the grass had grown tall along the ridge. dry at the tips, curling gold in the sun. crickets buzzed in the low brush, loud in the quiet. somewhere, water moved—a slow creek or maybe just the wind brushing through leaves.

she laid flat in the grass, cheek pressed against the earth, eyes dull as they drifted along the empty stretch of field. everything felt loud—bugs chirring, leaves rustling, but everything had gone cloudy. distant.

it'd been weeks. no trail to follow. no fur, no blood, no nothing. they were just… gone. like a long-overdue taste of her own medicine, a father's revenge.

she didn’t get up. didn’t want to—there wasn't much to do but walk, and she wasn't much interested in that.

---

Ruathar

skill — ranger 1/5

---

ronan had decided to explore the highlands, never staying in one place for too long. he’d lived long enough to know that not moving was a recipe for disaster, one he wasn’t wantin’ to deal with. he just kept on walkin’, keenly aware of the area ‘round him.

the man stalked through the grass, its blades gently tugging at the longer fur of his abdomen and tail. it felt like the gentle caress of a lover's hand, not quite pulling at the strands but familiarizing themself with the texture. it was soothing, yet it reminded him of things lost and gone. of a life he would never be able to return to.

as he continued on his path, he paused to look at the odd shape further away. at first glance, it appeared dead. until he noticed her ribs rise with a breath. she was alive, but ronan couldn't understand why she was just laying there? was she injured?

coming a little closer, ruathar scanned her fur for traces of blood.“y’alright?” he asked softly, unsure how to approach the woman. she looked, sad. as if she had lost all meaning of life. sure, he was assuming what was wrong with her, but he knew how she felt. he knew what it was to lose somethin’, to feel so empty.

---

this was shorter while i get back into the swing of things <3

her chest lurched before her mind caught up. that voice— low and gravel-soft way—it split the haze around her like a match to dry grass. twitch’s breath hitched as she pushed herself halfway up, eyes wide and glass-bright, darting toward him with that hungry, disbelieving look.

cole? it fell out of her sharp and ragged, desperate. her heart clawed at her ribs, bird soaring big in her chest. it was impossible. she knew it was impossible, and still her chest snapped tight. it was so stupid, so fucking stupid, but she peeled herself up anyway.

her eyes met him. for a split second, she didn’t breathe. all she could see was cole. the shape was right. the size. the voice. even the stance, old and weather-worn. god, it was so close—but her eyes betrayed her. the coat wasn’t right in the light, and his face—she didn’t know his face. and he didn't know hers.

oh. something behind her eyes cracked. without another word, she laid herself back down: head on the dirt, the earth swallowing the shape of her again like nothing had happened at all.

her voice, when it came again, was low, flattened out, like the color had been sucked clean from it. i'm fine.

skill — ranger 2/5

---

ronan could only bow his head, eyes focused on the swaying grass beneath him. she’d lost someone, someone who clearly meant the world to her. “sorry, miss.” he murmured, still keeping a respectful distance from the girl. he didn’t know what more to say to her, other than another, “i'm sorry.” he truly had no reason to apologize, but it felt right. like he was sorry she lost her person, that she was now alone without someone to keep her goin'.

he saw the light fade from her eyes once she realized who he was not. he suspected he shared an appearance with this cole, perhaps that dopple thing eliza had once read about in her fantasy books. considering he was a wolf and not a man, he couldn’t write it off as just a childish fairy tale.

he lifted his eyes when he heard a clear, i’m fine. he snorted in return. “don’t look like it.” he dropped his haunches with a muffled thud as he tilted his head to look at her. “name’s ronan. what’s yours?”

