First, she'd swing south, and then spent the daylight hours trailing along the mountain range. Soon she would set off towards the coast, but until then, she felt obligated to head this way -- even if she only passed over it all quickly.
Some time after she swung wide around the edges of the Blackfeather, she began to steer away from the mountain across the grassy meadow. Familiarity soon accompanied her, for she had hunted pronghorn with the dark-coated male here -- who she did wonder about suddenly as she remembered the brief time in his company. A distant silhouette rising out of the meadow with a flat top drew her attention next, so that became her direction's heading as the afternoon started to wane.
The news of her and Charon's upcoming changes had been delivered successfully to two of the four wolves she felt the need to inform. The other two she still needed to find which was largely the goal of this traveling -- that and to compose herself, her thoughts, and the fine details of her plan. A long walk by herself was bound to be good for that, she reasoned. She would of course be looking out for suitable places to consider as well, but knew that was slim with a handful of packs already in the area. She did want to be further away from most, if she could manage it. Living on the Sunspire had her used to seclusion.
Nevertheless, she slowed down to regroup and let her stamina rebuild. She was awfully thirsty, so sought out a small lake near the base of the flat-topped mountain for a long drink a quick wade to cool off. With her legs in the water, Amekaze's sights naturally turned up towards the mountain's slopes, but they looked far too difficult for a casual investigation. She decided to loiter here at the base a while longer, perhaps rest, and see what else she could find.
There were no traces of the wolves she sought, so there would undoubtedly be more ground to cover after here, and she would aim her nose westward at last.
Eilidh had decided to run away.
Her father loved Casmir more, thought he could do a better job of scouting than she could. Eilidh as fast and she was smart! Just as fast and smart as Casmir, though apparently their father didn't think so. So in a huff, she had stormed off. And not just away from her father, but off the plateau. She didn't usually wander far into the flatlands, and she had been so angry she hadn't paid attention to where she was going, and soon found herself lost.
Oh well. That would serve him right! She'd run off and find a new pack to live in, a new place to call home, all because she wasn't worthy enough. Eilidh stomped through the grass, a strange crag of a mountain in the distance, and set her sights for there. She'd found her own pack. Just there, on that rise! And there was nothing her father could do about it.
Soon she found out she was thirsty and damn tired, and stopped at a lake to drink. She saw another wolf there, a woman, and paused on the shore to admire her. She was pretty, and grown up, which meant she could surely help Eilidh if needed. She barked a quiet greeting, sitting on the shore, her ears splayed forward in curiosity. Who was this woman?
While being so absorbed in quenching her own thirst, it had been easy enough to overlook the small wolf's presence at first -- who had likely come here for a similar reason. Amekaze's ears pricked and with droplets of water falling from her muzzle, she raised her head to squint the stranger's way at the sound of a bark. It was a young wolf, female, and she was not at a good vantage point to understand the details of her scent. But, Amekaze chuffed back all the same, and began a slow approach along the shoreline to find out more.
Her posture was neutral, although with curious sights, she regarded the youth readily. "Greetings," she said first of all. A part of her expected her to be from the same pack as the dark-furred hunter (presumably, the pack in the southern stretch of the mountains) or possibly even the Caldera. But, not knowing where she came from or what else she was doing around here besides getting a drink, she let her greeting be received first before she launched into any questions.
Eilidh noticed the other wolf looked at her, and suddenly her body went rigid. She wasn't used to strangers, or ones that looked at her with that look. Or was she just being paranoid? She had been gone from her pack for less than a day and already she was having visions of dying in the mouth of a wolf or bear, far away from home. She suppressed a shudder and forced a smile onto her lips as the woman approached, hailing her greetings. The young girl was far from placated, but at least the wolf hadn't tried to kill her.
Man, she was paranoid.
"Um, hi." Her voice was soft yet clear and carried across the distance between them easily. Eilidh tucked her head and would have blushed if she could, but instead nodded her muzzle a little. "I, uh, didn't mean to disturb you." That was what she should say, right? She wracked her brain for what her father might say, and immediately regretted it. The anger and pain burned through her again, as fiery as before, and she snorted softly. She didn't want to think about him.
