Greatwater Lake A story to tell

It was unusual to find a source of water that was not frozen solid during the winter-time, therefore Wraen was pleasantly surprised to arrive to a big lake and see it's iron-gray waters shimmering in the dim sunlight, undefeated by the cold temperatures. The area was beautiful as well, the banks surrounded by tall trees and interspersed bushes of various sizes, and it was there, where she heard the first bird-songs of the season. Which despite the fact that weather spoke otherwise, informed that spring was not too far away. 

Wraen drew closer, stopping by the coast, having a drink first and then spent some time observing the mallards that were swimming around in the water, having their important duck talks and occasional loud "haw-haw-haw", which sounded like laughter about some great joke and made the hunter smile herself. She began walking along the coastline, tracking the footprints and trails left by other waterfowl that had sought a shelter here.

When she leaves the borders of the forest, she spends time rubbing against the snow and ground beneath, trying to shed the scent of death behind. Having returned to the area—a foolish mistake—she knows the other wolves wouldn’t be so happy to see them back. But they do not know her. She does not know the things the forest does. She barely speaks the words they so smoothly use but she doesn’t mind. All she wants right now is to explore her new surroundings. There hadn’t been much chance prior to the war, a risk of running into unsavory wolves, but now she can do it. If she’s smart about it.
 
Shivali licks her lips as she crosses then thin layer of snow. The lake in the distance holds her attention and it looks like the beginning of spring is settling in. As someone used to snow year round, she doesn’t know what to make of this new change she’ll face.
 
Across the way is another wolf, grey in color and walking along through the banks. The pale wolf watches the other in patience without getting too close lest she make an enemy so soon.

Though Wraen had heard a great deal about the pack, which resided in Blackfeather woods, how dangerous and deranged the members of this group were, and some other wild rumors and yarns (some of them she had spun herself), she had never met one of the villains herself. She did not know their smell, she had no idea, how any of them looked like, so - basically - she would walk past one without having the slightest suspicion. 

Therefore, when she noticed a wolf standing in a distance, regarding her with a careful glance, Wraen barked and gave some sways with her tail to indicate that she had friendly and peaceful intentions. The other needn't be afraid.

Outside fleeing from war, Shivali has spent most of her time in this area within the confines of Blackfeather Woods. She only knows the warmongers that came to their borders (not to say they aren’t also the same, or at fault, considering the wolf they were protecting us now gone) and has little idea what their potential neighbors are really like. The stranger in the distance is the first she’s encountered and Shivali isn’t entirely sure what to make of it. 

The other radiates friendliness, at least, so she doesn’t feel the need to retreat for the safety of herself (and others) so she proceeds with caution. She moves closer to the water, gaze flicking between the shoreline and the other, until the ground is wet and she can dip her head for a drink. Her own tail sways back and forth a little, lifting her head again and licking the droplets from her muzzle, still keeping an eye on the stranger.

The other responded in the same calm manner (maybe a little more cautious than Wraen though) and thus encouraged the girl drew nearer, until she was standing few feet away from the white she-wolf and could perceive her smell better. It was foreign, gave an impression that many were woven together to form a uniform one. 

"Hi," she said after the initial examination did not reveal anything wrong or bad about the stranger. "Did you come to hunt here as well?" it occurred to her that she should have introduced herself first, but the neccessity of this part of common courtesy would reveal itself in time.

Shivali watches the other approach while she cleans her muzzle and glances behind her to make sure she has a clear path of retreat. If the wolves she is housed with are enough to incite war, she doesn’t need strangers attacking her for another’s crimes.
 
“Hallo,” she greets in the same clunky manner, mimicking the common tongue as best she can. The question is only met with confusion. “Hunt?” she asks in return. She can tell it’s a question by tone, at least, but she offers an awkward smile. “No hunting,” she adds. Maybe she’s too close to another territory (but her own isn’t that far, right?) and she’s getting too close.

"Oh... alright," Wraen replied, though felt a little concerned now. It's one thing, if you meet a stranger walking his dog during the night hours - he has a purpose of being out so late. It is entirely another, when a shady stranger lurks around, having no obvious purpose. The young wolf's worry wasn't too great yet, but she was well aware of the size differences between them. And - mind you - the other's speech was a little off as well. 

"Where do you live?" she asked next, because the stranger had not offered any other thread for conversation.

