Fox's Glade cadet

Redd did not know where they would go next.

The creek lands made the most sense, but as she’d considered the strong claim they held, something drew her past it.  To be one of many would be simple.  But it would not be home.

With each new journey she had found a new truth.  She thought again of the mountain, considered it.  Then of the rise.  Was it a mistake, to wish to go back?

She had only @Ruckus to follow.  His company was enough, and with her newfound strength she could provide and teach.  But she wanted more for them both, and the wolves she met so far all bore established homes.  She would not know how to draw them forth, nor did she know what would make such an offer worth the risk.  She did not want to build if she was building alone.

Redd paused as she stepped into the glade, listening carefully for any others nearby.  The caribou did not move this far as of yet.  She at least knew she had left their followers behind.

Ruckus had found rhythm in their life. The cycle went something like this: join a pack, meet one or two others who were part of it, depart, travel awhile, and then begin the process over again. Once, they had rejoined the same pack over again (the rise). They did not know what would come next, but there was a constant in their life that they were acutely attuned to: Redd.

Where she went, Ruckus followed. They learned by observation and whatever lessons Red taught intentionally. They were still small and gaunt for their age, though the past few weeks with the caribou pack had allowed them to gain at least a few pounds. Their features were still youthful in many ways, and it was clear now that no amount of time would change that. They would remain, at least physically, somewhat childish.

Cold began to settle in the air, and their coat struggled to keep the heat-sucking wind from their skin. They followed their guardian dutifully, their head in line with her shoulder.

While winter would surely cut her scouting back to a minimum, she felt some freedom to resume her practice now that the Valley had several capable guardians to take over when she ranged past the sentry stone and out into the meadow. She would be back by nightfall, she decided- gather the others and hunt in the hour just after the sun fell. 

Nose lowered, she moved through the meadow, heading North with the intention of getting as far as the lake where migratory ducks and geese often stopped on their long journey. The wind bent the drying grasses, carrying with it the scent of the wolves of Kvarsheim from the East; they were likely due a visit sometime soon. A murmuration of starlings bunched, expanded, and twisted overhead as she entered the glade. Their chattering followed her as the cloud of birds settled into the branches of the trees for a break. 

She nosed about, disinterested in the set of fox tracks she had found. She searched instead for the scent of prey, for wanderers, and had nearly declared the glade an uneventful stop in her range until she happened upon two sets of tracks- and found one of them to be familiar. 

She paused and lifted her head, to see if she could spot the mahogany-pointed woman was within sight. Her tracks were fresh, her scent strong; she'd passed through that very spot only moments ago. 

She paused to reflect for a moment, wondering how Redd might receive her and found herself pondering a multitude of potential outcomes. Her curiosity might come back to haunt her, but she pursued the tracks nonetheless at a jog.

Another approached. She did not recognize the stranger as Lilia until they broke into view, and though she relaxed, she did not move closer. They did not trespass but there was no knowing where they stood. Enough time had passed to make them strangers.

Still, her tail swung low and easy, and she was curious to find the other here unexpectedly. She had not known where she and Ancelin went after departing. Only that they had broken to build something new.

She would not ask, knowing she was owed no answers. But she had no reason to turn away either.

Their ears swiveled toward the approaching footsteps, and their eyes landed on Redd for guidance on how they should act toward this new stranger. Ruckus heard nothing from Redd, but they mimicked her posture down to the rhythm of her tail and the way she held herself. If there was some sort of recognition between the two older wolves, Ruckus could not see it from where they stood. While they did their best to copy Redd down to every inch, there was one part of them that differed. Their eyes did not focus on anything in particular, seeming to be fixated on some vacant space far away.

Time had changed them both. A year spent apart had been enough for memory to be warped. In some of Ameline's strongest memories, Redd was still a yearling or less- sporting a downy puppy coat or sleek summer fur. The closest they had come to one another had come with a clashing of fangs and to see her now with a placid expression reminded Ameline that their battle for hierarchy had been but a flash in the pan. 

The youngster caught her eye and brought an unbidden softening to her features. Whatever was in the cocktail of emotions she'd sipped when she caught Redd's scent was scrubbed from her system at least momentarily at the sobering reality that Redd had become a mother too. 

Her gaze returned to Redd. She blinked, and felt her cheeks warm as her lips pulled into a small, slightly wry smile. What had motherhood been like for Redd, she wondered? The smile faded slightly when she considered the fact that Redd was now here, alone- having left the Rise. 

uwRedd, Her rhotacism emerged faintly, corrected as swiftly as it appeared. What happened? The question begged to be asked, but it felt too heavy to open with. I, uh, heh. What else, then? It'th been a while. I didn't ekthpect to thee you around here- but- She cut herself off before she could infer anything negative. It'th good. I alwayth wondered... She shook her head faintly. She had a perfectly good excuse for not checking in- but it felt as though perhaps she had waited too long.