Big Salmon Lake First things first, I'ma say all the words inside my head.

@Wraen :)

Speedy had been traveling for what she thought had to be at least two days. She had decided to follow the water from the last place she had been, but had no real plan or direction. She had sustained herself on fish and water dwelling birds during her trek and had managed to stay out of trouble. She thought she was doing pretty well on her own, but was growing tired of the lone wolf lifestyle. She was a very social wolf and needed the company of others to feel complete. 

She continued to resent the unwanted companion that was her loneliness as she followed the water further and further into whatever direction it went. The previous day, her flowing guide had lead her through a strange place of ash. The air had been heavy with the scent of burned wood. There had been no signs of even the smallest amount of life, and it made her feel isolated and lost. She had picked up her pace in that eerie place, wanting to get out of there as fast as possible.

Today, though, Speedy found herself at a large lake. This place was the complete opposite of where she had been yesterday. It was teeming with life. She padded to the water's edge and bent her head down. She gathered the cool liquid on her tongue and brought it into her mouth, liking the way it felt going down her throat. She lifted her head back up and licked the excess water from her black lips. On the other side of the lake, she could see a large herd of deer; some grazing in the grass and some drinking from the water like she had been. She sat down where she was and sniffed the air, taking in the scents of life all around her.

Against the better judgment of not getting too near to Moonspear, Wraen had gone down to Bramblepoint, where a long time ago she had established there a hide-out in an old tree. For some reason a memory of meeting a wolf there by a very peculiar name, but adorable manners, had resurfaced from the depths of her memory. And, while not really hoping to meet the said fellow in her favorite place, she still wanted to visit it. For some reason, having the place all to her own, was very important.

Much to her joy she had found it unclaimed and virtually untouched. Under further examination she found a beaver's skull with a set of menacing orange teeth and remembered, how she and Korei Julia had caught it together in winter. Some time passed with her going around, following various scent trails, and eventually she had climbed up in her hideout, curled up in a ball and fallen asleep. 

When she finally awoke, she had no idea, how much time had passed. The next thought in the row as - whou would care, if she stayed out too long? After all - she had been gone for days before - people knew her habits and did not worry. Therefore she decided to press her curiousity a little further and went through the forest to the other side, where a lake lied. She was thirsty and approached it quickly, only to stop abruptly, when she noticed that there was another wolf already. From the distance she could not tell, whether this was a Moonspear wolf or not, therefore she did not move, but observed the stranger warily.

Not too long after she started sniffing the air, Speedy caught the distinct scent of another wolf. She quickly stood and turned towards the direction of the scent and saw an unfamiliar grey wolf looking at her warily. She had only met one other wolf during her travels and this certainly was not him. She smelled female and unknown.

Not one for being shy, she took a few cautious steps towards the other wolf. Dipping her head in an attempt to display her friendly, non-aggressive intent, Speedy gave a small smile and said, "Hey, there." She gave a small wag of her tail but resisted the urge to trot closer to the other wolf for fear it would startle her. Instead, she waited for the other wolf to respond to her greeting.

It was a relief to know that the wolf was a perfect stranger and not from Moonspear. At least the voice was not familiar and, even if this wolf belonged to the said group, she would not know, who she had been talking to. Having more trouble from her former pack and more issues with the leadership was not on Wraen's list. Not in the near future anyway. 

"Hi," Wraen replied, taking the other's friendly tone as an invitation to come nearer. Which she did, until she was standing within a comfortable talking distance from the other. There she stood and tested the air - the wolf bore no familiar smells. Excellent. "What has brought you out here on your own?"

Speedy lifted her head excitedly when the other wolf replied to her greeting and came closer. She was eager to talk to someone other than herself. She smiled at the grey wolf's question and answered, "I've been following the water for a few days and it lead me here. I left my pack a while ago and have been wandering in search of new pack." She really wasn't sure how long it had been since she left the safety of her family and pack. She just knew it had been a while. 

Speedy sat down before smiling at the other wolf and asking, "What about you? Are you from around here?" She paused for a second before adding, "I'm Speedy, by the way." She had just realized that in her excitement, she had forgotten to introduce herself.

Speedy's cheerful and friendly demeanor was such a welcome change that Wraen responded to it like a plant that has been out of the sunlight too long. She let the girl come near her and listened to her story with keen interest. It was pretty much the same as for the most lone wolves she had run into, but, even if the outline of the scenario was always similar, then the filling was varied and often offered interesting flavours.

