With the passing of days and Aleera's advice heeded to all of her ability, she had begun to feel better. Fever shaken and wounds from the silvered, creek-dwelling, brute healing, she finally descended the mountain for the first time in a handful of days.
Frankly, she didn't know how long it actually had been since she had last put her paws to the dirt here closer to their boundaries... her head had been elsewhere lately, yet it seemed like longer than it had actually been. Several of her hours had been lost to fevered rest, but when she had been awake she had contemplated and attempted to meditate (something she had not done much of since leaving Rikudou, and even less of since conforming to pack life..) to soothe both her mind and body. It had been met with mixed results.
The coming shift in the seasons was heavy on her thoughts and she looked deep into nature for answers. None came, yet. It was too soon, but she was listening and looking in an effort to be ready to understand when it did decide to reveal itself. While she hoped for the seasons to come to pass smoothly and for their pack to prosper without issue, something deep in her gut inspired an unfounded anxiousness. Amekaze wanted to disprove it as soon as she could, not justify it..
Now, she moved slowly but purposefully as she gradually stretched out her stiff muscles. All the while, her senses were keened to busily reacquainted herself with the mountain's lower reaches. Here and there were new scents interspersed with old yet on the whole, it all seemed peaceful and just as it always had been. When she reached the borderlands' proximity, she paused, then breathed deep. Where to begin..?
![[Image: 5ifpFkc.png?1]](http://i.imgur.com/5ifpFkc.png?1)
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
V: 10 mi · H: 61% · W: 7 mph
Nerian haunted the boarders of The Sunspire, Jace had given her permission to collect plants, and she was truthfully delaying the journey back to Stavanger bay for as long as she could.
Nerian found her gaze moving to the sky, the clouds filled that filled sky spoke of rain they were rather greyish and the humidity was cresting toward rain too, another day of this and there would surely be rain. The wind was so absent that the clouds where in no hurry to move on. Traveling home in the rain would probably to the best time to go with uprooted plants. Plants hated being removed from the soil and water from the sky would stop the need of finding water to rest the plants in on the way home.
It looked like Nerian would be heading back sooner then she wanted. She pulled herself into a sit and sighed at the sky. Why do you to this to me God? She called up to the clouds I thought you would want me to be far away from him!!
Nerian's gaze fell toward earth again as she heard a wolf drawing close, her initial meeting with Jace was not overly pleasant so she feared for herself again. As she listened for the wolf she was sure she heard a misstep every now and again, Not a constant one though. Were all the Sunspire wolves recovering from a pack wide attack? She had not asked Jace here he got those injuries she just helped him heal from it.
She had to take her time to readjust. It came back slowly, but surely, and she attuned to the surroundings and found her groove. Before much longer, her senses brought her towards the unknown scent. Without a question, she approached with intentions to investigate what this was about. She was a bit out of the loop after all.
At first she was primed and ready to take some kind of offense. She spied a strange female, just.. being here. Amekaze's ears sprung forward and her tail rose up tall, but a deeper breath found Jace's scent involved in this. The grey-scaled female also did not smell as loners did. While she did not recognize the pack here very well, she suspected that much at least: a pack, some pack. Little did she know it was what had become of the remnants of what was once Akhlut's Horizon Ridge...
Her green eyes narrowed into a squint and distance closed between them steadily. Now, here in the company of another (a stranger, no less), she took care to bear weight on her sore leg anyway. And at least some of her messy fur would mask her other scabs. What are you doing here?
she asked, standing squarely before the daintier female, who also reeked of various plants. She was a whole menagerie of smells and Amekaze was working to understand them all while awaiting a proper response, which would be gauging her next move. It was the fact that she scented Jace among it all that kept her tempered.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Nerian took careful measure to hide any emotion, be it the fear she felt of this obviously ranked wolf or happiness for company, behind her carefully crafted and honed mask of neutrality.
