Altar of Twilight And the doors all closing

The woman had found herself at the base of a mountain, passing through a thin valley. Oh, how she'd missed the steep slopes that held dangers, secrets, and beauty. If she could, she'd up and move Blackfeather Woods near the top of the highest peak, just so she could venture out before dawn every morning -- no matter the weather -- and watch the sunrise; either to a storm or quiet peace.

Inhaling deeply, the scent of that pack was stronger, hell one of their wolves have been here recently.
The wind was blowing softly, the frozen rain layered the ground and her coat. Fuck, she wasn't used to much snow and this was ridiculous. She'd experienced snow before on her mountain, but in small doses and she could easily avoid it. But here, she could not. As she traveled through the summer, she did not know how cold it would get. But hey, she had duties now and would not abandon; not for her own satisfaction.

The dim, afternoon sun struggled to brush its fingers through her short fur.
Looking up, her eyes glinted. Her sun-kissed gaze was just as dim as the one high above, but the frosty attribute shone and highlighted her rugged features. Her eyes searched for a path of sorts to start her ascent and kept moving; if only to stave off the cold trying to leech the warmth from her bones.

Lately, defense ranged beyond her most immediate slopes. She patrolled, and then she scouted just past what was theirs for a wider berth—and a reminder. She had long since urged her offspring to do the same. Now that they were all old enough to contend, she had plenty at her own disposal, and she could afford to widen her horizons more. Today it granted her a curious whiff of Blackfeather here on the crisp winds of the range.

Her route kept her approach casual, but she knew these lands, and suited the mountains well—like the generations spanning before her. If she wanted to, she felt she could be more direct. Instead she opted to meander after the stranger, keeping it almost relaxed. Her only disadvantage came in the daylight, but, should she truly have to, or find the inspiration, she could wait. Night would be here once again.

But that was getting ahead; Ame just wanted to keep an eye on this.. and find out why one of theirs was sniffing around here exactly. So, she kept following and eventually had to close distance enough to let a perceptive wolf know that they were no longer alone, but proximity alone would not change her momentum; she was a confident mountaineer, and a scrutinizing eye.

As the footing changed, so did the air. The fur along her back rose and bristled against more than just the cold. The woman turned her ears backwards but was yet to look. Get an advantage, first, then turn. Whoever was following her probably meant no good, a friendlier soul would’ve called out to not startle. 
Unless they were voiceless. 

With many possibilities running through her mind like cloud circling  the highest peak, she pushed on until she reached the mountain side and started her ascent. 
Careful, calm, calculating. 

She couldn’t afford a slip, her muscles had to get used to the hard work again. Pausing, head lowered slightly and side on to her follower, she looked. Her eyes found the dark form and the rugged features suggested that it was an untamed spirit. A leader in posture, but not in position. Flicker just gave the other a cruel and wicked grin before turning back to her work upwards. 

She was didmissive of the other, for she wasn’t here to harm but to enjoy herself, she pushed up the mountain; her direction was, unwittingly, towards Moonspear.

She maintained her distance, and balanced being close enough to provide pressure with that space. In honesty, her personal business with Blackfeather had always stayed minimal; they lasted, and so did she. Their presence had most times occurred to her at am arm's length, with her toeing a line between enemy and adversary depending on the situation. Maybe subtly enough when needed, she had learned the lean towards their sort when it suited her

Right now, she knew little about them and that made them potentially risky. She couldn't say for sure who all still ran among them, if the wolf Charon knew and the one her daughters held power over still ranked among them or not, even, but a golden mercenary of her mountain had stirred them up—she felt on guard because of this. However, in addition, she did know, and they had (still did?) housed a wolf her mountain had wanted dead for many moons and that was where her interest gained speed and strength.

From here, she definitely did not recognize this wolf, but appreciated that they did not wane already. Maybe she would make it interesting. When she pressed onward, and upwards, Amekaze kept going too, undaunted by the challenge. So long as her proximity pointed her anywhere towards Moonspear, she was going to stick to it so that it may be known that they were not going to be sleuthed-around on, or whatever this could shape up to be.

Since they were going upward, that worked for her too. She backed off enough to give them more shape when she attempted to swing a wider path. Well, to line one up—she stayed back for now, curious to see if she would keep going up. Was Ame's pursuit her only motivator? Did she have business? There was a lot to see for herself. Scent, and the pathways the scenery even gave her real footing on, dictated the rest.

Before moving to engage herself, she'd wait a little while longer.. still following while the altitudes climbed.

The fire-licked woman was here for the view and her own recollection of memories; nothing about the pack. She kept moving, pushed on because there was no way in hell she'd stop for her pursuer. She lept up, scrambling for a purchase on the rock and heaved herself onto the ledge. Fuck...that was harder than it should be.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, she turned to look at the black form, and watched as she seemed to be taking an easier path -- whatever, she was here for the fun. Curling her tail up, she glared pointedly at the wolf. No other warning, yet. Turning away from the wolf, she continued on, ascending up shallower slopes. Whether the follower would catch up, she didn't know. But she'd be ready for them.

Up, and up further still, Amekaze narrowed her eyes towards where the stranger was headed—still wondering why, exactly. When she paused long enough to throw a glare back over her shoulder, Ame perked a bit herself, but didn't shy from the display. The acknowledgement was welcome, helpful enough motivation as well, so she stalled long enough to consider her next move.

Since she had swung wide, she continued to stay on the parallel route for now, mirroring the stranger's progress for what it was worth. She didn't want to lose wind of her, or have her veer off elsewhere. Interest in this hadn't left her, yet. As heights climbed up still, the dark Ostrega doubted the ascent was all pressed by her, then, and that left her to guess how suspicious this truly was. Time and nature taught her not to trust anything less than her own.. Naturally enough she didn't care for Blackfeather wolves anywhere near hers, anyway, but now? She couldn't let them have their mysterious fun without a little volley back of her own.

