Firefly Glen F**k Fake Friends

It was as if she was all alone, just for being born she was cast out of her pack by her father. Her own mother not doing anything to stop it when it was her wrongdoing in the first place. Radar scorned them both, she hated them but yet she missed them at the same time. The conflicted she-wolf travelled into lands unknown to her, she took in the scenery as she trekked forward not knowing really what to do at that moment. She was in a strange land with unknown wolves. Would they accept her or be like her supposed friends and family who treated her like an outcast.

By the time he had reached the glen, he was spent. Spent truly in more than one way and hardly free of the scent @Hydra left across him, he had antagonized her to the point where she had finally given him chase. The last few minutes were nothing but a blur as his stride slowed and laughter broke loose and out of him—he was certain he had escaped her teeth at last, apt punishment for disturbing her ”beauty rest”. His tail was certainly sore where she had undoubtedly broken skin, but it had been worth every moment, even if she had not been inclined for whatever round of rolling in bushes they could have been up to. She would forgive him by sundown and their little dance would begin again.

With a lolling tongue, he lazily took stock of his surroundings to get his bearings. The glen was not exactly where he anticipated ending up by any means but it did work. He did not know it as well as he did the forests were brambles choked every path or the rolling hills that broke through the wilderness. But he knew where the herds roamed through, where water crisp and clear and clean cut and curved in tight corners. Down here the earth leveled out and spread for miles; the lack of drastic elevation change would allow him to cover good time as he made his way to find such a water source to quench his thirst.

And of course, there was haste—no guarantee that Hydra did not trail in his wake, knowing he had worn himself out and continued to do so. He cleared his throat as he briskly crossed a pile of tinder and felt another tickle of laughter. Ah, she had been so angry for a moment but he knew better. She had enjoyed the chase and for now, his refuge had been the outskirts and lands beyond Moonspear. She wouldn't stray far, not with the season. It afforded him all the rest he would need.

Or so he believed.

The dusty colored female was unaware of the males presence at the moment but before long she saw him and immediate ran and hid behind a tree hoping that he hadn’t seen her. The scared female feared the worst of everyone and was wary of everything

Just over that tinder pile he saw it—a flash of darkness against the green. If not for the circumstances that guided him there he would have probably considered overlooking it, but for all he knew it was probably Hydra lurking. It wouldn't have surprised him any; she was a masterful hunter in her own right, and getting the drop on him would have certainly been in her wheelhouse of tricks.

His steps slowed into a stop as he regarded the options he could have taken. A passing thought suggested he simply kept going, but now that he had actually bothered to stop for more than a moment the inclination to stand there was putting up a good argument. A tired sigh left him as he gave his coat a shake, but the weariness he felt did not shake away with it.

”That's a nice try, Hydra,” he called out to her, ”but I know that trick too well. I'd like my tail to stay attached today, thank you,” and every note to that thanks was almost too cheery for the bravado displayed. He had done his fair share of baiting her lately but it was all a ploy to lure her in. Once she was close enough, it was his turn to play pit viper and snare her.

It was obviously clear to her that the male had seen her probably just barely but it seemed that he thought he was a wolf named Hydra. Before anything escalated any further, Radar slowly poked her head out from behind the tree that she was hiding behind. “Uh sorry I’m not...” She cut herself off.

The face that peered out from behind the tree told him much of what he hadn't seen, namely that it was not Hydra who had gotten ahead of him in the chaos. Surprise jolted across his features and was gone again as he exhaled a breathy scoff. If Hydra was to be lurking in the woods beyond them, then she certainly knew right where he was now.

”My apologies,” he offered with the wave of his tail. ”I didn't mean to scare you into hiding. I thought you were my partner lying in wait.” In case she hadn't gleaned that, but nevertheless it was obvious he had certainly startled her just as he had every doe and fox with the path he had torn. Tentatively, he took a couple of steps towards her concealed location to lower his voice.

”I hope I didn't ruin any hunting you were doing.”

She gave him a friendly smile as she cane out from behind the tree that hid her. The male said he thought she was someone else. The female simply shook her head. “Oh no don’t worry I wasn’t hunting. I actually don’t really know where I am...” It was true she was new in this land

She didn't know where she was? Interesting. Then again, she bore the signs of long travel and he surmised that she must have been a dispersal from somewhere. It was typical of the season, new life pushing out the old and so on, at least in most cases. He hadn't the fortune of such a thing to set him on his way, but the concept was not lost on him.

”Well, you're near Moonspear for starters,” he said, gesturing to the rise of the peak behind him. ”It's the big one right there, nestled in with the others. I think others refer to this place as Firefly Glen, namely for the glow bugs that come out in the night.” Which were fireflies, but he didn't bother in making the distinction. Of course, he didn't think the information he offered was all that much of help, short of giving those particular landmarks a name.

”Were you looking for somewhere in particular? Or are you just a traveler?”

The male showed her where the nearest pack was and she was glad that he did, knowing her she would of made the mistake of accidentally walking straight into it. “I guess I was closer to a pack than I thought.” 

He he then asked if she was looking for something and she shook her head. “Just traveling at the moment, I would try and join a pack but I seem to lack any notable skills.”

”But you've survived thus far,” he reasoned, ”so clearly you possess a skill or two of some sort.” Surviving on one's own was not an easy feat, and certainly not for the weak-willed. There was no doubt in his mind that a fair amount that decided to brave the untamed scenery perished along any amount of untold cliffsides and ravines.

Or, maybe she was just lucky. Maybe the company that had graced her had been gracious. The possibilities were many and the truth was not something he thought to pry into. ”Either way, it isn't like you're close enough to raise alarm with your presence. Make no mistake that you'll get a warning with that nose of yours, but that's about the only one you're liable to get.” A sigh punctuated his statement, thinking of how Hydra did enjoy her opportunities to sink her teeth into backsides. The same could have been said of her family, though, and in reality by extension his own.

”If you head east, maybe a good day's venture, you'll find a river that splits the flatlands. As far as I know there's not much in the way of company out there so if you were looking just to travel on your own, it is an option.” Where there was water, there was food, and so on; he wouldn't pressure her to settle if it wasn't in her thoughts.

The female gave a friendly smile and he then mentioned her having some sort of skill and she chuckled. “Suppose you’re right.” She was starting to feel a little bit better in herself. “I’ll keep that in mind not to go to far towards your pack. Thank you for the heads up.”

Then the male spoke a river and flatlands which perhaps she could find game somewhere. “I don’t think I caught your name. I’m Radar by the way.”

She could have supposed all she wanted—he knew he was right. Their will to survive was very strong, whether it was on their own or with others. He had never known a wolf just to simply give up, lie down, and wait to die, but of course that didn't mean it didn't happen either. Dispersing, whether by choice or by force, was never easy on any of them. And yet, here they were, and here they would continue to be until the hands of fate guided them elsewhere.

His tail-tip curled ever so slightly as she pushed ahead to an introduction. "We hadn't broached that subject yet, so you didn't," he said with a demure smile. "It's Dirge."

She now felt rude and her head dropped a bit. Normally that was like the first thing she asked a person. Not this time. “Well I don’t want to keep you any longer. Thanks for the scare and advice I’ll be sure to keep it in mind.” She chuckled slightly.

She didn't want to keep him any longer? Fair enough, he supposed. However brief their conversation, his stopping wasn't going to keep Hydra off his heels for long; he hadn't forgotten what had cast him off the mountain in this particular interlude. His smile broadened, humored, and then he was off again at the pace that had brought him there, already blazing a trail through the weeds.