Wapun Meadow she is now.

@Astara

It had been quite some time since she left these wilds. Shisu was older, and counted herself wiser- less of a scared cat. Though she still looked the same, ever-so fluff, and her face of innocence. Though now she held tranquility, and a more peaceful step then one of constant fear. She was around two, when the witch originally came to this land, and now she was of officially four years old.

She had no mate to speak of, but there was children. A fresh pair of triplets, but they were already a year old, and she bare no new litter for the upcoming season. Though Shisu, experienced motherhood, giving her a new confidence on life itself. It was difficult, especially as a single mother.  She relied on a man on a faithful night, but he was a wicked one, who only wished to sleep with her, then flee. It was a shame, and her distrust in the world grew since then.

Though memories came to, once they left the nest. She wondered, into an old area, where the woman once met @Kove, who let her join Blackfeather Woods. She shuddered, thinking how cold, and how horrible the place it was, but the wolves were kind. Though blushed, thinking of the man who nearly whisked her away. She missed her @Behemoth, and the man she held a one-night stand with, reminded her so much of him.

Memories flourished, as she entered the first place Shisu had entered.

how ironic it was that in the first hour astara met shisu she had held a toad in her jaws -- today, she held a frog.

astara watched the roving creature first with annoyance, and then with growing suspicion.

there was something familiar about the she-wolf -- something about the way she moved through the rain-sodden meadow.

in some forgotten hall of her mind the image came back -- of her toad, of shisu, of blackfeather forest...

astara straightened her spine and held the frog with her crown high, a soft growl pressing from her throat.

Someone growled at her, and her fur rose not in agitation, but fear. She never did learn how to properly defend herself, and felt like a deer caught in the headlights. When she turned around, there was an awe-too-familiar scene. Glowing, purple eyes, with a toad of innocence between the jaw, and she felt pity for it.

"..Astara?" Shisu, now without a stutter, asked curiously, fur ruffling down in calmity, now a curiosity.

fear rippled into the air, dampened by the incessant rain.

astara coldly watched shisu turn to face her, remembering their last meeting.

how the woman had taken her toad and flung it -- or was that really what happened? time had a way of distorting memories.

she lifted her head in response, a silent affirmation -- meanwhile, her snack dangled grimly between two perfectly clean teeth.

Despite a rather, grimacing meeting, Shisu still felt gleefull on seeing someone so familiar. She was bigger, though still silent as ever. She wondered what happened to Relmyna, and Averna as well, the twin ghost. She was an adult, and now its been a few years, it was assumed the black bird now became of age, most likely roughly of two years.

She felt older.

"I see you are still the same," the witch chuckled slightly, at the poor frog that was left in their maw, "how are you?"

Though she wouldn't be surprised if an answer was not given; Astara never talked.

bit by bit, uncertainty fled from shisu's features. what replaced her expression now was some semblance of warmth, or even joy -- astara instinctively mistrusted it.

it had been a long time since she thought of her mother, but seeing shisu there brought memories of blackfeather to the forefront. astara grimaced, finding the flood of memories unpleasant. she canted her head to the side as if that would slide all those thoughts out of her ears, unable -- or perhaps unwilling -- to answer.

so, she simply stood; or appeared to do so.. but in the next second, the blackbird had flung the dead thing at shisu, and was now advancing with an impish grin on her features -- teeth aiming a nip for hock, or scruff, or whatever came close.

"O-Oh!" The poor frog had been flung at her, and so Shisu desperately tried to catch it with carefulness. She didn't want to puncture more with her canines, and try to have the poor creature bounce off her flourished chest, and onto her paws. However, while the creature did manage to bounce off, she didn't get the chance to catch it.

"O-Oh?" Astara seemed to have grabbed her scruff.

She was a bit worried now.

the frog served as handy distraction. a delightfully wicked smugness sat in astara's gaze -- her teeth raked through scruff and then pulled away.

shisu appeared nervous. uneasy.

astara backed off with a flick of her dark plume, stalking around the dove with a leonine prowl.

a thought -- what if this was nyra? astara's muzzle split in a crooked smile -- if only, if only...

