Otter Creek it seems only fitting

@Atshen :)

The sounds of the creek do not seem to cease, even lasting into the evening. The water whispers incessantly, light tremors causing splashes and ripples. Meat is plentiful here, albeit hard enough to catch without the distraction of the lively enviroment. Zhenya sits back on her haunches, continuing to pick at the same corpse she'd gathered before, though it has been picked to naught. For now, she is sated, though soon, her cravings will return. Her tongue flicks from her maw to lick at her nose, her eyes scanning for any signs of lupine life. Upon finding herself alone, Zhenya reclines into a more comfortable position and rests her head on her extended forearms. 

A subtle snap of a twig in the distance reminds her to remain alert, though her exhaustion is becoming problematic. There is still an orchestra around her, conducted by the eve, yet the music does nothing but lull her farther into sleep.

The yearnings of late-afternoon had drawn Atshen from his wooded home and out into the open of the Creek territory. A symphony greeted him, and it hummed softly in the frigid Winter breeze. Stalking slowly, Atshen advanced towards the river with hopes of quenching his thirst. The snow was receding with each day and making way for Spring. Though there was still a decent amount of snow on the ground, the Silencer noticed it had gone down quite a bit. 

He looked around as he approached, catching sight of another not too far off from where he was. A gentle sniff told him that the other was not from a pack he recognized-- and, honestly, it didn't seem as if this wolf held the scent of any alliance. 

Drawing himself to the river's bank, Atshen bowed to the semi-frozen surface of the creek and lapped at it as he drank, not paying much mind to the other wolf.

Not long into her tranquil state was she interrupted by the sound of another lapping up the waters of the creek. Her eyes remain closed, though her nose twitches as she takes in the same metallic scent as that which she had scented on the mesa. Intrigued, Zhenya lifts herself slowly, trying to gauge the size of the male despite the distance between them. She barks, a neutral greeting in constrast to the ongoing harmonies which seem to cease in the presence of each new wolf. Interest peaks, yet Zhenya keeps herself in place, waiting for the other's response.

It was as he lifted his head from drinking that a bark came from a woman and to this, the Silencer turned his attention to the nearby wolf. His eyes fell upon her, and he examined her briefly as droplets fell from his dark chin. He allowed himself a moment of silent observation before replying as if he were attempting to see whether or not she was even worth his time. 

Without uttering a word in greeting, Atshen's expression turned expectant and he looked to her, as if waiting for her to explain herself.

His expression troubles Zhenya, though she remains staring, blank faced and null. Without taking another step forward, she calls out to him with a single-toned voice, You're close. Too close for her liking. Her hackles bristle slightly, though she remains neutral in her stance. Not presently wishing for confrontation, Zhenya waits patiently for the male's response, her eyes scanning him over to evaluate the chances of him proving a threat.

Triggered by her words, Atshen's hackles raised in turn of her statement. Though the two were not that close, as far as Atshen was aware, he became exceedingly aware of the fact that she was close to his mother's lands. Growling in response, the male picked himself up high and looked to her as his tail moved with whip-like movements. 

"You are close to my mother's territory," he countered, his words dark and his posture evident to how he felt at that moment.

There is a moment of silence, followed by a low growl from the male's throat. Now seeing this as more than just a simple confrontation, Zhenya raises her own tail and flicks the tip from side to side, showing that she is willing to fight. Her hackles are raised to a point now and an ominous snarl begins blooming in her throat, leaving a harsh vibration trickling down her spine. So, you're the hunting party, then? Sent to come for me? Zhenya remains in place, unsure of how the scenario will play out. She sizes him up from where she stands, looking to see just how fair the possible battle will be.

He caught the other's shift in expression and felt himself adjust accordingly at this. The inky hairs along his nape prickled and his tail lashed. But as Zhenya spoke, her words brought him a thoughtful pause in his train of thought as he attempted to recall if such information had been mentioned previously. Confusion overcame him quickly, as he sought to recall such information,  but he upheld his aggressive front, knowing that was always his saving grace. 

When he was convinced that the woman was crazy, he growled and shook his head. "You are too close to my mother's lands," he repeated slowly after he had answered her question.

Zhenya takes a single step forward, taunting the other with a patronizing pout. How about now? she calls out, and returns to her previous posture. She is smart enough to know when she came across a border, and she above all, she is primarily insulted that someone could think otherwise. Perhaps his mother's lands were near [it could have easily been the blood splattered ones which had captured her attention in the days passed], though if she was to come to their borders, she has enough common sense to move away.

That being said, Zhenya saw nothing wrong in a bit of temporary fun.

Perhaps if it had been any other wolf that Zhenya would have crossed, then they would have been all for a little bit of fun. Atshen, on the other hand, was not one for a bit of fun. His jowls rippled as a growl escaped him, and he also pressed a step forward. He stared at her, as though questioning her intelligence at that moment, waiting to see if she got the message he was trying to convey. If it did not seem this way, then Atshen would find other ways in which to get the point across.

Zhenya wants to continue pressing further, ultimately giving the other a chance to attack. However, she decides against it and begins to back away though her tail is still held high. A growl of warning continues through her chest, as if the let the young brute know that she no longer intends to attack, but she will if she must. Once she finds herself thoroughly distanced from her opponent, she turns and begins to march proudly in the other direction.

Though the woman retreated, Atshen felt a pang of anger within him that he could not just ignore. The Silencer's thinking was that he had been disrespected in the presence of the general vicinity of his mother's lands. For this, he felt that the bold woman had a crucial lesson to learn. 

He prowled forward a few paces, his steps advancing in rigor as he neared her. He was not stealth about his actions and instead hoped that she heard him coming. When he was in range, the massive beast lunged for the woman, hoping to strike her down.

Zhenya hears the approach, though she doesn't have much time to prepare herself. She is knocked onto her back with the other's attack but her agility allows a quick recovery, albeit with plenty of time for another offense to have been implemented. She sizes up the other again with their proximity taken into play and notes the similarities in their sizes and builds. Zhenya circles for a few steps before using a mock lunge for the other's shoulder as a distraction, allowing her a chance to dive for his flank.

Atshen was successful in bringing the woman to the ground. Despite this, and the strength that fueled his drive, the gray-haired woman was able to scramble from underneath him. His eyes darted to her fleeing form as she held some ground between them, and he followed carefully as she stalked about like a great white zoning in on its prey. His body stood rigidly as he anticipated her next move. 

Zhenya thrust forward, launching her attack suddenly, and the ash-bellied man braced himself by pushing forwards his shoulder in an attempt to deflect the damage.