"Wraen," she replied. "I live with my pack in that mountain range," she beckoned towards, where Sunspire wolves resided. "And I came down here to hunt and scout a little. A hobby and a hard work 24/7," she added with a light-hearted laugh. "How long have you been on your own?"

Speedy gave a polite nod of her head when the other wolf introduced herself. She listened to Wraen talk about hunting and scouting, and it made her miss having a purpose and and pack to support. She was happy that the other wolf seemed to enjoy her hobbies, though. She smiled and added, "This seems like a good place to hunt." Tilting her head, she motioned towards the herd of deer at the other side of the lake. She figured there were many other types of animals that frequented this area, as well.

At Wraen's next question, Speedy thought for minute before answering, "I'm not too sure. There have been at least two full moons since I left home." It was the longest she had ever been on her own. She had learned a lot and made a lot of mistakes. Before she left, she was sure she had all the answers, but her time on her own had humbled her a little. She was actually thankful for that.

Wraen had not payed much attention to her surrounding earlier, therefore she noticed the deer only, when Speedy pointed out to them. Though the lack of food was not a problem at the moment, it would have been a lot better, if this herd was closer to her home than to Moonspear. Taking anyone here for a hunt would mean trouble, in case the aforementioned wolves decided that everything in the wilderness belonged to their hunting grounds. 

But Wraen had not come this far away to think about problems, she had wanted a distraction and the newly met acquaintance was a such. "I guess then that you are either looking for solitude or in a search for a new group to join?" she asked.

Speedy chuckled a little at other wolf's question before replying, "Definitely not solitude. I'm afraid I'm very ill-equipped for the lone wolf life. It's too lonely." She figured she could sustain herself just fine on her own; that was not what she was ill-equipped for. She was more referring to her complete inability to find any comfort with solitude like some wolves could.

She gave the other wolf a friendly smile and asked, "Speaking of, do you want any company? What are you scouting?" The question may have been intrusive, but Speedy asked it anyway. If she wanted to know something, she always just asked. Sure it got her harsh reactions sometimes, but that never deterred her curiosity. She was pretty open and sometimes forgot that others may not practice the same transparency.

Almost two months ago Wraen had met Indra and they had had a discussion about trusting strangers and the possible consequences. Each of them had very different opinion on the matter, based on different experiences in life. Whereas the young hunter had had very few bad encounters with unknown people, it seemed that Indra had those outnumbering the truly good ones. They had parted then, but Wraen had been a little more careful, when meeting new people ever since. She had caught the warning signs in Indra's voice and they were not easy to forget. 

Therefore now too - when Speedy readily offered her help in scouting - Wraen did not reply positively right away. She stood there contemplating the offer and how to deal with it. The she-wolf seemed harmless enough and yet - whether she could really be sure that there weren't some darker shades hiding beneath the light ones? Then it occurred to her that, as long as she took the wolf closer to Sunspire, the chances for Wraen would be better.

"You can accompany me - I am heading over there," she beckoned to the glistening surface of the Greatwater lake in the distance. "We are in the vicinity of two packs that can be rather hostile, therefore we should better move away."

Speedy watched Wraen consider her offer before responding. She understood. She should probably practice the same restraint, but old habits die hard. When the other wolf accepted her offer, Speedy grew excited to have a task and someone to talk to. The other wolf mentioned being near hostile packs, and Speedy was suddenly glad to be with someone that knew the area. If she had continued her travels alone, she may have wandered into a dangerous situation. 

She smiled at her new company and said, "Lead the way."

"In regards of the two packs I mentioned - one has claimed a mountain and supposedly considers claimed half of the valley over there," Wraen beckoned in the general direction of her former home. "Moonspear is the name, it is lead by a white, freckled wolf Charon, but it is very likely that you will run into Cerberus - three identical twins. Dangerous people, if provoked or... if they think you provoked them, even if you did not," it would be a pity to have another able-bodied wolf mauled by the trio.

"As for the other," she pointed towards a forest further of, "runs by name Blackfeather woods and few moons ago they had a very bad conflict with another pack here that moved away afterwards. I have not run into them, but they are said to be very dangerous people, having their own set of beliefs and violent tendencies. Things might have changed by now - but beware."

"And if you are looking for a home, then there are packs along the coast and - with a permission from my leaders I could lead you to the other side of the mountain range. There are quite a few packs as well," she said. "But I can't guarantee a favorable answer to that request, unfortunately."

