Otter Creek Got to face, need to tell you

Tagging @Zola!

Lunaria's mind was restless again -- she needed to head out and get some fresh air.

It had been a while since the dame had seen her brother, wherever he is, and she should probably report to the higher ups about where they'd be looking for available food soon. Luna was still having a hard time processing the fact that the man she'd met on the beach months ago led a pack such as the saints, and might've been responsible for the kidnapping of a woman. It truly made her wonder if she was too idiotic to realize that what one may appear like on the surface was not who they actually were. But what if things weren't like that at all?

Was she being too naive?

Luna signed tiredly, eyes lusterless from exhaustion and overall lack of sleep. Funny how she'd arrived to the creek for a quick drink, only to come across a string of frozen water as a reminder of the current season -- silly girl.

Crack!

A few steps away from the ebony woman, Zola was working the ice. It was a strange element, and she would best it. Rising up onto her back legs, she threw her weight upon the solid material with her front. It split the third time, revealing small species of fish and above all else - water.

Hah! It was not so hard. She would drink deep from the cool stream - strange how it can be cold on surface of world and in the water. Perhaps drag fish from the creek and bring them back to Easthollow? She was going to fill their stores whether they wanted her to or not.

Unaware of the other wolf, Zola continued to break the ice.

Just as the dark raven was about to lazily paw at the frozen water, the sharp sensation of a crack resonated within the ice's surface and startled her. If it weren't for her quick reflexes, she would've slipped and fell on her face. Luna backed away quickly towards the frosted-over earth, heart thumping aggressively against her chest while her head snapped around to figure out what the hell just happened. 

Another wolf stood just a few feet away from her...

"Ah-" she stared quietly at the earthen woman, blinking with her mouth slightly agape in slight suprise. Had they....always been there? When did they approach without Luna noticing?? "You'll have to forgive me, I didn't see you there at all..." Luna remarked softly with a hint of awkward laughter, bright teal eyes trailing from them and back to the ground. Her heart still raced from the rather frightening suprise, so a paw was placed on her chest as if to calm it down....

Zola would side-glance, seeing the woman of pure black coat. Even more, the wolf spoke to her. Apologizing... for what? She did not understand. Too absorbed in her task, she had failed to notice the woman's start. "Is good then?" she tilted her head "I not stick out like, ah, sore paw?"

Since coming to the Teekons in winter, Zola's coat was... a blemish. She supposes the ebony woman felt the same in this current season. She would not blend in with black fur, that was for sure. "If blend in, I hunt" she chuckles to herself more than the woman "better." Though that remained to be seen.

The woman had a thick accent, that much could be heard when she spoke, and Luna would tilt her head to the side in curiosity when the dame's exotic voice reached her ears. It could be assumed that they weren't from these parts (similarly to herself, but without the existence of an alternate language) and Lunaria was curious as to where. It was like nothing she'd ever heard before.

She took a moment to rub her dry eyes and blink voluntarily, the cool winter breeze making her already dreary vision watery. She couldn't help but smile at the woman's statements about blending in, "There is no need to worry then--", and canted her head to the side with a raised brow while speaking, albeit in her usual playful manner, "If you think you stick out like a sore paw, then I might well be an entire limb." She remarked with a sniker, turning sideways to emphasize the color of her pelt to the other. It was quite difficult achieving some form of invisibility when hunting, that was for sure. Ecspecially given the seasonal weather...

Her head tilted as the woman proclaimed that she was more of an outcast among this season than Zola. "Is good at night, yes?" she settled "prey not see you come." No, a black shadow against the dark sky... Like a witchfolk coming to collect children, ferrying them away. Some of her people had misgivings about pure black wolves. Said they were a bad omen. 

This was most likely due to them never being born in the tribe-lands. Same as pure white wolves. They were a fleeting story a mama would tell her child. It was more like the savannah would not allow these pure wolves to live for long without help. They died out fast alone. Earth tones were more the style of the tribes. Yet the Teekons... different rules.

"Dis first winter. Is snow always here?"