The other responds stiffly and Shivali can’t tell if it’s her broken speech or if something is wrong. Nervously, she licks her lips and looks away, waving her tail a little to make sure she’s seen as friendly. Had she said something wrong in response? Was it an invitation to hunt? She isn’t able to make sense of it, and the next question—this one she’ll nail—doesn’t really clear up the confusion.
 
Shivali opens her mouth to speak, catching herself on the word north. Her former home will do no good here and her current home won’t either, really. “South, on mountain,” she decides, recollecting the spire on her way through to Blackfeather. Close enough. Not too far from where they stand. “You live?” she asks in return.

"A mountain? You must be a neighbour of ours then," Wraen gave the she-wolf a questioning glance and then looked over her shoulder to the mountain range in the vicinity. She noted to mention this to Terance, when she got a chance to run into him. Until then she could find out a little more, if the stranger would be willing to provide more details. 

"There," she beckoned towards the place Sunspire had claimed. "We settled there recently. Did you too?"

What has she gotten herself into? Her jaw tightens as the other speaks and she smiles in return. She’s so nice. Shivali isn’t used to it. The wolves in Blackfeather are a poor reflection and the wolves of the north were far from welcoming. Instead, the other offers information (albeit not much) so easily and by the tone and direction of her muzzle, she’s able to gather enough. The mountain in the distance must be theirs and she nods a little as question. “Sawtooth,” she calls themselves, pointing in the southern direction of the mountain range, miles from where they stand. “We move here,” she decides to add because, why not?

"Aha... never knew the name of that mountain - now that you mention it," Wraen looked in the direction, drawing the jagged mountain range and seeing the "teeth" that had been implied, "That is a very fitting name."

And yet despite the other girl's polite smiles it did not escape Wraen's attention that the girl was not entirely easy to be in her presence. Not for the first time in the run of their brief conversation. "Would you like to hunt? I noticed some rodent and lagomorph tracks here earlier - wouldn't hurt to investigate?" she offered again, hoping that by doing something they would be relieved of the pressure to continue a conversation that would make the other even more uneasy and awkward.

Again, Shivali nods a few times as she tries to follow along. This is what Kove talked about. His use of common tongue is far more advanced than hers and while he is not here to help, he isn’t far, and she doesn’t have to feel this isolation for too long. Eventually, she can return to the woods and find him, reminding her that she isn’t entirely alone.
 
The stranger brings up hunting again and she wonders if she misunderstood the first time, licking her lips and nodding dumbly to follow along. If no hadn’t been the answer to the question the first time around, then surely yes is? Either way, her tone is invitation enough ah she takes a few careful steps forward.
 
“Me Shivali,” she tells her, smiling a bit wider to extend the call for introductions.

"Charming," Wraen replied and smiled at Shivali. By now it occurred to her that the person she had met was not so fluent in the language and therefore any complex speeches and ideas and long ramblings should be avoided. This would be hard - worth a sigh - but she would try her best. After all choosing and saying only the words that mattered was sort of a training too. 

"Wraen," she gave her own name, though for a moment it felt like they had introduced themselves earlier. Perhaps not and this feeling was just a leftover memory from other encounters. "Let's go here," she told the other and started at a quick, determined pace towards the Eastern corner of the lake. 

Here and there she stopped to sniff the ground and follow some tracks, often she cast a glance over to her companion to make sure that she was still there, and then resumed her way.

Something changes in the other but Shivali can’t put her paw on it. With their names exchanged, they are no longer strangers—friends? Maybe—but she isn’t accustomed to wolves here yet. Everything begins to fall into place, too, as Wraen moves forward and sniffs the ground. It confirms the initial question and she follows suit, putting her own nose to the ground and sniffing off in another direction.
 
Movement catches her attention as her new companion looks over and she pauses, mouth ajar, but returns to the search. Something tickles her nose and she locks in, quickly moving away with a low, undisrupted chuff about her find.

There weren't any fresh tracks in Wraen's path, but she was quick to notice that Shivali had got onto something. The young hunter turned around, let her companion walk ahead and then examined the trail she had left behind. This was certainly interesting and, along the way, she collected as much scent particles as she possibly could. The taste was delicious and promising, though her memory had not been able to put this particular odour together with an image of the creature it could belong to.

Shivali’s nose wrinkles when the scent gets strong. A glance back shows her new companion following along and she’s able to continue while one ear attentively hangs back to listen. Eventually, she finds fresher tracks in the snow as they lead away and up ahead proves she’s been on to something. Her gaze leaves the ground, looking down the bridge of her nose and out across the snow to the dark blip of a badger. It isn’t all that familiar to her but surely all rodents are relatively similar. She looks back to Wraen a beat later for direction now that they’ve found what they’re looking for.

