Swiftcurrent Creek a second try

She found him outstretched next to an untouched kill with a face like a spanked ass - a furry one, but the moodiness shone through. That didn't bode well. Bazi reconsidered her plan to approach him several times before giving in, taking slow, tentative steps into his line of vision after sheltering behind a cluster of rocks.

Unlike Scimitar, Bazi's plea that they depart Swiftcurrent Creek had been born of desperation to escape her problems. Now, days later and with the pack's ranks strengthening each day, she was calmer, and thoughts of running away had all but disappeared.

Carefully, with alert ears and a gently swaying tail, she made her way over to her sour Beta. Within a few feet of the freshly dispatched rabbit, she stopped.

"I made a friend," she announced. "A girl. Her name is Falwasi."