Firefly Ravine jet

She had settled herself near the borders but did not dare tread in the place that was her home.  Not yet.

None but her mother and sister had welcomed her, yet the rise was claimed by neither.  There was a tension within that she could do nothing to serve; until it was resolved, and her placement official, she was an outcast.  She would not risk injury or official dispersal by trespassing.

This was fine for now, but when the winter months came, she would need to find a pack to reside with.  Already the nights were cold and she was dangerously underweight; when the snows came she would have no choice. 

She could force a decision; confront Augur or Lilia and ask.  But she would not undermine her mother’s authority while all balanced on a bladed edge.  She would wait.

For the moment she settled in, gnawing the thin rabbit that had been unlucky enough to cross her path.  Her golden eyes darted and watched the shadows warily.  She would share with none until she wore their scent.

Masque felt pensive today. It made them restless. They quit the rise, ostensibly to track prey. Normally they would’ve headed to the peak next door, though they picked up Redd’s scent headed west. They didn’t feel very sociable, though they followed it nonetheless. They could hunt for their sister, help her rebuild her strength. That didn’t require discourse.

Some time later, they found her near the ravine, the rinds of a rabbit nearby. Splotched in cold grime from the marsh, Masquerade dropped a muskrat at Redd’s feet.

Redd’s hackles rose as something approached, but smoothed the instant she saw who it was.  One of two who she could count as pack in spite of circumstance, so one of two with whom distrust was not necessary.

Masquerade brought food.  Redd whined softly in thanks, her tail swaying lightly behind her as she stood and nuzzled her sibling’s chin gratefully.  She’d been alone so much in recent weeks that of late her mind was torn on the matter; she yearned to be surrounded by others, but shied away at the complex nature of what the pack had become in her absence.

The child within her yearned for her mother to bring simplicity.  She was detached enough from the Rise to think this possible, and to be optimistic that Augur would grant the place he’d saved to her soon.  Then all would be as it should.

Masque's head and tail raised slightly, the latter giving a slow wave. That was all. They settled back into a neutral posture a beat later, motioning for Redd to go ahead and eat. They then stepped backward, pondering leaving to continue hunting.

Instead, they stood there indecisively, huffing out a breath as their eyes panned over the rise. They looked away quickly, gaze touching on Dragon’s Back Ridge in the distance for half a heartbeat before they pivoted their whole body to turn their back on both.

They glanced at Redd, then to the fields beyond her to the west. Masque randomly wondered what it had been like, to be entirely on her own. It had been fraught, for sure, but had it been simpler in a way? It was such a foreign concept, they could hardly grasp it. They didn’t know why they were even thinking about it.

Normally Redd would have insisted they share, but instinct had her claim the provided meal without argument.  If she wanted to most effectively survive the winter she would need to replace the strength she had lost.  This meant taking any offered charity and assuming it was given with intention.

She concentrated wholly on eating, leaving Masque to their thoughts.  She would have invited her siblings presence closer, but sensed there was something that occupied their mind.  They seemed distant as they stared off, further accentuated in the fact that they had not yet spoken.  This was strange for them of all of the family.  She would normally have needed to consider words by now.

Redd looked in the direction Masque gazed, but saw nothing but further ground.  It didn’t seem like an intention to hunt.  Her ears flicked forward with interest, but she remained where she was.  She had been gone a long while; things had no doubt changed.  She was mindful of this and careful of it.

For a long time, Masquerade remained silent as they stared off into the distance. Living alone had a certain mystique, they supposed, but it would be unimaginably hard. Why were they imagining it at all? They shook off these strange thoughts.

I’m an Ulfr now, they declared, apropos of nothing, marigold eyes refocusing on Redd’s face. Let’s see if we can find any herds to track.

Something was wrong, but it wasn’t something to be shared.  Likely it was something that Redd could neither help nor fix.  She felt the discontent hanging on the air regardless.

Redd stood and stepped forward, nipping Masquerade’s shoulder with soft affection.  This was the family she had returned to find, the one she never would have left by choice.  Regardless of rise, she’d been home the moment Masque and Avicus welcomed her.

Lead.  She would follow.  Redd allowed their eyes to meet a moment, her own full of trust, before dropping her gaze deferentially.  She was no Ulfr right now, and her sister had earned their place and this honor.

They nodded at the directive and broke into a trot along the edge of the ravine. They eyed the field across the chasm and wondered if they could find someplace to cross. Such a large swathe of green would be an ideal destination for ruminants and therefore the hunters as well.

Have you been here before? Do you happen to know of a good place to cross? they asked, turning to look back at Redd.

Traveling with Masque at her side soothed something in Redd that had long been agitated.  She was not a wolf built to be alone; everything felt wrong when she had no pack to surround her.  Alone she lacked both purpose and support.  Still, a homesick longing unexpectedly swelled within her, shaking her resolve to wait.

Just a little longer.

Instead Redd focused on the question and scanned along the ravine.  She hadn’t been here often before, but she had circumnavigated it on occasion.  It lowers, she answered quietly, indicating where the ravine drew closer to the shore.  She didn’t remember it stretching all the way to the claim of their once-allies, and the mountains in the other direction would likely be harder to surmount.  She didn’t have the stamina to want to try yet.

They made a thoughtful noise low in their throat at Redd’s reply, marigold eyes dropping to scan the terrain. Perhaps crossing over wasn’t worth the effort, especially in their sister’s state. They paused and eyed her speculatively.

Let’s head that way, Masque decided, thrusting their muzzle north, where the ravine disappeared into The Tangle. I’m sure we can find game of some sort there. I took Sky there for a hunting lesson, not too long ago, they thought aloud. If we find a good blind, we can just sit and wait for something to come along, conserve energy.

They didn’t wait for Redd’s assent. She’d said, “Lead.” And so they did, loping in that direction, long tail swinging. They glanced down at their filthy legs and knew they would soon have all sorts of burs and leaf litter to add to it. If they were going to stake out for a while, perhaps the siblings could reinforce their bond with some mutual grooming.

fine to fade!

Redd approved as Masquerade spoke, then led without hesitation.  Her sibling had changed over these last months and gained a confidence that suited them well.

She would not have complained if the hunt had taken them a distance, but she was grateful for the consideration.  It was delivered in a way that she knew was meant to preserve her dignity, but she felt no shame.  Weakness was not something a wolf chose, but something instead they worked despite.

With nothing more to add, Redd would follow in silence and mutual companionship, settling where Masque had chosen and waiting for the opportunity to join in a chase.  Together the two might corner prey, cutting the sprint even shorter.  They could spend the time waiting reacquainting, Redd clearing their pelt of brambles and taking in the familiar scents of home.