The Tangle I could be the bullets of a Gatling gun

She stole away when nobody was looking, crossing in to the tangle. Nobody was looking because nobody cared; she truly believed that, and fueled herself with the disjointed feeling of her loneliness. It wasn't so bad — forest gave way to more forest, and she kept her own company.

It wasn't Indra's first time within the maze of forest. Perhaps in this specific patch, or along this path; they looked identical even in the daylight. It was cool here, at least. It was quiet... There might've been birds or squirrels but they were silent as soon as they noticed the wolf prowling in the shadows.

Indra stopped when she heard the rush of water. It wasn't as strong a pulse as the ocean or anything like that. It didn't scare her in the same way. After a few minutes to orient herself again, the girl slunk along in search of the sound's origin - but the maze was stronger than her sense of direction, so she did not find anything immediately.

She knew she was surrounded here; pack scent flanked her on both sides, so she charted a course through the tangle's center. And what a place this was! Dhalia spent more of her time looking at her paws than anywhere much beyond them, her only clue to the outside world what she smelled and what she heard.

A place of fairytales, myths, and nightmares, even. What a shame, she hadn't come this far through the Wilds on her last journies through!

The easiest trek was certainly along the river's edge, so the nomad charted a winding southbound course through the rocks and spindling trees and scraggly mountain shrubbery.

Rock-hopping was not one of Indra's fortes. She didn't know what she excelled at, but it certainly didn't involve the unsteady terrain that she now tried to cross.

One step went directly in to mud, and then she lost her balance and over-corrected, nearly tripping herself on her own feet. It was a good thing she didn't fall — as she came to a tense halt, her nose was inches from the river's edge. She was flanked on one side by bramble bushes, and trees galore everywhere else.

At once she felt relieved to have saved herself the embarrassment of an impromtu swim. She sighed and sank back against the embankment, rear end connecting with the roots of a tree.

Indra's eyes were closed while she focused on steadying her rabbit heart; but when she opened them, she noticed something swarthy moving on the opposite side of the river — at once, her breath was swept away again.

Sights on the ground, nose twitching for scent. River rock and warm bark met her first, before a stronger scent mixed through the mist of the waters, accompanied by a sigh.

Crystalline eyes fluttered as the ranger looked up and around, one paw raised in frozen in a forward momentum that never came.

Oh! her surprise intermingled with a laugh when she saw the firebrand there along the opposite shores. Dhalia turned to meet her with a grin and a generous wave of her tail. You must be from one of the packs around here, hmm? she spoke louder than usual, and trusted her voice would carry over the heavy waters, unless you’re just a stranger like me.

The woman was older than her. Not quite in the same realm as the crones of the cliffs, but indeed a mature figure compared to how Indra saw herself; she was immediately intimidated.

There came an opportunity to lie and Indra opened her mouth to say something sharp-witted, except she couldn't think of anything that quickly, and besides the water was so loud that she couldn't focus enough to begin with.

Y-yeah, she managed amid the din, and as she cleared her throat she called out with a forceful depth, I'm not from here, or anywhere! That admission alone was rather satisfying, and somewhat bordered the truth.