Heron Lake Plateau There were three ravens sat on a tree

Oh, @Odessia !

Where the hell are you, Thalassa? The thought accompanied by a deep growl of annoyance.

The midnight coyote was frustrated beyond belief. Her ward had left without a word, without a trace to follow, while The Umbra and the others slept. Her trail had died at the edge of the forest that bordered Silver Creek and her guard was at her wits end as to where she could be in this damn place. She paced the edge of the Plateau as she looked out across the world below.

If the Queen is found dead, the little princeling will have my hide. Of course, it would be considered my fault as her guard--god forbid I rest after trekking here. Why she thought it was a good idea to go gallivanting off when we just got here is beyond me. She spoke her frustrations to no one in particular, except maybe the birds and animals that came here to rest and take their fill of the waters.

Odessia had just finished taking a very satisfying dump. She had been backed up for the past two days, and the relief she felt was indescribable. The blue-eyed wolf felt no less than three pounds lighter by the time she was done, and she shook her booty as she kicked up dirt behind her where her scat now lay in a huge pile. It was kind of a shame that nobody was around she could brag to about it, so it would just have to be her little secret. Maybe somebody would discover it and wonder what bear had been here. She took one last proud look at her pile of dung, then galloped off.
She did not get very far before she caught a canine scent. Odessia slowed, and it took her a few more strides to realize that it was not a wolf scent at all. It was one she had encountered before, but not in quite some time. Trailing well behind, the white wolf observed the coyote from a distance. She was downright tiny in comparison to herself, and that was saying something considering Odessia was one of the smallest wolves she had ever met. The black canine was talking to herself, though Odessia could not quite make out what she was saying from this distance.
Odessia continued to close the gap between them, all the while wondering how long she could keep herself from being detected.

There wasn't much that would have pulled The Umbra out of her ruminations, and yet, she was hit square in the face with a scent of scat so horrid, it almost made her puke. Her face scrunched in a scowl, almost as if she were about to cry from the offense.

What the--UGH! 

Was there a dead animal nearby that had been festering for weeks?! Where did that smell even come from?! She whirled around, about face, in an attempt to find the foul source, but instead her eyes found a wolf--and one that was...stalking her? 

Hackles rose, back rounding and tail tucked, her jaw opened in her defensive stance.

Her voice was sharp. Who the fuck are you?

When the dark coyote whirled around and spat hot, angry words at her, the memory of Viper's death came crashing in like a seven-point-five earthquake on the Richter scale. So much for stealth and so much for any confidence and calm Odessia had cultivated since she had first gotten lost in that flower. Much like that day, her body reacted in the same way. She flattened herself to the ground, ears swept back against her skull, and tail tucked as her bladder loosed what little remained in it. Much to her horror and embarrassment, it was enough to smell and wet her tail.
Was this going to take her voice away again? Her personality? Odessia longed for the comfort of getting lost in flowers once more.

The Umbra did not know what to make of what just occurred here. One moment, she was being stalked. Now? The wolf before her seemed to implode in on herself, letting loose her urine like a sniveling pup. 

Though she still felt warry, the coyote's posture changed, easing into a less aggressive stance. A wolf is still a wolf, and this one was no exception, no matter the state. It could be a ploy, a tactic, to lower her guard. The Umbra could not afford to do so, not with the Queen doing who-knows-what out here.

Her words were less angry, more confused. Uh...I mean you know harm? Look--you scared the shit out of me. Speaking of, you did well with the sneaking--I wouldn't have turned around if there hadn't been that putrid scent in the air. Didn't you smell that?! She shook her head, as if the scent was now caked on her.

Why did everybody say that? "I mean you no harm." Was that really supposed to soothe Odessia's nerves? Actions would always speak louder than words, and every cell in her body was telling her moments ago that this coyote really meant her a lot of harm. How was she supposed to flip that around on its head after a couple of seconds?
Odessia certainly did not want to die today, but at least this coyote now appeared like she did not want to kill her. She was slightly less threatening-looking, although it probably helped that Odessia had peed herself. If that was not the most unthreatening thing one could do, she was not sure what would compare.
It was not until the black coyote mentioned the smell that Odessia felt some of the outright fear seep away from her consciousness—although it was still very much in her subconscious. It helped that there was a compliment about her stealth thrown into the mix, too. That and the fact the stranger did not mention that Odessia had leaked all over herself.
She was still on edge, but Odessia's ears rose a fraction of an inch, and she adjusted herself so she could clean the underside of her tail and the wet spot near her hips. It may have been gross to a human, but cleaning one's self was just another day in the life of a wolf.
"There is some bear dung back there," Odessia said between licks.

Must have been a sick bear… she muttered, mostly to herself. The Umbra was silent for a moment, looking around to allow the other to do what she must. There was an inkling of regret at having scared the female into urinating on herself, but The Umbra was a trained killer, and her M.O. was to act and ask questions later.

Her gaze drifted over the waters, mostly to keep an eye out for that bear. It would be quite unfortunate to be jumped by a large, ferocious beast and then be shat on. What a fate for a poor, unfortunate soul.

So, what brings you up here?

Sick?! Odessia was certainly not sick. And while, sure, her excrement smelled like—well, excrement—she did not think it was an unusual smell. Better to save face (anus?) than fess up to her giant pile now, though. She reached a point where she was satisfied with her cleanliness, although she would have to hit up a local stream or lake sometime soon if she wanted to feel truly fresh. Odessia watched as the coyote looked elsewhere, perhaps for the bear, and then asked why she was here.
"I caught your scent," she replied, "I did not think that coyotes talked to wolves. They do not where I am from. Why are you being so friendly?"
Granted, the black coyote had not made a friendly first impression, but she seemed to have made a quick turnaround in that department. Maybe it was not only wolves, but all canines—or even all creatures—that had been tainted by the water here, making them oddballs. Odessia had certainly never talked to a coyote before. In fact, she had not even believed that they could talk. Her family back home had only ever chased off and killed coyotes who had gotten too close. The only reason Odessia was not following in her family's footsteps was that she did not have pack members to back her up.