Unfamiliar Territory [San: open to anyone]

[Heffy]

San was afraid. She would never want to admit this, even to herself, but it was plainly visible in her deep, gray eyes. It certainly wasn't because it was dark - in fact, she did most of her hunting at night, with the rest of the pack. She rather liked the night, actually - it was the most peaceful, serene time of the day, and she loved to stare at the beautiful moon whenever it was full and bright. But she wasn't particularly enjoying it, right now - she was afraid because she was lost, in a forest she knew nothing about. Being lost was a most unusual feeling for her. And she hated it.

San didn't even know how she had gotten here. She had simply come across a strange... glowing... thing, on her nightly patrol of the forest. Her brothers were elsewhere, and she, alone, was left to investigate the unusual phenomenon in the middle of her forest. And, before she knew it... here she was, in a forest completely alien to her, alone. The trees were all different, most of them pines... and the wildlife calling around her all sounded foreign. Not only that, but... the forest itself just felt different... San could tell there were no gods that dwelled here. It was strange... San wondered if they had all been driven away by someone, or something.

Even worse, San was unable to find her way back - she retraced her trail numerous times, but was simply trapped here, alone, away from her brothers. She frowned as she crept through the dark forest - nevermind her, they must have been worried sick about her. San hoped to return to them soon... but, for now, with no more than her makeshift spear and animal-skin clothing to accompany her, the wolfgirl had no choice but to press on, slinking silently through the underbrush. Maybe, somehow, she could find her way back...

Far in the distance, a faint light could be seen... and, all the while, San was making her way closer to it. She hadn't the slightest idea what it was... Surely there weren't any kodama here?

[DM: Dersite Merchant]

San would've, by this point, started hearing the crunching of someone else's feet walking through the forest. They were hesitant, awkward footsteps and by no means stealthy. They belonged by a young man of a koopa; a type of yellow sapient tortoise creature. He was an Ice Bro, judging by his icy blue helmet and shell, which meant he could spit icy balls that could freeze just about anything on contact.

Winnie felt rather anxious and upset. He knew not where he was, but it was definitely nowhere near Petalburg. Where was his brother? Where was anybody? Huddling in on himself as his gaze nervously darted this way and that, he added to his thoughts, anyone [ifriendly[/i] at least.

[Heffy]

Suddenly, San's attention was diverted from the distant glow. A sound entered her keen ears... Footsteps. Instantly, the feral girl was on the alert. She had nearly forgotten that being in unfamiliar territory meant possibly encountering locals that may or may not be hostile. And, never one to let her guard down, San could only assume first that whoever she was hearing was hostile. She clutched her spear closer and tighter, and whirled her gaze all around her. Despite the near pitch darkness, San was undeterred - her night vision might not be on par with a wolf's, but it was certainly better than any other human's. Her brows tensed, she tried to locate the source of the crunching leaves, until a nondescript, hunched shape could be seen in the darkness.

San kept her distance as she stalked it, her moccasin-clad feet pressing against the forest floor with surprising softness and silence. As she drew closer, however, she found herself staring at... a turtle shell? San's wary expression became surprised, and almost innocently curious. She hadn't ever seen a turtle walking about on two legs... perhaps it was a sort of lesser forest god that dwelled here. San couldn't ascertain, but whatever it was... San didn't think it could do her much harm. She found herself just staring at it in curiosity from behind a cluster of foliage, strangely fascinated by it.

[DM: Dersite Merchant]

Still not any closer to finding his way out of these unfamiliar woods, Winnie plopped down shell against a tree trunk and sighed dejectedly. "Char... Where are ya, big bro?" he asked no one in particular. Char was so brave and smart, and he always seemed to know what to do. Winnie felt so lost without him.

But as he sat there, he couldn't shake the faint, tingling feeling that someone was watching him and immediately stood up straight. He couldn't see nor hear anyone, but the feeling persisted. Stiffly looking this way and that anxiously, he asked aloud nervously, "H-Hello? I-is someone there?"

