Duck Lake child is slowly taken

Paranoid Carolina...

With Rainier napping in the shade of a copse, Carolina found herself discontent with simply idling and waiting for him to finish. She removed herself from his side without so much as a sound and trod off through the trees, following the sound and smell of water. If he woke and found her gone, he would follow; he always did. She appreciated his steadfastness, even if it did grate on her sensibilities at times.

A drink sounds good. She mused in silence, cocking one ear back as she looked up at the cloudless sky, the ear soon twisting to join the other. The vigilance that dominated her actions often made it difficult for her mind to rest. Even now she was appraising the landscape, noting choke points, the angle of the terrain, and even the direction of the wind should any wolf declare themselves ambitious.

As she approached the lake, she caught wind of another female and stiffened. Her hackles bristled like a line of spines as she immediately changed her stance and took a wide path around. Uncertain if she had alerted the stranger to her presence, Carolina weighed the chances of this loner being affiliated with a pack or group. Judging from the girl's emaciated state, the odds were in Carolina's favor. Still, she made sure to approach from downwind.

Her gait was stiff, and her attention focused to a fine point as she walked up to the water's edge (a good ten yards down from the other wolf). She kept one ear, and both eyes trained on the sickly girl as she bent down to drink. Carolina lapped at the water, waiting for the other to initiate contact.