Whitewater Gorge Come to me after peace restores

For @Zola for the hunter trade!

She'd been quite busy - and had full caches to prove it true. She could only hope Ira, Hiero and Speedy (whom she yet had to formally meet) were satisfied with her work and did not see taking her in as a burden anymore. She'd work harder than ten men to prove her worth and secure her spot in the hierarchy. It almost felt like a competition, something she hadn't had to deal with when she'd been queen. Apparently she was more competitive than she'd realized.

Her nose led her to the hotsprings and then to the river. She didn't know what trail she was following, but it was fresh and smelled of doe. The tracks were mixed with droplets of blood, an enchanting rosy color as it stained the snow - was it wounded? All the better for her to put the poor thing out of its misery. Loinnir was off, paying a visit to @Hieronymous , even though she really could've used his help to locate the wounded doe.

Blood.

Zola smelt it. Even if the beast attached to it was not familiar, she wound hunt down the prey and bring it back to Easthollow. She made a vow to West Tyree and Valette. She would contribute. The first step is to hunt, bring food back for the ones that could not. Their skills lay elsewhere. Each individual counted toward something.

Skirting across the snow covered ground, she did her best to blend in. Yet her coat was not made for white. It was made for her savannah, tall grass tickling her belly and smooth stones under her paws. She was not surprised to find another woman tracking the same beast. Zola slowed to a halt, her tail flashing upward like a banner.

"Imekutana vizuri" Well met "you hunt beast too?"

Her silvery hues were like the snow, her darker patches like uncovered stone. Truly, the fae looked more beautiful during this time of year, it was like she belonged in a wintry painting. Not like the woman who approached her, coat of muted sunsets and forever stretching beaches in the warm glow of dusk. Yes, the girl had spotted her; now that she felt more at peace doing her job, her mind had time to keep track of other things. Her eyes scanned for tracks, her nose for trails, her ears for anyone that might intrude on her business.

She lifted her head to address the woman who spoke first words she did not understand. She was unbothered by such trivial things as language barriers, but it seemed the other spoke common as well. The fae smiled and nodded. I'm hoping to end its suffering and present its vessel to my pack. She announced. But, I'm willing to share if you are?

"I as well" Zola would proclaim, raising a paw to press it to her chest. It would make a fitting tribute to Easthollow "but share, yes. I share... vessel?" she questioned, slowly pronouncing the word with a thick tongue. It must mean body. "I share vessel." The woman would go on with a nod, correcting herself accordingly.

"Then we hunt as equals" she'd say, her eyes following the blood trail. Sometimes prey made it too easy. The snow was brutal to her, yet the path it weaved would assist her new tribe. "I keep to back" her eyes returned to the pretty pale woman "I stand out like warthog at water hole." And so very easy to spot... She wondered if she could roll in the snow and make it stick to her.

She watched with a smile, having already understood the other probably hailed from elsewhere. The fae often used big words - probably as a way to cope with her crushing inferiority complex - and sometimes confused others that didn't speak common all that often. But, no matter; the ruddy woman figured it out quite easily and there was no need to explain.

The two were in agreement and had signed a verbal contract to hunt and share together. Truly nothing was more beautiful than the small alliances one made on their way to master something, or to get somewhere. Much prettier than a warthog though, but I do believe I get your point. She commented softly, taking the lead regardless. She barely had to sniff the doe, as its trail of blood was so very easy to follow. And so the two huntresses did; trailing after their prey through the snow.

"Is so?" Zola chuckles, not a vain creature but appreciating the compliment all the same. The snow was bothersome to her hunting ability. She smiled slightly at the pale coated woman as they each took point. The other took her suggestion and tracked ahead.

There was no time to talk; even if they wanted to. Zola was curious about the other woman, but she was largely always curious about women. Being frank, she found the other being quite attractive. Though there was the larger potential that it would not be returned - and Zola did not focus on that.

Romance was not something she ever thought possible in the Teekons. She was a stranger, a strange looking wolf compared to some others as well. If 'love' was ever in the gods' plan, she knew it would fall more delicately than two strangers meeting. No, this was a fleeting attraction. Nothing more.

Dipping her head to breath in the deer's blood scent, she followed the other woman.

The fae was a humble being, not muddied by things like vanity or unjust pride. She wasn't daft however, and knew that her beauty was only matched by her wits and kindness. At the moment, she did not feel an attraction towards the earthen woman - mostly because her heart belonged to someone else. Life with Dante was peaceful, and he treated her the way any significant other might want to be treated. Truly, they were meant to be. So the Fates had decided.

The blood pooled together now, almost a stream of the warm liquid slashing through the delicate white now as the huntresses got closer. She wondered if the doe had gotten hurt by itself, or if someone else had done this - and, if the latter, why did they not finish the job? Were they still around? She kept her ears perked, eyes darting to both sides every so often to make sure nothing was lurking nearby.

They'd been traveling onto a slight slope, only so high as to obscure their vision of the river until close to the top. They arrived there, and Lumiya could finally spot the wounded animal from a distance. It had sunken into itself near the river, eyes closed and breathing heavily, rapidly. The poor thing, the fae thought, and looked to her companion. It would be only fair to put it out of its misery quickly. She commented softly.