"What are you good at? Hunting, fighting, guarding or more along the lines of medics and naturalists?"

Speedy listened carefully as the other wolf described the Moonspear and Blackfeather Woods packs. She had come from he direction that Blackfeather Woods resided in and was glad to have avoided a meeting with them. She had the feeling that she had heard of Blackfeather Woods before and when she finally remembered, she grew worried. That was the pack Her new friend said he wanted to join. She hoped he knew what he was getting himself into. Although, she was pretty sure he could take of himself. 

"I'm lucky to have met you, then, instead of someone with aggressive intentions," Speedy finally said after processing all the information the other wolf had so graciously offered to her. "Thank you for the warnings," she added smiling. 

"I am looking for a home, and I would very much appreciate a guide." She paused and looked away for a minute before looking back at Wraen and adding, "As log as it doesn't cause you any trouble." She hated the thought of creating problems for this wolf that had been so kind to her. 

The other wolf inquired about any skills she may have, and Speedy replied, "Well, my mom was the healer in my old pack, and I had begun learning some things from her before I left. I'd like to continue using those skills and learning more. Although I try, my size doesn't offer much in the way of protection, but I can travel long distances pretty quickly." She hoped her skills could be of value to a pack eventually. She had never let her size get in the way of finding other ways to be useful.

"No trouble for me," Wraen replied, because she would have been heading towards Sunspire sooner or later anyway. And having a pleasant company for a change was a nice thing. 

"A healer? How good are you?" she asked - her pack still did not have one, even though Olive and Seabreeze dabbled little in the craft. She had heard that Terance's sort-of-mate (their relationship and connection was still a mystery to the estranged sister) had given a helping hand, when the bee incident had happened. But whether that had really helped or she would have been better/worse without her assistance, was a very good question. 

They were plentiful living on the mountain already, but - perhaps - if this stranger proved to be good and possibly useful, maybe they could squeeze in another one in the group. By the looks of her, she would do well for scouting and hunting as well.

Speedy was glad to hear that she wouldn't cause the other wolf any problems. Wraen seemed interested in her healing ability and inquired about her level of skill. Speedy replied, "I know some of the basics; how to help pain and help prevent infection, as well as stopping bleeding. I also learned some tricks for minor ailments like stomach aches and coughing." She knew there was more to learn, but her mom had made sure she knew the important things. Had she stayed home for longer, she could have learned more from her, but she felt like she had all the necessary foundations to be as good of healer as her mom was; she just needed to practice and learn, which required a pack.

Wraen had a limited experience in healing and had been lucky not to need a medic's assistance for most of her life. However, the basics Speedy mentioned seemed useful enough, because that was, what most people suffered from, when it came to sickness. She thought about Olive and Seabreeze, who also had some knowledge in the craft and that - perhaps - they could train and mentor a newcomer as well.

"What about hunting - I see that you have fared well during the months of being on your own - what do you work best with? Small game, birds, fishing, perhaps?" this was an inquiry that was important for Wraen, because she wanted to assemble the best team of hunters, when all of the cubs expected this season would be born.

Speedy quickly replied, "I can fish and catch small game, but my real talent lies in catching birds. I don't think they expect me to be so quick." She gave a small smirk as she thought about how much satisfaction she gained every time she successfully caught an unsuspecting bird. 

She gave Wraen a thoughtful smile before adding, "I'm willing to pick up whatever role is needed, though. Although I would like to continue studying as a medic, I am versatile otherwise." She had an accommodating nature most of the time unless provoked. Her tail wagged slightly as she waited to see if the other wolf thought she was pack material.

It was not often that Wraen got a chance to meet a fellow hunter, who was interested in clever ways of catching the feathered beasts. For most wolves, the reason, why they did not bother about avians was that often there was more feathers and bones than actual meat to them. And if other prey was available, then why should they waste effort on such animals. Wraen's motivation, however, was quite the contrary - her aim was to be as self-reliant and independent of others as possible. Therefore she picked up and learned skills that would provide not only for a pack as a whole, but also, when she would happen to be alone. And since she tended to travel a lot - it was a wise choice.

