Golden Glade In my mind

After her morning meal, caught by @Jarilo, they both went their own way again. Vela had been looking for Veeri. She hoped to run into the female, even though her chances were slim. She knew she could not even ask strangers if they seen or know the female as she had gotten a fake name. Vela didn't mind it as much as she thought it would. It felt special. Only she got to call the female Veeri. It was like their secret. Vela really felt that she needed to keep it a secret as this female had given a fake name for a reason. She was an enemy of her pack.

Vela had felt bad for some time, as her loyalty was deeply rooted. But she couldn't help but find this female so utterly interesting. So much so that the female had wandered away in thought, away from the mountain her brother was exploring. Vela shook her head, trying to push Veeri out of her head and actually do some exploring. She noticed she was in a forest, tugged against the hillside. She looked around her curiously, as if she had been transported in an unknown location.

oooooh why not!?

As luck would have it, the younger would be running into Vela today instead.  Maia was doing the usual hunting run, but she'd gotten a hankering for something not-ocean, and that meant coming inland.  By the time she'd realized she was near pack lands, she'd ended up having to skirt the Redhawk border entirely, and now it was getting a bit later than she'd meant to stay off.  Oops!

On the off chance of catching something last minute, Maia strolled somewhat carelessly through the wood, not being particularly stealthy in hopes of flushing something out.  And, as she was often guilty of doing, she started to drift in attention.  What was that one boy doing right now, d'you think? The one who showed her his place, on the coast.  What was it about the coast that grew boys so pretty and so quietly adorable?

She was silently grinning to herself on that thought when she spotted Vela and froze.  Oh, uh oh.  Uh, hi! She called, hoping to start things off friendly, especially if this wolf was from that pack nearby and would have issues with her being here.

Vela thought for a moment that she was running into her Veeri. Though she was instantly met with disappointment that it was another female. A scowl turned on her face as fate was not siding with her today. The girl disliked it when things wouldn't go her way. It seemed that she had to be patient. She sighed and turned her frown into a more neutral expression. "Hi," she greeted. It was clear that Vela had not been seeing the wolf she had been looking for.

Vela's stance stayed neutral though. She pushed her annoyance aside and decided that she should be diplomatic. This female didn't smell of any pack or perhaps not one she knew. She was curious to learn more about the world. "I thought you were someone else for a moment," she admitted. "Are you in a pack?," she asked curiously. She was not sure if the stranger was going to grant her info after her display of annoyance.

Woah.  Or not hi?  Maia was taken aback by the scowl, and her own brow creased as she got ready to call her out for being a sour egg.  What was that look for?

She seemed to contain it, but still didn't seem thrilled with Maia being there.  Why was revealed pretty quickly.  Apparently she was looking for someone, and they someone obviously wasn't Maia.

That was no reason to blame her!  I mean, I can pretend to be them? But probably not well. She said, with a somewhat uncomfortable giggle because this had started out real awkward.  Anyway, at least the next question was normal.  I'm not, why? Are you?

Vela raised her brows when the other asked if she could be that wolf. She already gave her own answer which was good because Vela was almost going to say she wasn't as pretty as Veeri. Vela kept it to herself, the tan with dark grey on the female's face was charming in a way. But still, she wasn't Veeri. Vela shook her head in silent answer though.

"Oh. You are a loner?," she questioned. Veeri was a loner. Maybe she knew her? But then... she didn't want to reveal too much. It was still fascinating to the female that some wolves chose to be out on their own. She nodded shortly. "Yes, I am. Moonspear, it is over the mountains," she explained. "I always find it so curious why wolves aren't in a pack. Can I ask your reason?," she asked boldly.

Haha, interest! The girl seemed to warm up a tidge, though Maia still got the feeling she wasn't entirely thrilled about the other girl's being there.  Well, honestly, that was her loss because Maia definitely wasn't gonna be bothered by it, nope.

Used to be in a pack, but now my sister and I are traveling, and we don't need one. She responded proudly, standing a little straighter.  We wanted to see more places and not have to stick around with a bunch of other wolves. Uh huh.  It wasn't a completely lie at least.  I know Moonspear though!  I was there ages ago. She'd met that one lady, the super cool one.  But then... her gaze cooled a little.  My sister said your pack and her and my brother didn't get along.

Vela curiously listened to the female as she spoke about being in a pack but now traveling with her sister. Slowly her eyes widened as the female continued to speak. This sounded like a story she had heard before. She couldn't help but step closer. Veeri spoke of a brother that didn't have good ties with Moonspear! And that she was traveling with a sister! Could it be?

"Maybe I am wrong but it could be that I met you sister!," she spoke, now a bit in awe. "What is her name? Your story sounds familiar," she admitted. Vela glanced over the female but didn't feel that she looked that much like Veeri? "She was very kind to me. Actually, I was planning on traveling with her as well to learn more about the world!"

Fortunately for Vela, and unfortunately maybe for her sister, Maia definitely wasn't suspicious enough to dream of giving a fake name.  Her name's Wraen.  Maybe.  As much as she adored her sister, Maia would be lying if she said it didn't hurt a bit that this stranger had been so enthused by her and was so... not... by Maia herself.  She's pretty awesome.  But she's scouting.  Weird that she didn't mention you.  

Even if she had, Maia still said it, in a slightly churlish way that displayed a bit of her hurt feelings.  She didn't know why she should care about a stranger's opinion anyway.

