[Isaac Levis x Vivienne]
 

Harsh and bitter, the frigid wind tore through the snow blanketed forest. The trees moaned and creaked in reply while fresh falling snow whipped all around. The road that meandered through these parts was quickly becoming overgrown and forgotten, as was the small village nestled within the woods. It'd been long deserted. Reports of a foul beast having killed most of the former inhabits had spread around for miles, and did well to keep others away.

But on this cold eve, a column of smoke rose from the tree tops. It was a campfire belonging to a young traveler—a young woman, standing as tall as a man—who kept close to its heat. A pack of gear lay at her side, and she held a sheathed sword in her hand. Despite being dressed in a full length coat, wool shirt and hose, tall leather boots, and cloak, she still shivered against the icy wind, and shrugged up as close to the fire as she could.

A large figure moved through the woods kicking up snow with each step. Its body is covered in brown fur and it stands hunched over against the sting of the wind. Noticing the light the creature moved towards it carefully, moving from tree to tree for cover. Dark red eyes scanned over the area before it took cover behind the tree.

Cloaked in a large brown cloak and snow covered fur coat a very pale man steps out into the light of the fire. His red eyes looked over towards the woman huddled near the fire. "Excuse me? May I share your fire?" His face was scarred with three long marks that have long since healed. No weapons dangled from side and he traveled with nothing more than a small sack and water skin hanging from his hip. "I would go through the effort of setting one up myself, but you have a rather nice one here." He gave her a kind smile and stood still, arms slightly away form his sides, awaiting her response.

The woman flinched, her face reflecting her anxious surprise. She composed herself quick, but furtively keep a firm and ready grip on her blade. Seeing him completely unarmed raised a few questions about this pale, cold man. However, it did well to settle her cautious instincts. "You may, sir." She replied, eyeing him with her amber eyes. The woman stepped back some, as a gesture to the strange visitor that he could indeed approach.

So he did, not taking a second glance towards the woman's blade. Brushing the snow off of a log he made himself comfortable near the fire. The man placed his feet close to the fire and sighed as the waves of heat washed over him. "Ah, much better thank you. My name is Lamenthar though you may call me Lim, if you like. Tell me... what are you doing out here alone?"

Following his lead, the woman dusted off the log behind her and took a seat. She nodded when he introduced himself, but remained quiet at his question. "It's a lonely place..." she replied, her voice hushed. Her amber eyes turned skyward, watching the last hues of dusk as the night began to set in.

"I suppose so." His eyes also went to the sky to observe. Shifting anxiously he put his hand on his neck, rubbing lightly, "So are you traveling somewhere in particular?"

"Yes." She answered simply, then dug into her long coat's pocket. Drawing out a pair of gloves and slipping them on, she stood back up slowly. The young woman picked up her pack, and strung her blade back onto her belt at her right side. "I must be off. Enjoy the fire." With one more quick glance towards the sky, she started for the tree line.

"You must be off?" He asked, looking over to her, "It is going to be night soon and you plan on leaving? You will not get very far in this storm. If it is because I sat down here I will just go." Lim stood and rolled his shoulders back resounding pops following the action.

"I travel by night." The woman stated after pausing in her stride. "Enjoy the warmth, pale stranger." Obviously eager to be on her way, she turned her attention back to the treeline. In a few swift steps, she disappared from the clearing. She was surprisingly quiet despite the heavy pack on her shoulder and the thick blanket of snow under her feet.

Lim smiled and looked up into the new night. Lifting his arms up into the air his smile grew. "I am still amazed that this works." He stood there for a ten minutes or so before putting out the fire. He looked to where the woman had left and knelt down in the snow. Practically pressing himself against the snow Lim breathed in deeply through his nose. Brown hairs formed all over his body on the outside of Lim's clothes. His face became elongated before changing shape into snout.

Large paw prints lead away from the blackened wood. A wolf with a thick brown coat took the time to sniff both the air and the ground before continuing through the dark forest.

Time drifted with the snow allowing night to fully set in. The traveler pulled her coat a little snugger against the icy wind as she continued onward. She kept on until the demolished village came into view through the trees. She paused, her eyes studying the rotting structures. There was something that seemed to stir in her gaze. It didn't last long before she set her jaw and pressed forward.

Soon the young woman passed under the broken entrance gate. The snow crunched underfoot, but she stopped when the sound changed to rapt of stone. Her eyes turned down finding herself in a large circular clearing. It was part of the market plaza judging by the spread of grey stone tiles that sprawled out into the thick snow. With a cocked brow, she crouched to brush her gloved fingers across the stone. She scanned for a reason why this spot was clear of winter's white blanket. There were no obvious tells, so with a slight sigh she went further into the wreckage.

After a while of searching around, the traveler set her gear down in the strange clearing. Then braking a few large pieces of wood she set about starting a new fire. As the flames roared finally into life, she crouched down and placed her sword on the ground before her, her hand remaining firmly on the grip. And there she waited.

The snow softly crunched under his feet as Lim followed her. When they came upon the town Lim took cover behind buildings and stands being sure to have line of sight broken at most times. Death still lingered here, a metallic smell lingering in the air. But there was something else that had been here.

Lim carefully navigated the streets in search of the scents, making sure to stay quite and out of sight. Lim weaved between broken carts and damaged buildings Lim with his nose to the ground. Loud cracks startled him but upon further investigation it was only the young woman starting a fire. Burning wood quickly replaced all other smells, whatever hope he had for isolating the scent faded.

Finding a nice spot next to a cart with an overhang Lim laid down in the snow shielded area. Barley able to see her around the corner Lim waited there. Some time went by, roughly half an hour. The silence was only interrupted by the crackling of the fire. Suddenly another smell hit him. The stench was almost overwhelming. Rotten meat and blood. He let out a long howl as a warning before darting behind one of the buildings and using his nose to try and pinpoint the source.