Although loathe to admit any attachment too deep, she had happily fallen back into what could be called her coastline routine. She liked the territories here, revered their energies and their resources alike, so being amongst them appeared to be in her best interests. And, with the daylight hours increasing and the temperatures comparatively pleasant, she found herself in decent spirits despite unnecessarily busy thoughts that came and went.

For the first time in a while she had thought at length about her honored mother, the single-most important wolf she had known, and was curious of how the winter had been upon her mountain. It had then occurred to her that perhaps Yuurei and Makyo had bred again for this year, meaning she was possibly no longer the last survivor of their Rikudou wolves. It seemed likely, but she did recall last year's troubles. It had not appeared easy for her dam (although she had taken it all in apparent stride) and this memory stirred an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Ame's gut, one that had stuck for several hours.

So, perhaps not. The sage would do what she felt best, of that Ame had been certain. Which spurred some fleeting relief. Although that only meant that the weight of the clan's continuation rested on her. That was no more pleasant an idea...

She had stewed long enough to almost turn inland towards the old homeland and gallop until she could run no more, just to know. Even as a great sage of her mountain, Amekaze's mother was an aging wolf. Winter, and potentially bearing a litter, could have taxed her too steeply and Ame would not know. She had paced with his thought in mind and ground her teeth until blood seeped from her gums.

When she turned too far inward, a storm began to brew out over the sea. Distracting and oddly welcome, the thunderstorm of a few days prior had only further served to enliven her. Winter's fatigue was easy to forget then and even her focus could sharpen there. It had been so long since she'd heard the roll of thunder and seen the lightning, so she quickly welcomed its electricity into her veins.

The need to prowl -- to move, at the very least, had been a deep insatiable itch. So she stayed busy. Hunting, ranging, and all else, she covered the beaches and the forest alike. She even took time to romp, for although in her solitude, it felt good to kick up her heels unabashed. There was little rest to be had but opposed to dwelling on what she could not know, it was the wise choice.

Now, days after, the sleepless hours had caught up to her and winter's coldness deepened once again. She awoke slowly and peered blearily ahead before shaking the debris out of her wild coat. It was only midday, but chilly out. She greeted this with a look of indifference and pulled herself to stand.

Amekaze had recently settled in the forests at the foot of the small mountain. It was not far from the river she favored, the Ridge pack, or the shore. However, she rarely trekked far up towards the slopes. The dense forests provided her enough and usually her attention was elsewhere. The upper reaches of the mountain had never called out to her, either..

There was nothing hurried about her actions today as she drifted towards a small cache she had built to unearth some old leftovers. This only took the edge off her hunger, so soon enough, she was wandering deeper into the woods hunting. There was a vague trail and her tired eyes scanned the woodlands, while her ears swiveled and nostrils flared.

The keening cry of a falcon broke her focus. She paused to listen. Based on her observations, not many birds of prey appeared to winter here. Likely they flew to warmer grounds or hunting territories elsewhere. Yet clearly, this one was here now. She narrowed her scrutinizing stare.

In the dreary skies above the treetops, with wings outstretched hung the imposing figure of a large bird. Amekaze continued to watch and when her paws found motion again, she was still leery. It was not far but she soon found she had lost sight of it, only to be reunited by the swoop of wings through the otherwise quiet trees. The bird had swung low, swooping a horizontal trail across her sights, and then vanished into the treetops again. The dark wolf furrowed her brow and sought explanation for this only to come up short.

Amekaze continued her hunt with renewed caution. She could feel the eyes on her and knowing this caused her to bristle out her coat.

Her path went no further up in elevation and instead zig-zagged through the trees. She stuck to her tasks, all the while hoping to shake the sensation of being followed in time.

She stalked on, over vague trails of prey that so far had not led her anywhere definite yet. She admittedly was somewhat distracted, her eyes awfully eager to turn towards the treetops and skies curiously despite the vague thrum of hunger that would only get louder as the hours passed. Amekaze kept going until something distinct slowed her up.

She began to adjust her path and focus on it, but the sound of wings overhead shot her attention straight up once again to see the bird's newest retreat from sight. Her fur stayed prickled and she huffed, moving on a little faster this time.

Their paths all but crossed not long after. Amekaze lifted up her head, her eyes narrowing as she did to see the dark-furred creature better -- who had a very odd look about her, with a touch of the Ridge's scent on her deep black coat. Ame knew many of the Ridge's wolves (even with the Ridge's trademark not being an overly strong smell at play here), but this was not a familiar scent or face.

Purposeful strides aimed her closer and Amekaze chuffed, appearing confident in the way she held her body. So I am not alone here, she said, masking her distraction to the best of her ability. This was the first canine she had seen here in all the time she had spent lurking about.

