Ajei slid from the mountain top. And she slid. She realized halfway down she probably should have waited until the sun was higher before leaving. And she reminded herself to head home while the sun was high because ice on rocks was treacherous.
She tip tapped around and caught wind of some rabbits. She bent her nose to the ground and began searching. She could at least bring something home. She hoped.
Tosca proceeded West day after day, chasing the setting sun after having set a course for the lands where the stars they loved the most barely rose over the horizon. Steady was their pace, as if set by a faithful breeze, hastened only when the opportunity to hunt urged a sporting lope. Mountain ranges rose in the distance, and grew larger every day, shrinking only when the pale wolf crested the foothills. Down again into a valley, and into a place where the shrubs grew thick; an excellent place to stop and hunt for rabbits.
Tosca was not the only one searching, however; and the scent of another wolf came on the breeze that softly wafted through the labyrinth of berry bushes, now brown and dry for the winter. While the stars provided enough information for latitude and longitude, the next challenge would be honing their search; this could be done by word of mouth.
They had never shied away from greeting others, and now it seemed their task to seek them out. Thus far, their query had yielded no results though as they approached the mountain range, they suspected that might change. They switched their objective from hunting rabbit to searching for the other wolf, tracing her scent on the wind and following it once they found her path.
Ajei was not one that often left home. And when she did, she never traveled far. Preferring to be near her mother and her pack mates. Though lately she wondered were Massaraq ever coming back. She missed him. One of her dearest friends. Arrluk was back.
Ajei continued down the mountain, oblivious that she was currently being hunted, however benign it maybe. She kept her nose to the ground. Determined now not to leave the lower lands empy handed. Her mother could use a few wraps more for her shoulders. The cold seemed to settled into her bones lately. And Ajei couldn't have this. No.
So it was with determination and a small sense of urgency she continued on her search. Even brother otter would make a fine catch if she would be so lucky.