"It's nice to see you?" Shisu never could understand the twins.. Unique way of communicating, as Averna tended to ask like a ghost, Astara was like a living shadow, but more aggressive. She generally wondered how the gentle Relmyna produced such wild children, but she supposed the woman was back in Blackfeather Woods.

Astara smelled different, "Uhm, you okay?" the purple witch asked, as the girl circled her so.

was it nice to see her, truly?

astara continued her prowl -- a shark lazily encircling shisu with growing hunger.

not nyra... but... what if...?

it had been so long since astara had a real hunt. her legs ached for the burn of the chase. her tongue ached for the split-metal taste of iron between her teeth --

astara ignored the question. she was beginning to like the idea of a hunt more and more... to sharpen her appetite, to whet her claws -- to prepare her for hunting that bitch nyra down, that dared smile at her rook;

astara froze, hackles rising in an unsettled palisade along her spine. she raised her muzzle and fixed shisu with a pointed, hungry stare:
run --
as if your life depended on it.

"Oh jeez." She almost felt herself step back into the stuttering habits, as Astara was nerving her so. Anxiety was sky-rocketing, the little shadow was not just a small girl anymore, but a full-fledge adult, that can also hunt her like the toads she enjoyed. 

A crazed eye, and Shisu realized she made a mistake coming back. The flash of Blackfeathers dark wolves was a notorious memory, and she felt her spine raise in fear. Astara was a blackfeather wolf after all- it was a mistake to think there was a little sanity, and kindness. 

When threatened in silence, the plush wolf was quick to turn around and start to run.

run, idiot

a ruthless grin cracked the blackbird's sharp features as shisu gathered her good sense beneath her and turned tail.

astara licked her chops reflectively, giving the she-wolf a generous headstart.

after all, if things were too easy they would not be fun -- astara wished for the burning of her chest, the thrill of conquering a competitor that wanted more than anything to get away --

these things filled her darkly fluttering heart

five
four
three,
two --

ah, fuck it --

astara launched after shisu's fleeing form, a lioness pursuing a lamb.

She wanted her Behemoth- or even her children to come and help. Shisu felt like a rabbit once more, fleeing from Blackfeather Forest's shadow again, and repeated the nightmare all over again. She looked back at Astara, chasing her like a black lion, "Please, don't do this," the heavy-fluffed wolf begged through her heavy breathing.

astara coursed after shisu, adrenaline pounding

oh, she felt so alive!

saliva pooled in hungry droplets along her dark gums in anticipation, while a high cackle bounded from the huntress' gums in response to shisu's begging.

astara halted, tail jaunty. oh, silly shisu -- didn't you know this was all a game?

she cocked an ear, listening to the heavy gallops of shisu's breathing. relax, she seemed to say -- i was only playing. a lull settled over the two of them that was so sweet, so idyllic, that it made astara's next move seem all the more cruel:

she lunged with a snarl towards grey hock, her parlor trick over.

gone was the friendliness, the beguiling grin -- replaced by the ardent, chilling veil of malevolence.

now came the real horror. die, you stupid bitch.

She ran like might, like the day she left Blackfeather. This land was cursed, these wilds were cursed- nothing seemed to bring the witch joy except him, but he was no longer here to protect her. She urned for him so, and silently mourned for his touch, '@Behemoth!'

The panther lunged toward her, and she could only slip and fall in horror. There was a scream from her throat, as she was in sheer terror from the wickedness that once she knew. Whatever blood was to be spilled, the best that Shisu could do was toss and turn, try to flee outside of these lands.

She wouldn't return once free- bloodied and mangled if she was, she would never return again.

down her quarry went, astara with her

biting kicking snarling screaming

fur flying, white teeth arcing

the crunch of tendon and gristle, the splatter of red --

sightless save for the red cloud of bloodlust, astara dove again and this time, shisu through some sheer force of will or desperation flung her away with a kick of her hind end, sending the panther sprawling and out of wind

she rose and fell immediately, the fire of her lambent gaze receding as sensibility and pain overtook her.

panting, astara lurched to her feet with a wince, feeling the old bruise revui had given her roar to life with complaints. shisu's feet pattered away, gone gone gone

the blackbird turned home

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