Neiran inclined her head to the female I was gathering useful plants for more depth healing practices, with Jace's permission of course, She thought to toss the beta's name around for her own protection And I then came to notice the sky. Not much stars out tonight but I can tell what the prey animals are likely going to be doing tomorrow anyway. Nerian offered the female information hoping to spark a conversation My name is Nerian by the way
She eyes measure up the female ever so looking for a way to practice her healing, but from what she could see perhaps this wasn't the wolf she had heard traveling in her direction before. If there were more then one she might be in trouble even if she had Jace's permission. in fact she could be in trouble now, she was smaller then the female before her and not so practiced in battle Not that she would fight the black furred female for any reason.
She received her words with an impassive, neutral look as she was unsurprised to hear her name-drop Jace. Amekaze's eyes narrowed in consideration while she wondered if perhaps Jace knew her from previously somehow. What plants do you seek? You smell.. of the sea, somewhat..
Although it was faded. Had she been inland very long? I take it you are gathering what does not grow there?
she observed, and in her roundabout way hoped to pry out information about her pack or home base of observation. Naturally, she knew plantlife here was somewhat different and the mountain offered its own kind of abundance.
Ah, really?
she implored with a tilt of her head, vaguely interested as this sounded to be along the lines of a naturalist way of thinking. Her stare was a little less harsh by then, although her posture remained gathered up tall; gamma of this pack as she were, she intended to let it be known. She was still apprehensive of this wolf's company, and therefore unsure of how lenient she felt like being, but if she could prove to be a decent, interesting conversation, Ame would be a dash more understanding. I am Ame,
she added in exchange and noted the other female's name with a nod.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Nerian nodded glad to have a topic besides God/s, or love or husbands or pups to talk about. The humidity is high and with the stale air, the lack of wind... Nerian corrected herself, being from closer to the sea it was almost always breezy and or windy It's likely going to get more Humid, actually that why the plants love the sheltered mountains. That being so, and the gathering clouds, it's probably going to rain tomorrow or the next day if the wind doesn't pick up and when it rains most creatures stay burrowed the deer in their thickets Nerian glanced around noting what would likely be the most useful prey to know about her would be goats and in thinking this she added them and the goats closer to solid flatter ground where slipping is less likely. Prey will be harder to find unless you know where to look.
Nerian huffed and panted through her opened jaw, feeling exherted by her speech. With the prey in hiding, I will need to range further for food, I do not know the rabbit of this area and even so I will not hunt in or near claimed lands. Nerian said this mostly to reassure her new acquaintance I come from Stavanger Bay.... Well at least That is where I live now. I was not born here but far .... far from here. Nerain shook her head, why did she steer the conversation that way, ugh... Fate you just can't fight it could you
closing tags
She listened with a somewhat masked look of interest, ears flicked forward and a soft nod accompanying the words now and then. With this having been a relatively rainy summer, if whatever you seek likes it wet, it should be doing well right now,
she commented regarding plants liking the sheltered mountain. Especially here in the rain-shadow of the mountain, as you said. The other side is a bit drier. More grasses. Some different shrubbery, I think,
she added. While she was far less knowledgeable about plants and their preferences, that much was for certain. And of course, it was clearly more lush on this side, the one facing the sea, and their differences were subtle.
On the topic of prey, Amekaze was pleased to hear such insight. The goats here seem to like the forests more when it is very rainy, usually.
Of course, that was not always true and she couldn't speak much on the rabbits of the foothills. Almost, she offered the alternative of fishing in the river that was not so far away, but not all wolves had an interest in fishing. Have you been near the mountain here for long? You seem pretty.. insightful, about it all. The weather, plants, prey, so on.. that is.
Had someone formally taught her before? Or was it learning of her own creation? Not too many I hear of.. are,
she mentioned carefully, meaning she rarely met many others with such knowledge. It was surprisingly valuable to the dark Rikudou.
