Verdigris Ravine wolf in coyote's clothing

@Candle @Zoug @Sari leadership tags for joining but AW!

In another life, she might have been a mustang.

She was untamable in the way she ran across the morning glowed lowlands. If there had ever been a shackle on her, it was gone now. Dissolved by the freedom that combed its fingers through her dark fur.

Until she came upon something that was enough to halt her.

Her voice raised, loud and a touch of that coyote shrill noting, but warm. She wanted to see those who gathered here.

Candle did not pay so much attention to border calls these days. Her mate could tend them; she was busy often with her children.

But — oh, but she knew this voice! On trembling limbs she rose. Her glance to her mate was full of meaning. Candle did not yet know the word for it in Zoug's language, so she whispered, Sister.

There was no more to be said. She departed at once, bolting off toward the borders with high joyful cries spilling from her throat in return. So few of her sisters had survived... none had found her before now.

cameo! skippable!

S'ari rose from her den, trying not to disturb her sleeping babes, but she could not ignore the border call, especially not once she heard Candle's jubilant calls in return. Clearly, this was someone the woman knew, and S'ari was curious.

She watched the meeting from some distance, releasing one short yip to let Candle and the other one know she was there, but did not otherwise intervene.

Her voice fell hushed and she had realized how odd it was.

Her time before these lands had been loud. A singer, whether she wailed for joy or from sorrow. She had always been noisy and now it seemed like nature sang for her.

See? Hear everything you have missed. The world will sing as you once have.

A voice came back to her. It was as if liquid gold had been poured into her bones, weighted and divine with the revelation in that voice. She was not so full of herself to think she should spill over the borders, but could she be blamed?

The moment the dark figure of her sister came into view, she had begun to cover ground again. She must know this to be real and not a mirage of the warmlands. She held no shame in her radiant joy, no matter if others watched or if they might find her rude for breaking taboos to be closer to her sister sooner.

cameo!

wolf came to them in the form of a dark figure.

sister, candle had said. but there was no wolf to see in his mate.

the man did not call out. he only watched, one ear flicking to hear s'ari's own tones ring toward candle and the newcomer.

Perhaps S'ari and Zoug saw the wolf in her, but Candle was blinded to it. Lament had been raised among coyotes, was a coyote as far as the priestess was concerned. She was one of them.

It had never even occurred to her to associate those menaces of the desert, wolves, with those she had called sister.

Candle swept her sister into a tight hug, cries fading to little whines and yips of desperate affection. She nosed all through her fur as if to memorize each place she'd been since their last embrace through scent alone. But it told her little. When she finally stepped back she gestured for Lament to follow her, meaning to take her now to S'ari and Zoug where they stood watching. Welcome home, her gentle beckoning said; as simple as that. All kin were Tribe.

Look at her!

Lament scented many in the dark furs of her kin and found herself joyed. It meant Candle had been safe, had found others to stay grouped with. No matter if they were other sisters or not. Pride settled in her chest, knitted around the joy.

It was hard to place any distance between them, but she did! More than happy to see the place she was being beckoned further into.

She might still run wild in the lowlands, but this was where her head would rest each night. This was a home if a sister stayed here.

She reached to playfully nip at any tufts of dark fur she could find upon Candle.

Oh, there was so much to show her! The children! The ravine! Her mate!

Her mate!

Candle glanced toward @Zoug as her sister's teeth danced playfully through her ruff. She found she couldn't quite read the look in his eyes. All the same she led Lament to him, draping herself across her mate's shoulders and nibbling at his ears in affectionate greeting.

Would Lament understand what he was to her? Candle wasn't sure what her sister's own time away from the House had taught her. Nor could she quite decide how to put it into words — so she didn't, for now, giving her mate a chance to speak first.

sister.

but they could not be more unalike to his mind, and thus his eye. yet he knew candle would be pained if he did not accept lament, and there was no reason to do so.

she had enough tribe in her.

"good you are here," he said with effort, saving his signs for another time.

She did her best to not stare.

Gaze fitful as if a sudden tiredness had overcome her at the sight of him. Yet she did watch her sister pepper the man in affections clear as day. Perhaps she might not have found a word for what this man was to her sister, but it was clear he was important.

He was loved by her sister.

Her face felt warmed by his kindness to her.

Politely she bowed some before standing, tail waving and gaze less fluttering. A slight tilt of her head — Where first? the unspoken question.

i'm happy to fade for some follow ups or fresh threads whenever you two are <3