Thunder rumbled a threat, and as the cool winds from the coast were heaved inland they mixed with the hot air held in a pocket against the mountains. Overhead, a shelf cloud formed, growing tall and angry like a giant castle with a single spire. Small flashes of light began to flicker deep within the pooling clouds. It would be some time yet before they broke and released a downpour, but the tension had already begun to grow in the air.
Æsilír could scent wolves along the riverbank, and had made sure to avoid the island as she made her way up from the South, figuring that whoever lived on it might be defensive of even the shallow waters where their markings would be carried downriver. She scaled the side of the Caldera, and it was there that she found an unusual scent. She thought she'd heard something, as well- some kind of distant call, but couldn't quite place the kind of creature it would belong to. A mountain lion? Perhaps. It smelled feline, but...Different.
She began to follow the scent; curiosity killed the cat, afterall- not the dog.
Sadey was out and about trying to leave the pack lands for a time. When a new scent came to her. It wasn't any type of cat she knew, but it was something different. This cat had a different type of scent and she didn't like it.
And it was near enough that she wasn't feeling to froggy about not figuring out what it was and why it was so near. So with barely concealed contempt she headed towards the scent.
Grey eyes wide in her head. Nose down to the ground. Anxious and also a little anticipative.
Wow this kinda sucked. I will prob edit this later.
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Small but mighty. Alone but ambitious. A bite much worse than her bark. All were words that described Aliki to a T. She had stayed in the East, having taken favor to the area. Especially to the cold river in particular. Following the water Northward, it was her scent that other wolves and creatures alike, would find laid out. Her calling card. A bold, shameless statement of her presence in this neck of the woods.
The rumble of thunder from ominous grey clouds and the distant crackle of lightening garnered only a glance skywards. The equally stormy colored female was not off put by the approaching storm. Back in her homeland, un-predictable weather and thundershowers were not uncommon. And, she was quite used to wearing a soggy coat.
Something other than the need to aimlessly explore pulled her along in her travels. A new, distinct scent. Not canine, but feline. It had an edge that she couldn't quite place, labeling it as one that did not naturally belong, her gut told her.
Lips pulled in a tight, tense line, she moved cautiously. Eyeing the ground for prints.
Indra wasn't keen to leave Gun behind anywhere, but when she noticed Sadey crossing out of their little vacation home at a strange hour she decided in that split-second to follow her. Seemed right at the time, though the farther they got from the isle the less certain Indra felt.
Especially when there came weird smells which activated Indra's freeze-response; but when strange faces began to appear among the shadows, that shifted swiftly to
fight. Her fur bristled; she sidled up behind Sadey without a word, flanking her protectively as if she were Gun and they were both still on the road — habits which had kept Indra alive thus far.
It felt like they were entering a cage match. Indra didn't know if the wolves she spied were the threat, or something worse. In her mind she saw a bear, and it had
one glowing golden eye.
The scent was heavy, pungent. The longer Æsilfír tracked the scent, the more she began to grow suspicious. Something that smelled this strongly had to be big. Likely a male too, she thought, though she felt felines were generally more foul-smelled than canines regardless of their gender. There was something chemical about their scent that made her nostrils burn and this one was no exception.
She wasn't the only wolf who was interested in the scent, though, and she spotted two others roaming close together, and both had the look of wary concern on their features. They smelled of the pack across the river, and she assumed they might be out scouting what appeared to be a threat. She did not recognize the ginger wolf by sight or by scent, and when she approached she kept her wary gaze averted, cast off over the plateau where freshwater gathered in streams and pools.
"Ye smell that, yeh?" She asked softly. "S'nae a cougar, but-" She added, blinking. She couldn't figure out what it was, and the not knowing was bothering her. Maybe one of these two had a better idea of what it was- and more importantly, how big it was.
Sadey hadn't asked the girl to come, but come she had. And the further she moved and the more wolves that came from the shadows she was glad the girl was there.
Though worry quickly won over the gladness. Because this cat smelled big and cats were always mean. What had she drug the girl into. And how could she keep her safe in her condition.
She was surprised when one of the others sidled up to her and Sadey shook her head. Her thoughts going to the few humans she'd seen in her life.
There used to be this thing humans set up. Lots of noise. Theyd always set up outside of where humans live. They had a big cat orange and black striped. Bigger than most wolves.
so in our rural area we have a lot of circuses and based on Sadey's background I'm assuming shed at least heard and smelled them. But if this seems out of the realm of reality i can change it. Just pm me please :)
Three other wolves materialized. All female. Two of the same pack, judging by their scent and how close they hung together. The ruddy furred one bristled, on edge. For the cat or herself, Aliki didn't care.
She sent a simple message by turning her head to the side, a universal sign that she was not looking for a head on confrontation. The other two spoke, voicing suspicion or speculation of the cat.
"Not a cougar." She affirmed. "Here. Look." She pointed to where she had spotted a paw print. Deeply embedded in the dirt, blades of grass flattened or bent unnaturally. And most of all, discarded traces of orange tinted and white hair.
On the one hand, there were more wolves the longer time ticked by. On the other, the stench of the cat-beast was also growing, and Indra didn't know what to make of it, even with Sadey's partial explanation. The young woman recognized something about the scent that reminded her of humans, from her days surviving on the streets with Gun. It wasn't a strong scent of those upright creatures, though. The cat-smell was overpowering.
Another wolf spoke up, this one Indra didn't recognize: Not a cougar.
Well, that was ominous to hear. Indra couldn't recall the last time she'd seen a cougar, if she'd ever seen one. The scent was so far-off from bear-scent which she did recognize, and set her on high-alert.
Hypervigilance could only take you so far, though.
Her fear spiked as the wolves gathered, and Indra tampered it down as best she could by leaning in to her innate rage, summoning her voice to call in to the wilderness: WELL COME ON THEN, SHIT HEAD! WHERE ARE YOU?
Better to get this over with; she wasn't a fan of being stalked.
Black and orange striped? Æsilfír but her lip to keep herself from making a smart remark as she believed such things couldn’t exist- stripes were a novelty in her world, exclusive mostly to birds and insects- but when the other wolf lurking nearby spoke up and indicated the paw print, she moved forward to investigate. It was larger than any cougar print she’d ever seen- maybe Sadey was right.
She flinched when the reddish girl shouted, and hissed softly, ashamed she’d been startled. She snickered, and picked up on some of the girl’s bravado.
”Heeeeere kitty kitty cat!” She leered and laughed.
Sadey rolled her eyes, but didnt join in the loudness. Instead she cased the area. Grey eyes on the treetops and nearby shadows. Hackles raised. She wasn't a fan of getting hunter either. It royally pissed her off.
A low growl in her throat rumbling.