She knew where she was headed and she knew she couldn't go there, but somehow her body had taken control over her, a hormonal tempest mixed with her stubborn nature acting against even her own good judgment.
As she walked over the river deltas Julep decided that this was as far as she would go that day, and before she could even question her own decision she found a good spot to watch the sun set in the horizon. From there she could see an island in the distance, behind which the last rays of dusk light were shut to let the little stars twinkle away through the night. She wondered where the moon would rise tonight, recalling some cool legends about it being the world's mother or something like that. She had to turn around to find that the moon had already risen, shining full towards the east, and for hours Julep stared, reminiscing on the old days when things were simple and she dreamed of being a warrior.
Larus' mind was buzzing with complicated thoughts; faint memories juxtaposed against fantasies, faces melding in to faces, voices lilting in his ears despite the absence of a body — he wasn't losing his mind but he felt as if he was hinging on the very end of his proverbial rope nonetheless, wanting nothing more than clarity to fix whatever the bear had pummelled to pieces. He could remember things. Not in the right order, and not to any strong degree, which made him maddeningly confused; yet he was driven north towards the coast by the persistent image of a smoke-faced woman and the scent of brine. The moon was full and lit his path like a spotlight, casting stolen light across his silvered figure as he roamed.
He knew of the name, Caiaphas, but did not associate it with the soot-faced crone or the sea scents that haunted him. He thought of the wild woman with the firey coat, of the words she'd once shouted at him and tears she had spilled, but instead of claiming to be his mother his brain replaced her monologue with something darker — promises of death, the claim that she wanted him dead. That wasn't right. But he remembered someone saying it to him; and the cold of ice, the sight of purple flowers blooming wildly. A pool of water reflecting his image in the dark --- but all was swept aside as Larus came across a pungent scent on the wind. It reminded him of the black-coated stranger he had encountered in the moors of the west.
He was intrigued, and eager for a distraction — so Larus chose to seek out that scent, trailing towards the intertwined scent of cold river and musk while the pale moon lit the way.
Those memories were full of tough, elegant women, treading the waters of life as though they owned this world, and they did. Even males bowed to their presence, fearing them, admiring their prowess. Julep sadly did not have enough time with these women to really understand what drove their beliefs and what moved them, but she was old enough to catch and adopt their outlook on life as fierce females in control of their own lives.
However, physically Julep was still at the mercy of biology. She would know what this was like when the golden-faced male appeared in the distance, the pale moon lighting up his silver shades. Julep rose from her post, tilting her snout upwards to sniff the air hoping to identify the stranger, but all she could smell was her own stench. She grew restless as she saw no signs of him slowing down or turning elsewhere. He was coming right at him. That's close enough, lad!
she barked when the distance between them started to become uncomfortable, but she didn't really know what she was expecting to happen.
He moved closer, not knowing where the trail would lead until he heard a sharp voice commanding that he had come close enough, lad!
Lad?
He stops promptly and fidgets, ears pivoting to cup the words as he directs his attention towards the origin of the sound - and spots the thin woman, her coat glowing with dull maple-tree reds and browns; she is luminous in the moonlight and for a moment, Larus is struck by how familiar she looks — but it doesn't last, as she is actually a total stranger.
Briefly he sees a different face looking at him through the woods, and his mind says, Saena, except that was — that was wrong. He shakes his head softly and this motion transitions to a ducking nod. He murmurs towards her, I mean you no harm, miss.