Deepwood Weald as if through water from the bottom of a pool

she cut through the mountains on one of her failiar paths, finding comfort in the steadiness of movement. there was an itch in the back of her mind, something that groaned at the prospect of another long journey lacking the desperate purpose of her last. the part of her was relatively new, and whispered to her of all the good things that would come if she simply turned back - to the plateau, the maplewood, and simple stayed. still, when the woman crossed left the flatlands, the voice eventually relented.

she'd decided on cutting around silvertip; her father's bones lay there, and it felt wrong to visit them now. it was only when she'd began to circumnavigate the dense wood where she'd last met Dirge, that the multitude of scents here became obvious and interesting. he'd seemed to claim dominium over the dense tangle last she'd been here, and she wondered if the new group had pushed him out, or joined him here. she did not know why any would settle here, and so tilted back her muzzle and called for company.
maybe @Damien or @Nocturnal?

Possible cameo - feel free to ignore him, he's just in the area

It seemed as if the wolf population was in need of another cull. The feline had departed the mountainside's forested hill and begun to cross through a meadow when he heard the sharp tones of a screeching wolf in the air; it was not a sound that brought him peace. It sounded as if it came from nearby, so the cougar began to hunt down the origin - however, there was ample ground to cover and if he wasn't careful, there would soon be more beasts to deal with. He had enjoyed many battles with many wolves (most of which were no longer with us) but Zugzwang knew he would have to keep himself level-headed if he wanted to return to Forsyth in one piece. He lingered outside of the nearby weald for a few moments to deliberate, but then made a snap decision and began to creep through the shadows - curious if he'd find one wolf, or many.

Now that the large beast that resided in their caves was dealt with, The Melonii could rest assured they wouldn't face more of those pesky cats. Of course, that was wishful thinking. Ever since they had spotted yet another large cat in their way, threatening their existence, she had been on the look out. She had fought bigger cats before and was no stranger to the mean wounds and scratches they could inflict - not to mention what they could do with a litter full of newborns. They needed to be sure the Weald was safe before any of them started popping out pups.

When an unfamiliar howl rang through the air, her ears perked and Tulugak cawed from above where her had perched on a high branch. It didn't take him long to float down and land roughly and Nyx's shoulder before she started padding in the direction of the call. It was there she spotted a pale girl and with a high tail she approached, looking over the shoulder where Tulugak wasn't blocking her view to see if anyone else had followed her.

And she saw Damien. Ever since their unfortunate encounter with the young cat in the caved Damien hadn't taken his eyes off his wife. She was his treasure, the key to his pack's success and he couldn't afford to lose her or even risk her getting wounded, so he had guarded her much like Tulugak.

He chuffed when their eyes met, but now that he knew she was safe the dark sovereign turned his attention towards the odd one out. Dawn. He scanned her, seeing none but raw potential and an opportunity to exted his pack's ranks. Who dares disrupt the calm of my dominion, demanded the dark male from his lover's side. Perhaps it was a quite aggressive approach to a potential follower, but Damien had to make it clear who was in charge and how he expected things to be.

Yet, before he could gauge the female's reaction a cold wind blew a much more familiar scent towards him and his eyes darted sideways. There among the mist he saw a shadow shift, and if he'd been aggressive before, now he looked murderous. We're not alone, he said as the hair along his spine electrified. Deepwood Weald was cougar territory.

the first to come was a woman, with odd rings around her eyes that Dawn first assumed was some sort of injury, or illness. it was only when she approached the she realized they were simply part of her pelt. tail held high, self-contained and swathed in charcoal, she was striking. the bird added to the overall strangeness of her. behind her came a male, large and similarly toned, radiating agression and dominance. his next words, cold and filled with ego, were enough to convince her that if Dirge resided her once, he certainly no longer did - these two were unlike wolves she'd met before. 

it was for this reason her name caught on her tongue, and instead - "I am Usha" damn. she put its heavy connections behind her swiftly, the rising memories crushed swiftly. instead, calling on formality she'd abandoned the past few months in order to match this male's apparent frigidness. and then before words could leave her maw the male seemed to flip a switch and turn outright murderous. moments later the scent found her nares and her tail switched stiffly at her rear, nape prickling. "cat." she offered instead, the word like a curse. she hated the things ever since she'd put down the last to pose a threat to morningside, and her gaze roved the spaces between the trees, the shadows and the mists, until she too caught the slinking shape in her vision.

The foul voices of the wolves flit among the shadows, and the further Zugzwang went the more attuned he became to their presence. He thought he could hear their hearts beating in the dark, fluttering like the wings of a flock of birds; it invigorated him, tempted him, but he knew to steer clear. The scent of them was strong but mixed too, and he had to presume it was not just a single wolf but many that the forest harbored. He prowled along, choosing his path as carefully as he could.

the dim shape veered clear, coming hauntingly close yet choosing ultimately to keep it's distance. the sight of the cat, coupled with the haughtiness and distinct edge that the pair seem to radiate have her desire to learn about their group waver and die, and her tail flicks once at her rear as she nods stiffly. "I'll leave you to your dominion, then." and their cat problem, too. she half-hopes it manages to take a bite out of the male; it might help with his arrogance. she turns on her heel and leaves the wood behind, day soured.