Although loathe to admit any attachment too deep, she had happily fallen back into what could be called her coastline routine. She liked the territories here, revered their energies and their resources alike, so being amongst them appeared to be in her best interests. And, with the daylight hours increasing and the temperatures comparatively pleasant, she found herself in decent spirits despite unnecessarily busy thoughts that came and went.
For the first time in a while she had thought at length about her honored mother, the single-most important wolf she had known, and was curious of how the winter had been upon her mountain. It had then occurred to her that perhaps Yuurei and Makyo had bred again for this year, meaning she was possibly no longer the last survivor of their Rikudou wolves. It seemed likely, but she did recall last year's troubles. It had not appeared easy for her dam (although she had taken it all in apparent stride) and this memory stirred an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of Ame's gut, one that had stuck for several hours.
So, perhaps not. The sage would do what she felt best, of that Ame had been certain. Which spurred some fleeting relief. Although that only meant that the weight of the clan's continuation rested on her. That was no more pleasant an idea...
She had stewed long enough to almost turn inland towards the old homeland and gallop until she could run no more, just to know. Even as a great sage of her mountain, Amekaze's mother was an aging wolf. Winter, and potentially bearing a litter, could have taxed her too steeply and Ame would not know. She had paced with his thought in mind and ground her teeth until blood seeped from her gums.
When she turned too far inward, a storm began to brew out over the sea. Distracting and oddly welcome, the thunderstorm of a few days prior had only further served to enliven her. Winter's fatigue was easy to forget then and even her focus could sharpen there. It had been so long since she'd heard the roll of thunder and seen the lightning, so she quickly welcomed its electricity into her veins.
The need to prowl -- to move, at the very least, had been a deep insatiable itch. So she stayed busy. Hunting, ranging, and all else, she covered the beaches and the forest alike. She even took time to romp, for although in her solitude, it felt good to kick up her heels unabashed. There was little rest to be had but opposed to dwelling on what she could not know, it was the wise choice.
Now, days after, the sleepless hours had caught up to her and winter's coldness deepened once again. She awoke slowly and peered blearily ahead before shaking the debris out of her wild coat. It was only midday, but chilly out. She greeted this with a look of indifference and pulled herself to stand.
Amekaze had recently settled in the forests at the foot of the small mountain. It was not far from the river she favored, the Ridge pack, or the shore. However, she rarely trekked far up towards the slopes. The dense forests provided her enough and usually her attention was elsewhere. The upper reaches of the mountain had never called out to her, either..
There was nothing hurried about her actions today as she drifted towards a small cache she had built to unearth some old leftovers. This only took the edge off her hunger, so soon enough, she was wandering deeper into the woods hunting. There was a vague trail and her tired eyes scanned the woodlands, while her ears swiveled and nostrils flared.
The keening cry of a falcon broke her focus. She paused to listen. Based on her observations, not many birds of prey appeared to winter here. Likely they flew to warmer grounds or hunting territories elsewhere. Yet clearly, this one was here now. She narrowed her scrutinizing stare.
In the dreary skies above the treetops, with wings outstretched hung the imposing figure of a large bird. Amekaze continued to watch and when her paws found motion again, she was still leery. It was not far but she soon found she had lost sight of it, only to be reunited by the swoop of wings through the otherwise quiet trees. The bird had swung low, swooping a horizontal trail across her sights, and then vanished into the treetops again. The dark wolf furrowed her brow and sought explanation for this only to come up short.
Amekaze continued her hunt with renewed caution. She could feel the eyes on her and knowing this caused her to bristle out her coat.
Her path went no further up in elevation and instead zig-zagged through the trees. She stuck to her tasks, all the while hoping to shake the sensation of being followed in time.
![[Image: 5ifpFkc.png?1]](http://i.imgur.com/5ifpFkc.png?1)
i want to bleed in the 「r a i n」