Also, is Stavanger Bay far? I have never been,
and she memorized the scent carefully. She only knew the shoreline near Horizon Ridge and the Sea Lion Shores. Anything much further north or drastically south was unknown turf to her.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
The territory of stavanger bay is relatively newly founded. Ragnar if you heard of him. He, myself and a few others discovered it within the last year. The wolves of Horizion Ridge moved there after the ... she was about to say mongrel or hybrid but stilled her tongue for a moment her opinion of cross breeds didn't matter here there were far to many in the teekon wilds to start offending them ... Alpha was killed by a bear
Nerian shrugged amicably enjoying the females company more then anything else for the moment, This female seemed to have a shared interest in the nature of things, not something a lot of wolves here appreciated they were more simple like; see food, kill food, Wait for food to show up maybe? Nerian smiled genuinely a rare thing these days The mountains here? no I rarely leave my territory but I needed to get out recently I've felt ... well ... Nerian turned her head searching for the word that best suited it, not suffocated not trapped... ahhh! Overwhelmed would be the correct term she glanced back at the dark female vaguely wondering for there mountain wolves were darker by nature here, it seemed most of the bay wolves were lighter in colour and the wolves up higher in the mountains tended toward the darker pelts....
Nerian exhaled softly But I did grow up close to a mountain and we went on journey's to the peak to pray often. Were you born on this mountain? or where did you gain your knowledge from? I quite enjoy a wolf whom I can talk to on the same level
Stavanger Bay was largely unknown to her so she carefully collected this knowledge. Ragnar, too, was not well known, but what did spark some familiarity was the mention of their alpha dying. Amekaze had only known two Ridge alphas, with Akhlut the first founding one and Pump the one to follow him. She frowned. Was it Pump? Ah...
she murmured almost sadly as she remembered the dark-furred female from their meeting on the falcon mountain. Amekaze had not seen her since then and to know her fate ended like that, well, it was not pleasant news.
She had once been much more current on Horizon Ridge's news, but since moving inland and then Ragnar's rise to power, she had drifted away significantly. Then again, she rarely saw the sea anymore. It just came with a lifestyle that centered here on the Spire..
Her ears then splayed at the female's mention of being overwhelmed. Ame was not going to pry significantly. Unfortunate. I am sure you have your reasons to feel such,
she chuffed. To be pressured from wanting to spend time in one's own home was certainly unfavorable.
Not this mountain, but I was born on one further inland and surrounded by old forest. Much of what I learned came from my honored mother. She had reigned over a few mountains in her time,
and by the time Amekaze had known her, she had been a seasoned, experienced female with a vast wealth of knowledge to draw from. She had always looked up to her. My homeland and this mountain have their differences, granted, and I have come to appreciate this more.. coastal setting for what it has taught me too.
She had been in the region a full year now, although not strictly at the Sunspire or the immediate valley.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」
Summer had been following Amekaze's scent for a while before he finally found her. His anxiety was creeping higher and higher and he knew that soon he would succumb to the breakdown. The dark female's suggestion at sparring had intrigued him, however, and as futile as he suspected that it might be, he wanted to see if it would assist in keeping the rising emotional havoc at bay.
The boy came upon her without even realizing the other wolf was there. He parted his mouth to say her name, only to have it freeze in his throat as his eyes shifted to the strange female. He closed his mouth suddenly, his nerves on fire. But as Ame turned to him and gave him a comforting glance, he forced himself to speak.
"Sorry to interrupt..." Summer said softly to the two women, "But Ame, I was wondering if I could borrow you for the afternoon..?" He resisted going into too much detail, instead training his gaze upon Ame in hopes that she would read the need that was plainly written there.
While she was keen to hear Nerian's response, her attention was soon sent elsewhere: towards the approaching Summer. She tilted her head his way, uncertain of what was in store but undeniably curious as to what brought him to her. He was apologetic, but asked for her specifically. There was only a last glance given towards the female of the Bay about then, and the dark Rikudou nodded silently. She would happily oblige, as had decided that whatever he needed may be more important. Pack wolf (and one she was certainly fond of) certainly rated above almost-stranger, after all..
While talking to Nerian had not been bad, and she had gleaned a nice little share of information, she decided this would be a good place to part since she was certainly no threat to her or the Sunspire. Her intentions were reasonable enough and Jace knew of it all, so Amekaze would leave her to be. Until next time, perhaps,
she offered in a way of farewell, and turned to nudge Summer's shoulder with her snout, indicating for him to lead the way for her focus was now all his.
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」