Dawnlark Plains checkpoint

Her long tail swung as she moseyed along the borders, sniffing at the markers and refreshing them wherever necessary. Masquerade typically squatted when she relieved herself, though presently she only dipped her hips. She didn’t want to be too vulnerable near the borders and, besides, it was a demonstration of her position in the hierarchy.

She was midstream when a howl rose into the air. Masque turned her ruddy face toward it and sniffed the air, idly at first and then more deliberately. She straightened her back and began loping toward the plain to the south. With every step, the scent grew stronger in her nose.

When she spotted the white she-wolf, the Caru paused for a moment. Her fur rippled. Without any other warning, she galloped toward the stranger with a snarl of warning, meaning to drive her further away from the rise.