't trust her..." Another pause. "...why should I trust you instead?" He frowned at the question himself "It kinda feels like..." He gestured awkwardly between the two wolves. "...a loop or something?" The word `contradiction` was lost on him, but he was sure he was explaining things right here. Point was things didn't add up. Neither of them had given him any reason to think they were lying. But neither had given him much reason to believe them either.
He sighed.
"And..." His eyes dropped toward the sand, letting out one laugh through his nose, "I dunno what anybody's supposed to get outta attacking me. Like, what would be the point in that? Now THAT seems crazy hehe." He wasn't anything special. No rank. No skills. Nothing fancy.
Just himself.
He glanced back toward Gemini. "I mean... you could be right." Then toward Maral. "And maybe she's just trying to help." Another helpless shrug. "I honestly can't tell here." His tail gave a small uncertain sweep. "I just..." He hesitated a moment, trying to find words that wouldn't upset either of them. "...don't wanna call somebody a liar if I don't actually know. Ya know?"
The moment hung awkwardly between them.
Then—
Thump.
Yelp's ears flicked.
Thump.
The sound was heavier than any wolf's footsteps.
His head whipped toward the reeds just as Maral suddenly called out.
"Möngön!"
Then something enormous emerged, causing Yelp to freeze. For a split second he thought it might be an elk. Then he realized it wasn't. It was taller, its legs looked impossibly long, ending in solid black hooves that struck the earth with deep, heavy knocks. A thick silver mane spilled down its neck, and its broad body dwarfed every deer Yelp had ever seen grazing back home. It was exactly as Maral described.
It wasn't ugly or scary. It was simply... Wrong...Wrong in the way every unfamiliar thing felt wrong until your brain finally accepted it existed.
"...Holy..." His jaw slowly fell open. "Hoooorsse..." His eyes traced it from hoof to ears. It looked like someone had taken a deer and just... kept making it bigger and bigger. Big enough that he briefly wondered how many wolves it'd take to bring one down. Then he remembered Maral had introduced it like a friend.
His stomach gave a tiny, terribly timed growl. Yelp slowly side-eyed Gemini with a guilty look.
Maybe Maral was crazy after all...
...Or maybe there was just a whole lot about this place he didn't understand yet.
At the moment, he honestly couldn't tell which explanation made more sense.