Manifesto

A satiated tongue greedily licked its chops as the last bite of vole disappeared down Tuwawi's gullet. She was about to rummage around the moss for another, but a certain lull in the forest's ambiance alerted the Sveijarn. She wasn't alone anymore. A pregnant pause took her breath away as she waited, listless - listening to the wild for its clues. The evening crickets ceased their melody, and the wind died for a moment or two as another predator entered the glades. One ruddy ear turned to listen for its footfalls, uncertain if the lynx was back to tango again... but the steps were heavy and deliberate.

Tuwawi's slender face turned towards the shadows while dilated pupils tried to discern the figure from among the many trees. He revealed himself; a stoic looking wanderer, large in size but rawboned and battle worn. The darkness masked the more subtle variations of charcoal and silver within his locks, but the wide, blistered scars along his muzzle and chest were easily noticed. Greetings, the vagrant spoke, if this is your claim, then I apologize for intruding upon it, you, and your dinner. I will be gone within the hour. Despite his binary words and neutral posture, Tuwawi remained on guard, stance rather hunched and defensive. The fiasco from earlier had left her shell-shocked and wary; sourly reminded by the bobcat's talons that she was not in prime traveling condition. Her pink belly still sagged, only having recently weaned her young, and her waist carried a bit of paunch. Perhaps it would have been better for Njal to scout... but hindsight always proved to be 20/20.

Silver eyes narrowed, scrutinizing his figure as her gaze danced to-and-fro... there was something so familiar about this man... but Tuwawi couldn't quite place it. She needed to hear his voice again; perhaps that would recharge her memory. "So polite," she observed as a stray lick of her tongue moved between the notches upon her lip in a thoughtful way. "Good to meet you. This isn't my land," she told the stranger, "at least... not yet." The words reminded her to try and show a bit of possession over this domain but, now that the sun had waned the day had been long, there wasn't much energy left. "What brings you to this mountain side?" she asked, stepping a bit closer for a better look.