Otatso Wetlands You can pay uncle sam with the overtime

@Wren

Heavily shaded by the tall, willowy trees, the area seemed like it should be a degree or two cooler than the plains, but with the humidity, the air seemed close and thick. Without a breeze to stir the bullrushes the quiet was disturbed only by birdcalls belonging to the ducks and wading birds that called the area home. Followed by their ducklings, several pairs of ducks paddled on the water's quiet surface, chased every now and again by a territorial coot who preferred to keep all others away from its own fledglings. 

Between one winding path of water and the next, the earth was damp and soft, and Lilia found that every step was a struggle. The easiest way to traverse the area seemed to be to move as the waterfowl moved- and once she waded into the deeper waters, she too could then begin swimming along, her chin just above the water's surface, teeth lightly bared as she inhaled through her nose, and casually swam down the slow-moving body of water like a furry alligator.

leaving the date/circumstances on this somewhat vague as the outcome of the meeting with akashingo is still unclear! note to self: edit this later as needed lolol

Returning home meant resuming her duties. Today's list: check the food supplies, tend to scent posts that had begun to fade, and now a patrol of the nearby wetlands to the north. It had become standard; routine, even, and although Swiftcurrent was home, her legs needed to stretch! May as well put it to use.
A mostly flat trail takes her through the thicket, watching as the summery canopy of aspens grow into Pacific willows, the air surrounding her more sticky and dense. Before long, there's hardly dry ground to step on. She squints at a heron perched upon a decaying log and wonders what it sees in the murky mudwater below it.
Her trot comes to a stop at the sight of a family of mallards; younglings in tow of a pair. Part of her wondered whether she should swipe one as a snack for somebody back home, or even for herself — but the thought of a duckbill clamped around her ankle shook that idea right from her head.

Navigating further, she wades through puddles and scares a school of minnows with the power of her step. The water grows deeper, darker, and she's knee-deep in it before she even realizes there's somebody else here. A double take and a sharp inhale of surprise before she calls out, Hey, you! What're you doin' out 'ere?

Lilia's flattened ears lifted when she heard someone call out suddenly, and she paddled in a circle to spot another wolf, up to their knees in muck, up the bank. She exhaled, spitting a bit of water out of her mouth before she paddled toward the closest shore so she could speak, and began to pull herself from the water. Her paws sank into the mud, forcing her to scramble to pull herself out of the water in a patch of tall grass where their roots made the ground just a bit more firm. 

"Thcoutin'," She said, before she shook the water from her pelt. She looked back toward the stranger, whom she'd initially thought was male, due to their size, before realizing she'd been wrong. "Eathier to thwim than walk through thith muck," She said, lifting a paw and grimacing as several clumps of dark, heavy mud fell from it. "What're you doin' out here?" She called back.

A woman. Such an odd accent, Wren had thought, although she quickly realized how rude that was and decided to refrain from speaking that aloud. Unless this stranger gave her reason to, at least.
I live here, she answers plainly, a crease between her brows. Er-- near here. Swiftcurrent Creek. Whad'da'ya know, I'm scoutin' too, she's quick to back up onto the bank, lifting a hind paw and shaking it rapidly. Lukewarm bog water was not a good feeling to be carrying around. Who're you, and where yah scoutin' from? an honest question, although it came out in a suspicious, raspy tone as she paces the side of the bank. Tail flagged high above her withers, she eagerly awaits the answer. From what she could tell, this woman was not of the Valley, was she?

In the wetlands? Lilia almost fired back the question, confused as to why anyone without properly webbed feet would choose to live in a place like this when an explanation was offered. Her lips drew together in a thin line as she considered the name of what she assumed to be a pack- one that was nearby. It wasn't often that Lilia ranged much past the wetlands, given the difficulty it posed, but perhaps it was worth investigating if Swiftcurrent Creek was a pack they ought to know about. 

"I'm Lilia, I'm from Redtail Rise," She said, gesturing off toward the Northwest, though any sign of the Rise would've been impossible to see with the tree cover being what it was. "I don't usually come thith faw inland, but," She said, and shrugged. "Wanted to thee what wath out thith way." She explained.

Redtail Rise. Doesn't ring a bell, Wren's shoulders move in an up-down motion akin to a shrug. you must've come far, eh?
Wren had little obvious reason to be suspicious; the Redtail woman seemed harmless enough, although admittedly, it was concerning to know that a stranger of the north was curious about who lived this far out. There would be no conquests of land on Wren's watch. She made a mental note to alert Akavir and Arric as soon as she returned home.
Pacing in a slow circle, she comes to a halt at the base of a tree, settling down into a sit. The name's Wren. S'kinda weird that a bog sits in the middle of this valley, isn't it? Casual, friendly conversation. There was no reason to start a fight if it wasn't necessary, though her gaze was keen. A studious once-over from the black-brown paws to the golden crest of her throat until eye contact is made. She is littered with recent, pink-red wounds, and Wren can't help but wonder where the hell they came from. Kinda cool, though, I guess. I like finding places I can be alone for a bit. Exploring.

Notoriety would have been flattering, but likely detrimental too. She’d heard nothing of the place Wren called home, but like the Rise it was likely a matter of distance. Many miles of land stretched between the Rise and the Wetlands, and she’d never been this far East. ”Yeah, couple o’ days of travel,” She said with a light shrug. Not too difficult for her, considering most of the travel had been flat and in fair weather. 

