Lilia was a keen individual, who noticed when her supervision began to become more relaxed. Growing more and more independent, she began to push her boundaries, keeping out of Raelle's periphery so she might do so without being tattled on. But one day, she strayed too far- and found herself roving an area much lower in altitude, much warmer.
She spent the night by herself, huddled. Still trying to convince herself that this area was still within their domain, though she had left her glacier home. The next day was stiflingly hot, and her stomach began to snarl and growl. The flies buzzed about her, annoying her, and the heat from the sun at noon was too hot on the dark fur of her back. Seeking refuge, and not knowing any better, she found solace in a river.
She waded in up to her elbows, slipping on the rocks, gritting her teeth against the cold. She could see the blue tinge of glacial water and knew she couldn't be too far from home...Once her legs had adjusted to the temperature, she sank down onto her belly so that the water came up to her chin. She sighed in relief. The dark fur of her shoulders had felt as though it was burning in the sun- now, at least, she felt better. She wasn't sure how long she could stand it for, and she would not go into the deeper waters- they ran far too fast for her to trust she could battle the current. But in the shallows, she could at least allow her skin to cool a bit.
Still uncomfortable with ravenous hunger, she began to lap at the waters, hoping it might quell the angry, hungry feeling in her stomach.
wasn't too bad, the life he lived. sadey was healing up, miz amalia was charming, and there were no masculine demands for sakhmet's attention, which colt would sup up as long as she wanted him.
it added a nuance to his already overt swagger, which could be seen as he made his way toward the waterway.
briggs immediately fell to a hunting stalk. there was a stranger in the water, a gangly knock-kneed child who he presumed at once was female, and lost.
he broke from cover, sauntering her way. "don't yer nose work, girly?" the man growled when he had come closer.
wanted to wiggle in here but if i don't post in three days on my turns, please skip <3
Colt found the child first.
Sakhmet had come second, cutting long the river from the north end. The words of the hunter had not been lost on her, nor the way he approached. Not a man of fatherhood — but where was the surprise?
Silently she stood as a supportive figure and waited to hear the child's words.
Devoid of any scent but that of Natigvik's river water.
She’d not been attentive to her surroundings, and looked up to see the male, and gaze into the calm scrutiny of his masked features as he spoke. She sat up, though still the freezing water coursed about her middle section.
His retort made her snort. She opened her mouth to snap a reply, but then noticed the woman who joined him. Neither of these wolves did she recognize. She did not know to expect hostility- patience was simply expected from pups, and mercy as well. She did not fear them. Still, she didn’t like the way he looked at her, or the way he’d prowled toward her.
”Yeth, my nothe workth fine, thank you,” She replied indignantly. She was offended he might suggest that there was something wrong with her. Something wrong, with her? impossible. ”Yourth ith crooked an’ ugly,” She said with a haughty laugh.
colt laughed long and loud. "yew sure are an ornery little cuss." the red eyes glowed. "yer right though. i'm a sight far uglier'n yew, but that don't matter when it comes to workin." and the rogue might have bounded into the water and scruffed her then for the attempted slight.
colt noted sakhmet's approach and wisely withheld. however, he aligned his body in a way that indicated he would not let the girl run off. "this here's the head honcho. why don't yew explain t'her how bein' pretty means yew can just trespass."
he snickered a little.
Why, didn't this girl have quite the mouth on her!
Although she wondered if it was amplified by Colt's own. Not that it mattered much either way, did it? The girl seemed younger than even Kivaluk. No parent had come rushing after her or called for Natigvik to send her back out.
A wayward then, perhaps.
Well?
She said towards the girl, a brow arched over pale eyes.
The little girl looked a bit more gently upon him when he said that she was right, and implied that she was, indeed, prettier than him. Truth be told, she found him much less ugly when he spoke like that to her. Now that she wasn’t so abruptly startled, she could see he was actually somewhat handsome- but she’d said what she’d said, already, and had an image to uphold.
His change in posture didn’t go unnoticed, and it did make her heart race a little. She turned her gaze to the woman, who was pronounced as the leader, and though she tried to keep her expression the same, something small showed when he spoke the word “trespass.”
Was she in another pack’s territory? It didn’t matter now. She had a question to answer.
She blinked and shrugged one shoulder blithely. ”She’th pwetty. I don’t fink I hafta tell huh anyfin’ ‘cause she prolly aweady knowth it.” Came her candid reply.
colt was tickled. this showed in the roguish ghost of a smile on his mouth as he glanced toward sakhmet.
the kid was right. she was. colt likened her to a single flame crossing a prairie. provoke that flame and it turned into a flatland brushfire.
he wondered if she would catch fire and scorch today. unlikely. she had kids of her own, and so she possessed a patience with them colt did not.
he was silent. sakhmet's go.
She laughed, soft and sweet.
It wasn't the answer she was looking for.
You know, I stayed pretty by not trespassing.
She told her, head and voice lowered, like she was sharing a grand secret.
Do you have somebody waiting for you by the borders?
The young girl hung off the woman’s every word, a coy smile drawing across her face. Of course, she had yet to fully realize that both Sakhmet and Colt were trying to imply was that she was lost, and trespassing. Only briefly she’d considered it, but she’d learned very little about such things and didn’t know their importance.
The question received a slight shrug, and a faint frown. She looked away. Her father was gone, her mother…Her mother had not been watching when she’d slipped away. ”Not weawwy,” She tried to keep the hurt from her voice. She didn’t want to feel so lonely. She turned her face back to glance from the man, and back to the woman again.
”What’a yowa nameth?” She asked.
the issumatar gave a warning, but it seemed little miss wasn't gathering. colt's brow arched higher when the girl glanced at him. she wanted introductions? now he could not stop himself from scoffing a little, though he was curious why she'd sounded so low a second ago.
maybe she was too young to get it. maybe she was daft. either way, colt didn't speak. sooner or later she would understand, though he still did not think sakhmet would rough her up.
<3 I have to keep Lilia moving. Until she finds someone to adopt/take care of her, I’m only doing one thread at a time and realistically, she’ll die soon if she doesn’t find a home. Thanks for the thread!
The smirking male looked at her in a hungry way, and she didn’t like it. Lilia stepped back, just to give herself a bit more space- and ended up stepping off an underwater dropoff that plunged her into the river’s strong current.
She didn’t even get a word out in protest- and was rushed downriver, away from the wolves.
"damn!" colt hooted, galloping a few feet after the girl in shock.
"don't that beat all."
his red eyes flicked to sakhmet, and then he followed the red queen back home, glancing over his time as if the girl would wash back up.