When her steps found the footing to allow it, she decided to not dally along anymore, and opened up for wider strides. They'd reached considerable enough heights, and her spire loomed nearby. She breathed deep the thin, cold air, and this time, closed in purposefully—all the way to where the other wolf was, assuming she didn't dart immediately; Ame wanted to think she would hold her ground, somehow.

She carried an arc in her tail, and a calculating look in her eye as she approached from behind. What are you doing up here? she asked, her emphasis and tone vague, but firm.

Flicker quickened her pace a bit, keeping ahead of her shadow. She wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of another look. 

She heard the scrape on nails against rock and stopped, turning to face her follower fully with neutral posture. The dark woman looked as if she owned this land. She drew up with question in her eyes before it seeped from her maw. So, she did own this land. 

“I apologise if I’m intruding. I have come to see the view,” her tail wavered to emphasise her truth. She was yet to find the legacy of Blackfeather. “I am just passing,” her voice lowered to breezy tones brushing across sand, “I’m not here to harm if that is what you think.” To prove her point, her tail started to lower submissively, but by no means did the rest of her looked weak, for she kept facing the woman, waiting.

She had to play this right, keep herself in good graces and get off the other side in one piece.

She freely gave a gentle tip of her snout, and a silent nod soon after. It was fair, it could be truth. It could be only part of it. Why? The alpha sighed softly, her breath a lingering cloud on the cold. I see, you are not intruding. she said behind a cryptic glimmer. That wasn't the word for it. She switched an ear, but the alert remained. Harm? Probably not so alone as this, she reasoned with a soft tilt to her head and a confident step about her, closer by a bit if allowed. Is that why you think I followed? That she thought she would cause harm here? Amekaze could play nice enough, though there was coldness in her features; mistrust in the minty glare she was very generous with. Nothing about her feared a single Blackfeather. She had seen worse.

Not very many pass through here, she mentioned, thus citing her.. suspicions. While only one peak on the range was hers, she had business on the others often enough to, truthfully, have some stake in their matters. It was her hunting turf, her vantage points, and most of all, terribly close to where her family rested at the end of the day. Blackfeather business creeping on their neighboring peaks was always worth a closer glance like this; the rogue had to understand how this looked and now, so soon after what the golden warrior had brought back with him. Amekaze wasn't new to this, or their sorts. She would have to keep it brief.

"I think you followed because you thought I may be a threat. Or perhaps you are just more of the curious kind." The woman smiled softly, not feeling immediately threatened by the wolf -- but did not for a moment think she could easily drop her guard. She had to keep moving, however. "I was tracking down in the valley," she gestured her muzzle down the slope,  "I thought I'd make a loop around to relive the times of when I lived on a mountain." It hardly seemed good enough, in fairness, to gain a safe passage. But it was a vain attempt to perhaps gain a free one.

Ahead, just to the west, she could just make out a steep peak that looked impassable even to her; she wondered what was beyond. Turning her attention back to the dark woman, she waved her tail softly in hopes of melting the ice that coated her words, "Please, I wish to steer clear of trouble on this trip. I do not know what you think of me, but you can trust my word." 
She blinked slowly, a sincere hope at doing what needed to be done. Relmyna had, of course, told her to hunt; nothing more. Another soft smile before she spoke again, perhaps after the other had spoken, "If you tell me where to avoid, I will not go there." Hopefully, her truth would be believed and her journey would continue.  

The Ostrega matron gave a soft nod because curious did indeed fit her bill, and she very much appreciated this route to keep her answer vague for now. That curiosity served as her axis sometimes, far greater than judging what was a threat and not. It had been a long time since any single wolf could serve as an outright threat. It was the bigger picture, and causes behind it, that interested her far more than anything.

Interestingly enough, the Blackfeather offered a few more details, and Ame wondered what to value and what not—how much of it was simply to get her to lower her guards, diffuse the unease, and let her wile about undisturbed or gather other information. She was experienced and skeptical enough to want to assume the worst given any slight reason to, after all. However, what to avoid? Ame blinked, and didn't quite match the tail-sway she'd been given seconds prior. The tallest peak, she inclined her neck subtly, slow, and had stepped a little closer with intentions to remember her scent, whatever it was she wore right now, and the look to match her. And nearby, she added, less stern. Their additional hunting grounds, and places her kin frequented most of all. While not an instant death sentence like the elevations were, she could make no guarantees either way; she would not restrain their teeth there, and in fact, the opposite. She had no mercy and cared little for strangers who had any missteps.

It would be wise not to underestimate the mountain, were her parting words with a click to her jaws, and she left it up for her interpretation what it could mean. She punctuated this only with a cold stare riddled with mistrust before she receded from the stranger's immediate space, and let her be on her way, whichever it may be. Ame was keeping a lookout though, and now that the Blackfeather wolf knew this, it was her choice what she did with this information, but it was in her power from here. Whether or not she chose right remained to be seen.

Amekaze soon veered away on her own route, to keep her scope wide, and attentions up.

her last! <3 especially since i have been so slow too

The woman nodded softly but spoke no further. She was already assessing the route she'd have to take to avoid the mountain as well as possible.
The peak did indeed serve as a magnificent watchtower.

She inclined her head as the other left before adjusting her route and made a point of starting into a brisk trot that would pass close to the Barrier Mountains.
She thought she'd avoided all troubles on this trip, but soon she'd be proven wrong.