The Redwoods weren't the most hospitable place to call home. The trees and other plants were in a constant state of death and decay, it was pretty chilly where the Fallguard were settled save for the summer months, and during the darker times of the year food was hard to find. But didn't that make for an exciting place to live? Hel thought so. While the trees could be spooky she knew there was nothing to truly fear here other than her own imagination...which did run a bit wild at times, but hey! Thoughts couldn't hurt, right?The small wolfdog was settling in to her new pack quite nicely. She'd begun to scout around the pack's lands, getting familiar with the territory and the lay of the land. She was pretty confident she could travel for a day in any direction and get home in a blizzard, the dead of night, or some other difficult situation. She was learning to spot landmarks that others might not notice and could catch a whiff of a raccoon and know she was getting close to home. Hel had never had one specific place to call home before but now she knew there was a safe spot to rest at night.
The only thing that confused her about the Fallguard was its hate of berserkers. Hel knew plenty of nice ones and she didn't quite agree with the mentality that any berserker was to be chased off on sight. Sure, a group of them might have taken the lands from the early wolfdogs who had settled the pack, but that didn't mean all berserkers were not to be trusted. She hoped that wouldn't put a damper on her new title of monster hunter bestowed upon her by Kale who was, in fact, a berserker. She definitely intended on seeking him out from time to time to hunt more monsters for him, though she supposed she may need to keep that fact hush hush from her new pack.
No matter! She'd cross that bridge when she came to it. For now Hel was content to roam the woods, sniffing here and there, pausing to enjoy a particularly picturesque spot in the woods. Most of it was gloomy and dead, but there were a few gems hidden away under the rotting branches. There was a bush, for example, that didn't seem to get the memo that everything was supposed to be brown and dead here. The leaves were bright green and there were red berries scattered among the branches. Hel wasn't sure if they were good to eat or not so she left them alone, not wanting to poison herself by accident. That would be a story, wouldn't it? Hel, Monster Hunter, taken down by a few berries.
Snickering to herself at the thought, Hel bounded through the woods, her markings a natural sort of camouflage that she used to her advantage while hunting. She wasn't doing that right now, of course, not with all the ruckus she was making in the dead leaves that stirred under her paws as she ran. No, she was simply enjoying life. Enjoying her new home, her new rank and title, enjoying life. She was content for now, but she knew the itch to travel would bite her again soon. Where would her paws take her then? Only time would tell.
WC: 561