Wolf RPG

The afternoon spun onward and temperatures climbed steadily up and further still, with a mugginess almost befitting midsummer to come with it that bogged down the very air. She had already turned her pathway back towards the towering Spear, so there was nothing else to be done about it as she delved into the relative cover of the Bramblewood.

On the whole, her short stint of travels were not wasted. Not overly fruitful either. She'd done just about as well as she would have on a normal day hunting small game on the mountainside, but it had encouraged her to see the plantlife attempting to regrow as far as the flatlands. Plus, stretching her legs had felt good and she had been entertained.. but she worried what the extra energy expenditure may cost her in the long run. As with all things, there were two sides of it.

She did catch herself reflecting on the white female more than once, however. Amekaze licked her lips at the thought of her and wondered if that may be the only time she'd see her. Far too often, that was the case when she found wolves like that. But maybe it would be different. Although she didn't have a good explanation for why she felt that way, other than she wanted to interact with her again in the way she had before -- with teeth.

She was distracted from dwelling on this by realizing the subtle scent of rain beginning to tint the breeze. Meanwhile, underfoot, she picked up a rabbit's trail. She followed it almost out of obligation.

Shalon heard the rumble of her empty stomach, she had been on the search for food for days. She had found the trail of a rabbit not to long ago and was currently in the processes of hunting it down. Her nose twitched as the scent vered to the left. Shalon was in unknown territory, a wanderer from a distant territory. None in these lands would recognize her. 

With her head engrossed in find the trail of the rabbit Shalon almost missed a new scent. Lifting her head she caught the scent of another canine, although she could not distinguish how far away said wolf was. Only that their scent was fresh.

The trail wove a winding pathway, one that she quickly found she was not gaining major ground on despite keeping steadily upon it. So long as it kept her moving generally in the Spear's direction she decided to stay on it despite the growing frustrations over not even catching any sight of it. Everything else seemed to point her in a good direction, so maybe this had just yet to pan out, or the rabbit was more skillfully elusive than she was ready to give it credit for.

Eventually she slowed up when the scents began to jumble. She paused, sniffing, and picked her next path a bit more carefully. This time, subtly on the warm breeze, she smelled the other wolf and that prickled at her senses -- thus signalling her subtle shift from tracking prey to ensuring she was not being tracked herself.

From here, she could discern very little about the other canine.. not yet, at least. She listened, keen and moving slower so that she may hear an approach better -- unless she moved upon them first, which was what she hoped to do with a looping pathway upwind. All the while, her posture hung with a comfortable enough neutrality, one not offset entirely by her awareness. She wished to balance the line between approachable (if she didn't find them first) and not to be underestimated.

Through the trees, she caught her fleeting glimpse. Not of the rabbit, of course, but the wolf. Satisfaction followed anyway and she moved a little closer in silence to test the figurative waters between the stranger and herself.

Shalon had no inkling that she had been caught in her curiosity. She had been searching for the origin of the canine scent. They were close she knew it. But she also knew that she was not in pack lands, therefore this wolf was either lost, or was another lone wolf like Shalon herself. Shalon had met many a lone wolf, but a lone pack wolf would be a first. She stopped out of instinct, “Are you near? I have no desire to harm you.” She spoke the truth, although Shalon was not oblivious to the dangers of strangers. Her tone while neutral could be taken as deadly if one was in a bad mood.

She was content to lurk for a few beats, although she soon knew the other wolf had to be aware of her. The winds were not entirely in her favor and there was only so much cover to be had here. After the stranger spoke, she did draw forward by a few more steps and watched the agouti female carefully.

"Maybe I cannot say the same," she smirked almost playfully, although the dangerous undertone would remain coming from a creature of her bearing. While her posture was not outright aggressive, casually she left her tail arching subtly upward out of habit and stood poised and ready for motion. She did not know how the unknown wolf (a loner, presumably) would receive it and she believed she was experienced enough to handle it, whatever it may be. "Do you have business here?" she asked next.

Shalon's stormy silver eyes found the other female easily, and narrow at the readiness of her stance. Although she could understand with them both being in neutral territory. Shalon smirked slightly, at the dark females reply. 

"None that concerns you." Shalon stated, losing her amused look. She wasn't a fan of the she-wolfs hightened tail, "Got something to prove stranger?" She stated calmly, motioning toward the others tail. She raised her own in return, if only to prove a point.

Maybe due in part to the fact that her encounter with the pale wraith from the Woods that ended prematurely, she just had to smirk when she felt the weight of the stranger's words. But she'd do very little to prevent this from escalating if it did start to go that way. The stranger already seemed a bit cross with her. "I see," she exhaled when she knew she wasn't going to get any answers easily.

After, she matched the words with a slow sway of her tail, since it seemed to be the subject next at hand. "Is that what you think? Maybe it is just how I am comfortable," she quipped, ever cryptic with a cant of her head. It wasn't wrong, though. Alpha, tail flagged and all, was part of her normal wear. Nevermind that she held no claim to this ground underfoot; it didn't change that she was a proudly self-assured creature, so it was inevitable to show on her posture. It was just sometimes she felt like being more mindful with it. Others much like right now, downright antagonistic. "Do you have something to prove to me, perhaps?" she pointed back although she didn't expect an answer. This time she accompanied her words with a lash to her tail now that she bordered on the taunting with it. "Does it offend you that badly? Or do you just not like feeling like out?" 

Shalon sighed and lowered her tail, although she had a smile on her face. "You hold it well." She conceded with a shrug, Shalon was not an overly aggressive wolf. She found it hard to build up the motivation to continue an argument, unless provoked. "I apologize for my rudeness. Be proud of your banner she-wolf, keep it high if that is how you favor it." Shalon could not find it in her to continue this unprovked sass.

Shalon's banner swayed from side to side, where she prefered to keep her own tail. She had never held a place on honour within a pack and therefore could not know the comfort of holding her tail high for others to see. Her black tipped ears twitch and swiveled, she was listening to their surroundings, perhaps trying to affirm that this wolf was infact alone. "May I ask what brings a pack wolf out of its territory?" She was amused, her last encounter with a pack wolf had been almost a year ago, she went out of her way to avoid pack territory. Pack's were usually an unecessary headache, and Shalon was knew she yet to cross any borders so what was this midnight black female doing out of her own territory.

It did not seem the matter would be pressed further, a realization that came with a small shade of relief contrasted by chagrin towards the anticlimax. But, this encounter was not over. It was simply evolving and she nodded slowly, almost thoughtfully as she digested the wolf's words and did not know how to react immediately. In its own way, it was a veiled sort of compliment, but why did she feel like she wanted something different? The lingering rush from the meeting near the dark forest was faded well out by now, so to her, the answer was not immediately clear. "You do not need to apologize," she said.

"Simply scouting out a bit, seeing what I may find that interests me. I am actually heading back towards my mountain, but not in any rush." she answered with a nod. Her paws had itched for travel so she had given in, and of course it seemed wise to make the best of the time by putting a useful label upon it. "And of you? A wanderer? Or is there a destination in mind for you?" she questioned, although recalled her last attempt and how she had brushed it off.

Answers, whether or not she got them, had her ears tipped forward and attentions zeroed in until she reached a point to put a quick wrap on this. She got the sense the stranger was vaguely uncomfortable anyway so she wouldn't drag this out any longer than necessary.

When the time was right, she'd do as she said: head back for the mountain.