Otatso Wetlands glow in the dark

Rumor had it that the spirits of long lost wolves haunted these wetlands. It thus seemed appropriate for the shadow of a little red wolf to be here. Dragging herself through the brackish waters, she sneezed as a particularly foul odor invaded her nostrils. She sneezed again, but when she looked down, a rather peculiar creature blinked up at her. Its eyes were small and yet strangely luminescent. Glow in the dark. Had it been any other day, the little red wolf might have screamed in terror. Today, she merely snorted at the fish and ignored it. The fish shed a small tear. The ground could only be seen in strips of light and shadow, and it made traversing the wetlands difficult. Trees gasped and heaved above her, and she felt her own lungs match their labored breathing. It had been only a week or two since she had become a member of Swiftcurrent Creek, but its implications were already heavy upon her heart. How could she have known that she would have become so attached to one of the wolves in rivaling pack? It was a story that she felt was twisted in its plot, and she silently glared at whoever had written it. Even now, she glared as she gazed upwards into the sunlight and waited for her eyes to see speckles and spots.

Kodokuna trotted around the marshy terrain, she felt comfortable here, even if it was not part of her pack's lands. The closer to water she was, the happier she could be. Fishing was easier in the shallows of these wetlands, the fish were naive and friendly in these parts, making for easy prey.

In the shadows she blended well, looking like a specter herself. Her two tone physique gave many an eerie otherworldly sense, even in the bright sun of the day. She loved being out on her own, but she also love the new pack she called home.

Kodo stopped short, smelling another wolf, one from a rival pack at that. She debated over running off and avoiding the impending conflict, or staying and risking in jury or worse against this strange new wolf.

Her ankle still hurt. Though the sprain was minor, it was still enough to affect her movement. So with the terrain against her, and her body failing her, she saw no reason to hurry through the wetlands. Being careful to stick to parts where she could see the bottom of floors--she did not wish to be bitten by anything unexpected--she broke her gaze from the sun and continued onwards, only to smell a certain pack. Her hackles raised instinctively, and yet her nerves were frayed. She narrowed her eyes while continuing to sniff until she found the pack wolf. Or did she? Tilting her head, she was not sure whether the light was playing with her eyes, or if she truly was seeing what she was seeing. No, it could not be. She began to stumble forward towards the strange creature, convinced that she was seeing an impossibility, a possibility, a reality. "Have you come to save me?" she said. Maybe this was a creature from the Lost Woods sent to guide her out of her present darkness. Her fairy. Sent by the Great Tree himself. The filtered light continued to cough out sparkles of white. She felt another sneeze coming on but quickly dismissed it by looking at the light.

Kodokuna took a few steps back from the enemy wolf. She was utterly confused, this injured enemy wolf was mistaking her for someone or rather something she clearly was not. She looked down at her mismatched paws and chuckled innerly. She must think I'm some spirit of these woodlands. She felt her body tense as she let out a soft reply.

"I-I think you have me mistaken for another." She stuttered shyly. Surely this wolf could smell her pack's scent. Didn't she know they weren't meant to be friendly?The sun danced in the shadows between the two wolves, creating a beautiful light show Kodo could stand and watch forever.

Maybe she had mistaken her for another. But she did not want to believe otherwise. Tilting her head once more, she leaned forward and blinked at the chimera of a wolf. She had never imagined her fairy companion to be so shy or even to deny her nature. Yes, she could smell The Sunspire on this wolf, but it was faint. She must have been a new member. "It's better if I believe you are someone else," she said quietly. She felt no need to speak of the animosity that would have been present otherwise. Still, reality filled her nostrils, and she asked, "Why didn't you come to my pack, my little fairy?" Of course, the little red wolf was in turmoil about her own membership, fond as she was becoming of her new home. Her ankle ached as she thought about the big, black wolf. She needed to run away from it all. Slowly, she began to fold into herself.

Kodokuna stood frozen, utterly confused. "I'm sorry, I don't think I've met you...." She whimpered backing up a little. Kodo wasn't afraid per say, rather lost at what to do. This enemy obviously didn't want a fight, she seemed to be fighting some inner turmoil. Kodokuna noted how the red female favored her ankle, wondering if she was recently injured.

Kodokuna disappeared for a few moments and came back with a rather large fish, enough to fill the strangers stomach if she was hungry. "I uh...here." She offered, nudging the fish to the wolf. She wasn't in the mood to fight, and she knew there wasn't a very high chance of her pack ever finding out she was kind to the enemy, so far from home.