Needless to say that at Speedy's mention Wraen's eyes lit up in excitement and her tail wagged a few times. There was no way of telling, whether Speedy would or could find home among her pack, and therefore she did not want to give any more hopes or hints by asking more questions. But swapping hunting stories and experiences would be a different thing, right? "What a coincidence - I am an aspiring birdcatcher. There is plenty of water-fowl by the lake," she beckoned to the distant line of water, reflecting the sunlight, "and I focus mainly on them. What about you - what birds have you caught? The most magnificent so far?"

The other wolf's excitement was contagious, and Speedy responded with a reciprocal wag of her tail. "Back home, I used to chase these fast birds called roadrunners. They were my favorite to hunt because they were challenging. Most of my experience is with land-dwelling birds," she added when she remembered that Wraen had mentioned water-fowl. "I have caught a couple ducks since coming here, though." It had not been her most graceful hunt, though, as she was somewhat inexperienced at hunting birds in the water. "What about you? What has been you're favorite in particular?" She gave a friendly smile, genuinely interested in what the other wolf would say.

Favorite? Wraen had to rake her memory to pick out happy and fruitful moments related to bird-hunting. It was fun, it was exciting, but in the bigger picture - was more trouble than worth. She recalled egg-cellent egg hunt with Maia, but that did not particularly count as bird-catching. Meetings with swans and geese could be considered interesting , but not pleasant in the least. And then she recalled Sunny and how they had gone for turkeys. Fat critters and one time she had not ended up being soaked to the skin with water or suffering from blows of bird's wings, nails or talons. 

"Turkeys, I think," she replied, but she was more interested in those fast birds Speedy had mentioned earlier. "Roadrunners - what are they and do you get them here as well?"

Speedy's face lit up at the mention of turkeys. "I've never hunted a turkey before," she exclaimed, excitement on her face. 

When Wraen asked her about roadrunners, Speedy replied, "They're very fast land birds. They're kind of thin, but they sure are fun to hunt. I haven't seen any here, though." She wasn't sure if they even existed here. If they did, she had yet to see any.

Thin and fast-running? From the description alone they did not sound like a prey of much value. But then again - Speedy was young and one (who was not so much older) could forgive her wasting energy on a worthless, hard to get animal for sport. She did not say this aloud and her expression remained politely interested, until her companion had finished explaining. 

"I can't say that I have seen them here either," though come to think of it, some of the waders and shorebirds did fit the description. She had not seen them run though. "So - these roadrunners - the habitat they lived, was it much different from this?"

Speedy nodded at the other wolf's question before adding, "My home is very different from here," she said, surprised by the note of sadness in her voice with the comment. She wasn't sad she had made the decision to leave home, but she did miss her family. "It's much warmer and not quite as green," she added, glancing around at their lush surroundings. Speedy had a feeling she would really be missing home come winter time. The winters where she came form were nothing compared to what she had heard winters here could be like. But, she had left home completely on her own; surely, she could handle a little snow.

She then began to wonder if Wraen had come from a place different than this. She looked at the other wolf and smiled before asking, "Have you lived here your whole life?" 

"Yes and no. I was born up North in a pack located by seaside," Wraen explained, "but my family left, when I was little, and we spent most of my first year as nomads." That had been an exciting time of life.

"Me and my brother Terance came back here last year - to try our luck in the world and we have lived here ever since," she summed up the whole, turbulent year of her life in few words.

By this time they had arrived at the Greatwater lake and Wraen rushed ahead to step in the water and have a drink. With thirst satisfied, she looked at the Sunspire mountains in the distance, then cast a glance back at Speedy: "If you are looking for a home - I could introduce you to co-leaders of the group - Rannoch and Terance. Or - if you want to have more freedom now, but decide to stop by later - that's, where you can find me and call for me." She beckoned in the direction of her home.

Speedy listened while Wraen discussed where she came from and how she came to be here. Speedy had left home all on her own to find her own path, but this wolf's past put hers to shame.

Speedy considered the the other wolf's offer for a minute. When she had left home, her mind was set that she would journey to a new place a join a pack. The last few months spent traveling on her own had really changed some things, though. She had learned things about herself she never knew before, and she found that recently, her goals had changed slightly. Wraen used the word freedom, and it made her realize how much she actually really enjoyed the freedom she had while being a lone wolf. Sure it was lonely sometimes, and she definitely hated that part, but she felt like she owed it to herself to see what else was out there before officially settling down. Besides, Wraen had graciously left the offer open even if Speedy decided to go her own way after this. She smiled at Wraen before finally answering, "I really appreciate your offer, but if it's okay with you, I think I'd like to explore a little more on my own before I join a pack."