Wraen. It could be that her Veeri was named Wraen. She slowly nodded. "I think her name was something like that," she lied to the female, not wanting to raise suspicion. Vela could agree with Maia that her sister was pretty awesome. She wanted to scout with her. However, the next words of the female hurt her. Vela couldn't help but briefly frown. She had hoped she had made a good impression on the female. Now she was doubting if the female was even going to meet her.

"Well the meeting was very brief," she spoke and shrugged it off, but inside she was in turmoil as she wanted to make a good impression on the female. "I might have been just one of the wolves she met on her travels," Vela pointed out, which was technically her fear.

The girl didn't seem to mind her jab much, which stunk, but seeing as she was sorta terrible for saying it in the first place she let it go.  We have traveled a lot, she allowed.

Met a lot of wolves too.  And a bear or two, but that was no big deal.  Me and another guy chased it off.  This story was going to get bigger every time she told it.  He was a King, who was cast out of his kingdom unless he could complete the quest to chase the beast away.  And I helped him, so now he owes me a debt too. Oh wow she liked this version a lot.  What else could she add?

Vela slowly nodded when the female spoke, it all fit with Veeri's life so she didn't doubt that this Maia had traveled a lot as well. The female then started to tell a story, since that was what it sounded like, about having to fight bears. Plus, she also had the alliances of kings. Vela slowly nodded. "Impressive," she stated, though she was not that impressed really. Still, the only thing that was cool was that the female had come close to a bear.

"Well, today you met with a princess if that makes this meeting more interesting for you," she pointed out. After all, she was the princess of the Moonspear mountain. Vela quirked up her lips into a grin, raising her tail a bit.

Maia wasn't sure what about this girl rankled her so much, but it was honestly probably that she reminded her so much of Cass.  Just in all the bad ways.  It gave her a competitive feeling, as if she needed to try and one up everything.

Maybe, Cept I am too.  Before I left I was, at least.  Sarah was kinda the inheritor and the oldest, but Maia had told that boy she was a princess and definitely wasn't lying about it.  She just probably didn't look the part quite as much as this girl (which bothered her, yep).  

But I could probably make some kind of story about it. she amended, not wanting to entirely blow the other girl off.  She had loved Cass, much as they had butted heads, and she didn't want to be rude just because she reminder her of her.  Do you have any foes?

Vela was interested to hear that this female was a princess as well, though that was until she left. Perhaps the female didn't have her title anymore because she left. That made her think, if she would leave Moonspear she might not be a princess either. Then again, she didn't think she would ever leave Moonspear.

A story? The female wasn't really that into stories but she decided to give the other a chance. "Yes, the white woman with the black face," she returned to the other. She had been looking for that female ever since her father got so badly injured.

A white woman with a black face.  Instantly Maia's prince came to mind, but despite being visually similar, he definitely wasn't a woman.

Okay then! The best part of stories is they don't have to be true. Maia stopped for a minute, thinking.  How about - You were walking through the forest when you heard yelling.  You went to investigate and bam! There I was, fighting with none other than your enemy.  She was hesitant at first, but once she got into the story, she gained momentum.  She got the feeling that Vela was the type who liked to be the hero, and when she told stories, she aimed to please.

The black faced wolf had me on the ropes! She was towering over me, but suddenly, you leapt in and knocked her aside!  She couldn't believe it.  'You dare challenge me,' Maia growled this in what she imagined to be an ugly voice because villains always had ugly voices.

Now that I was free, I'd of course be encouraging you, but since it's your enemy I can't really help or your honor would be, like, lost or something.  Anyway, you guys have like this big huge epic faceoff and in the end she runs off crying. Maia stopped, and looked thoughtful.  Unless you'd rather kill her in the story? Up to you.

This was going to be a good one to tell Wraen later! She'd have to think up some more to add, and was already doing so even as she waited for Vela's decision.

Vela listened to the story. She was not used to having stories being told. Only when she was a pup really. The female listened closely but it still felt like a childhood story. Maia continued how Vela would save her and fight the female. She did like that part. It made her feel good about herself. However, she wouldn't let the female go off crying. Her nose scrunched up.

"I would kill her," Vela spoke to the female without a moment of hesitation. She would kill the white woman with the black face. "She scarred my father for life," the female spoke to reveal a bit more.

She seemed to enjoy the story, well at least didn't seem to dislike it.  She was intense, though, when she said she would kill her and not let her go.  Maia recalled Treason, and her question on whether Maia had ever killed anyone.  She probably would let them go, even with the reason Vela gave, but she didn't bring it up.

Ok!! So she begs for mercy, but you know she doesn't deserve it.  So you kill her anyway, and she falls to the ground.  Then you go home and your dad is super happy to be avenged and all that.  Yeah?  It wasn't her best work but it was good enough she thought!

Vela instantly nodded when the female spoke. That sounded about right, only there was one thing missing. "I would take her body as a trophy to show off to my dad," she added. Perhaps that sounded a bit macabre but Vela knew that this was the way she would handle things. She was not going to make it sweeter. "Hopefully you keep a fun story from this. This will be my sign to leave you," she stated and before the female could ask her any other questions, Vela dipped her head in goodbye and merged with the shadows of the undergrowth.

- Vela exit -

That was definitely a little dark but the storyteller in Maia loved the additional flavor it gave.  Yes, ok, she killed the woman and dragged her back to show the body to her ailing father, just before he succumbed to his grievous wounds.  That last part she'd keep for herself.

Okay, bye!  Maia watched her take off, hoping she would share the story.  Her hopes weren't too high since Vela had seemed passably interested at best, but there was nothing better than giving stories that then spread.  It meant she'd done something, right? How cool would it be to go somewhere and hear one of her stories sometime.