[ P ] there will come a poet

His talons clicked on cobblestone as he prepared to deliver his book. Ellion held the the novel delicately in his maw so as to not break or destroy the bindings. The office allowed him to borrow a satchel but he'd forgotten it in his excitement to deliver the book. It was his part time job to deliver items while he waited for his acceptance letter into the rookery. However, he enjoyed the side work like it was an extra hobby and wondered if he'd continue it after he was employed elsewhere. "Almost there, Allen!" He dipped his head excitedly, and trotted through the streets until he finally came upon the home. The person who greeted him had been curt, and brief, but they took the book and Ellion was off again, his day of work finally finished.

"What should we do, now?" He asked the owl near him, who provided a sweet hoot in response. Though his companion didn't speak the words to respond, Ellion often pretended he knew what the small owl was saying. He quite enjoyed the small burrowing owl, often relying on it for conversations when no one was around. Words couldn't express how thankful he was for him, reminiscing on the day the two met. The tiny owl was more than just a companion to him, but a genuine friend. Allen cocked his head to the side and began looking towards the sea.

"The Beach?" Ellion loved the sea, hated the saltwater. His cousins had tricked him into tasting it once, stating it was the freshest water anywhere in Rionnach. It was a horrible lie, the taste lasted days in his mouth. But he did enjoy the amusement. "Alright then, to the beach!" He smiled again and began making his way along the cliffs towards the sea.

*edited to retcon his position

Nikolai moved silently, his paws pressing into the sodden earth as he wove his way through the crooked paths of Sussex. The landscape was a collision of contrasts - black sand stretching like ink spilled across the shore, jagged cliffs rising defiantly against the relentless ocean winds. The hovels, those curious structures of wood and metal, leaned uneasily as though the gales had tried, but failed, to rip them apart. They were patchwork creations, strange in their design but steadfast in their purpose, offering their inhabitants shelter from the biting cold.

Above, the sky was indecisive. The heavy clouds churned, a sullen grey mass brimming with unspoken threats. Rain, perhaps. A storm if fate was feeling cruel. But none of it concerned Nikolai - his mind was set. The hunt was calling, and he had no intention of ignoring it.

Emerging from beneath the overhang of a lodge, his sharp gaze caught an unusual sight - a small brown canine, no older than a year, attention drawn , ears twitching with concentration as they seemed to... converse. With an owl...

Nikolai studied @Ellion with an unwavering stare. Was it truly speaking to them, or merely chasing a dream? Was it an observer of the past, attempting to unearth languages lost to time? The idea amused him - a librarian, perhaps. Sussex had no shortage of peculiar souls, and this one appeared to be another oddity woven into the fabric of the land.

Notes:: Don't mind him!

Table @Calatiah, Art @Kolida

Ellion began to think of what he'd do along the beach, but his mind lingered to writing and stories. An image passed his eyes until he caught a scent along the wind, only a hint but enough for him to know that he had chanced upon someone. Allen was the first to notice them. Its tiny head swiveled quickly and it scurried behind Ellion's sandy colored legs, worried as though the stranger would take a bite from him. Ellion ignored the owlet and approached the man, eager to get to know the newcomer.

"Hello!" he called out to them with a smile, "I almost didn't notice you!" Ellion didn't recognize them, though they did remind him of a few folks back in Rionna. He was larger than Ellion, but not enough to tower over him- as if that would have intimidated him. The only time He had been intimidated was when his papers had been graded by a rather judgmental professor, one that didn't give a kind word despite Ellion's bright demeanor. It had made him so nervous, he was entirely taken apart by it. But he passed the class, which was the important part! And despite the experience, he still greets the professor when he sees him, though they are always reluctant to respond back. He hoped this wolf was different.

"I'm Ellion! A-are you heading to the beach?" He asked nervously. While he was excited at the prospect of having someone else to talk to, he didn't want to force them into an interaction. Rejection addled him and he'd had a fair share of it recently. Lilac eyes pondered what the stranger may have been thinking, his expression didn't provide much for him to guess. However, he did have an imposing stance about him, one that nearly caused Ellion's ears to tuck.

@Nikolai

@Ellion 's voice carried easily on the coastal breeze, but the figure before him remained unreadable. The wolf was still, his posture deliberate - neither hostile nor inviting, simply observing. Nikolai had felt the scent before he saw its owner, but the sight of him, bright-eyed and eager, was enough to momentarily halt his stride.

He regarded the youth with quiet calculation, yellow gaze flickering over the sandy-haired figure and the small owlet curled at his feet. The nervous energy in his voice, the hesitance in his question - this was no challenge, no threat. It was merely a young man reaching out, perhaps hoping for connection.