[Heffy]

The turtle stopped moving to rest by a tree - allowing San, too, to rest as she observed it, crouching behind a forked tree and watching it with uncharacteristically innocent curiosity. It revealed it had the ability to speak - unsurprising to San, who knew more animals who could speak than couldn't. The creature sounded anxious and worried, however - it seemed lost, even. Certainly not a local. San was surprised, even a little relieved, by the fact that she was not the only one far from home - but she began to wonder what the turtle was doing here, and how he came to be here. After all, it was a strange coincidence that they both happened to be lost at the same time in the same forest...

San twitched at his sudden awareness of being watched. The turtle's keen senses impressed and surprised her, to say the least. Momentarily, she debated revealing herself to him... but, what point was there to stay hidden when he knew she was there? After all, the turtle seemed utterly harmless, and even more clueless than she was.

Carefully, so as not to startle the obviously timid creature, San slinked over the fork in the tree and sat crouched in-between the parting branches like a monkey, becoming completely visible to the turtle. With her crimson face-paint, fang-laden necklace and impressive spear, San certainly wasn't the friendliest-looking person one could meet in the middle of the woods at night - yet, although her piercing eyes were stern in expression, they also had a gentleness to them at the moment, that seemed to assure the turtle that she meant no harm. In fact, her face briefly expressed embarrassment and disappointment at being found out, just as she revealed herself.

San was never one for introductions, formalities, or any sort of politeness at all. Such things were completely inane to a girl who grew up among wolves. So, she cut right to the chase and first spoke of her most immediate interests. "... Are you lost?" she asked. Her tone showed not concern for the turtle, but a very blunt curiosity.

[DM: Dersite Merchant]

As he looked around, Winnie heard a faint rustling in the trees above. Just ahead of him, a figure slid down into a fork in one of the trees. The being staring at him looked rather intimidating. She appeared to be human, but she was wearing light colored fur clothing with a tooth-decorated necklace and had creepy red markings painted onto her face. Not to mention that spear in her hand looked dangerous.

The young man jumped back, startled by hear appearance. But he loosened up only slightly when she appeared to harbor no hostile intentions. Only curiosity. "Um... yeah..." he managed to stammer out as soon as he found his voice. "Any chance you know of a village called Petalburg? It's mostly inhabited by koopas like me, also a few toads here and there... As in, you know, those little mushroom guys, not the actual frog-looking things called...toads..." He trailed off as soon as he realized he was starting to ramble in his nervousness.

[Heffy]

As the turtle-creature began to speak, San was... taken aback by his sudden talkativeness, to say the least. Her cold expression gradually shifted into one of dumbfounded confusion - her exotic eyes blinked in bewilderment. She certainly hadn't expected this strange creature to... say so much to her. "... N-no... I haven't seen a village," she awkwardly answered. "... Or any mushrooms." The fact that he was looking for a village intrigued San... just what was this being? A 'koopa', he called himself... Did his kind dwell together in settlements, like humans...? Hopefully, their resemblance to humans stopped there... San grew more and more curious about this creature by the second.

At any rate... this particular 'koopa' came off as a young one, to San. Clearly rather naive, by the way he so readily spoke to her... And there was no doubt, now, that he, too, was lost. She looked to the side, pensively, as if pondering something. It probably couldn't hurt to confess to him... and, she hated to admit it, but she did feel sorry for this creature. It appeared even more afraid than she was. Somehow, she felt a need to look out for it, rather than abandon it in the forest.

"... I'm lost too," she admitted, her eyes not facing the turtle's in her shame. Even admitting this to a scared young turtle was embarrassing for the prideful wolf girl.

[DM: Dersite Merchant]

Winnie frowned, looking thoughtfully at this odd, painted woman. She seemed so strong and proud, and yet...upset as well. In any case, it was clear by now she had no plans on hurting him, despite the big creepy spear in her hand. And if she was indeed lost as well, then of course she'd be upset.

"Gee, I'm sorry..." he told her, folding his hands awkwardly. His tone and facial expression would likely left no doubts to the complete sincerity of his statement. "You must have some friends and family you miss right now then..." Looking down at his shuffling feet, he added sadly, "I have a big brother I really miss right now... He's always so brave, and he'd always protect me when I got in trouble... But I don't have him to protect me this time..."

He really wished Char were there right now. He always seemed to know how to make any situation better.

