A sound emanating from the forest ahead startled Grackle, causing her to freeze in place. Her emerald eyes, set within the darkness of her visage, cautiously scanned the horizon. That was no rabbit; it was a voice. She was not alone.
She would grab her hare and hurry out of this place. Grackle was too tired to fight now, and she knew it. All she needed to do was find that gods-forsaken thing. She slunk ahead, her body nearly brushing the forest floor, her ears pricked and alert for any unfamiliar sounds. The scents of both the rabbit and, regrettably, the stranger, grew stronger with each passing moment. Hopefully, she would encounter the former before the latter.
The hare was finally within her sight, nestled in the hollow between the bracken. Her opportunity had come. Grackle readied herself to spring, to capture her prey and make a swift exit from this place. However, as her gaze traveled from the hare to the foliage beyond, she stumbled upon a sight that left her breathless and unable to look away. There was the stranger, opposite to her, apparently also hunting the same hare.
The ocean's azure depths, the boundless expanse of sky, and the tender wings of a fragile butterfly, all connected and curled within the gaze of this mystifying stranger. These eyes, like a siren's call, arrested her very breath, rendering her powerless to avert her own stare. Such a color she had never beheld, imaginable only if possessed by some deity or sea nymph drawn down from the heavens to grace the earthly realm with their presence. Yet, the scent that wafted to her was distinctly mortal. In this presence, Grackle felt assured that neither divine wrath nor celestial ire would descend upon her for indulging in a stolen glance, or perhaps, even a burgled meal.
But her paws would not move no matter how much she willed them to. The sea goddess had bewitched the wretched little serpent.
While Grackle couldn't fathom the sea spirit's innermost thoughts, Coraline's assertion held true; not even a hint of carnal desire sullied even the shadowy recesses of the she-wolf's mind. Could a snake dare aspire to court a deity, after all? It was unimaginable. For now, Grackle merely stood there, entranced- a tender whelp beholding the breathtaking splendor of sunset for the very first time.
And then the nymph graced her with a voice, one that sent waves of warmth cascading through Grackle's ears and her heart dancing in a way she had never experienced before. It wasn't the frenzied beat of adrenaline in the heat of a hunt nor the savage ecstasy of rending flesh, but something altogether new. Grackle had always fancied herself brave, relishing fights with a sadistic grin etched on her muzzle, but in the presence of this stranger, she realized her true timidity.
I'm sorry, miss, I didn't realize I was intruding upon your hunting grounds,
Grackle's penchant for prolonged eye contact was a habit she had never broken, stemming from her pup days. Usually, it held no particular meaning, but she was subconsciously aware of the power it conveyed. The power that could make others wither beneath her piercing gaze. However, she had never been on the receiving end before. Was this how others felt when facing her? Grackle's adder-like eyes fell to the ground before her, where the rabbit had waited only a moment ago.
As Grackle came to the disheartening realization that the hare had vanished during her brief moment of distraction, her stomach emitted a low growl, an embarrassing reminder of her hunger. But oddly, she didn't mind. The presence of this figure seemed to have sated her appetite for now. Perhaps this was a more profound starvation, one she hadn't known she harbored, that had been temporarily appeased.
Grackle couldn't deny that it had been an eternity since she had last laid eyes on one of her own kind, and the countless solitary nights she had spent roaming this region now felt much lonelier. The impending solitude loomed, and she knew that soon, she would once again be engulfed by isolation. So, for this fleeting moment, she decided to savor the company.
Grackle,
She returned, the name sounding choking and harsh compared to the maidenly Coraline.
I see.
That was the reason for the strong scent yet lack of a border. So, um, your territory is...?
Her fumbling inquiry was a lifeline to a more practical and familiar territory, away from the uncharted emotional waters she found herself treading in. Grackle's instincts, ever sharp, took the lead now. It was vital to know the boundaries of this stranger's territory. It could mean the difference between another confrontation and a peaceful hunt. Her eyes flickered between the stranger and the encircling forest, present to her words but still wary, as she waited for a response.
Yet beneath her vigilance and practicality, Grackle couldn't shake the odd feeling welling up within her. It... It seems I frightened away your hare.
An uneasy glance upwards followed, her eyes meeting the sunset-pelted wolf's. The word "your" danced on her tongue, briefly stoking a twinge of irritation. After all, she had been pursuing it since daybreak. But as she mentally clashed over the trivial matter, Grackle's protective instincts nudged her thoughts in another direction. She had no pack to share her catches with, whereas Coraline had her sister to provide for. This inner conflict persisted, complicating the simple matter of a mere hare and sparking a multitude of emotions she struggled to identify.
She was usually much better than this- elegant, refined, cunning. But Grackle was having trouble ridding her head of an incredibly stupid, mushy feeling, and her heart pounding in her ears was no help either.
Grackle listened in silence as Coraline spoke, her form shifting upward from the hunting crouch she had been locked in. A fleeting realization struck her as she rose—she was taller than the golden nymph. The thought surprised her, though it remained unspoken, and her stare darted briefly around the surrounding forest, reflecting the deep greens of the towering trees.
In her former pack, gender had held little significance; power mattered above all else. The notion of a place of women seemed utterly foreign to her, a concept that shattered the preconceived notions she'd carried from her old life. This land had forced her to ponder her own identity and the intricacies of a world divided not only between weak and strong, but man and woman, a shift that she was still coming to terms with. The idea that wolves might gather in packs based on their gender had never occurred to her and left her feeling somewhat confused yet intrigued.
The word "mothers" reverberated within her like an electric shock. Grackle's thoughts involuntarily flitted to her own family and what they might think if they saw her now, worn and starved in this unfamiliar land. Would they even care, or had the feeble ties that once bound them grown too frayed to matter? They had professed their love for her, claimed that everything they did was for her well-being, yet they had let her be banished without a fight. Her chest tightened slightly, but her expression remained unchanged. She did not realize Caroline was experiencing a similar pain, nor could it be said if she would have even been able to offer any words of comfort if she did perceive it.
Then, Coraline spoke again, using a foreign phrase Grackle couldn't understand but made her heart leap anyway. I...
Grackle began, her gaze dropping to the leaf-strewn forest floor once more. Almost unconsciously, she shifted her body slightly out of sight, her pride driving her to hide the ribs becoming increasingly visible beneath tightening skin. I haven't found a place to call my own yet, no.
She finally responded after a moment of thought, her voice soft.
Grackle took a slight step back, her tall figure moving with the fluidity of a dancer in the secluded grove. A new wave of heat rose from her ears to trickle down her face. If Coraline were to draw any closer, she would be sure to hear the heartbeat that could have easily been mistaken for the scampering of the rabbit they had pursued just moments ago.
The woman's presence felt like a cool breeze, carrying scents of salt and seafoam, ruffling the dark fur, and promising something Grackle didn't quite understand. She took in the stranger's features, her mind still wrestling with the concept of a women's pack. She was in unknown territory, both literally and figuratively, and there was a new path unraveling before her, one she had previously been blind to.
Perhaps... I could.
She replied, pushing past the tightness that constricted her throat, her vision locked to powder irises.