As one mere wolf, the symbol of her strength paled. She always felt the spur of possessiveness when she unexpectedly encountered another in a place she liked to use, but always had to bite back the reactions that may follow. Her existence, purposeless outside of survival, didn't necessarily entitle her to much and the nature of the very beast meant she could lay no formal claims to nature's lands.

She loomed closer by a few steps and with her ears turned fully forward, she took in the words -- as sparse as they were. It is rarely so, she said, sharpening her green eyes into a squint. Amekaze kept her muzzle lifted up and sniffed curiously, all while being increasingly domineering with her stance until the much fluffier canine rebuked her. Mm, so what draws you from the Ridge to here? she asked briskly. She suspected hunting, as was what had drawn her in too, but all the more reason to be vaguely possessive of these slopes -- for right now, anyway. Of course, it could just be the will to explore. There were many times when she roamed as aimlessly as she did for that reason alone.

Her ears switched to the remark, finding that while she did agree that it was good to have little company here, the nature of the other's presence here negated this for her. She stared and stood still to listen, almost needing to bite back a short laugh -- ah, so this was another pack beast feeling.. dismayed about such a standing. Amekaze knew that her decision to stay alone all winter had not been made in poor choice.

I could not say from any experience as I only know the Ridge from the outside, but I would not doubt it. You speak like it is an issue, she remarked nonchalantly with a roll of her shoulders, then ghosted closer with a loose walk. The Ridge was an interesting thing to her and more so than any other had managed to be. She was most allured by the prospect of still maintaining some of her freedoms while gleaning the benefits of a pack, yet others seemed more perturbed by this. Not that she fancied it enough to pledge herself just yet, though.

She arced a circling path around the other, greedily getting a full, good look at her as she awaited an answer. The scent of the Ridge was more faded than she had originally realized and the more she looked at her, the more Ame questioned what precisely this canine's heritage was.

Her ears quivered attentively as the words were parroted back to her, but not immediately paired with a real answer. Amekaze then assumed it was too difficult to put into words, or perhaps not wholly understood just yet. She did not pry further and waited, with her first response being a soft 'hm' sound and then a nod to the question posed as she contemplated her answer.

Indeed, she was only a mere loner. It had become a look and lifestyle that suited her well, she believed, but it was bound to come to an end eventually. It suits me and my interests for now, but is not easy. For if the fluffier canine might be enamored by the idea of freedom, she ought to know it was not without consequence. Amekaze had worked hard to survive the winter. She had her upbringing to thank for the abilities and skills given to her that allowed her to survive, even when circumstances were unforgiving.

But Amekaze wouldn't elaborate in too much depth, for it was of little consequence to her what this wolf did or did not do. Ame had found Akhlut to be one of the more suitable leaders for herself, but she was not an orthodox being. What she liked may not appeal to all, and apparently it made this individual feel alone in a crowd -- a notion that Amekaze did not fully understand. I can make no formal claims but if the desire strikes, I can do as I please, even if that means leaving entirely. However, this is a region ruled by packs, with new ones constantly appearing and taking free spaces and hunting grounds away from me. It is a delicate balance, she said in truth with a series look on her face.

Her expression remained impassive, even in the face of another question. Ame had not expected this; rarely did pack wolves have any need to ask about lonerhood like they were considering it as a lifestyle for themselves. Usually it was the opposite, namely in her case. This truly was a strange, strange land.

Mm, what were your reasons for joining the pack you did? she queried back first before answering, changing the question to fit her. It may have seemed like Ame was dodging answering at first, even if she knew exactly what her response would be, but she was curious and ready to turn it on its head. I have many reasons. Namely, not many are a good fit for me, and some leave me utterly unimpressed.. she said with a noncommittal roll of her shoulders. Not all of the packs fell under this, but most of them. She was intentionally vague.

Her only pack had been family, but their family was not.. what she assumed was entirely typical. Even to this day she still could not claim to understand the unspoken depths of what it was her sire and dam truly shared. Secretive as they were, all Ame knew was that their combined methods of leadership to balance one another out was strong and effective. It was not anything she ever saw replicated (even in small part) here.

You did not answer my question, she chuffed, reminding of it then. Ame was not all answers in exchange for nothing and admittedly, she was curious about what drew this wolf to the Ridge in the beginning. She could remember when the Ridge was just freshly formed. It had been around that time that she had met Akhlut.

It is difficult to explain, she began, for much of it went by just what she felt deep, deep in her bones. I seek a balance of many things: freedom, camaraderie, strength worth bowing to.. among other things. None have met this, in full..

On rare occasion, she privately considered her own worth as a leader. With her standards so high and the image of what she was seemingly so clear in her head, it occurred to her that perhaps none would suit, and yet, her motivation to take it for herself was far from fully-fledged. A pack of wolves relying on her did not hold any appeal for someone as aloof as unsociable as she, even if she assumed she may make for a strong, decisive leader with time. It was not to be. Not now.