[Heffy]

San seemed to be affected by the turtle's remark about separation from family, as evidenced from a visible bereft tension entering her face. It was true... already, she missed her brothers dearly. Were she off on her own in her forest home, she would have no fear - but she was now in an entirely foreign wood, unable to even pick up their scent in the air. She knew they would be fine without her, but... there was no doubt they would be upset by her sudden absence. San felt terribly guilty for leaving them alone, even if it was not of her own fault.

The turtle, himself, mentioned his own brother... and how alone and frightened he was without him. It baffled San, but as she looked up at this frightened young creature... she felt pity, and even compassion. Perhaps it was because they were both under the same circumstances... both of them separated from their loved ones. Something in the typically aloof wolf child could relate to this stranger.

"... I've been following that light, there, in the distance," San suddenly spoke up, looking up towards that strange, ethereal glow from within the depths of the forest. A distant look was in her cold, gray eyes. "I don't know what it is, but... it must lead to something." She turned to face the young turtle, staring at him deliberately. If she truly did feel any compassion for this creature, it would be hard to see it in her face. "... It would be dangerous for you to be here alone. You should stay with me, until it's bright, again." Although her words indicated a desire to help the young turtle, her words were blunt, almost stern.

[DM: Dersite Merchant]

Staring up into San's eyes then around the unfamiliar territory, Winnie couldn't help but agree with her sentiments. "Thank you, ma'am," he said sincerely to her. While she had a gruff and intimidating feel to her, he could still sense a kinder nature under her cold exterior. "Think there's a chance we'll find someone to help us where that light is?"

He suddenly stopped when he realized neither had even given their names to each other. "Oh, I'm Winnie, by the way... Winnie McCoy," he said, folding his hands behind his shell politely. "What's yours? ...If you don't mind me asking, I mean..."

[Heffy]

San cocked an incredulous eyebrow at the strange term the turtle referred to her as. 'Ma'am'...? San could only wonder what that meant... but, it at least seemed to be a designation of respect. And San did like to be respected.

"...." San stared off into the distant light, at the turtle's remark about finding somebody who could help them. She, frankly, hoped for the opposite. San had little trust in anybody - certainly not enough to have faith in others aiming to aid her. Even if they did... she wouldn't want to be helped. San was too proud. If she was going to find her way home, she would do it herself. Besides... who could possibly be willing to help her, anyway?

Whatever. Either way, that light in the distance is probably where they should head to. San was prepared, already, to begin her solemn march through the woods with her newfound attendant, when the turtle suddenly offered his name. San stopped, and turned to look back at Winnie with a look of vague confusion. Introductions were an unusual concept to the feral girl - she, herself, did have a name, but never once had to tell it to anyone, ever. Which made it all the more jarring when Winnie asked San, herself, what she was called.

Naturally, she appeared reluctant to answer, at first. Why should she have to tell, anyhow? This creature had no need to know what she was called... she was merely escorting it to safety, and would probably never see it again. From what she had observed, humans acted this same way, placing so much importance in names. It was strange, and a little frustrating. But... at the same time, San, herself, had little reason not to tell Winnie her name...

"... San." Her answer was short, simple and direct, just as her name was. The name, itself, was simple in meaning - it meant "three", as she was the third child of the great wolf goddess, Moro. San was not ashamed of this almost derogatory meaning, however - she took pride in the name given to her by her mother. In fact, she almost felt a little proud merely telling her name to this small, harmless creature. Was this how humans felt when they proclaimed their own names...? San briefly thought back to that day, on the riverbank... where she first saw him.

Without another word, San turned her back, completely concealed by her thick wolf-fur cape, to Winnie, and made her way deeper into the forest, towards the light - silently expecting him to follow.

[DM: Dersite Merchant]

The more he interacted with her, the more apparent it became how unusually withdrawn and suspicious she seemed. And yet, he could still tell she wasn't a bad person. Maybe she just needed someone to help her learn trust.

"San... That's a nice name..." he said thoughtfully, nearly letting himself get caught off guard and having to sprint for a second to catch up with her as she took off. "When I was little, the kids where I used to live sometimes told me my name made me sound like some dumb baby toy..." Admittedly, this note on the more awkward points of his childhood might not have been the best way, but Winnie kinda hoped if he could think of some way to break the ice then San might open up a bit more.

...Who was he kidding? A timid little guy like him is no ice-breaker.