Redtail Rise sunrise on the ridge

Astera had never been farther from the cliffs. She had managed to sneak off the previous morning, when everyone was occupied with food and the new pups. However cute as they were, the now month old critters provided Astera with a distraction every now and then, an opportunity to travel farther than her older packmates would approve of. 

It had all seemed fun at first, but after a day's traveling, hunger and fatigue had caught up with the four month old pup. She dragged her sore paws with each step, scanning the bushes for berries she know were safe to eat. The terrain had quickly changed around her. There were more trees and rocks, and the vast ocean was no longer visible. The night grew colder, so Astera curled up under a tree, and let sleep take her.

She woke up, less tired, but even more famished, to the birds chirping. The sun had started rising, signaling a new day. Oh no! Astera had lost track of time. Now everyone will know I am missing! She got to her feet, stomach rumbling. There was no time to eat, she just had to get home, and hope she was not missed. The trouble was, she had forgotten which way to go. The air smelled of dense trees, rather than salt water. It's ok, I am not lost. I just need to go this way. No, this way. 

All wolves not from Sapphique welcome

Lilia's patrols seemed never-ending, likely because summer had brought with it a sense of peace. Fewer wolves travelled in search of a home for the winter, and she suspected they might not likely get any new joiners until the weather began to change. Still, there were many other reasons to patrol and while it had seemed mundane for the past week or two, it was still well worth her attention. If they ever let their markings slip, another predator might take advantage of the situation and try to raid a cache, or even make a run for one of their younger members if they were desperate. 

She caught sight of a young wolf travelling close to their borders- and by the direction the girl was travelling in, she likely didn't know where she was going. The girl smelled of Chacal and the sea, and was unmistakeably one of their neighbours...Perhaps one from this year's litter. Too young to be one of Mireille's, she thought. 

"Heya," She called out. Her hackles lifted slightly, but she allowed her tail to swing. They didn't have an open border policy with Sapphique- but this was a kid. Lilia figured she'd go light on her. "You uh, you know where you're goin'?" She asked.

A voice behind her made Astera's pale fur bristle in alarm, though she quickly calmed her nerves as she realized the wolf meant no harm. This was a yearling, not much older than Suzu, but Astera was wary, as she was not from Sapphique. Astera answered honestly when the wolf asked if she had any direction of where she was headed, though she didn't like admitting that she was lost. No... I went exploring but... I dunno where to go now. I am from Sapphique. Perhaps this wolf could help her.

The kid was obviously lost, but fortunately she wasn't going to be a brat about it. And so, Lilia responded in kind, giving the girl an understanding nod. "Yeah, I got lotht when I wath a kid too." She said. Of course, their situations were quite different- at least this child seemed to know where she'd come from. Lilia hadn't, and once she'd started going in the wrong direction, she just kept going. 

"Right now, you're at Redtail Rithe...We're yuh neighbourth, tho, you didn't go too far....Thtill, lucky for you. I know where you're from, an' how to get ya home." She said. "I'm Lilia. You one of Chacal'th kidth?"

Getting lost seemed to be a common trouble for explorers, Astera decided as the wolf shared her own experience. I love scouting... but I don't think my packmates will be happy I left without permission. There was no harm in admitting the obvious, as Astera hoped this wolf could help her get home. She wagged her tail, when her thoughts were confirmed. Could you please tell me where to go? When the yearling asked about her mother, Astera once again replied with honesty. Yea, Chacal's my mom. I'm Astera, Lilia's a nice name. Astera left out the part about Chacal not being her birth mother, as she was her mother in every other way.

Lilia shrugged; of course, she could empathize with wanting to explore and scout, but knowing how worried her family must be, she couldn't completely reward Astera for wandering off. Much more dangerous things lurked out in the wilderness, and Astera was quite fortunate that she'd ended up on friendly territory. 

"Thankth," She said, and she gestured with a flick of her muzzle. "I'll walk ya there. Quicketht way ith back through the Tangle, an' it can be confuthing even for thcout-th like uth," She said. A quick trip to Sapphique and back wouldn't hurt. She knew the way well, and wouldn't have felt secure simply sending the neighbour's daughter off on her own through what was essentially a prickly maze. "One of the eathietht wayth for you to fin' your way home ith gonna be thmell, an' knowing which way yuh goin," She said. "You live right by the ocean, an' the ocean'th Weth-t. If you can find your way to the coatht, you can prob'ly find your way home." She said.

Astera listened carefully as Lilia offered scouting advice. West is where the sun sets, right? She perked her ears, impressed by the wolf's knowledge. Diligently following, she took in the scenery, paying attention to every landmark and detail. I like living near the ocean! But I also think you home's pretty. I guess I like everyplace. Despite her hunger, Astera's tail wagged as she chatted on and on.

"That'th right," She said, with a bob of her head. "At night, there'th th-tarth you can follow that'll lead you wetht, too," She said. Chacal would have little to be worried about, once Astera got her bearings. Wandering off without permission was one thing- but as soon as the girl was capable of scouting and finding her way home, Sapphique would have a treasure on their paws. Lilia thought an adventurer's spirit was an asset to any pack. 