Lilia didn’t find the place that unusual. ”Eh, lowlandth like thith tend to have lot-th of either runnin’ or thtandin’ water tho I’m not too thurprithed,” She said. After all, Frogspawn Swamp and Cricket Creek Bog were near her own pack lands- she saw this sort of territory lots. ”Doeth your creek lead to thith wetlandth?” she asked. Perhaps it was the way Wren had found her way here.

She felt herself being checked out, and didn’t flinch. She noted the heron in her peripheral vision as it strode out into the water, staring hard as it watched for fish. She cracked a toothy grin. ”That maketh two of uth,” She said.

She thinks a bit about how much she would be willing to tell this strange girl with the lisp. Was she asking for directions? Or was it well-intentioned? I'm not sure, is what she lands on, giving a light shrug of her shoulders. I don't really know much about the waterways, yanno? S'why I'm scouting. At that, a dry chuckle.
She decides to weave between the trees and circle back to where the family of mallards were, but they're long gone by now. Disappointing, somewhat.
So, she swivels her head back in the direction of the girl. you live, like, wayyyy up north, right? You like it? Not that I'm looking to move, just, uh, curious, I guess. Because since when was curiosity a crime?

She found it a bit suspicious that Wren somehow didn't know whether or not her pack's water source was connected to the wetlands. Lilia had scouted enough to know that ponds and lakes could grow rivers, streams and creeks that could also branch off and become wetlands and swamps. She thought perhaps that the silver female was being coy, and trying to hide the exact location of her pack. Maybe she felt Lilia might be a spy, or maybe she'd come off as being untrustworthy. Not that she minded- it was almost pleasing to be denied information if it meant she looked tough. 

She decided not to press for information. If Wren wanted to keep that to herself, she could. She moved, and Lilia watched, following her movements without worrying that Wren might come too close. "North-Wetht," She said, and she shrugged. "It'th jutht a couple dayth travel," She said. "You nevuh been out to the coatht?" She asked.

No, actually, a light shake of her shoulders, early July humidity clinging to her with strong hands. I've never gone north of the Sunspires. Maybe one day, if I have the time, though. Musing aloud to a stranger, and she knows this, but oversharing was an art Wren was masterful in. That's the one thing that sucks about being in a pack. I love it, I do, and I thought maybe I was done wandering, but... apparently not. Because here I am.
She wonders what a beach might look like. Having grown up in a land of inland hills and rivers, sprawling greenery and wiry ferns, the mere concept sounds foreign. The valley was the closest to familiarity she'd had yet to find — familiar enough, but not where it made her heart squeeze with burning memories.
What's it like, the coast?

In a way, it was affirming to hear that Wren had never been to the coast- it meant to Lilia that perhaps she was a good scout, and potentially knew more about ranging than the other wolf did. It didn't make her better, but it did make her feel better and she enjoyed that feeling. But she was generous when she was in a good mood, and Wren stoked her enthusiasm for the trade given the fact that she too appreciated what it was like to roam. 

"Sure, if it'th yuh job, you can take thome leave an' go out an' exthplore a bit," She said. "I'm a pack wolf too. Tho long ath everythin'th goin' alright at home, I can go out an' thcout. It'th worth it, in the long wun. Takin' track of herd movement-th, meetin' other wolvth, gettin' to know where the other packth are..." She said. She was certain she wouldn't have to sell Wren too much on the value of a pack having a scout, but she was plenty happy to volunteer some arguments, should Wren need some to present to her own alpha. 

"The coatht ith totally worth the travel," She said with a nod. "Goeth on an' on in two directionth forever. An' the theafood ith tuh die for," She said, eyes rolling back a bit to accentuate her point.

Scouting as a job?
You can just, like, do that? she seems aghast, a bewildered look to chocolate eyes. Huh. Maybe I'll talk to him about it. We could probably benefit from an ambassador, at least, right? She says, as if Lilia knew a damn thing about the Valley trio. But with how the trip to Akashingo weighed on her mind, Germanicus, the trial — everything felt tense, shaky; as if one wrong move would make somebody split.
But in truth, she felt guilty for wanting to pursue such a trade — hardly was she at home at all, as of late, and the responsibility of Gamma hung high above her head. The Creek was flooding in many ways. But it was useful, was it not? As far as she knew, no one had even thought of pursuing it. No one else got out very much to begin with.
The sky above had faded into a ruddy orange, pink-tinted clouds overhead visible between the fronds of the willows around them. As Lilia speaks of seafood, Wren's gut twists; for now, Swiftcurrent needed her home.
I should probably go back to them, she grunts, an idle swing of a foreleg across the moss-laden ground. But if I ever come to the coast, I'll find you, and you can show me where to catch the best seafood, eh? And with that, a toothy grin.

She blinked, astonished. What was Wren's pack like, if she was only now learning that scouting could actually be a profitable employment for a pack wolf? "Uh, of courthe!" She said, trying not to sound too bewildered. Her eyebrows lowered, but she smirked. "Girl, you can do whatevuh you want, tho long ath you can talk your way into it," She said with a coy roll of her shoulder and a chuckle. If nothing else, she hoped Wren might approach her leaders just for the sake of seeing how flexible they could be with trades. It sounded as though she had new motivation to try, at least. 

She gestured in a direction and Lilia's gaze lingered there for a moment. Toward the hills, she thought- though it could've been a meaningless movement. Not that Lilia intended to stalk Wren back to her pack but...The reference might be helpful. She winked, and stepped back to peacefully withdraw from the conversation as well. "I can hook you up, sure," She said. After all- she knew the way to the ocean, and knew wolves who could help her find some good eating along the coast as well. 'thafe thcoutin'," She said, before she turned, and waded back into the dark waters, and swam off, allowing the current to help carry her downstream.