Blackfoot Forest to make war with The Holy Ones

forward-dating this a little because idk how much time i'll have to get these travel threads started. this is the last one, her arrival. open to anyone from rosings obvs because shes technically trespassing; but characters should assume she was on an extended trip north looking for supplies.

her call in to the night had faded hours ago, and she had rested - not slept, not with the hunger in the pit of her stomach kicking her awake at every pulse - and once the dawn cracked across the world, she was up and roaming again. it did not take her long at all to cross the meadow; then again, hosannah was weary, and she did not know how much time passed nor how spry her steps became. she was desperate to return to them, the rose wolves.

yet as hosannah crossed the threshold in to the darkness of the forest, she wondered how she would be received. would there be any souls left to greet her? would they see through her trick, know of her relocation? her loyalty still lay with @Aaron and with @Liri, her fondness for them causing her to return so hastily. yet she had thrown herself to the helm of a rival pack — and so far removed from here!

it was a mess. yet the red woman could not admit to it. she could still use them, and she could still repay them for their kindnesses to her. with a sigh the woman sank to her haunches along the outskirts, too tired to move forward. she looked much like her old self back when aaron had initially found her, feeble, in pain, alone. as she sat, she wondered what she would tell them.

Liri came upon Hosannah with a sigh, thinking this particular wolf had been gone for good. Her opinion of Anna had changed drastically after Emily had shown up at the border. While Liri wasn't thrilled to see her, she wasn't as outright rude that she had been on that particular night.

Liri froze when she smelt Anna. She couldn't place the scent but it wasn't right, she smelt different than Rosings wolves and yet not like a loner either. Shaking off her unease, the white woman continued to approach. 

"You're back. Do you require medical assistance?" She had a few dried herbs still lying around her den, Amara had healed Emily with her own medicinal plants. Anna wasn't in the best shape it appeared, but Liri had yet to tell if she needed any help.

this time when a pale figure crept towards her, she knew it to be liri, and was unafraid. her friend looked a bit surprised to see her — concerned, even — and for that hosannah was thankful. none of the grotto wolves gave her such looks, cared in such a manner. not yet.

liri, i have missed you, she cooed with her tired voice. the sounds cracked and popped as she spoke them aloud, indicating she had not had a drink in some time along with her evident lack of food. to answer the woman's question, she took a great breath and tried to steady her nerves. i am hungry, that is all. my adventure north was... a failure. at least in regards to aaron's flock. she had not found anything worth bringing back to them.

hosannah crossed her paws as she often used to, settling back in to her sphinx-like pose; the jut of her hips was quite pronounced, and the roundness of her corrugated sides made her look ghoulish. tell me, how have you fared? are things well here? have we lost anyone else she wanted to ask, but felt its false nature within her mind before she could stir up the energy.

"Maja seems to have disappeared as well. Faramir has stepped down as Beta I believe, he no longer has the scent of it. We have a new member-Minna." Liri gave her a brief debunking of what she had missed while on her trip.

"I would offer you food but I have none. But I'm sure you knew that.." It was times of famine, no one had food. "You found nothing of interest while in the north?" Sitting closer now, Liri noticed the smell once more. "What is it you smell of?" Her tone was suspicious, Anna no longer smelt of Rosings and yet she smelt of something indefinable.

it did not sadden her to hear of the pack's dwindling numbers, as it perhaps should have. once, she would have felt the pains as liri did, her heart squeezing for each name uttered. yet now, hosannah had to feign it. within her current state it was easy enough to look down-trodden and depressed, for it was not far from the truth. how unfortunate... i do hope maja returns, the rest of the information she squares away in her mind, and does not intend to speak on it, until liri mentions a new acquisition. here she smiles, and as the weak smile appears then fades upon her face, she adds, yes, i believe i encountered minna as i returned. she did not seem to trust me, but.. i have been gone for so long.

she paused to lick her lips, rest her voice which grated from her throat, and listened to liri's question. liri was a bright woman, which was likely why hosannah called her a friend, once. she hoped to keep her among her allies for some time, but it would require work. it was hard enough to keep the lies straight enough for hosannah not to be perceived as a deserter; now, she would have to lie right to her friend's face. it was a good thing she had such strong beliefs in what she said.