The scent grew stronger and around the same time Shivali spotted the animal they had been tracking Wraen caught sight of it too. Seeing the triangular face and black and white markings, her first impression was of the similar cretaure she and Nara had encountered. However, it's size, it's stocky and low-slung body and the gray agouti pattern and tail that was entirely different, told that this was something novel. 

She let out an excited quiet whimper and her tail wagged in happy anticipation of a hunt. Before moving onwards, she gave her companion a questioning look - in case she had any suggestions or instructions, how to proceed, and if not, she would simply go ahead and try her luck in catching it.

They both lock on to the same thing. Wraen’s excitement comes out in sound and her tail waves a few times and she glances back and forth between the two a few times to make sure she understands what she’s trying to get at. With a twinkle in her, she gives the woman a nod of her head to go ahead and do what she wants. If she begins to pursue, Shivali falls in behind her and offers backup should the creature dart one way or the next, she would be ready.

I took this video as a reference - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-EH2LahSI4

Wraen was given a free pass - she nodded in acknowledgement and then darted around and ahead of the furry beast to get a better look at it and measure the best angle in order to tackle it. Badger took notice and changed his trajectory, not being particularly interested in, whatever was going on in the hunter's mind. However the latter was not going to give up just like that, she lunged and grabbed hold on the badger's scruff, thus pinning him down for a moment and then it started to move around and free itself from the wolf's grasp.

The woman takes off after the badger as soon as she’s given free reign over it. Shivali is quick behind her, watching as she takes the creature by the scruff. At first, she does not offer any help—had she wanted it solely for herself, even if she’d found the scent trail?—but she does not stay still for long. Soon, she bolts forward to the other end, the smaller animal barrel rolling in the hold of its scruff, and she latches on to the opposite end during the squirming. Her mark is not for long and it slips between her teeth with torn flesh, but she does not let it get far or out of reach before she’s trying again to keep it still for her companion.

Wraen's companion did not have to be told twice about, what should be done. The pallid she-wolf joined in the hunt swiftly and effortlessly and got hold on the other end of the badger. With this done, the next action should follow, but Wraen found herself a bit in a limbo. What now? If she let go of badger's scruff, it would break free and attack himself, if Shivali did something differently, the result would be the same. And in the midst of all the thinking the prey continued to fight back. Boy, did they need a third pair of paws now. 

She decided to push her luck, she let go of the badger, who wasted no time to attack the side of her face. Teeth grazed against her fur and skin, but she was quicker and this time grabbed hold on the loose fur on the side of the animal's neck and attempted to lift it up a notch. The beast was heavier than she thought, but for the time being it's head and neck were immobilized and it could only continue to kick and claw with it's paws.

The badger flails in their grasp, trying use his back legs for leverage. Shivali has him lifted off the ground a bit, only tugging back when he twists and turns. Dark eyes look down the length of the overgrown rodent at her companion just as she legs go. Eyes widen in mild surprise but she holds on. The creature seems to have forgotten her as it only goes toward Wraen at first—in a flash it has gotten a claw across her muzzle—and in the next instant, she’s back on the upper half.

Shivali growls as the other bucks and flails in their mouth. Between the two of them, they can surely rip the thing apart? She gives it a tug to try and force it to lose control but her teeth sink in and with power built up in her jaws, she bites down on the pelvis and lower spine until enough crushing causes a scream and the lower half to become still.

Wraen's hunting companion was fiercer than she had expected her to be - she easily broke the spine and pelvis of the badger (it seemed like that from her point of view) and the remaining "functional half" on her end went limp as well, as it experienced the shock of immense pain. Having hunted many critters by now, she did not let it suffer for long. She put it down and crushed it's windpipe between her jaws, until the animal stopped breathing. 

With this done, she took a step back and regarded the animal in silence, then looked up at Shivali, smiled and said: "Good job!" It was now to decide, what to do with it, how to divide it.

It doesn’t take much more before the thing falls still and slumps on the ground. When it’s all said and done, she drops her half and wags her tail. The woman speaks her praises and she chuffs a little in return. After such an awkward beginning, they managed to do something seamlessly and she’s thankful. Though her stomach now hungers for the spoils of their kill, she finds herself taking a step back. 

”Nakummek,” she thanks her with a dip of her head in gratitude. ”I go now,” she says with a point of her nose and begins to step away.