Yami heaved a contented sigh as she laid her head down upon her arms. Her belly was full, the sun was warm, and the scent of wildflowers was rich in her nose. This mountain was like a twin of Moonspear in its size and majesty, but completely opposite otherwise. It was full of sun and green and color and life while Moonspear had been full of shade and dark and mystery. It was what her soul needed, though she'd had no real idea just how much before this moment.
The Ostrega had traversed many mountains. Moonspear had been her home as a child. Nova Peak had become her home with Kiwi. She'd always been comfortable on cliffs and slopes, but this was the first time she found herself enjoying it. It was a feeling that struck her heavy. It had been a long time since she felt anything close to content. But she felt it now as she laid by the stream beneath the willow tree, watching its long arms dance across the water's surface with each breeze.
It was all at once wonderfully filling and completely hollowing.
The children were old enough to be alone for a little while. Knowing that
@Mahler was always close by to keep an eye on them, Wylla took the opportunity to stretch her legs beyond the hollow.
She went further than she should have, skirting the great red canyon of Mereo and climbing the gentle, verdant slope on the opposite side. From here, she could see the vast valley below and more ominous peaks in the distance. She had no interest in going that far, but the valley... Perhaps she could find some herbs for Mahler down there that weren't readily available in the hollow, to make up for wandering so far away.
She began to follow the stream out of habit with her head down and nose full of the scents of spring. Yami blended into the rocks on the bank, and Wylla would have ran right over her if the sharp scent of wolf hadn't met her nose first. Drawing up short, she snorted and remarked,
weird spot for a nap.
It was the perfect spot for a nap, actually. Wylla just couldn't bear to admit she wasn't paying attention.
As was to be expected, her solitude was eventually interrupted. Her eyelids lifted slowly to reveal the shape of the approaching woman who snorted disdainfully at Yami's choice of resting place by way of greeting. Yami frowned, not in the least bit offended, though annoyed by the interruption. And, also a bit curios as to why on earth this woman thought such an idyllic location was so wrong for this particular activity.
"I looked around for a bed of hot coals, but there weren't enough venomous snakes lying around the only one I could find," Yami retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She was tempted to roll away from her and shut her eyes again, but she hesitated. Something about this creature gave her the feeling she ought not turn her back. It wasn't self-preservation that obeyed the inclination though--it was intrigue.
Yami's response was unexpected, so much so that it made Wylla choke out a sardonic laugh. I could show you a lovely spot full of black widow spiders instead. There might even be a pointy rock or two to lie on.
Not a threat, just a joke, albeit not a very good one. No one could blame Yami for taking it wrong.
Now she didn’t really know what to say and was about to be on her way, but at that precise moment, a garter snake slithered over Wylla’s paw. Her skin crawled and her fur puffed out. With a shriek, she shot forward and away from the offending snake, sending it flying and tripping inelegantly on Yami’s tail in her bid to escape.
She wound up pitching face first in the water for her efforts.
The woman's response drew a brief chuckle from Yami's throat and a fleeting smirk. She wasn't particularly in the mood for company, so she kept her mouth shut to allow the stranger to continue on. At least, she didn't think she was. Until the idea of being alone again suddenly and unexpectedly caught in her throat.
Fortunately, there was no time alotted to her to think on this. The woman suddenly sprang with a yelp to shatter the eardrums. Yami tensed and jerked away, but not quickly enough to avoid getting a snake flung into her face.
With a yelp of her own, she flung her muzzle upwards and backpedaled away. The snake went flying once again and Yami did too, in the opposite direction, backwards into the water right beside Wylla.
There was no time to recover. Wylla flinched when Yami splashed into the stream next to her, then screamed when the snake smacked her in the face. Despite its confusion and disorientation, it managed to part its nasty little jaws and she felt a sharp sting on her nose as it sunk its tiny teeth in.
Fuck fuck FUCK FUCK,
Wylla hollered, rearing and giving her head a mighty shake. The snake kept its grip, though by now it was so rattled up it no longer knew which way was up and which was down. Or what day it was. Or what planet it was on. Or even what species it was.
With all logical though gone, Wylla threw her face into the water, determined the drown the motherfucker.