The beach. Nikolai's voice was measured, low but steady, as if tasting the word before allowing it to settle between them. He let it linger a moment before tilting his head slightly. No. I hunt.

There was no malice in his tone, no effort to intimidate, simply the truth - plain and sharp. He had no interest in idle company, no need for pleasantries. And yet, Ellion stood before him, unshaken, eager despite the weight of uncertainty pressing on his expression.

The avian remained tucked behind the russet male's legs, its small form rigid with instinctual fear. Nikolai took no notice of it - prey knew when to cower, and the owlet’s trembling was expected.

The boy, however, fascinated him in a way few did. A scholar, perhaps? His words held more thought than most, as if careful in their placement despite the clear nervousness in his tone.

You read? Nikolai observed, his gaze lingering on the young man. It wasn’t a question - it was a conclusion, drawn from the fleeting moments spent studying him.

Table @Calatiah, Art @Kolida

The beach, the newcomer spoke easily, his voice tempered and smooth. There was a pause as he thought of Ellion's question before answering his desire to hunt. They were clearly more mature than Ellion—as if the wind carried his voice and demanded attention to it. It fascinated him, who felt the delicacy of his words like a point of a finely made pen. He was immediately captivated, and while a nervous edge still tipped his words, the youngling felt more comfortable as the few seconds passed.

But before Ellion could respond the older wolf inquired of his interests, to which he excitedly replied,"Oh, yes! I love to read. Got in trouble at the library once for taking home too many books." He tucked his head in embarrassment but kept going. He hadn't dismissed Ellion yet so it was all the invitation he needed to continue, "But I like to write too! I've enrolled early at the college. I'm hoping to eventually be a historian." He beamed proudly, and came closer to the individual. The stranger hadn't provided a name yet, but that hadn't bothered Ellion who was eager to keep the conversation going. The owlet stayed close to his legs and tried his best to remain out of sight. It was becoming distracting, so Ellion sat. The owlet ran behind his rear and began to burrow in his fur.

"What do you hunt for? I'm not sure I've hunted along the beach before! I wouldn't recommend tasting the water, i-it's a bit nasty." The memory disgusted him, and the thought slipped before Ellion could stop it. It was embarrassing to admit that Ellion had tasted the water—tricked into trying it since he was such a gullible fellow. The other wolf probably knew the water was salty and impotable. So, he tried to smile away his uneasy demeanor and dismiss the prior statement. He bit his tongue so as to give his new companion a moment to speak. Internally, he was buzzing with words, gleeful and excited.

@Nikolai

Nikolai remained composed, his yellow gaze steady as he listened, absorbing the energy radiating from the young scholar before him. His presence was steady, his posture giving nothing away, but there was no outright dismissal of Ellion’s enthusiasm - it was merely observed, weighed.

The boy had spirit. Too much of it, perhaps, for a world that did not always reward such earnestness. Yet, Nikolai found no irritation in it.

The hunt does not change with the land, he said simply, his voice carried by the wind but never lost in it. Only the prey does.

There was no elaboration, no indulgence in idle conversation - just truth, given in its most practical form. He did not speak to appease, nor did he offer answers for the sake of them. Every word held purpose.

The mention of the sea’s taste barely drew a reaction from him, save for the faintest flicker in his expression - the kind that, if one knew how to read it, hinted at quiet amusement. He had never been fool enough to test the ocean’s drink, but the thought of such naivety was... predictable. A lesson learned through experience.

Still, Ellion’s curiosity was evident, his questions layered with a desire to understand. It was an odd contrast - an eager scholar beside a wolf built for survival. Yet the boy did not withdraw, even in the presence of something vastly different from his own nature.

Nikolai considered him for a moment longer before shifting his weight slightly, gaze drifting back toward the cliffs.

This place, he said, measured, is not built for weak stomachs or weak minds.

Table @Calatiah, Art @Kolida

Well, that's kind of what I meant, but he dismissed the thought. He wasn't about to correct him where Ellion's mind wandered, it was easy to accidentally misread words—as Ellion often did. Instead, he looked towards the sea, his ears perked and listening to the sound of the cacophonous waves wondering what sort of prey would hide among the sand and rocks of the beach. Could his words have been changed? It was a curious thought that broke when the man spoke again with words that made him cringe a bit.

"W-well I don't know about that," a twinge of nervousness returned as he adjusted his paws in thought. He wasn't sure if he was referring to Ellion being weak or bringing up something broadly, but it had addled him. His lilac eyes looked upon marigold seeking wisdom, but couldn't read beyond the rather stoic nature, so he pretended the wolf meant well by it. He looked away again, trying to find the right way to respond to someone he felt was well-studied and informed. "Even a river carves stone— not by force, but by persistence." He responded thoughtfully, remembering the words in a book he read once. His head bobbed as he felt proud for repeating the proverb, and looked up to the stranger with glee— even if the words had been misplaced.

