Larksong Grotto where to go, when all is empty?

Dangerous.

She knew it was dangerous;

and yet still she came to a place beyond the valley.

She had been here before, once when she had accompanied Morwenna to the Winsook woman, then once again when she had trailed through the woods with Ghenaya.

And now a third time she came, with no one by her side.

She needed to breathe, but found too much room for breathing, and none of it for her lungs. A vast expanse to run, and yet she wished for it to be full of things she knew, though her curiosity now tore her apart as it screamed to drag her to the furthest of horizons.

Tonight, in this candid evening, she sought to sort her thoughts out by leaving the valley. She had not explored its every nook and corner, but still she knew it constricted her. So she left, and headed towards the domain she thought was Winsook's.

She inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled again.

How do you feel now? she asked herself, out loud, so the whole world and no one may hear.

Still tired, she replied to herself. Tied to that woman named Morwenna, who reminded her so of Mama. How she loved the warmth of that mother queen... but what, oh, what had Morwenna done to drag Other Shore herself into the cruelest of messes? It had been so long since the splitting of Saatsine, but she was still so confused. Why had it all happened? 

She thought again. She didn't - she couldn't - leave the valley, for Morwenna and Ghenaya and Faliya and Caan were all still there, but her heart wished otherwise. So here she was, remedying that pull to the horizon with a little journey into a forest she thought she would not be returning to for a long, long time.

She was a woman growing tired. Incredibly so.

Life was mundane, the land feeling so incredibly empty once more - but what could she do except move forward?

Ahead she spotted a pale coat, and with that alone she had to squint her eyes to see if it was truly a stranger; the wind was not in her favour today, leaving their scent a mystery to her from a distance. Their behaviour appeared strange from her distance, but nonetheless Dione tilted her head to call out to them with a low howl.

A stranger was never meant to be a stranger for long, not really.

thanks for joining!!! <3

A howl; 

She thought it to be the wind -

Till the sliver of moon came into her sight.

She turned, entranced and terrified, at that thing both wolf and ivory.

Who... A step forward, then another, as she tried to restore rationality. Other Shore lifted her ears up, steeled the shaking of her tail, trying to appear unperturbed. 

She inspected the pearl-woman for a moment, sifting through scents. The lack of lingering caribou, at least not one she could find, reassured her a little, but she could not pick out any sign of Darukaal or Winsook from her. Then again, she scarcely know either.

She gazed at the stranger with a single question - enemy or friend?

Ofc! I lovee your writing for Other Shore

The stranger seemed to catch sight of her, Dione moving towards them with a clear swagger in her step. Her confidence was consistent and undeniable.

Are you lost? She called once more, this time using her words. Should the answer be a clear 'yes' Dione was unsure if she would actually be able to help, but she could certainly try. There was nowhere else she needed to be.

Eyes grazing over them, she had not yet decided if her interest was gathered on this individual. They were light-furred, smaller than herself, but they seemed a bit young for her tastes. But what harm would a good deed do? She had plenty more time.

Other Shore froze there, rooted as if she had become one with the thicket around her. By the pearl-woman's voice, she did not find a threat within those gentle, feminine words - but the fall of Saatsine had taught her better.

N-no. I am... I'm not lost. 

She gulped, and forgot she was trying to match the stranger's confidence.

The woman's confident frame gave her both reassurance and fear alike, and those careful eyes made her reconsider if she was telling the truth herself. Was she lost? She turned back to the slip of haven called Sunset Valley, back to slopes tucked away, so far away from a world that could hurt her.

But she had made her choice to leave that generous corner, and here she would learn if she paid the price.

The lessons of Saatsine had their ways, it seemed.

Pearl-woman was looking over her. She dared to meet her eyes. Cold, dark, light pools, two seas with no horizons. She saw Morwenna in them, in a way that gave her a chilling comfort. I'm not lost, she dared again after too long in silence.

She felt that she should take pity on them - they just looked so.. well, pitiful. Rather blatantly, she leaned her head forwards to investigate the scent of the other. They carried the various smells of more strangers, but they were weakening. Was she fleeing from something? You don't look all that sure of yourself then. Her teasing was light and accompanied with a light snicker.

Having recently left Darukaal, it would not surprise her if this woman was in a similar situation. The packs in this area seemed to have their fair share of issues.

But in that case, have you been here long? She looked out over the expanse of the grotto as she spoke. I was hoping for a decent hunt before I travelled south, and whether this stranger would be willing to hunt with her or not, she may at least know what prey was in the area.

I - Other Shore found herself taken aback by the woman's remarks. A flick of the tail - irritation, confusion, a hint of amusement. She could not tell if the woman had been teasing, nor if she should stay put or run.

She tried to muster what confidence she could. I'm fine. But as a bird shook snow off its feathers, the lie bounced off her tongue.  

Long...? Yes - well, no. I have been here for some time. Not long. Her eyes went distant again as her gaze searched for the expanse where Saatsine had resided, only to find no distant familiarity as she was once again reminded of her forested surroundings. Saatsine... this woman was not a member of Saatsine, but was she from Winsook? Darukaal? 

How long have you been here? She realized she had become slightly - just slightly - more comfortable in the presence of this woman. Perhaps she had not been a northerner for long. Nevertheless, it was reassuring to guess that both of them had been in the taiga for a time now. Are you... were you from a pack?

She hoped the woman did not recognize her as a former hunter of Saatsine. Perhaps the question would raise the woman's suspicion? Then again, Other Shore had not disappeared with the rest of the Lanzadoii band - if the woman saw her as an enemy, surely she could explain.

She wasn't all that sure if her brief presence in Darukaal was something that mattered. To her it certainly didn't.

No, not really. I stuck around for a few weeks before leaving. She responded, her shoulders shrugging. All I can tell is that something was going on, and I didn't care to get involved. I wasn't going to have my blood spilled over it. Why would she? Dione has no issue would the occasional scuffle, but not when it wasn't her conflict to solve.

Lifting her head once more to check scents carried on a breeze, Dione decided it was time to move on. Well, I hope you sort things out. She spoke, trailing off in a clear 'goodbye' before continuing on her path past the stranger.