Well here she was. Her thick fur so out of place in these lands.
To the east she could spy the mountains, where the air was likely cooler and more welcoming. Here was cold, yes, but still she felt heavy with heat. Kirigina panted lightly, the only way she could relieve the warmth in her hot water bottle of a body.
Why did she come here? To this place?
Simple. She had to. She had to keep moving, place to place. Never settled staying in the Tundra, always discontent with the cold of her home. She needed to keep going. Keep learning. Keep on swimming, swimming, swimming...
She'd like to swim about now. And so she approached the river bank, sniffing at the water's edge. Freshwater.
Unusual for her. It smelt less inviting, more stale. But she waded on in anyway. The wet clung to her body and she liked it, though plant matter tangled around her paws, something she wasn't used to. Ah, what she'd give for an icicle in her tongue about now.
It had been a long time since Teya went missing. Bridget had scoured the areas nearby for any trace but wound up empty. It helped to think that she was capable, but Bridget couldn't help but dwell on how fucking quiet and subdued she was. What if someone took her? What if she was stuck and scared and couldn't leave?
The thought made her furious, so it wasn't hard to put that energy into the search. She heard
@Sundance's call earlier and had looked that way, but didn't answer just yet. A little longer. Winter was coming and she wasn't entirely thrilled at spending the time out here in the mountains alone.
Damnit, Tey.
Bridget cursed softly to herself.
Where did you go?
Of course nothing answered, so she pressed on, coming towards the water she had scented a ways back to snag a quick drink. Then she'd be off again. She spotted a stranger in the water but ignored her for the moment, choosing to gulp down a few long drinks instead. She'd asked so many if they'd seen her and the answer was always no.
Kirigina saw her - a she-wolf with fur as golden as a duck's egg yolk. Beautiful, really. Nothing like the puff of dull fur she was. She didn't know whether or not to say hello, but kept watch out of her left eye.
Her legs paddled frantically under the surface, and she was starting to tire. Kirigina swam slowly back to the water's edge, a little away from the stranger. Still watching carefully from her dark eyes. A little water splashed into her mouth as she panted, and it tasted vile. But she reached the bank, and pulled herself out onto dry land. She shook the water off of her out of habit, but was happy to have been soaked with the breeze tickling her fur, cooling her. Winter was here, but it was still warmer than home. And maybe she'd grow to like it that way.
Bridget watched her pull herself out and weighed it. She couldn't help it. If there was a chance she was going to ask and get her hopes up only to smash them.
Hey! Sorry to bother you. I'm looking for a friend. She's gold, kinda like me, but quiet. Has blue eyes. You seen her anywhere?
There it was, that damn hope.
My name's Bridget, by the way.
She tacked that on as she continued rounding the pond and came to stand before her on the bank. Even stressed out, Bridget couldn't help but be friendly to this srranger.
Kirigina clocked her head to the side, thinking for a moment. She hadn't seen many gold wolves in the Teekon Wilds, especially none like Bridget. Maybe she'd heard of her. "My name is Kirigina, pleasant to meet you. What is the name of this wolf? I have been travelling over Teekon, I may have heard of her. Do you belong to a pack?"
The breeze blew and she shivered for a second, then thought again. "are you a traveller, like me?"
Too many questions, maybe. But Kirigina was curious.
Her name is Teya.
Despite herself, Bridget hung on the space before the answer. She was tired of turning up nothing and afraid that, by the time she did, it'd be too late. Teya wasn't the type to just disappear, but she was the type to potentially disappear with aid.
I don't, and I am. Well, sort of. My freinds and I were looking for new digs, but then she vanished.
Bridget huffed irately, though the gesture was mostly at herself. I should've kept better track of her.
Kirigina could see the woman's frustration, and felt for her.
"I haven't come across a Teya, but I will keep an out. If I see her, how can I get the message to you? I am a traveller. I move across these lands. I might see her."
She felt awkward, she didn't know what to say. She missed her home, but hadn't had any meaningful relationships there to miss, so had never felt what Bridget had felt. But she was sympathetic. She did travel, perhaps she could be some use to the wolf.
Bridget sighed when the other woman told her the obvious. Of course she hadn't, no one had. Maybe her friend really was fey, and had disappeared back to whatever plane held her home. Just tell her Bridget's looking for her.
Hopefully hearing that, she'd know where to go... her circle had mostly been in the region of the old court, because she assumed that's where Teya would remain.
You're a loner, then?
Bridget asked, taking the context from her comment on travel. She didn't seem to have a companion at the moment. Bridget supposed that, by that definion, she was too. It was a weird feeling and didn't suit her well at all, but it was a necessary evil for now. Where did you travel here from?
"I will do that," Kirigina said quietly, wishing she could be more helpful. But, in a place like Teekon Wilds, you could journey for a week and still see no one. Or a day and see six strange wolves wandering past. She'd remember the she wolves' names in case they were needed.
"yes, I am a Loner. I travel from Kamčatka, Russia."
Kamčatka.
Bridget tested it out, likely missing the pronunciation by a note or two. I don't want to keep you, but if you don't have anywhere to be, I'd love to hear about it.
Bridget appreciated the offer to search as well, and some of her urgency died. If she hadn't found her, that meant likely Teya wasn't anywhere nearby here. She'd need to keep circling further.
First, though, she'd scratch this itch and learn about the wider world. She'd initially left home to do so, and she couldn't resist.
She stayed and conversed for a while, then pressed on, her urgency to find Teya driving her forwards.