---

she blinked slowly, lids heavy, breath a shallow drag. her eyes didn’t lift, not much enticed despite his efforts.

twitch, she answered, eventually. said it like it wasn’t hers at all with all the weight of dust—barely there, barely clinging to her at all.

a long beat passed. the wind kicked at the grass. she could hear it brushing against his legs. don't need any pity, she remarked i’m not dying. just tired. her stomach snarls in what could very well be a disagreement. her brows knit ugly as her gut churns. ..yet.

skill — ranger 3/5

---

a frown worked its way onto his face as he struggled to keep from marching over and hauling her up. nothing bothered him more than someone who’d decided to give up when they had a life ahead of them. ronan hated himself for doing it after lenora’s death then again when eliza died, and he refused to see someone do the same thing.

don’t need any pity. his brows furrowed as he shot her a mild glare before schooling himself into a neutral expression. “i ain't pitying you. it's just common decency.” he huffed, head turning to look out at the fields. in truth, it wasn't pity but guilt. he hated that he raised her hopes just to crush it beneath his boot, hated that he killed the light in those young eyes. it was a pain he wouldn't wish on such a young girl, but he wasn’t the one who could save her from it. no, only she could save herself.

“well, miss twitch, i’m not in the business of leaving ladies to starve to death,” he gave her a look when her stomach let out another growl. “and i‘m not gonna kill you, so if you can muster some trust, we can get you fed. then you can choose what you want to do. how’s that sound?” ronan wanted twitch to make her choice—life, or death. he was not going to make it for her, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to convince her otherwise.

---

at first, the girl says nothing at all. not because she was thinking—thinking took more effort than she could summon—but because her mind had simply flatlined, sluggish and distant. the world came and went. wind passed through her fur. ronan’s voice entered her ears, but didn’t register in full. only pieces.

persistent. the silence stretched again. long enough that it might’ve seemed like she’d fallen back asleep, or that her disinterest was terminal. but just as the wind stirred through the grass again, twitch gave a sigh. her head flopped to one side, eyes squinting at him.

ladies to starve to death. muster some trust. choose. no matter how chivalrous he aims to be, it brings her no comfort. obnoxiously, the offer of free food is, so her legs begin to shift as she gathers them beneath her. one, then the other, dragging under her until she sat up.

mh. convincing. think there are some deer around.

skill —

---

he watched the wind tug at her fur, the soft sound of the breeze in the trees were the only sounds other than their breathing. he was patient, but he had a feeling twitch wasn't ready to give up livin'.

a sigh, then finally, an answer. small movements before she was on all fours. “alright then, c'mon. let's get movin' before we lose them.” he jerked his head towards the nearby thicket. if deer were going to be anywhere in this place, that's where he expected them. their scent carried on the breeze, laying a trail for them.

he hoped she had some experience, but he knew better than to expect anything else. expectations were unrealistic with strangers, more when they looked half dead. “know anythin' 'bout huntin'?” ronan asked as he led the way towards their destination.

---

im sorry this was so short ;-;

twitch dragged herself upright like it was punishment, joints stiff, tail hanging limp behind her. the grass clung to her belly as she shuffled, muttering something under her breath that didn’t sound like words so much as noise.

her ears twitched at his question, but she didn’t look at him. yes, the lie was flat, transparent as glass. twitch had eaten, sure, but she didn't go for large game if she didn't have to. she ate scraps, more often then not—that and whatever she could corner. but proper hunting? pulling down a deer? not her strong suit.

she squinted ahead, narrowing her eyes at the thicket like it had done her some personal offense. mostly. her stomach chose that moment to growl again, loud and traitorous. twitch grimaced, ears flattening tight.

---

no worries <3

skill —

---

thin. that was what rang in his head when the girl finally stood from the earth. despite his better judgement, ronan knew he was going to try to keep her alive, even if it was just for the time being. twitch reminded him of eliza, in a way that made his frozen heart thud against its prison.

her stomach rumbled loudly, a sign that they should hurry this up. “alright. now let’s go.” ronan hummed as he led the way towards the thicket. he began to suspect that she wasn’t very experienced, but he could work with that. and Ronan would do better than his old man did when he was younger, even if it killed him.

once within the trees, ronan turned to face the girl, his face hardening into a serious expression. this was no time for games. stay low, and watch where you put your feet. they’ll spook if we make too much noise.” he instructed as he moved into a hunting stance, chest barely brushing the earth beneath him. his steps were light as he stalked through the undergrowth, nose searching for a trail.

it wouldn’t be too hard to catch a deer with the heat keeping them tired and hiding within the thicket. ronan would've preferred a doe to a stag, if they had the option. it was easier for him to teach when it wasn’t trying to gore them, but they’d have to do with what they could find.

---