Lunaria continued to stare in star-eyed curiosity towards the woman, all the way up to her last words before she actually stopped speaking. Had this mystery woman never seen snow before, nor the blistering cold that was the winter season? Now Luna definitely expected she wasn't a local -- because no matter where Luna traveled, never before had she experienced a land without snow during the winter months.

"You have a point then, I mean, they don't call me night huntress for nothing~" except no one actually called Luna that, but it's what she liked to see herself as. Had a nice ring to it after all. "--and no, it is not always like this here actually. If you came during the previous seasons, it would've been a lot warmer -- and much easier to catch prey." That last bit was told with an exasperated sigh, for it was winter that made the girl's job a lot harder than it should be.

Lunaria's tail would gently sway against her flanks as a way of coaxing the woman closer to her. Their conversation would've been much easier if they weren't currently standing several feet apart.

"I'm guessing you're new to these lands?"

"Winter, ya, not cold where I was" Zola would state with some homesickness "dis snow on mountain, not on savannah... We not struggle to hunt" she moves a bit closer at the invite, her tail lazily wagging to and fro. "we not struggle to survive."

And even though there was conflict, Zola learned it is not over this. Other tribes try to take women, children. They try to kill competition in men. But only the feral ones do so. The other tribes are civil, exchanging kind words and pleasantries. There are alliances. Friendship.

"I come from Africa" the woman says "Teekons far from Africa. Humans caught me. Take me over long water."

The earthen woman slowly followed through Luna's invitation and she smiled warmly, craning her neck ever so slightly to have a better look at who she was talking to.

The location the pretty woman spoke of was completely foreign in Lunaria's mind -- a place that didn't snow that much? A place where hunting was never a struggle? Sounded more like a dream. And while Luna was admittedly a bit skeptical, a particular mysteriousness surrounding Zola made Luna's curiosity grow stronger. She wanted to know more.

"So the humans captured you from your home, and you ended up here." Luna repeated, in a way that would help her process it. She shifted closer to the female while speaking. "I've never heard of a place called Africa before, will you tell me more about it? More importantly -- what is your name?"

"Zola" she gave the woman, raising a paw to press against her chest "Abara." Though surnames meant so little here when faced with being the only of her people. The other wished to know more of Africa, requesting to be told a bit more. She hummed softly, wondering where to start.

"Most is savannah - big field with little trees" she sighs wistfully "all predator and prey have value. All work together to survive" from the little insects to birds to large lions "all have rich culture and history." But there was so much more to it than these simple words.

"We see mountain from savannah, but no tribe wolf go there. Not unless shaman" she heard tales of the medicine wolves going to gather herbs and other things further up "most is flat land. Can see for miles. But others see you too."

Zola Abara -- a memorable name to remember. Much like those Ostregas, or many of the other wolves she'd seen in her life, the earthen female had an additional name to recognize herself by. This struck a bit of envy in Luna, for she wished there was a distinct name for her family to identify themselves by, but not to the point where she wanted a completely new identity or anything. She was happy with how her family was now.

In continuation to what Luna had asked before, Zola's story of her previous home continued -- and the moon nymph listened with the intent of learning more about her. Savannah? She'd never heard of something like it before, and the way Zola explained the relationship between hunter and prey gave her a whole new perspective on the matter. Maybe Luna could learn to appreciate and respect the hunted the same was Zola did...

"My tribe, the place I lived before the Teekons--" The raven began. "--lived in mountains. Its where I was born actually...". As a mountain woman herself, she couldn't imagine a life without roaming those glorious heights. Speaking of which..."What are these 'Shaman' you speak of? Why are they the only ones in the mountains?"

"Shaman closest to gods" she utters "so they be close to gods." The mountains were the highest point on Africa, and it made sense for the medicine wolves to commune closer to the great beings. Most of them lived there forever, since birth, given over to the spiritual side of life. 

"De healers, de link to de gods" for a regular tribe wolf, however devout, would not be able to communicate. "de wisest of us" Zola clarifies. They didn't mate, didn't produce children. They were teachers and guides. Said to be the most holy of mortals. The most devout servants.

"When we need dem, they appear. If we seek dem, we go to dem."