Moonspear the moon still hung, the night so black that the darkness hummed

attn @Yama !

 

Hydra again trailed the herd. They were still present, and for that Hydra was glad. She descended into the lower reaches of the mountain, where the forest had trees aplenty to shelter the sequestered beasts. Sure-footed strides carried her closer and closer to where they might be, now, and Hydra paused to inspect a broken branch; blood, again, near it, splattered in a similar pattern as days ago when she and Osiris had done their own investigation. Likely this yet again opened that older wound; her nose trailed against the offending tree, where blood and fur mingled in what appeared to be equal measure. 

With a huff, the Ostrega moved onward. A hunt would be in order soon... but she also wanted to watch the prey. She had an idea, already, of who it was that would be taken down that day. This would either solidify the conclusion she had come to, or else bring about a better option for them to hunt. She forged forward through the shaded wood, mindful of her surroundings.

nts: takes place before dis thread

Since the passing of her parents, the peaks of the mountain were often the only parts of the territory to see her; the cold of the height served as an everlasting reminder: of her mother, that it would get better. But as snow began to fall, she found herself seeking surer footing, even strides carrying her towards the land’s base; she was still not entirely certain of the snow, maneuvering the ridges of the mountain whilst it fell unsettling. Someday, she would fear it no longer but, for now, she found herself seeking shelter beneath the cover of the forest.

Yama moved carefully around the trees, uncertain about where exactly her legs intended to carry her; unintentionally, she began trailing the same path as her sister. The scents that surrounded her were not missed but also not appropriately acknowledged. Only when she could see Hydra ahead of her did she realise what her nose was trying to tell her. Hesitant—she was busy, the girl was certain of it—Yama inwardly fought with herself on whether she should approach or steal away in the opposite direction.

Hydra continued onward. As she moved, her head lifted and her nostrils flared to discern something else: the impending weather. Nothing bad, just more of the same; snow would soon come to fall again. A few hours, perhaps. An ear turned backward as something else registered; Hydra turned her head to see the tawny features of none other than her sister. Too lean, she was able to surmise even in her peripheral, to be her mate—too careful to be one of her cubs. They carried with them the confidence of youth, and this wolf hung back. 

Easy enough to know who it was by that alone. Yama had still been quite quiet, but Hydra let her grieve a while longer. She did it for those who could not, the new matriarch felt. It had been some time since Yama had been scented near this altitude. Perhaps it was progress, or perhaps the upper reaches were too difficult for Yama to navigate now. Hydra had years of experience and her parents tutelage on how to navigate such treacherous grounds both on her side... Yama did not. 

Hydra paused in her movement to look fully over her shoulder, now—she chuffed to her sister in invitation, should she want to accompany her.

Caught in her sister’s line of sight, the girl froze in place—she wondered if she should approach, whether she might be welcomed or not. The chuff that then sounded assured her, her presence was not unwanted, and yet… Yama could not bring herself to close that distance between them, not yet. In the coming months, she would find herself again but, for now, the girl stole away into the forest, body low as she sought to disappear.