Greatwater Lake is what i brought to you

@Nephele

she could smell others in the trees but there was not a soul to be seen upon the lake when annalee reached it.

solitude had forged her through the winter; being alone was of no consequence. it was merely information she absorbed with a flicker of gunmetal and tucked away with the rest: the forests that encircled the vast waters, the game trails, the distant mountains at her back.

stopping upon the pebbled shores, she dipped the worn pads of her paws in the cool liquid with a silent sigh. 

for a time, it was only annalee and the water -- head tipping back to watch the songbirds that flitted by.

apologies for the wait on this!

one of the bison had wandered away from the main herd and she'd been slowly attempting to corral it back to safety without receiving a fatal kick to the head. but the damn thing was stubborn and stupid, and was dead-set on waltzing right in to the fangs of the enemy. she let out a frustrated huff as she cautiously toed the line between territories before finally giving in a crossing the invisible boundary.

no longer patient enough to be careful, nephele surged ahead of the beast before spinning on her heels and snapping a few times in rapid succession in hopes of spooking the creature back home. it worked, at least partially, and she watched with relief as the straggler turned back to stomp towards yellowstone once more. she gave a few cautious glances around, watchful for any of the lake inhabitants to come storming her way.

but it seemed she was alone, save for the figure who looked oddly out of place against the water's edge. she did not look, nor smell, like one of the pests. "hey!" nephele shouted to try and catch the stranger's attention. "unless you want to be eaten by one of the lake monsters, i suggest you follow me." and with that she turned to follow the bison back home. if the girl followed neph would decide what to do with her once they were back to safety, and if she decided not to, then it would not be of any concern to her. she'd done her a courtesy of warning her already, and that was more kindness that what most would get.

no worries!

annie's ears flicked back at the distant rumbling, growing louder. her brow crumpled as she turned, pinpointing it as hooves as the bison crested over a slight rise in the grasslands. 

she'd have thought it to be a lone wanderer, had the ungulate not been galloping. if not for the pale speck that became visible charging along with the beast. 

the thought to hunker down so as not to be seen fled as quickly as it came. there were scents here but this seemed to be neutral territory. and the woman -- as confirmed by her perfume carried on the wind -- had her hands full. she probably wouldn't pay the rogue any mind. 

the girl was just about to turn back to the waters for a drink when the stranger called out.

pulling away from the lake with a vaguely panicked look, annalee cast it one last, lingering look before setting off after the woman.

"excuse me, ma'am," the stormwisp called out as she came upon the alabaster she-wolf, "did you say there was monsters in the lake?" 

there was a hint of amusement in the words, as if she'd swallowed a laugh. it wasn't so much that annie didn't believe her, it was just hard to imagine. the only thing her mind could come up with to fill in the blanks were the huge reptiles and snakes she'd seen in swamps far from this climate.

she does not look back until the sound of a voice calls her attention. she ensures the lost bison is well on it's way back to the herd before she turns to properly face the following stranger. "not in the lake," she reveals with a lick to her lips, absinthe eyes roving over the woman to assess her physical state. she was small, much like nephele herself, though that did not automatically dismiss her for consideration.

"the monsters are those who guard the lake," she clarifies while giving a quick glance over the woman's shoulder to ensure they weren't followed or being chased down by a brute. "they are not a very pleasant bunch."

she wasn't sure she would regard yellowstone as a pleasant bunch either, though between the two of them, she very obviously favored her own group over the lake demons.