i smell of strangers. i encountered no food, but plenty of opposition in the north. this was true enough, so it rang true in her voice. the wolves of the larksong were not keen on her arrival, and she had eaten nothing of their stores. thankfully they left me alone, but i imagine the famine is much harder to the north, and if i fell before them then... they would surely benefit. her features went dark at that thought, and briefly she remembered gotham and the taste of his flesh.

is there anything i can do? the woman murmured after a long, thoughtful pause. i am weary, but if the pack is struggling, i must help. perhaps she could convince them to follow raas, and bring the flocks together. hosannah is too tired to toil upon that thought for long, and lets it fade within her mind — but she looks to liri expectantly.

"Oh my, how dreadful." Liri shook her head in horror, unaware that her own packmates had partaken in Gotham so to speak. Even the thought of eating another wolf was enough to make her stomach roll.

"I'm afraid not, there's not much anyone can do more than we are right now." All sign of suspicion was gone, old Liri was back with all of her friendly nature though she was still reserved. She hadn't forgotten her treatment of Emily.

I couldn't friggin help myself this was too good to pass up =D

--

Another day...another hunt. This time the fruit of her labors carried a physical treasure: a rabbit that was actually somewhat plump thanks to the born again clover field she'd found it in. She entered the sanctuary of her pack with the single intention of sparing her meal to the weaker members...but it was not Hosannah's ghoulish form that she'd expected to see in the company of Liri.
 
She paused as the red femme spun her adventurous tale and then padded to Liri's side with the bounty hanging from her jaws; a small flicker of emotion burned in her eyes as she stared upon the witch and analyzed the words she'd just spoken.
 
This was not the first time that Em had wandered from the pack...and the days before now suddenly had an unexpected consequence for the red deserter. Her visit with Skellige had done more than give her company. It was a curious thing she'd thought...that scent of Hosannah being carried on the wind. She'd noted it during her careful return along the skirts of the Seadog territory and long the rocky crown of the Emberflame Ridge; it was something she'd mulled over through that night and the following day...but the actual sight of Hosannah and the stench of her mixed with the Grotto was enough evidence for the Odolf to decide that they had a traitor in their midst.
 
It was funny really. The way things had turned out. A simple scouting mission in the rain found Em now stranded at a crossroads of sorts; the course of her actions would either sever Hosannah from the pack or bless her with immunity for a bit longer.  
 
My how the tables have turned she thought wickedly to herself.
 
She placed the prey daintily on the ground and gave her chops a final lick of satisfaction before nudging the carcass toward Liri's feet. She assumed the prize would be shared between the two women and such was excused by the gentle nod of her head...however the softness of her expression bled dry the moment her cerulean eyes flicked back to the Grotto alpha.
 
"I wandered in that region a few days prior...that pack is certainly well established. But at least their leaders take care to firmly mark the boundaries so I was able to avoid encountering them." There was nonchalance in her voice but she looked coolly for Hosanna to register that at least one of the Rosing wolves knew the truth. I hope you're as strong as I am to endure it, she thought. When that hammer bears down on you and your wicked ways.

it seemed as if the rose-wolves were fading like the green of the trees, or the vibrant patches of flowers within the dark of the forest. liri looked tired, and hosannah, keen to see her friend thrive, felt a great swell of pity for her; then, a feeling of sadness fell upon her. she could do nothing to help lest she mention raas, or perhaps try to lure the pale woman away - take her back to the grotto alongside her - but as she opened her mouth to speak these ill-formed thoughts in to words, another being crept upon the scene. she appeared behind them, touting a freshly killed bolt of fur within her teeth, and hosannah could not help but forget all her thoughts when the smell of food arose around her.

and when she saw who brought this bounty, hosannah felt her blood run cold within her veins. she said nothing. she watched, her eyes drifting absently with the lump of flesh that was deposited between the two of them, and she listened. as their eyes met hosannah realized what was being implied, or at least believed she did, and fought to keep herself from bristling. no matter how close this woman had gotten to the grotto, she'd not have found hosannah's scent upon it; such an act would've been too blatant for the witch. she would not do a thing to cast such doubt upon her own fealty, even if her fealty had been shifted away from this place.

