Grouse Thicket A black fly in your chardonnay.

Elfie had insisted on doing a solo-hunt and Wraen had given in to the teenager's whims. Once they were away from the copse and had entered the thicket she knew to be inhabited by birds, but also rather safe to let a bold boy have his own way, she wished him luck, bid him farewell until few hours later and then went the other direction to see, if there was anything to her liking. 

Despite the rumbling groans of the earth and the rockslide in the river the previous week, things had been relatively calm for the Firebird wolves. Wraen, of course, did not believe that this would never happen again and was glad for the territory that offered as many outs and aways in case of need as possible. She was not so sure about the sister-pack, which resided in the valley with only one path in and out, but did not voice her concerns to their leaders. It would feel like an intrusion and everyone knew, what happened with good intentions. 

With her mind occupied with these thoughts and the others, she grew aware of the presence of a stranger wolf only, when it came to her sight and was few meters away from her. The she-wolf seemed to be tracking and one-look down at the trodden path told Wraen, what it was. She moved to the side to have a polite distance and sped up to come in paralell with the grey she-wolf. "Care for a company?" she asked and smiled.