Starglow Basin see for me if her hair hangs low

Balarina was not far behind her; the wind had shifted and blown her familiar scent across the basin. Sensing that her friend intended to catch up, Journey settled in the rolling plains for a rest.

It was the morning after she'd run into Bushtit, and she was drawing closer to the pack she thought he'd indicated. She could smell their borders, now — and she wondered if the young man was now among them. She got the feeling he did not want to see her after being so meanly spurned. What a shame.

With her mind on the strange pack and excitement for the fair thrumming through her veins, she did not notice her own scent shifting, pre-estrus hormones manifesting in ancient and unseen ritual.

Journey stretched out, lying flat in the grass and enjoying the sunbaked heat.

Her heat-induced mania continued, and Odessia moved further south. She skirted around an inhabited territory but saw no one, making a note to circle back soon. Her search for a suitable mate had gone nowhere so far, and when she once again(!) caught the faint scent of a female who likely sought the same as her, Odessia changed her route to head toward her. The competition would do well to stay far, far away from her if they wished to come out the other side unscathed. Her tail whipped behind her, raised so that she might appear more of a threat as she approached.
When Odessia finally spotted the laid-out female in the grass, she barked a single warning, blue eyes blazing with an agitated anger. She was smaller than the last, but size was the least of Odessia's concerns. She simply wanted the competition gone; her lowered head and pulled back lips indicated that clearly enough.

Though she had grown accustomed to having a protector nearby, Journey was not too troubled to be without the wildcat, either. Not even when a new scent reached her, and a bristling figure stalked the horizon. There were few threats, Journey had found, that she could not simply run from.

She didn't run, though. She observed the stranger's grimace from her place in the grass, feeling just a bit of peace drain from the day. A bit — but not all.

Her tail, which had stilled at this intrusion, now waved again in tentative greeting. She was not in the mood for a fight, but she thought a chat might be just lovely. Hopefully, this stranger could be convinced of the same.

"Lovely day, don't you think?" she called, pretending that, no, actually, the indication had not been clear at all.

Instead of heeding the warning or initiating an attack, the other female remained flat on the ground, unmoving (aside from her tail, which patted the ground a time or two). Not only that, she began to chat Odessia up like she had not just come in with a chip on her shoulder. All the signs pointed to one thing: this female was horribly, horribly ill. Only an illness or dire injury would put a wolf in such a state after seeing a threat.
Worried it could be contagious, Odessia's fear and aggression were quickly turned up to eleven. She began to back away slowly, fiery eyes never leaving the sickly wolf on the ground. All the while, her hackles were raised and her legs were stiff. She readied herself for an attack from the other female, which she presumed would be brought on by her illness.

Increased aggression from the stranger triggered an answering reaction in Journey. She pressed herself closer to the ground and wheeled her tail faster — I am so friendly! I mean no harm! the wiggle of her body spoke. Her face, meanwhile, shifted from open curiosity to cagey defensiveness. She bared just a sliver of her teeth, licking her lips in an anxious, regretful display.

It did not surprise her to be menaced in this way. Having spent many years as a loner — or something close to it — had taught Journey that few creatures wanted to be her friend.

She, too, was ready to bolt.

"I'm just resting," she said, a little offended despite all her wisdom and experience.

The other female remained where she was, which was the only comfort Odessia felt as she continued to put distance between herself and the other. Odessia was not calm enough to hear or comprehend whatever the other female was saying, instead deciding it would be best to get the hell out of here before she contracted whatever disease this wolf had.
When she felt she had gone far enough, Odessia turned tail and ran as quickly as she could. Away, away, away!