When the other wolf turned to leave, the little red wolf did nothing but merely continued to stare absently into space. She was there even when the other wolf returned, this time with a fish. Without hesitation, she hastily devoured the snack, and with some food finally in her stomach, she felt a little more at peace. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice distant. It took a while for her to unfold herself, and even then, the creases of the folds rested deeply in her heart. Wrinkled her. "Funny, isn't it? I feel like I spend more time fighting myself than my enemies." She looked up from the fish and nodded in thanks. She did not smile, however, but once more seemed to sink into a darkness that no shadow could match. "Your kindness might hurt you in the end," she said. Her tone was not necessarily ominous, but rather pitiful.

"I'd rather be known for dying young and being kind and living a long time, but being a cruel soul." Kodokuna replied quietly, laying down resting her muzzle on her front paws. She knew how inner turmoil could hurt, how it could tear you apart bit by bit until you were a an empty shell, void of all happiness.

She looked over to the smaller red wolf and sighed. "What troubles you so deeply?" She questioned, not expecting any sort of response. She too was facing a dark inner turmoil, the guilt of knowing her family died for her to live. A freak of nature, given life at the cost of two others.

"That is every reasonable wolf's conclusion," she said in agreement. Still, she did not know whether her soul was already not cruel. No, she typically made efforts to be kind, but these efforts stemmed from a heart which seemed to be steeped in evil. The other wolf asked what was wrong, and she looked up into those eyes of blue and green. There she found what she thought was sorrow, and she was at first surprised and then stricken with grief. She thought she would feel better having another suffer with her, but this did not seem to be so. So, as she always managed to do, she laughed. Either way, she would find relief in this life, though there was something to be said about embracing pain. "Are you asking me or yourself?" she jested. Her first smile.

Kodokuna let out a small giggle looking over at her new friend. "I suppose both of us" She replied her tone becoming somber once more. She found it strange, that she connected so well with this wolf of a different world. She knew that this interaction could never be spoken of to anyone inside her pack, but she knew it was an important one in her life's journey.

Kodokuna was a spiritual wolf, she looked inside herself to find answers before asking others. She believed the world put her here for a reason, and although she didn't know what it was, she knew there was a reason. That was all she needed.

Leaf's tail waved as the other wolf giggled, and she quite effortlessly ignored her growing awareness of their circumstances. "Tell me what brought you here," she said with some level of seriousness, though her tone was still light and accompanied with a small smile. They were already breaking the rules of decorum according to their respective packs, so she figured breaking social rules was a minor issue. Hence the rather personal question. Either way, they were suffering. Feeling her ankle ache once more, she licked it gingerly before rearranging herself. She wanted to be close, but not close enough to be within the range of the wolf. Subconsciously, she protected herself against possible harm.

Kodo thought for a long while in silence. "I'm not sure, I just felt the need to come here today." She replied honestly. She made no movements, her body was tired as was her mind. She did notice that the red wolf kept nursing her ankle, she was hurt like kodo had suspected earlier.

This was the most serious discussion she'd had in a long while, most pack talk was casual and courteous, no one bothered to ask anything past the obvious. She let out a long sad howl, which rang for a while. She wasn't calling for anyone who would hear her. She called to her parents spirits, wondering if they looked down upon her, watching her grow up without them.

The chimera of a wolf had misunderstood her question, but as the little red wolf was about to ask her once more, the chimera howled. For a moment, she was taken aback but quickly relaxed as she realized the chimera was merely calling for the spirits. Wait. Perhaps that was even more terrifying. Looking out at the wetlands and waiting with unashamed expectation, she turned back to the other wolf and asked, "Did they hear you?" Naturally, she wanted to know what had been said, but even she had some sense of privacy. Especially when it came to the spirits. It was not that she necessarily feared them but knew that they existed. All she hoped was that the other wolf was not calling out for some spirits that had already deceased. Those were always the bad kind. Perhaps because they were asked by those with unresolved conflict and wounded hearts.

"I like to think so." Kodo replied quietly. She knew that the spirits of the forest would hear her call, but she had to wonder if her parents spirits were too far from her now. "There are many spirits in this place. They do so love the forest." She stated this as a fact, not looking anywhere but across the trees.

"Do you believe we had a purpose? A reason to be among the trees and mountains when others are taken away from under our paws?" Kodo's tone was hollow yet filled with emotion anyways. She couldn't help but wonder what had called to her that morning, telling her to venture here, what led her to this enemy wolf who seemed to be in as much agony as she herself was facing.

