Gyrfalcon's Keep lurch into the fray

despite the cloudless weather, the atmosphere clung to a chill which deepened as she drew near to the coast. this she preferred, this cold air; clean and fresh and easy to breathe. she had reached the summit of the small mountain, toying with thoughts of the coming spring and summer. would it be colder close to the ocean during the warmer months, as well? possibly, she could escape the oppressive heat of summer which she so hated if she chose this area to call her new home.

cries of falcons joined the distant hiss of the great water. her rosy eyes clung to the bright sky as she stretched out on her stomach and rested her snout between her dark paws, tracing the flightpath of the single gyrfalcon which soared high above. the winged creatures saw the coast fit to take up residence in, and she wondered why.

Upon being released from the figurative constraints of childhood, Chacal decided she would take a bit of time to roam and explore the lands a bit further away from home than she normally would. She felt it was time to earn a bit of independence by learning to travel and track her way through foreign lands on her own, using her nose and her sense of direction as a means of keeping track of where she was so that she could find her way home. Simple enough, she thought- if she simply stayed along the shoreline. All she would have to do to get home would be to travel North by the sea's edge, and it would lead her back to her home. 

So she decided to rove inland to challenge her sense of direction a bit more, and found herself drawn toward the first mountain she had ever tried to climb. It surprised her how much more difficult it was to climb something taller than the cliffs. She wound her way up the incline this way and that, so that it might be easier, but still found herself winded by the time she was able to take in the view of the lands that surrounded the small peak. 

She was surprised when she caught sight of a figure in the distance whose pelt at first resembled her mother's so much that she wondered how her mother had beat her here. But...The form was different, and she realized soon enough that the highlights of her pelt were different too- but still, she felt drawn to get closer and see who this was, just out of curiosity.

the gyrfalcon continued on its path until it disappeared into the horizon. undoubtedly, it had gone off to hunt, and she wondered if it had a nest somewhere. she knew little about the birds, though, and it was possible that this was not nesting time for them. in her watching of the bird, her gaze had trailed back down to earth and it met the sight of a lone wolf, her coat the color of charred wood.

hollis stiffened. the solitary figure was drifting closer, so that her distinctive gold markings were visible. the scent of others lingered on her fur, leading hollis to assume that she had come from a pack, or at the very least, a traveling group of loners. there were more where she came from, then. uncomfortably aware of this inherent danger, the lighter-furred she-wolf lowered her posture, her ears flattening against her skull, her tail hanging between her hind legs. 

"H-hello, miss." her voice came slightly ragged. it had been a long while since she had spoken to anyone.

The female looked up, but quickly deferred to Chacal, offering a subservient posture with her head and tail that made Chacal's heart twinge slightly. There was almost a rose-gold glint in the female's shy gaze, and she spoke with a voice that was somewhat hoarse, but not unkind. Chacal's feathery tail waved from side to side at her heels, and she kept her posture supple and relaxed, hoping that it might put the ethereal, earthy female at ease. 

"Hello," She replied, with her singsong voice. She continued, using a melody she had been working on for some time, which would allow her to introduce herself. Her tune was subtle and lilting, just contoured enough to be considered a tune without being too disjunct or dramatic to distract from her simple message. "My name is Chacal Dahomey-Rivaini."