It wasn't long before another black-furred woman walked into her life. When would she walk back out? Maegi wondered, sitting in the shadows just beyond the grove and watching the newcomer. Her scent was fresh; she had not been here long. The absence of injury suggested she had been invited, so no threat there. . .right?
Still, hackles slightly raised, she stumbled into the clearing, mismatched eyes fixed on the woman. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice sharp and demanding. She stayed on her feet, swaying a little due to her natural imbalance, but kept her eyes firmly locked with the stranger's.
She wondered often what she would do if Cass were to appear again. She was torn between boundless joy and fury, between jumping on the woman and covering her in kisses, or ripping her limb from limb the best her little jaws could. Every black pelt she caught a glimpse of, she thought was Cass, only to be disappointed when it materialized into Nyx or Moonshadow. . .or this new face.
Not that she was disappointed with them; Nyx she especially admired. But they weren't Cass. Cass, the first wolf outside her family to show her any kind of love.
She wrinkled her nose at the question, finding it a silly one. Of course she liked it here. If she didn't, she would constantly be wandering outside of the woods, like her brothers. Nevertheless, she answered Roooj, though not without some bite to her tone.
"Oh yeah. It's too bright out there," Maegi remarked, flicking an ear nonchalantly. "Plus this is where the gods live."
She tilted her head, regarding the woman once more. "Sooo, Vaati let you in. Did he tell you about us?" Her bicolored eyes tilted up toward the canopy, as if she could see the spirits floating above. "How our grandmother found this forest, founded this pack. How the gods favor us above all."
And if bait was offered, bait would be taken. Flashing the woman a rare grin, Maegi sat down, wagging her small tail in response. "You really need to know all this if you're going to live here," she began, raising an eyebrow. "So. . ."
The girl's voice pitched lower as she commenced with her story, starting from where she knew. "Years ago, Meldresi Melonii came to this forest. She brought her gods, her tales, from a faraway land. She had children--my mother one of them--and the pack was born."
Her eyes lifted once more, hearing the whispers of the gods--what another might pass off for the breeze through the trees. "The Night Mother, Mephala, and the Dread Father, Sithis, watch over us here," Maegi explained. "We worship them, and they like us." She brought her gaze down to Rouge, grinning. "I'm training to become a priestess."