Otatso Wetlands Following the stream up north

ooc: @Scarlett

With the discovery of the Traveller's root, Hedda's curiousity sparked and she postponed returning to the coast, in order to do more thorough exploring of the lands here. There was an old truth that one weed never grew alone. If such an exceptional plant had found it's place here, then there had to be more, even though the spring was neither good for the search of herbs, nor suitable for harvesting and using them. But she hadn't spent her life in learning the ways of gods and their carefully hidden gifts in this world for nothing.

Contrary to the title of the thread her path had led her Southward again. The weakening connection to the ocean and her master was keenly felt, but she ignored that. Longing was for pitiful creatures, she had a job to do and the only thing her master cared about was the result. Not the means, how she achieved that. The area was pretty diverse - from vast flatlands, to forests, to hills and mountains and... swamp-like areas.

Hedda stopped, sniffing the air of the wetlands, tasting and analyzing every single bit of information she could get. So far there was nothing she could use, but it did not mean that the earth was not hiding anything.Therefore she proceeded, scanning the ground with her nose and occasionally lifting her head to listen to the sounds around her.

Luckily I spotted this! The tag didn't work!

Scarlett was almost nervous to leave the comfort of her own valley. The recent alpha was growing more confident in the area she knew as her own. After the boulder path that was the exit and entrance of her home her title didn't mean a lot. But her search for Néa was driving her out. Blasted child, Scarlett dared to think. Like any mother she loved her kids immensely but at certain times, sometimes that love could also drive one crazy. She hadn't seen her precious teenager for almost two weeks nows. It was starting to worry Scarlett. The red eyed female thought about the field trip she had taken Néa on while they were still at DFG. She hoped her little healer would be there to find herbs.

It was that mentality that got Scarlett to carry herself to the wetlands. She had to cross Wapun meadow, which had strange scents of a small band of wolves. To then pass Duck Lake she used to hunt with Crëyr. All these memories. Eventually Scarlett entered the wetlands. Maybe she could snack on frogs like last time. But first things first. The red eyed female let out a long howl for her youngster. Followed by another one which sounded more like a plea. She listened quietly for any response. Scarlett decided to trot further into the wetlands. Maybe her howl didn't reach the other end....

Hedda was not mistaken - after a little bit of time spent searching, she caught the unmistakeable aroma of the wild rosemary - such a princess name for such a noble plant. Again - it was not the season and the scent was not that distinct and prominent as it would have been, when it came to full bloom. It was useless in it's current form too, but knowing the location of the source was always useful. Therefore, ignoring the fact that her feet began to sink in the water, when the soft surface she was walking on gave way, the witch proceeded at quite remarkable pace, sometimes padding, sometimes leaping from spot to spot.

She had found the place, where the scent was the thickest and recognized the plant she had been looking for, when a lonely howl raised in the air. From what Hedda could tell, the person in question was searching for someone. It also saved her the disappointment in finding out that this particular spot of land was claimed by someone/somebody. She cast a quick glance around, memorizing the most important details and then left it, heading in the direction she had heard the call first. Others may have run at the prospect of meeting danger face to face. Hedda was quite the contrary - she was the worst thing a person could encounter in a desolate place like this after all.

Uhh oh... xD

Scarlett trotted through the wetlands, occasionally she needed to swim since her legs weren't as long as a normal sized wolf would have. She was slender and small of height compared to others. Her red eyes curiously glanced around. She had gotten herself to the spot where she and Néa picked Canadian Anemone. Scarlett was not a healer but Néa was. The little girl had then explained to her adoptive mother what the use was of the plant in question. A soft sigh left Scarlett's lips. She felt twisted and uncomfortable not wanting to lose Néa again. 

A soft frown came on her face. The white queen was worried about her abilities of being a mother. Maybe Kove and her shouldn't-- But she wanted to. Would it be selfish to become a mother even though one knows that she tends to lose her teenagers. Scarlett was being far too harsh on herself as always. Her head snapped up when she thought she saw a dark shadow. She got back on her fours and raised her tail instead of tugging it between her legs. "Who is there?," She called out. 

When Hedda was not busy learning, cooking up new ways of spiritual travels or trying to uncover the cryptic messages her master told her, she would sometimes think about simple and less important things. Such as... the purpose of white wolves. Sure, they looked extraordinary and magnificent, but otherwise their beauty was their greatest disadvantage. If there was no snow, they could not hide efficiently. Like now.

The moment she caught sight of white form flashing briefly among the trees, she knew she had found her target. When it called out again (how foolish), Hedda stopped briefly, wondering, how stupid and desperate the wolf had to be, in order to literally invite the danger in. But then again... she sighed and rolled her eyes - most people were like this. You just had to accept that not all were gifted with such a clever and calculating mind as her.

She pressed onwards, until the white wolf was clear in sight, feeling an odd satisfaction in sensing her fear. Hedda's pace slowed, as she approached the lonely girl in a calm and confident manner. As if this place was the witch's home and she was coming to greet a trespasser in her garden.

Scarlett watched the back female appear form the bushes, but the way she walked she was certain it was none of the wolves she knew. Her ears flattened and she raised her tail. She was not going to show any fear or at least try to. What would this stranger want from her. Scarlett was always kinda and friendly to anyone, but lately things were changing. She had to be tougher to be an alpha. She needed to be strong and assertive, not kind and gentle. Her red eyes fell straight into the other wolf's eyes. Her tail staying in the neutral zone but high, same as her head. 

