OOC: @Kennedy

Each passing day was another day she became more aware of the change. And each day that passed was a day she grew more excited. She could feel the change in the warming air, and came to anticipate the fragrance it would yield. After a long spell of winter, she was ready for the spring and like a pup ready to take her first steps from the den, she burst from her own with excitement for what the melting snow would offer.

There was still a chill, but not enough to discourage her. She was too glad, too ready for the coming spring light to let even a fleck of snow dampen her anticipation. Eagerly, she departed from her home carrying a bouquet of the Vale flowers and herbs for her journey. Carefully wrapped in a long leaf, this was her gift to offer her Ridge-dwelling friend in the hopes that she too would find excitement in the coming spring. And perhaps others of the Ridge, those who made her friend happy.

She traveled along the mountain ridge with ease then dipped into the thick of the northern forest. With care, she wove through the darkness and damp only to emerge from the otherside with flowers in tow to taste the salty air of the shores on her nose. The back was around here… or so she was sure. So much of her time had been spent within the Vale, she had nearly neglected her personal goal to travel and mark the wilds to memory. Duty became her purgative, but even then there were times she could allow herself reprieve. This venture being one of them to see a dear friend.

Surrendering to the notion that she was perhaps ‘lost’, the warrior marched the coast in earnest to find a trail. Though quietly she hoped that like before, the fates would be willing to send her a guide in the right direction.

She had hoped one of the Ridge might cross her path and lead the way, though she had anticipated it would be her companion same as the last time. However fate had something entirely different in mind, presenting her instead with a towering form crossing the coast with curious intent.

Her ears bent forward, hearing his exclaiming but knew not what he spoke of. Rather than inquire immediately, she looked around her immediate person, finding first the overflow of flora into the light sanded coast then turned her gaze toward the rolling shores and the endless blue that touched them. It looked fairly ‘normal’ as far as she was concerned. There was no strange inkling in the forefront of her mind to suggest something was amiss and in need of her wary. But of course, she wouldn’t have thought that the male was referring to herself.

When she could find no source of his awe to share in, she carefully placed the bouquet at her paws, rolling her tongue a few times to rid the astringent taste from the roof of her mouth. “Pardon?” she all but hacked mid-roll, then quickly cleared her throat to assume her usual weathered voice. “What isn’t?” Her brows were peaked with interest. Her body relaxed as the behemoth approached her, taking note of his own posture and mirrored its likeness.

“Neat?”

Meekly, she looked down at her arrangement. Their colors were complements to each other, rich violets that blossomed near the herb caches of her home, and pale long-petal flowers she found by the springs. Here and there were other vibrant splashes of color, to create an appealing presentation as far as she was concerned. She couldn’t have gone as far as to call the bundle ‘neat’, but certainly hearing it from another made the bridge of her muzzle warm with subtle pride. “Thank you…” she tipped her muzzle humbly. “They are for a friend.”

Without the fragrance of the flowers obscuring her nose, she was better able to assess the scent of the dark male. Upon his coat was the faint mist of salt from the sea, but within was also the culmination of various scents; the known brand of ‘pack’ associated with communal dwelling. And as fortune would have it, it was a scent she recognized.

“The Ridge?” Unabashedly she pounced in place as the wolf announced the pack he hailed from. Despite her size, she was quite nimble on her paws, minding both the flowers and Kennedy's own paws to keep from getting them trampled.“It is good that you did stop me,” she smiled lightly. “I was looking for the Ridge to deliver spring to my friend.” She gestured with a downward sweep of her muzzle to the flowers, indicating that they were her representation of spring. “I am Xi’nuata of the Northstar Vale. Truly, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Her name is Pump,” she explained, all too excited to exhibit that indeed she had a friend. Perhaps one would look at this in a pitying manner; that a wolf of her age showed such excitement for companionship. But she was far from embarrassed, only glad for the good fortune. A life in isolation made it difficult for connections beyond a passing word. To have one to visit, to call them ‘friend’, was a treasure the woman was all too proud to exhibit. However given how poorly her confession of camaraderie had been received by the Creek, she hoped that the same would not occur on the Ridge.

Only the greeting moment would tell, and her spirits were much too high to succumb to pessimism this day.

Smiling, she continued as she took an inquisitive step forward. “Do you know her?”

Her tail as a blur, flying high and free with joy. Composure became an absent thought as she favored expression over seeing her friend again. And what was more, perhaps she would indeed see the place her friend called home. “That would be wonderful!” She accepted his offer without hesitation, even going as far as to nudge her quivering nose against his shoulder in gratitude. It was only in hindsight that she thought the gesture might be unwanted, but at present it seemed appropriate considering how well the two of them greeted and conversed.

“I do appreciate this,” she sang softly as she swooped down to reclaim her fresh bouquet. Only a little more to travel (or so she hoped) and her delivery of ‘spring’ would be complete, and perhaps well met.

The warrior was more than willing to follow with tail high and spirits soaring. Excitement gripped her as she took pace just a little behind her new companion to the Ridge, more so in being able to see her friend and with the prospects of perhaps making another from the seaside pack.

Her ears jerked forward when he spoke, sending her tail into an elated twist. How they met was certainly not an event that she could forget. Xi’nuata smiled, “I was a wanderer at the time, and I came across her by a creek. She was lost trying to find her way back to the Ridge,” she chuckled, remembering then how she believed the female was a visual ‘oddity’ due to her ears. And though she still received her as such, she was glad for the companionship found in the dark female. “It was only by chance,” she continued. “…that I had some kind of an idea where to take her, but it was because of her descriptions of the land and area near it.” Carefully, she adjusted the flowers in her maw to ensure they wouldn’t slip. “We parted once we reached grounds that were familiar to her.”

Continuing on their way, she shared with her newfound companion the little adventure she and Pump had shared, just until the reached the edge of the Ridge and the Vale wolf was able to deliver her offering of spring. From there, she ventured home with renewed spirit.

[Exit]