The first step into Sunlight

[Sofie]

Inuna had heard of...a new land. A place to explore,,. to be wild in. To spread her wings and fly as she wished, to not fear those who wanted to bind her to the Earth, to break her wings and steal the feathers sprouting from her shoulders.

Never again would she fear that.

Inuna, however, had had a long flight. Passing over the bridge which looked rather distasteful, she was glad for her wings then. Perhaps no others would be able to enter; though there were bound to be calm days.

She trailed through the woodland, treetops reaching high. Moss crawled over every surface, the felled trees slick with recent rain. She travelled inwards, looking for a place for the night. Perhaps the next few nights. But here, she was grounded. She couldn't take off here unless she wanted to lose her feathers. And probably break her wings too. She tiptoed her way down a tree, resting down a small, rocky outcrop. Her nails, grown longer than most wolves, gripped into the rotting, slippery wood. Wings outstretched for balance.

She loved this new land.

[Platalea]

Darkmoon had made his way over the bridge days before, drawn to the mystery of this newly accessible land. It had been a long, slow journey over the barren sand bar, and at times the wind had whipped up ferocious waves that buffeted him as he made his way along. Still, he pushed on, and to his relief was immediately absorbed into a thick forest that shielded him from the strong winds once he had made it across.

It was through this forest that Darkmoon now walked, taking in all the new sights and smells. The forest seemed to teem with life, although the creatures were secretive and had many places to hide. He was only interested in the ground in front of him, the trees above beyond his reach, so he was not expecting to hear the noise of someone scrambling down a tree.

Darkmoon's gaze shot upwards as he watched the winged wolf descend. He had never seen another quite like her, and he stood entranced by her beauty. It was not until she stopped to rest on the rock below that Darkmoon remembered himself and shook himself from his reverie. Normally not one to seek out interactions with strangers, he felt it necessary to approached this winged wolf. "Hello," he said to announce his presence, but remaining respectfully at a distance.

[Sofie]

She wasn't expecting company.
The dove gasped as the other spoke, not even noticing he was there. Blending into the shadows.

Her wings tightened across her back, ears flicking with nerves.
She wasn't sure what to do, but he wasn't coming closer. He wasn't trying to take her wings.
She blinked, once, twice.
"H-hello." She pressed her lips together, cursing herself for the wobbly words. It was just another wolf. He was soft and quiet.

Inuna let her wings relax a little. And breathed. Being scared was exhausting, fighting it was exhausting.
She would be safe here.
"I, uh, wasn't ex-expecting company," she offered him a sheepish smile, forcing herself to look at least a little friendly with her tail.
She didn't move closer, but nor did she back away, however, if he did move closer she would flinch away and debate running.

[Platalea]

The winged wolf did not reply to him immediately, and Darkmoon wondered if he had made a mistake in greeting her. He was definitely not going to repeat this experience any time soon, he thought to himself grimly. He did not need to worry, however, as she eventually stuttered out a 'hello' in reply, and Darkmoon could relax.

She appeared to relax in turn, although even to Darkmoon it seemed forced. He did not know what to do in this situation; he almost felt he should leave her alone, but also thought it would be awkward to suddenly up and go. At the same time, the way she was perched made it look as though she was ready to run away at any moment, so he did not want to do anything that upset her. In his indecisiveness, he elected to just stay where he was.

"Oh, er...sorry," he said to her in response, confused as to what reply one could make to such a statement. "I did not mean to intrude, I only...I've never seen wings, like yours."