"What kind of prey do you expect here and... can I join you?" he asked politely. Ellion hadn't thought further than the beach when naming places to go. If the stranger would allow it, he'd love to join him. But he wouldn't press it, as he understood others often preferred to select their hunting parties than allow a stranger to join. But, if they said yes, there was one last piece of information Ellion would feel better with having. "What's your name, by the way?" He asked, his head tilted slightly while his eyes betrayed the longing to join the stranger on his hunt.

@Nikolai

Nikolai’s ears twitched at the quote, unexpected, but not without merit. Persistence could carve through obstacles, but the world was far less predictable than flowing water. The land did not always yield to effort alone, and the hunt, he knew, demanded more than patience.

Still, he did not refute the words. Instead, he let them settle, offering only a slight nod in response.

The prey here is clever, he stated, shifting his stance, preparing for movement.

Foxes lurk near the cliffs, watching the tides. Birds - if one is fast enough. His gaze flickered toward the distant shoreline, where the waves battered the rocks. And on rare occasions, something larger.

He had no intention of explaining further. The hunt was an instinct woven into his being, not a subject for idle curiosity.

As for companionship - it was an unusual request. He was a creature of solitude by nature, accustomed to navigating the land without interference. But Ellion was eager, his presence less intrusive than most. He was no fool, and despite the nervous edge to his words, Nikolai sensed no recklessness in his offer.

The wolf paused, considering.

You may follow, he said at last, his voice measured, neither welcoming nor cold. If you do not slow me.

It was not kindness, nor was it a dismissal. It was an acknowledgment - a test, perhaps.

And then, with a brief glance toward Ellion, Nikolai answered his final question, his name carried just as easily on the wind as his decision.

Nikolai.

No more, no less.

Table @Calatiah, Art @Kolida

He nodded once to Ellion, only a small remark to agree or concede rather than argue. Ellion bit his tongue a bit, and nervously glanced at his paws. But when he mentioned the type of prey, his mouth began to water. Allen, however, seemed to press against his back some more, which he found fairly amusing. The stranger then granted his request, which brought all the energy he needed to bounce back to his feet.

A hunt! He was quite excited for that. And now he finally had a name for the stranger, Nikolai. He tucked it in a small box that was his cache of names. He would do his best to remember Nikolai, a somewhat solemn individual. It stir memories of when he was younger and would think of random strangers and what they'd be like in a grand adventure. That thought turned to Nikolai the astute, an imaginary version of his new friend. But knew he'd have little time to ponder it—and besides, he'd grown away from his childhood habits.

"It's nice to officially meet you, Nikolai!" He bowed in a way that seemed performative, "I promise not to get in the way. But I'll help how I can!" He beamed confidently. Ellion always felt he was a decent hunter, but he was sure Nikolai would judge him in his own right. That made him a tad nervous, however the opportunity the wolf just gave him outshined any hesitation. He may not be the best hunter, but expectations weren't that high. Just be adequate, he thought, and if you fail at least you'll have something to learn.

The salty air pressed against Nikolai’s fur, damp and thick with the restless breath of the sea. The cliffs loomed ahead, dark and jagged, their edges worn yet defiant against the tides that sought to erode them. Beneath his paws, the black sand was cool, compacted from the fickle weather above - a sky that churned indecisively, debating whether to break open or hold its silence a little longer.

He stepped forward with purpose, his mind honed on the hunt. The shoreline was a deceptive place, a landscape where prey learned caution quickly or did not last long enough to try again. The foxes were the clever ones, slinking near the cliffs, watching the tides with an understanding Nikolai respected. The birds were quick, wary and offered little challenge unless caught off guard. And on occasion, something larger would wander too far, misjudging the safety of the terrain.

A flicker of movement among the stones. Subtle, but enough. Then - a new scent drifted toward him, carried on the restless wind. Different. Fresh.

His ears twitched.

He slowed, lowering his body slightly as he scanned the landscape. Among the jagged rocks, where the land dipped into the sands, a young doe stood motionless, its slender frame stiff with indecision. Too close to the shoreline, too exposed to the open terrain. It had wandered where it should not have.
Nikolai’s lips curled just slightly - not in cruelty, but in recognition of opportunity.

You see her? he asked, knowing the answer but testing the boy’s awareness nonetheless.

Table @Calatiah, Art @Kolida