The youth tensed and Ame canted her head. At first she'd wondered if this would be an exceptionally short encounter, but the small female did speak on not long afterward. Perhaps she was just uneasy here in general or anxious in the company of strangers -- certainly not a bad instinct to have for a youth on her own out here. Ame was certain she was the largest cause of it though, and while not her intention to come here to make young girls uncomfortable, it inspired a touch of suspicion. But she remained relaxed in her own posturing and probably wouldn't linger all too long. "I am not disturbed," she replied lightly. "But am I interrupting something..?" the dark wolf had to ask. Unless the girl showed signs of driving this south, Ame found few reasons to be outright concerned just yet.
Eilidh wasn't sure what she was doing out here. At first she wanted to punish her father by running away, but now she felt as if her life was ending. The dark wolf hadn't been mean to her, but suddenly she felt the weight of the world crushing her chest, and she wanted to flee back home and hide beneath her father's safe embrace. But she could't do that; it would take days to get home from here. While she was pondering her silly predicament, the other wolf asked her a question. Eilidh's ears cupped forward and she whined softly. "What? Um, no, you're not interrupting anything. I'm just, uh, trying not to freak out." Eilidh smiled softly, a little nervously, and half-chuckled. "It's my first time away from home, you see, without my parents, and I feel a little stupid."
The girl was a bit more perplexing than Ame had expected. Trying not to freak out? And why here, of all places? Ame was about to be wary of nearby dangers that she was somehow not aware of and that this girl was. Thankfully, she did explain on and it made a bit more sense that she was not used to being away from home -- not anxious about something that could threaten them both. "I see," she replied with a knowing nod.
It would be going too far to tell the girl she ought to relax.. and not feel so stupid about it all. For a youth, and an inexperienced one at that, she probably was fairing well. Ame wasn't the one to judge that, though, and her paranoia would probably help keep her out of trouble. The dark alpha couldn't discredit her there, even if it felt misplaced aimed at her. Ame presented as neutral, and nothing more. "It is understandable, then. What has inspired you to travel out on your own?" she asked, unaware of the potentially touchy subject matter. "I am scouting, and here seemed like a good place to rest a bit before I move westward," she gestured vaguely towards the water. She didn't mention all too much just yet and even this much was generous for her standards. But in an effort to make things a little more conversational, it was the best she had right now.
Eilidh could tell the woman wanted to say something more than "I see," but something held her back. Whatever it was, it was probably a good thing; the young girl wasn't too fond of being told what to do, even when it came from a place of concern, worry, and/or love. Not that this stranger loved her, of course. The next woman's question caused her to think of her father and in turn her body bristled and stiffened, not wanting to react to the thought, but unable to stop herself anyway. "I, uh, ran away." Saying it out loud made her feel twice the fool, but she tried not to show it. Tried and failed.
Soon those few words turned into a torrent. "My Pappa always looks at my brother to help the pack with things first. Like scouting! He sent Cas to look for a new home, but didn't ask me, didn't even let me know it was an option. So I left! If he doesn't respect me or want me to help, then I'll leave. That'll show him." Her slim muzzle nodded at the very end, as if affirming her own delusions into reality. Deep down, she knew her father loved, respected,and cherished her, but her hurt feelings didn't allow her to dwell on that now. She was still too raw and angry. After a moment, Eilidh realized she hadn't introduced herself. "I'm Eilidh, by the way. Formerly of Blacktail Deer Plateau." Her little chest puffed out at that, though her heart ached to return to her family.
It wasn't her place to judge. To run away took a certain sort of conviction, and she supposed, eventually many did run away from where they started in life -- although, often under the description of dispersal instead of running exactly. A deeper explanation, one peppered in names and pieces of information, soon followed. Ame's ears splayed at the overall theme here: family misunderstandings.