She chuffed another low sound then, but with different intonation. There was solace in finding a like-minded soul but.. Ame knew it was not easy to feel this way. It is unfortunate that it is so hard to find what we want. One would think, that by nature of our kind alone, that any pack life should provide better.. yet I can survive alone and not feel that I am missing anything dire. she murmured thoughtfully. But you are right, these are lands steeped in peace and existing as a loner is made easier by this. I only question if it is permanent. Her expression darkened momentarily. She wondered if ever these lands had tasted the blood of wartime. Prior to her arrival here, they had been nearly untouched, so it seemed unlikely that they had. By the nature of her youth, upbringing, and even the circumstances of her existence, she was continually wary of the concept of war.

She always felt an infuriating contradiction when considering the possibility of experiencing wartime again anywhere except for in the name of Rikudou and Shikkotsurin's territories. Having tasted it young, she knew how -- how to fight, pitted against whoever the enemy was without remorse... but at the same time, it was far from her best side.. despite how they had honed her. Amekaze put the thoughts of it away before foul, bitter memories could resurface.

That is true, and really the best way to look at it. My homeland tasted war, so richly that my brothers died because of it. Aside from the brother she had been forced to cripple or the younger brother that had gone missing, but this was inconsequential. She sighed. It is second nature to consider it on occasion, she rolled her shoulders in an infrequent expression of anything remotely personal, but as flippant as the mention was, she was not delving into anything further. I go by Ame. You? Having once been familiar with most wolves of the Ridge, she was curious about this one's name to match to face.

She had her lengthier titles but using them was useless here, as a loner like herself. Ame preferred to keep her identity as unspecific as she could even if she was proud of where it tied her to. Some wolves seemed overly eager to share but not her, and she nodded in quiet acknowledgement of the other dark wolf's similarly simplistic title.

Mm, I am from a place more inland by at least a few days of travel, she answered. North, and towards the east, was where her homeland was relative to here. It had taken her only than just a couple of days to get here from there because she had meandered and moseyed much more, but she guessed it could be done in much less if one was devoted to the trek. It was not impossibly far away but definitely not a day or two trip total. And you? I do not assume you are from here since I have yet to find anyone who truly is, and never have a seen a wolf.. as you are? She tilted her head, hoping her question was portrayed properly enough.

As spring continued to thaw the landscapes, she had admittedly considered returning more strongly. But, she would have to go back without anything to show for it. She may have cleared her thoughts and found a piece of an inner sanctity that had been lost around Mizuna's death and honed her solo survival skills to a dangerous edge, but these were not physical.

Anyway, as she had almost expected, she had not worded herself so well. She was used to it, although knew her further explanation may either be too unclear still or too blunt. I mean to say that your features are different from the typical that I usually see, not to say she meant it in a bad way, though. From the extra fluff of her fur to her ears that sat differently, it was a curiously interesting look that she had never seen before. I wondered if perhaps it was something to do with where you had come from? for she knew subspecies differed and were sometimes tied to where they had come from. But also, that this was not always the case. Since Pump had said she hadn't come from far, Ame doubted it now.

Ame nodded, for she had meant what she had said. Not many looked quite like Pump did, but she was still very wolf in appearances, so Ame did not peg her as anything but one. She had seen her fair share of hybrids of the coyote sorts, and wolves of varying subspecies, so she knew their kind could come in all sorts of ways.

She considered herself very typical in contrast. Where she had come from, this look was rather commonplace, although with some wolves being simply bigger and bulkier than she was. Ame's features were not outstanding considering what she was used to.

It appeared the perhaps Pump felt similarly in her own way, judging by her words, but it was the pale wolves that were different to her. Ame chuffed a light almost-laugh. So it seems to just depend on what we are accustomed to. In my homeland, many of us were dark as I am, but some white and tawny.. however most of them were individuals that had come from elsewhere, but I was still used to seeing them.. she mused. Her father's clan was full of dark gray, deep browns and blacks with only subtle accents of anything lighter than silver. Ame had never met other from her mother's blood, but legend said they were dark-furred. She had never thought of any of their structural features to be outstanding, either. Just default, but she realized how this was merely because it was what she had grown up around.

Amekaze nodded, taking the conclusion in stride and finding she agreed all the same. Appearances were trivial, despite her penchant for observing all she could. Her critical eyes aimed to see deeper than just the surface, anyway. That was where the real matters of interest were, even in the most curiously marked of individuals.

Farewell, she said in return, considering making mention of their paths perhaps crossing again, but she refrained for the time being. Ame wondered if pack life would become more to Pump's liking, or if she would mosey away when it was no longer enough to keep her rooted. Whatever the case, the dark loner dipped her muzzle and was on her way as well. She headed further up the mountain alone.