"Have you seen a yearling, multicolored and golden eyed?," the red eyed female questioned to the stranger with a firm yet warm tone. She was pleased that it held no quiver or tremble of fear like she expected. She felt a bit more confident to say the least. She had to make sure her little Néa was okay, and if she was gone again then Scarlett wouldn't know what to do with her. She couldn't just leave her adoptive mother again. Scarlett scolded herself for being too kind once more since she went searching for the girl.

For someone, who had happened to be in the witch's garden and caught stealing apples (a very long metaphor) the girl seemed to be very bold, for she rather than showing fear in Hedda's presence, mustered up the courage to stand straight and keep her voice from quivering. Therefore the dark she-wolf came to a halt in a distance that was polite and safe for the other. Trespassing in the comfort zone, however, was very tempting. But reminding herself that she would have plenty of time to do that, she remained, where she was.

A strange place to look for someone - that was the first thought that came to Hedda's mind. She furrowed her brown and cast a glance around - they were somewhere in the middle of the area, plenty of water around and less grass and solid ground to walk on. It would not surprise her, if there were some tricky places too - a little and seemingly shallow puddle could turn out to be a deadly trap that brought you underwater and you drowned. She would not be surprised, if the person the white wolf was searching, had met this kind of fate. With the slight possibility that it had come this way at all.

"No," she said in a bored voice, turning her gaze back to the white wolf. "Though if the wolf in question got lost here - then he or she most likely is not walking among the living anymore," she added as a matter-of-fact.

Scarlett grew uncomfortable with the other dark female. How come all the dark furred females she met were dark of personality. Sen was rather cynical, Lacina was out of her mind, Meldresi was her friends but undoubtedly dangerous and this woman before gave the red eyed female a bad vibe. Her blood like orbs stayed on the female without hesitation. What her inner turmoil was she couldn't show. She needed to appear fearless. In a way this was a perfect exercise. 

"She is familiar with these wetlands. She is a healer. She has knowledge of plants," she returned, clearly confident that Néa wasn't dead yet. Scarlett hoped she wasn't, it would break her heart. "But since you haven't seen her I won't take up more of your time," Scarlett returned politely. She wasn't turning  her back on the black female just yet. Scarlett didn't trust this stranger. 

Somehow it happened that all evil was associated with the black color most of the time. Saruman from LOTR probably was the only exception. Though Hedda would have turned out the way she was, even if she had been pink and purple since birth. It was your personality, who made, who you were, and not the shade of your pelt.

The assumption that the girl couldn't have drowned here just because she had been familiar with the place and was a healer seemed very silly to the witch. Even so that she let out a little amused chuckle. People were so naive, as if life had taught them nothing... After casting a more thorough glance at the young wolf before her, she understood that this specimen was quite young and couldn't have had much bad in her life to learn from. Well, the good thing about bad things was that you did not have to look for them. They fell upon you at the most unexpected moment.

"Are you sure? Because there are many rotting corpses here," she beckoned to the spots, where a deep water-filled hole had disguised itself as an innocent shallow puddle. "How do you know that the friend you are looking for... are not among them?"

Scarlett looked around her with distaste. It was known for cougars to be around here. A lone yearling wolf was an easy snack for them right? Scarlett didn't want to believe her adoptive child was gone. But a dark feeling was settling over her. Maybe Néa was gone. Her red eyes turned sad. "You are right. I am not sure about that." The albino sighed and then was determined to find her corpse if that was the case. The light female moved more towards the water. "Well then I must be going then. Maybe her corpse can be found. I need some peace of mind."

It would be horrible for Scar to find the corpse of a wolf she loved so dearly. A soft sigh left her lips and she shook her head. Scarlett then turned around and watched the north. Maybe she went on a revenge mission on that cannibalistic pack. That would probably end in her death. How reckless of her. Scarlett hated it. Because of the youngsters wrath she might loose her. "I can't loose her now," Scarlett huffed out loud. 

Sensing the other's fear made Hedda gloat and she didn't do anything to hide it either. The witch had always considered love being a fatal mistake and flaw and it was very clear that the white wolf cared for the lost friend deeply. How unfortunate for her and how great for Hedda to be able to see her unhappiness surface. In her eyes suffering was the most beautiful thing in the world. Masterpiece like no other, so many colors, shades and tones. And the way it was shown differed from person to person.

"Or maybe it won't," Hedda added unhelpfully, her gaze still resting at the girl, studying her, learning the details, in order to understand her better. She did not care much, if the wolf found the corpse somewhere. "For, what you seek is the soul, not the corpse. The latter is just a shell that perishes and holds no meaning," she finished.


ooc: I am sorry for taking this so long. If you wish - we can continue, if you don't - then I can write an ending in my next post.

Please don't be sorry what happened in your real life is the worst! I think I want to end it here since it is a rather old thread!

Scarlett frowned slowly at the weird creature in front in her. What she said did made sense. Scarlett was looking for the soul and not body. But maybe she would start to give up on the fact that Néa would return. She should focus on her own family that she was willing to make with Kove. Néa was a lost cause after she had ben tortured. A soft sigh left the kind female. "Well thank you nevertheless," she mumbled.

"I must return home now. Take care," the pale female wished as she turned around and left the wetlands in return for her home. Sadness washed over her and before she knew it Scarlett was crying. It seemed like such a final message and she would miss the little girl badly.