Hushed Willows in-depths

@Reverie. Forward dated to the 3rd.

The forest was lovely. Calm. Serene. There was no denying that.

It was not what Aliki was used to. She was drawn to water like moths to light. Saltwater or fresh, it made little difference. It was her element. Where she had been born and where she would die.

Her quest for her lost companion had to wait. Hunger had struck and struck hard. She had been hot on the trail of a hare. This one proving more elusive than the last that fell victim to her skill.

But she was getting closer with every step. Again, there were traces of wolf scent around her. With a firm flick of her tail and a tip of her ears, she ignored it. The scent wasn't as strong in this forest. 

She was hungry, far from familiar comforts and would not be deterred. If the wolves were close by, she would face them if they went out of their way to present themselves. 

In the meantime, back to the hunt.

Reverie had started to notice that @Boone always seemed to be nearby, even when she was with others. She hadn't really realized it until he'd appeared to shut down John's talk of religion, but now that she had, she saw the little signs of it everywhere. Another woman might have called him controlling — but then, another man might have called her crazy. Truth be told she felt safer knowing that he was near, that he saw everything, that his dedication to her ran as deeply as hers to him. There was a comfort in it that made her bolder in her wandering.

This time she found a woman hunting in their territory. Reverie sighed through her nose, hackles bristling a little already. Did no one understand what borders meant? She moved to intercept the trespasser, forcing herself to maintain a certain level of neutrality for now. It wasn't polite to go around chasing people off, after all; Reverie still remembered her unfortunate debut in the valley. Hello, She called out, watching warily to see how the other wolf would react.

Just as she was getting refocused on the hunt again, someone did indeed show up to confront her. A beautiful golden and fawn woman, in stark contrast to her grays and black. She offered a greeting, to which Aliki responded with only a quick side eye.

"You did not happen to see a rabbit, did you? He is proving elusive." She wasn't looking too willing on giving up on a hunt she had put this much effort into. But if Reverie objected too much, she would fetch her meal and be on her way.

Omg sorry Aliki, Rev is moody these days

A rabbit. Reverie bristled at the boldness of this pretty-eyed stranger, her jealousy intensifying to a hot flare by the tension of the moment. She was sick to death of letting everyone walk all over her, strangers and friends alike, or so it felt.

Well, I see a lot of rabbits around here, considering it's my home, Her anger was barely contained, but Reverie kept her voice steady as she continued. She fixed the woman with a level stare. You should leave before you get hurt. It was the only warning she would give.

Aww no probs. Aliki has prickly moments as well!

Okay, okay. So she was willing to admit that this time she had stepped in without knocking first. She had underestimated how established this growing pack already was. Now, she faced down potentially ugly consequences.

Only against one visibly irritated wolf. Unlike the last time, her stare did not waver, locking boldly on Reverie's. Aliki played her card as she took a step back, hackles beginning to bristle. The ebony skin of her muzzle was tight, ready for a show of teeth that had yet to come.

"If you insist." She drawled, not without a smug edge in her voice. She would leave, but not go far while she was hungry. Just enough out of reach so she would not offend. "What is the quickest route out of your territory?" Out of her depth, she would not provoke a confrontation. There was no water here. Just rock and soil.

The disrespect was palpable. Her bristling intensified, but Reverie was somewhat appeased when the stranger agreed to her demand. She drew herself up to her full height, a little caught off guard by the surge of pride and aggression lighting her veins. I'll show you, She said, not willing to take her eyes off the woman for even a moment.

This way, Reverie beckoned, turning to lead the dark-furred stranger out of the territory. Her eyes never left the woman, and all the while, that strange agitated feeling filled her lungs and her throat. Disappointment, almost, for the lack of resistance. She didn't want to hurt her — did she?

What if she did?

Aliki had taken the high road and had requested to be shown the way out. She could have chosen to get snippy and instigate the female even further. 

To her words, a silent reply in the depths of her own mind - I doubt you could, on my grounds. She was not foolish enough to vocalize her confidence. Of bragging of her part in the demise of an ex packmate.

Reverie was smart not to have turned her back on Aliki completely. Not that she would have snuck in a nip, even in claimed territory. The Rain wolf kept pace easily, tail floating behind her spine. As if boasting. Showing off her self ingrained confidence, even away from water.

"I will give your space a wide berth, from this point forward." If only for the sake of edict. Leaving the moody female little time to reply, or possibly lash out, Aliki vanished like a storm cloud of greys into the distance.

Will leave this open for a couple days for any cameo howl posts and then I'll archive it <3
@Boone @Blossom @Wayfarer @Kyrell @Reina

A year ago she had come to these wilds and thought it so strange when a pair of wolves chased her from their land. A year ago she'd been found by Bjarna, brought to Kvarsheim, asked to be one of them — and she hadn't known just what that meant, then. It had taken time. Time and so much running and fear and uncertainty, but she understood now.

The woman remained insolent not in words but in posture and demeanor. Reverie snarled faintly as she watched her vanish. Rather than respond in words, she tossed her head back and howled so that the sound of their claim would haunt her retreat. She knew that her packmates, too, would hear it, and hoped that their voices might join her own to drive home the point she was trying to make.

@Aliki is gorgeous, btw!

Carried by the wind, the melody of Reverie's howl reached Reina as she wandered through the Hushed Willows. The fur on her back bristled in alertness; the crimson she-wolf discerned the unspoken message within the howl—it was a cautionary warning. Someone, or something, had breached their borders, and Reverie stood as the guardian. Was she alone? Reina hoped not; the thought of her dear angelic friend, now co-leader of their new pack, facing danger on her own was inconceivable. A wave of anxiety washed over her, but she suppressed it with a steadying breath. Her friend would not be lost; she would be fine. If anything, Boone would not be far from his wife.

Lifting her head high, Reina released a howl of her own. It resonated and reverberated among the trees, disturbing the peace of the snow-laden branches as birds took flight. Yet, Reina paid no mind. She aimed to convey to whoever or whatever Reverie's howl had warned that she was not alone; these were the sacred grounds of the Hearthwood pack.

The fur along her spine lifted as the voices of her packmates reached her. Mae raised her own muzzle to join the call, abandoning her task of marking the borders in favor of crossing over them and into neutral territory. Their claim was being threatened already, even with so many gathered, and she wouldn't tolerate it.

She would spend the next several days in the territories surrounding the willows, leaving her scent heavily among them as a warning to those who passed by. They couldn't claim so much land, she knew that — but they could make sure anyone who got too close would know that this forest was well-protected.

his people were not alone in the call. never before had he felt the instinctive, magnetic pull to tell the whole world that this land was theirs; his; it was as if something inside him had clicked.
his legs carry him without input from the rest of his brain. a pace, before he settles into a halt at the edge of the frozen pond, the heart of the meadow. the wind is biting as his head tips toward the sky amid the rallying chorus of voices. siren-like, haunting, deep — a sore thumb among the rest.
his own voice. his own claim.
mine.