Duck Lake whack-a-mole

@Star

Sunlight seemed to stream down from overhead, which was an oddity based on the sudden change in temperature that had taken hold of the Teekon Wilds. It was early in the afternoon, and while Siv was certain that she had better things to be doing than to be setting out to explore some unknown terrain, she was also in need of a break. Siv was high-strung on anxiety. She had found it ebbing into the important parts of her life, and while she had been able to force it down in previous attacks, this time was not so easy. The coywolf female set out at a brisk trot and found herself some many landscapes away, blue eyes following the lapping of waves against a sandy shore. Her face was crinkled in a frown, and the chilly wind that nipped at her neck also pulled her fur in odd directions, causing the girl to appear somewhat forlorn.

She had never seen that particular area of the Teekon Wilds. She had spent a vast majority of her time near the caldera – which she did not regret. A small huff fell from her nostrils as she peered curiously towards the water. Part of the girl seemed to regret the decision she had made to join Fox’s pack, and then the other half of her believed that it was one of the best choices she could have made. They were her family; they were more family to her than her own blood had been. And yet, Siv Savoy longed to know what her father was truly like. If only to see how much she looked like him.

Star was near Duck Lake. She wasn't hunting today, at least not yet. But she recalled the time she'd hunted here with Shadow, who was no longer one of Swiftcurrent. They'd taken down a lot of ducks. She momentarily wondered why he'd left, or maybe been exiled, but she didn't know. The thought left quickly.
As she approached the lake she saw a fiery furred figure. As she went closer her scent got easier to smell- and it was familiar. Siv? She wondered at the smell. As soon as she was a few yards away, she could tell it was definitely Siv, her strange talking friend. "Hi, Siv Savoy!" She called out as she trotted up to the coy-wolf.

It was a marvel how quickly a friendly face could evaporate all feelings of doubt and regret. The minute that Siv heard her name on the wind, the lean female turned her head and a wide grin split her features. The small, thick-coated form of Star was approaching at a steady pace. Flagging her tail, the Savoy girl let out a welcoming yip on response to the pale female.

Having been in the Teekon Wilds for a short time, Siv had expected that she would run into one of the wolves she had met while out and about in her adventures. Star had been the only one to have popped up twice, and on that particular occasion… there was no much to pull Siv out of. Flicking her bright blue gaze towards the creek wolf, Siv felt the weight on her chest disappear. “Star! Good to see ya, pal! What have you been up to? Still working those legs out? They’re lookin’ good,” she joked – in reference to their previous conversation – with a small chuckle.

Upon hearing her friend's voice she couldn't help but crack a smile. The Teekon Wilds was big, and it was uncommon to run into a wolf outside your pack very often. "Yup." Star replied stretching her legs out in front of her own face to admire the muscle. "I've been trying to get two of my trades. What have you been up to, and how have you been?" She asked Siv in turn. It was not often that Star cared- but this was her friend, and her well-being mattered to Star.

Siv waited patiently for Star to close the distance between them, watching the smile breach her companion’s face. Her tail ceased its endless wagging and settled to a soft flutter behind her. When they were finally a bit closer together, Star made a remark about the work on her legs, reaching one out to examine it with a close eye. Siv could not help but to smirk in response, nodding her skull vigorously. She then mentioned trades, and the coywolf female felt that familiar sense of dread begin to creep into her chest once more. It was a topic that was something of a sore sport for the Savoy girl. She treasured her home at the caldera, but she was afraid that she would be too late to get a trade and that it would be useless for her to even try.

“Yeah, gee, I’ve been doing the same thing. Which ones are you after?” she inquired of her friend with a single quirked brow and a small – thoughtful – frown on her thin black lips. It would be interesting to compare what types of strategies Star was taking towards earning her trades. Perhaps it would do Siv some good.

"Gameskeeper and Warrior. I'm yet to decide my third one." She said. She in fact didn't know all of them by heart, but of the ones she had heard, these two had seemed the most appealing. Warden seemed okay too, although not as interesting. Counselor and Caretaker were out of the question- Star was no good at comforting or caring, as love was minor to her. Healer seemed difficult, remembering all those herbs and what does what, etc. She didn't know the other few. "What're you after?" She asked her friend with a tilt of her head.

At the mention of the white-furred woman’s first choice in trades, Siv’s ears perked forward and she peered at her friend with twinkling eyes. They had more in common than she thought. Flashing a quick grin, the Savoy girl bobbed her head. “Warrior, man that sounds neat! So you’ll run around fightin’ crime and kickin’ ass, right?” she inquired with a wide gaze. Then, with a thoughtful expression, the coywolf female wondered what other trade Star could attempt to obtain. There was a part of her that believed it would be fun to delve into something entirely new and unfamiliar. Then, insecurity kicked in at the thought of failing, and she realized that it could very well be something that hurts her instead of bettering her.

“You could try Outrider, or Warden. I mean, with Outrider you’re like this suave ambassador that zips around relaying messages, and you have a good hand in getting people to join your pack. On the other hand, if you’re a Warden, you’ll be able to do more of that ass-kickin at the borders,” she suggested with raised brows and a small nod of her head. “As for the ones I’m after, I’m going for Gamekeeper too! Naturalist, and Caretaker… though I’m pretty nervous about Naturalist because I’ve got a lot of room to grow there,” she then answered the female’s question. Perhaps Star would have tips for Siv’s endeavors.

She giggled a little at Siv Savoy's description of a warrior. "Yeah, sure, that." She said with a grin. "I got someone to join our pack once when I was on a quest. But she's gone now. I guess it's okay, we don't need her here anymore anyway." But the truth was Star had been proud that she had recruited the new healer. When Esper left, Star felt once again as if she had no impact on anything. Well, it didn't matter now. Paar was back. "Well, I guess you could find a naturalist in your pack to help you out, if there is one... Say, do you wanna hunt some ducks? Just the ugly ducklings, not all of 'em." She said with a wink to go along with her weak attempt at humor.