yes, they are. but i thought myself to be quick. i resemble a fox to some, and believed i could steal across the fringes of their land to take what i desired, much as she was doing now; as she spoke, hosannah moved towards the bundle of meat and fur, and she poised herself above it, but did not eat. i was not as quick as i thought, and they nearly had me. i am thankful to have returned. at this she turned to look at liri, a thin smile upon her own face and exhaustion evident in her eyes - but her attention was otherwise focused upon emily, this woman who thought she had all the power.

Emily appeared, Liri giving her a friendly smile. As she got closer, Liri could make out the form of a rabbit in hanging from the Odolf's jaws. The arctic wolf's mouth watered but she tried not to look at it too hungrily, lest Emily feel obliged to share. 

When Emily lay it down, nudging it towards both Liri and Hosannah, Liri's tail thumped eagerly. "Oh, thank you!" The social tension went right over the arctic's head, having believed Anna's story. To her they were just comparing notes on their travels.

Liri took a bite or two of the rabbit for herself, leaving ample amount for the other women, before restraining herself from anymore. Listening intently to Anna's story, a look of concern grew on her face. "My, how dreadful. Did they hurt you?" She sniffed Anna over for signs of wounds, looking for any blood.

"You do look as sneaky as one," she said with a playful grin that gelded the snark of her quip. She and the Grotto wolf had been at ends even before Em's consciousness had fully registered her; it was entirely fitting that the Odolf would not be swayed by any amount of pretty poetry that might fall from the other's lips. She studied the red wolf with a shrewd quirk of her brow that softened at the evident care wasted upon her by the tender hearted Liri. Em was torn between picking at Hosannah's nerves - mean girl style - or letting the plot thicken so to speak. In the end she decided to spare Liri's feelings by trampling on Hosannah's even more-so.
 
"Surely you will want to report this all to Aaron?" she queried with a quizzical tilt of her head. "He would be most interested to hear of your plight with the other pack...perhaps he'd like to arrange a meeting with their leadership to discuss terms of truce. In these days it would be wiser to form an alliance." The words were soft and suitably paired with the curious glances she spared to Liri...searching in the other she wolf a prompt that echoed Em's own words. Yes! Surely they needed to find Aaron.
 
Sea glass eyes shined as she lowered them delicately to Hosannah's face. "These times are still too dangerous to possess enemies in your midst aren't they?"

liri showed ample concern, and to her words hosannah gave a smile. the smile did not falter when emily added her own, although a plain expression slid across her features a moment later, and she demurely listened to all that was said before responding. the mention of aaron specifically made her ears twitch, but she was unafraid of that outcome; it was her plan to seek him out regardless, to tell him of her return, perhaps even to explain herself - but more than likely hosannah would request a second trip be made. a third. a fourth. she would repeat her trips for as long as she could.

emily was against her. it was only right, she would muse later, as hosannah had never been fond of the stray woman and had made herself well known on the subject. she would need to keep the pale woman in good spirits if her tricks were going to work - not that hosannah had ever intended to trick her old friends, nor take anything from aaron that rightfully belonged to him. this entire situation was something she had not forseen, but raas had presented her with this choice, and she struggled with it still.

of course, she murmured in response to emily, having overlooked what liri had said simply because her mind was too busy for it. i intend to speak with aaron, but i do not think it wise to go so far north to seek a truce with them. they are hostile to us now because of my blunder, her tone sounded quite lethargic, and she gave a small sigh, pointedly changing the topic in the next beat. i will find him now, in fact. please, excuse me, her thin body rose from its laying position then, and with a sharp look at emily, the red woman passed her by and deepened her foray in to the woods.

Liri nodded, signalling her agreement that they should go speak with Aaron. Or Hosannah should anways. Liri watched as Anna got to her feet and went off to search for him.

"Is it me or is something off with her?" Liri murmured more to herself than anything. Shaking her head, the arctic got to her feet and gave Emily a parting smile. "I believe I'm going to go patrol. Thank you for the rabbit."