Offering condolences.. or even assurances, wasn't in her area of expertise. She did not know what kind of relationship this girl had with her father in the first place. Maybe she would be better off elsewhere.. but maybe he did miss her. Again, not her place to say. "You deserve to feel respected.. if not there, then somewhere.." she offered weakly. Assuming she was just as capable as her brother, she had didn't need to feel inferior because of some preference she didn't know the reason for. Ame didn't know if he was being trained for any specific purpose, or if the sire had his reasons for his preference. Either way, if the girl was made unhappy by it, then she ought to take herself elsewhere so long as she had the ability to go. "Do you miss them still?" she asked, trying to gauge the depth of the girl's distaste for her former home.
But, through it all, she had gathered that it sounded like the Plateau was considering a move. Evidently that was in the air lately. Not that she could blame them. "I am Ame. Of the Sunspire for now," she introduced in return. "We will be moving soon. It is part of what I scout for, actually." Although not her only motivation, it was the one with the most weight behind it since it impacted so many.
"You deserve to feel respected.. if not there, then somewhere.." At first the words sent Eilidh's heart soaring, but as the last few mutterings passed her ears, she remembered how much she loved and respected her family, despite their recent quarrel. She couldn't leave them just because there was a misunderstanding. Then when Ame asked if she missed them, Eilidh knew she'd have to go back - and soon. She nodded her petite golden head and turned her emerald eyes to the other, swallowing back her self-made sadness. "I do. I-I think I should go h-home." It wasn't anything that Amekaze did to cause this; it was Eilidh's own intelligent (albeit young) brain that worked it out for her.
"Nice to meet you, Ame." She smiled softly, trying to remain in a good mood despite the sadness building in her heart. "My pack is moving soon, too, which is why my Pappa sent my brother to scout." She paused, giggling at her own chattering. "Seems like its a season for moving. Was your pack damaged by the storm a few moons ago?" Eilidh turned toward the other, tilting her head to one side, momentarily forgetting her anger and sadness, and instead simply focusing on her childlike curiosity.
She wouldn't question it further. It seemed the pale girl reached a conclusion, and Ame would be as understanding as she could be from her vantage point. She'd only really needed to work it out on her own, so Amekaze believed it would be in her best interests to do what she felt was right. Only she would know which choice that was.
"Seems like it, but.. no, no major damages. The nearby Vale caught the worst of it near us," she detailed. The mountainside had been lucky in that regard. "I just feel it is time for a change," she explained. "And we are relocating with others, too, so starting fresh together somewhere new suits me the most." It just seemed to be a good time to make these changes when it could be done as smoothly as possible. This way, the Bay and the Spire could come together equally when they found their new home -- which she hoped they'd know of soon.
"That's why we're leaving, too." Eilidh didn't think that Ame would use this knowledge against them, and anyway, she didn't know where they were moving to, so it couldn't do any harm. "Part of our territory was destroyed by a lightning-strike fire. Most everyone was okay, thankfully, but Pappa still wants to move. To start over, like you all want to. Time for change." Eilidh smiled softly and wondered at her own feelings about the move. She was born in the plateau, but she wasn't very fond of it, nor did she hate it. It was just a place to rest her head at night.
Home, however, was where her family was, no matter what territory they resided in. "I hope it all goes well, Ame, your move and your new packmates. It won't be easy." She knew, too, that their own move wouldn't be easy, but it would hopefully be worth it. "Maybe we'll meet again some day?" Her emerald eyes sparkled in the sunlight as she smiled again, wondering if she would ever meet this kind stranger some day in the future.
She wasn't surprised the itch to move and start something fresh was going around. The mountain range would be a lot different without each of their respective packs there still, but she still firmly believed it was for the best -- and the same was probably true for the Plateau. It was time to welcome a new era and leave their old roots behind. At least, that was what she was preparing to do.
All this talk of it did inspire her. She was eager to see what she and Charon could create of their new claim. It only needed a few more steps before it would all fall into place. But, listening to her speak refocused her and the dark alpha nodded. "Ah, yes. Likewise," she returned to the mannered girl with a soft sway of her tail. "I think we may." She wouldn't be opposed and Ame did have a tendency to keep very loose ties to wolves of the Plateau, a tradition she had started way back with Ariston. It was possible this could become something similar. "Goodbye," she offered and took her leave.
Once out of sight, she picked up speed and began to track a path towards her next destination.