Northstar Vale You know me, you know my way in.

Maybe @Calcifer? Otherwise AW.   :)

The afternoon was humid, with the threat of further rain to come looming above in ominous grey clouds, and Ciri's hunger continued. She descended quietly into the vale and moved with purpose, for from the higher reaches she'd spotted a pair of pale-furred goats pick their way through the meadow and disappear among foliage.

She swore she could smell them on the air, and saliva pooled on her tongue at the thought of such a feast. Having lost so many potential meals to her own impatience, Ciri paused at the forest's edge for a short while to reign in her premature excitement. 

The lands were unfamiliar to her, so her vivid eyes gave a wide sweep of the open grassland and mountain face at her back. The young Ostrega looked for any sign of other predators who might be hot on the trail of her prize goats - wolves, a cougar or even a bear - before she ducked her head beneath the low-hanging branches and resumed her hunt.

It had been merely a week since he had left Rivenwood. Calcifer still wasn't sure how to feel. He was constantly on the move, something he was unfamiliar with. Though his size did not diminish he could feel the soreness in his body. However, the feeling was that of gained muscle. So stagnant in Rivenwood, Calcifer had never truly needed to exert his physical prowess for long durations. His muscles were tearing themselves apart and making was for the new and better suited.

He would have stopped, the feeling although rewarding was not pleasant, but nothing felt right. Moving place to place he never spent more than one night at any given location. The feelings of discomfort rose within him, or perhaps it was a feeling at he didn't below and somehow was disrupting the nature around him.

Earlier that day he had slid his way down into the Northstar Vale. The air was hot and wet, but the clouds overhead still clung tightly to their water. He found himself in the Clandestine Streams or what remained of them. The heat had lifted much of the stream's water into the atmosphere and left subtly moist trails.

Well-traveled Calcifer had grown tired and hungry. But at the time of his emergence into the Northstar Vale no strong scents could be detected. Rest often quieted the gut and so Calcifer opted for a long rest amongst the tree trunks and lush brushes.

Hours had gone by and Calcifer slept soundly until the scent of goats wafted in from upwind and caused Calcifer's eyes to pop open.

Ciri, hot on the trail, weaved swiftly and silently between each tree trunk. The goats' musk hung heavy in the damp air, strong - they were close. Her ears fluttered eagerly, pricking forward and spraying to each side, searching for any sound that might belong to her prize.

It would be the last they'd make, she mused.

A bleat, then! Ciri loved forward on nimble paws, yellow eyes studying ahead, until she realised the creatures had changed course. They'd veered off sharply to the right, the disturbance on the forest floor suggested something had spooked them, and the swallow cursed under her breath. They would be on edge now, lessening her chances of success. 

She, too, felt cautious. Her gaze drifted curiously among the foliage, and almost missed the large mass of earthen furs settled not far ahead. Ciri twitched her nose, felt the coarse fur along her nape rise defensively, for her initial thought was that the beast could only be a young bear.

If it was, its mother would not be far.

The yearling stared, silent and wary, and racked her mind for a safe way out of harm's way.

His eyes had opened to the greenery around him, blocking much of his view from the floor. Lifting his head a few inches from the ground he tilted his head one way and another to hear the distributed sounds of lively critters around him. But the most active part of his body was his nose, twitching and lurking his head in the direction of the nearby ungulates. They were out of immediate view and Calcifer took the moment to slowly rise to his feet. He dare not shake for fear of startling what he could not see yet, or distracting his focus. 

Now stood up he checked his surroundings. Amongst the tree trunks and foliage Calcifer initially did not see his cautious observer, and upwind to her, his nose was left oblivious. His head lifted again and took a deep breath in of the air and lingering scent of the goat, giving him direction to a potential meal.

A final time he checked his surroundings as he took his first steps in the direction of his prey, but that's when he saw her. Her bits of golden hue amongst dark brown and green. Another wolf, he thought. A small one too. Not terribly close he was unable to view her facial expression and read her intent, but he could only assume with the strong scent of prey nearby, she too was looking for a score.

Locking eyes with her, he gave a polite head nod in the direction of the goats as an invitation and began walking in toward the prey.