Blacktail Deer Plateau wild country

The setting sun glowed like a blood orange as Osprey returned to the plateau, exhausted but content. She climbed up the towpath and flopped just beyond the borders, deciding she would sleep there for the night. After all, why not? She rolled onto her back with a weary sigh, her eyes closing. She fell asleep instantly.

She woke a few hours later to find her father looming over her. "Junior! What happened?" Blinking sleepily, the youth rolled onto her side, propping her weight on her elbow. Her father's cool nose touched the scratches above her eyes, causing her to wince slightly.

"I got attacked by some birds on my way to the bay. I'm okay," she replied. "Why'd you name me after them? They're crazy and nasty," Junior added as she felt herself becoming more awake.

"Jeez, Junior. You scared the shit out of me. I found you lying here, wounded..." Peregrine's lips pursed and his voice trailed off into silence. "You sure you're all right? I can call Aunt Willow to take a look at those." He motioned to the lacerations on her brow and a few others on her face and neck, brow furrowed.

"I'm okay, dad," Osprey repeated, pushing herself into an upright position. "Thistle took care of me, then I spent the whooole day with Ragnar and Tveir. That's why I was so tired, I just went splat! when I got home," the youngster explained. "Sorry I scared ya," she added with a blink of her two-toned eyes.

Her father lingered a moment longer, asking her some questions about her visit to the bay, then made her promise to meet him at the Healer's den for breakfast in the morning before walking off into the forest. Osprey Jr. watched him go, then rose onto all fours and gave her black pelt a shake. She felt wide awake now. She wasn't usually a night crawler, yet suddenly she found herself thrilling to the idea of doing some nighttime exploring.

She'd barely walked five feet before something in a nearby bush rustled tellingly. The young she-wolf froze, one paw suspended in the air, and stared, watching and waiting...