Alpine Lake I'm feeling far away, I'm feeling right there.

Tag for reference, anyone is welcome.  :)

Nyx, despite knowing that she could never be whole again, had recognised the pull to wander that hinted at her old self. She'd been loathe to grant herself permission to heal, to return to even a semblance of who she'd been before the tragedy that befell her litter, but had woke to a new day with one thought: fuck this shit.

She hated what she'd become. A shell of who she'd been, void of the sarcasm and sharp wit that had defined her character. The strength had been seeped from her bones and while Nyx struggled to find the energy to go on, @Dirge had somehow managed to keep her afloat. There were times when she hated him for holding her up, purely because she knew she did not deserve his support after the unforgiveable crime she'd confessed to him.

The Ostrega in her blood, the unedniable wanderlust, was gradually drawing her from shell that she'd become. She took to following her brother at times when he ventured from their rendezvous point, though this day was diffirent. Nyx parted from her litter-mate, trailing West beneath the heat of the mid-morning sun, in search of someplace new to better lift her spirit.

Her travels drew her toward the mountains, a longing deep in her heart for the cool of their snow-capped peaks. They reminded her of her mother - of home - and sometimes sparked a desire within her to return to Winterheart for a time. Kasatka's embrace would soothe the rawness of her emotional turmoil, she knew, but the stubborness in Nyx remained just enough to keep her from admitting defeat. Summer's heat made her seek water and, when she caught the scent of fresh water, the tawny huntress quickened her stride until she came upon a lake's edge. Without hesitation, she lowered her crown upon reaching the shore to lap at its crisp surface and quench her thirst.

And again, there was that pull towards Alpine Lake, where not once but twice now she'd met such interesting strangers.  With her duties at home tended to (borders patrolled, weeds pulled from the garden, et cetera) she'd struck out from the Plateau to enjoy the treacherous bowl.

And it was there again that she'd find someone else as she traced the edge of a lake.  Ceara also bent to drink while she casually regarded the other, and after she'd finished she swiped a paw over her mouth to clear the water and chuffed.

From the corner of a vivid eye, Nyx spotted movement. Flicking her tongue over the stray water droplets that clung to her chin, she lifted her crown to point her proud muzzle in the stranger's direction to regard her with quiet caution. A wolfess with a wildfire coat trailed the edge of the lake before pausing a short distance away to lower and drink from its waters.

Although not naturally wary of strangers, a new sense of anxiety often tightened her chest in the presence of someone new. At times she believed they would see right through her, unearth her as the murderer of her own children, as foolish as she believed mind-reading to be. Paranoia gripped her in ways Nyx had never thought capable, and she hated the restraint it placed on her.

When the other female chuffed a greeting, the tawny Ostrega's raven-tipped lobes folded forward with intrigue. Her eyes lifted slightly, seeking her newest acquaintance's features to accompany the pleasant sway of her peppered tail.

A smile slowly stretched over the wildfire woman's inkstained flews, and the corners of her eyes creased as her tail began an affable sway.  Hey there, she said, wondering just what fate had for her today.  I'm Ceara.  She took a step or two into the waters, shivering at its frigid temperature in comparison to the air around her, and let out a short laugh.  What brings you here?

A smile cracked the other wolfess' features, though Nyx maintained her usual neutral expression. Toxic eyes fixed to her crimson frame, trailing with a combination of curiosity and uncertaintly over her crimson frame, and twitched her nose in an effort to identify her scent. The tawny Ostrega could not place it as one she was aware of, but she wore an aroma that was sweet but distinctly pack. Raven guard hairs along the length of her dorsal pricked, threatening to rise in her automatic judgement that this cheerful female might be attempting to lure her into a false sense of security only to have her face an ambush.

Breathe, Nyx reminded herself as she released the air she hadn't realised she'd been holding, and as her newest acquaintance moved to step into the shallows, she grasped the opportunity to glance around in brief survey of their surroundings. No sign of other strangers, she noted, and returned her attention to the one who dubbed herself as Ceara. She blinked at her, dipping her muzzle politely as she offered a simple, "I'm Nyx."

Raising a shoulder in a rolling shrug, the golden agouti canted her muzzle gently. "It's cooler here than in the lowlands," she said, "what about you?"

The woman was cautious and not without reason.  Ceara knew she smelled quite strongly of a very large pack, and she knew what that information often led outsiders to believe.  She'd continue to present herself in that same effortless, affable way she was prone to do.  

She watches the stranger bristle before she returns to a more neutral stance, and she untenses the muscles she does not realize were geared to run.

Something like that myself, she says, running the water over herself, Lots of travelers come through this area and every one of them have been interesting this far.  Find I'm spending a lot of time out here.

Nyx unconciously flicked her tongue across her upper lip, unaware of her own nervous reaction to the other wolfess' response. Yellow eyes lingered warily on Ceara as she openly announced that she'd spent a lot of time in the area, where she happened to cross paths with a variety of individuals. A raven-tipped lobe pricked, curious as to what she meant: "interesting?"

She found it odd that this she-wolf was so quick to announce that she'd often lingered in neutral territory, beyond the outskirts of her own pack's territory. Whilst running with Grimnismal, Nyx could recall only a small number of times that she'd ventured from Ankyra Sound. Intrigued, she contemplated pressing for more information, but instead opted to remain silent.

She chuckled and swiped a paw across the dirt.  You meet a lot of different kind of people when you spend as much time scouting as I do.  Most of them have needed my help.  It's nice to see a friendly face that isn't like, you know, sitting in a hole with a broken leg or somethin'.

Her tail waved a little, and she gave a little shrug.  You said you're from the lowlands?