Iktome Plains And cut and peeled a hazel wand

It was a mere black bear, still thin and hungry in the early days of autumn. It would forage for blackberries and blueberries and chokecherries, and likely it would dine on whatever fish and game it could find, until the season turned and sent it underground. A mere black bear, and yet Saena's form shuddered with the memory of a much larger bear taunting her in the woods. The lance of pain through her backside as it took off with her tail fluttering between its lips. Citlali and Nochtli helping to drive it away, and yet only ensuring that it rampaged through their woods without regard for the pack living there.

Saena was so wrapped up in this flashback that Emaleth's approach was wholly unnoticed until the girl made a sound. The white-haired Redleaf whirled with ears snatching back in fear, but a few seconds of surveying Emaleth with contracted pupils brought her heart rate back down from racing. The rush of adrenaline made her sway lightly, but instead of toppling over, she blinked away the spots in her vision and breathed, "you sure know how to scare the shit outta someone."

The bear's head lifted at the sound of her voice, but it deemed the two wolves non-threatening at their distance, and went on snuffling at the ground.