"There's a lot of platheth aroun' here that are kinda neat," She said. "I go on thcoutin' missionth every now an' again. Might thtart takin' thome of the Rithe'th kidth out to learn about navigatin'. If your Mom'd let ya, you could probably come along too," She offered, though another thought struck her and caused her to chuckle. "You're probably gonna be grounded for a bit after thith, though,"

The thought of a joint scouting mission with the Redtail Rise pups excited Astera. Yea! I should ask her... another time of course. Her tail drooped as Lilia pointed out that she would likely be grounded. That's true. I just hope not for too long. The prospect of no more exploration for a long time was saddening, but there were good things at home too. The new puppies are cute though. Mireille had pups a month ago. Astera liked taking her mind of the thought of possible scolding and punishments she would receive upon reaching home.

"Yeah," She agreed. "Bit of time, an' probably if you promith nevuh to go off without athkin', she'll forgive ya, I'm sure." She said. Chacal seemed the sort who might be a bit more strict with her kids when it came to roving away- it seemed Sapphique had lost a number of members not so long ago, and without knowing their exact numbers, Lilia guessed they couldn't stand to lose many more. 

Especially not with there being more children in the pack. "Oh yeah- I thaw huh a couple weekth ago, an' she wath ready to pop then," She said. "How'd she do? What'd she have?" She asked.

Astera nodded in agreement, her mother could be strict, but she didn't hold grudges against her children. I wasn't at the birth, but she did fine. They're four pups, two girls and two boys. The pups were growing swiftly, and were old enough to play with Astera, so she reported on their progress with pride. She loved her little cousins very dearly, even though they were not related by blood.

Four kids! It made sense to Lilia, given just how swollen her belly had looked though Lilia’s seen so few pregnant women in her lifetime that she really had no idea just how different pregnancy could vary from one woman to the next. It all looked so uncomfortable and painful- and yet, she still hoped she might have children of her own the following year.

”Wow. Well let huh know Lilia from the Rithe thayth congrat-th,” She said. Two boys and two girls- a nice even litter she thought. The women of Sapphique certainly were doing a good job of keeping their pack populated with children. ”How many thiblingth have you got?” She asked, curious how Chacal had done in comparison.

Astera nodded once more to assure Lilia she would pass on her congratulations. How many siblings did she have, a question simple for most, but not Astera. Despite being adopted, she only thought of it one way. Family by blood or by heart, it made no difference to her. Oh, I have a brother and two sisters. 

Her eyes widened. She tried to remember how many wolves she'd seen at the pack hunt that had been from Sapphique, and weigh that against how many children they apparently had this year. Sure, there were about three yearlings from last year, and a couple adults...Raelle was among them as well, but eight children in one year seemed like a lot. Sure the Rise had six, but it seemed like they were busy enough keeping those ones both fed and occupied. 

"Wow, that'th a lot of kidth," She said. "Sure, I don't blame ya fer wantin' to get out for a bit." Lilia chuckled, raising her head as a fresh, salty breeze began to filter through the tangle of shrubs. They were getting close, now. "We're almoth-t there now. What're you gonna tell yuh Mom?"

Astera smiled as she continued walking. There were a lot of new pups in the pack, but it just meant more playmates and younger cousins to spoil with toys and treats. The familiar salty breeze hit her nose, and as glad she was to be home safe, Astera once again felt a sense of impending doom when it came to explaining herself to her mother. I guess... I am just going to tell the truth. That I went exploring and got lost. Astera was many things, but a liar was not one of them, and dishonesty would only get her into more trouble. Besides, she didn't have it in her to lie to the wolf who only wanted the best for her.

OK to fade here? :3

Lilia wasn't by nature a terribly honest wolf, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to teach younger generations to do better than what she'd done. Astera had potential, but she'd need to keep in touch with her own inner compass in order to become a good wolf. Lilia knew what it was like to be morally adrift- and while she reveled in it sometimes, there were other times when she felt she might have been happier if she'd simply done things differently. 

She could smell the border markings, and could see glimpses of the meadow beyond the Tangle just up ahead. "Well, I think that-th probably the beth-t you can do." She said. "But, I'm sureyour family'll juth-t be glad to have you back thafe an' thound. You, uh, let me know if you ever wanna go thcoutin', OK?" She said, and gave the girl a grin. "Onthe you're done being grounded," She said, with a wink.

Sounds good! :D

I'm sure it will all blow over after some time. Despite all the fun she had on her little adventure, Astera was glad to be home. Her stomach grumbled once more, and she made a mental note to stop at one of the caches before facing her family. She had really enjoyed spending time with a wolf from another pack, and Astera found herself wondering when her next scouting trip with the Redtail Rise pack would be. Thank you, Lilia! I'm not sure I would have found my way without you. She wagged her tail at the wolf before heading off over the scent lines, back into her pack's territory.