Leaf did not turn around as the other wolf spoke, but continued to look out. It was only until the question of purpose arose that the little red wolf felt something hot and prickly in her chest. She did not know why she was here, even though she knew it would be for at the least the summer; and she did not know why she had been brought into existence. Sometimes, it felt as if she had been created for someone's pleasure--and was not worth much more beyond that. Her life seemed ephemeral at best. This should not have bothered her. It was how she lived her life, but maybe this was how she had been created to live her life--"Of course we do!" The words came out with a snap, and considering the little red wolf was not quite herself, she immediately blushed. "I know," she began, attempting to recover whatever remained of her dignity, "that I do. I was brought here for a purpose, even made with a purpose." Her eyes had fallen lower onto the ground. "I just don't know if I like that purpose." Or rather, did not know if she liked how short-lived it might possibly be.

"But...Can't we change the purpose. Go further than what we were meant to. Can't we be worth more than some predetermined destiny? I want to be more." Kodo didn't know where these words were coming from, or why she let them flow now, perhaps she knew it wasn't likely she would meet this wolf again, and if she did it wouldn't be under the circumstance of talking. She wanted to spill her heart out to someone, somewhere, but she couldn't bring herself to speak the truth of what had happened that night, why she should have died instead.

"Or maybe....we aren't supposed to like why we are here, maybe it would make us naive and selfish if we liked the purpose we had." Her words hurt her to say, but perhaps the spirits plans didn't include happiness.

The little red wolf knew where the words were coming from, and if she ever matured enough to have some self-restraint, she might have even feel privileged and honored to hear the other wolf's heart. However, while she did feel privileged and honored and all other things, she also felt the same indignation. She opened her mouth once or twice in order to say something clearly beneficial to the conversation but never found an opportunity to interrupt (as if that was the nature of interruptions). Instead, a heavy silence punctuated the other wolf's speech, and it was only after a thoughtful moment that the little wolf returned to her question. "Tell me what brought you here," she asked again, though this time the context was quite different than before. She was willing to listen to the heart of the other wolf if she was willing to share, but willingness always came with a certain amount of courage, which she was uncertain either of them possessed it at the moment.

"I....I followed the call of my mothers spirit." Kodokuna whispered looking up to the sky. "She told me to come so I did, because I owe my parents everything, they gave their lives for me, If it wasn't for me they'd be alive. I may as well have killed my only family." Kodokuna's words were heavy with guilt, a lump caught in her throat preventing her from going on further.

Kodo stood and moved to look into a near by puddle, her mismatched face reflecting her eyes, the door to her soul. She let out one last sad howl, the pain was evident in her call.

Certainly she could be considered an emotional creature, but her emotions were--well, emotional. They were fickle beasts and came at their own will, and not all of them were known to be reliable or even fair. When the other wolf finally admitted something about her purpose, Leaf could only listen impassively. She had been willing to listen, and yet there was something about sad stories that made her want to yawn. Yet as the wolf continued to share, the little red wolf finally did feel a prick of emotion. But it was not the most commonsensical one. Watching as the wolf turned to look at herself at a puddle, the little wolf "ruffled her feathers" and finally began to peck at the sound of howl. "You've got it all wrong," she said quietly with a frown on her face. She did not know the entire story, but she felt that she knew enough--enough to make her angry, at least. "Your mother's spirit told you to come here. She's watching you even now. Because she loves you." Her breathing was become faster and the anger she once felt inside began to express itself on her face. "It is an insult to anyone who sacrifices their lives out of this love for their lives to be dismissed as--as, as some mistake or as someone's fault. They loved you enough to die for you!" she ended with a small shout. Quieting down once more, she inhaled a deep breath. "Be thankful, and be free."

Kodo starred at the female, hurt easily seen on her face and in her eyes. She was silent, no longer feeling the need or desire to share. Nor did she feel like speaking. The sky seemed to know that the conversation was ending as a loud crack of thunder shook the earth, lightning flashing nearby. The storm was moving fast, fast enough to be a threat.

"We have to find shelter." Kodokuna said standing looking around. A small cave could be seen in the distance. "This will be a strong storm, I suggest you join me in the cave if you do not wished to be washed away." her speech had become rather formal. Without waiting for a response she began walking to the tiny shelter as rain sprinkled down from the sky.

Leaf shook her head in a "no thanks." She would rather be washed away by the storm and had certainly weathered worse. Ironic, how this would be their moment of tension rather than say the other wolf's strange appearance or even membership to an enemy pack. Not feeling apologetic for her words, knowing them to be true, she merely looked at the other wolf. Her face, for once, gave nothing. Looking out at the wetlands, she gave a respectful bow. Maybe it was to the other wolf's mother. Or maybe even the other spirits that resided in the waters. She would give respect where respect was due.