Sea Lion Shores Lumps of Fat

Open, Open c:

You could say that the albino was baffled at the sight that was in front of her. The female had never seen such a sight in her short life. She had been by Stavanger Bay before, that is where she had tasted and smelled the salty air, but Scarlett had never expected this. Her red eyes took in every detail from the alien landscape before her. Along with the alien animals that made weird sounds and walked really funny. Her white paws dug into the sandy grounds. She felt like a pup getting to know new things that was so common for other wolves. This was extraordinary! Her nose sneezed since she wasn't used to the salty air. The winds were strong today. Those winds caressed her fur or blew it in a direction it wasn't suppose to stand.

Scarlett trotted past all the weird blobs of living fat to get to the water's edge. Once she lowered her snout for a quick sip she realized that even the water salty! It wasn't drinkable. After only one sip the pale female realized this. A snort came from her, almost sounding like another sneeze. Her parents never described anything like this maybe they didn't even know this type of landscape existed! Suddenly a pride swelled through the female. She had discovered something her hating family hadn't. Her white tail rose a bit from its neutral stance. She concluded it was a big salty lake, correction, a very extra large salty lake. How curious.

Her eyes studied a few lumps of fat go into the waving water. She wondered how they survived. Soon the female was distracted as she saw her own paw prints in the wet sand. A smile turned on her muzzle. It remembered her of the first snowfall. Those were good memories. Before she realized she was reliving her puphood moments. Scarlett walked in circles and patterns to see her paw prints more clearly. She must have looked like a mentally crazy wolf if she had an audience. Her paw prints were so much bigger!! For once the small framed lady didn't felt like she was the smallest adult wolf ever.

The fear to leave the bay hadn't gone away, yet little by little Osprey tried to push the boundaries further. She couldn't stay at the mercy of these people forever. Her stay had been far too long already and she couldn't let her weakness rule her life. She had to go home. Therefore every day she went over to the border and beyond them, her heart was still beating quick and hard against her ribcage, her breath became ragged and her rational mind fought with the irrational fear. For some it would seem like nothing extraordinary, but for her every step was a little victory.

She had soon found out that being by the ocean had a calming effect on her, therefore she chose the path that led along the shore more often than the rest of the others. She was walking there today too, her heart feeling unusually light. It was then that she noticed that she was not alone here - there was a white wolf playing in the waves and sand. Osprey observed her for a moment, thinking, what to do next, and then - out of old habit, she approached the wolf, eying her curiously, while keeping her body posture neutral.

Scarlett was watching her bigger paw prints in the wet sand. Once she got close to the sea and washed over her feet she made a playful jump. The albino thought she was alone but then she realized that there had been another wolf. The strong winds kept the other female unknown to Scarlett. The white she-wolf stopped in her tracks once she spotted the other. Her tail was a bit lower than a neutral stance since he was rather submissive in general. Her tail let out a friendly wag and then she trotter towards the female.

The pure white girl tipped her head a bit curiously. "Hello," she greeted with a gentle smile. A soft chuckle left her lips. "I must have looked entirely silly just now," she excused herself rather awkwardly. "I have never seen anything like this before! It is just amazing!," she let out. If Scarlett was nervous she tried to babble her way out with chatting about mindless things. Her red eyes scanned over the other female. "Are you from around here?," she socially asked.

When the white wolf caught sight of Osprey, she froze for a moment, waiting to see, what the other was going to do. She was ready to flee, would the other decide to attack her - she had enough strength to outrun the stranger (especially, if one is fuelled by panic). Yet it turned out that fleeing was going to be unneccessary, because the air of the other was cheerful and friendly. Osprey, who had subconciously wanted to meet another kind soul, took a step closer to greet her.

"Being happy and showing it - is never silly," she told the girl. "It's brave... and natural. And the waves... they are amazing," she added with a smile. "No, I am a guest. What about you?"

Scarlett noticed how timid the other female was and immediately tuned down her excitement level. It also calmed her own nerves. She was usually calm and quiet herself too. The female would dislike to be the one with the louder voice. She stood still and appreciated the compliments she got. "Oh you are too kind. But thank you. I am.. I am happy," she then realized. She had never been happier. It had been an excellent decision to ever leave her old pack and come here. Look how much it had brought her. A smile curled on her lips in return. She briefly looked over her shoulder.

"Like I mentioned before. I never saw anything like it," she breathed waved her tail in a friendly matter. "Oh me too!! I am exploring all the way from Duskfire Glacier. I like to know where all the area's lie and stop, you know?," she explained to the other wolf. Scarlett decided that she liked this female. "I bet you are brave too, you know, coming here because you want to," she returned the compliment.

A good mood and a smile were two things that were hard to resist. The girl radiated like a little sun and Osprey, who had been like a plant forgotten in the shade and therefore weakened, felt this need to keep her around for a while. Just long enough to feel the warmth and remember, what it meant to be happy again. She returned the girl's smile with a one she had managed to muster up. For a moment it reached her eyes too, flickered there like a little flame and then it disappeared.

"It's the benefit of a journey - you never know, where the next bend of the path will take you, what secrets and wonders it will behold," she spoke from experience. Each of her journeys had taught her something new, opened new horizons and made her realize, how very small she was compared to the whole undiscovered world. Osprey didn't know anything about Duskfire Glacier, but concluded that this must be quite a distance away. She didn't agree with the girl about being a brave person, because had she had the courage, she wouldn't have stuck here for several weeks.

"What's your name?" she asked.

The pale female looked into the green eyes across from her. It was not a dominant look by far. It wasn't in the she-wolf's nature to be dominant. Scarlett even liked to be more submissive. Her bubbly nature did help to cheer others up. She knew that. It helped especially with pups but by the looks of it, it also helped the female across from her. "You sound very wise," she returned politely. Sometimes Scarlett felt that she wasn't as wise as others. She usually stumbles into things without thinking. Just like this time for example. "And you are very right. I will return to this place for sure," she smiled.

"Oh where are my manners! Excuse me" The wolf rolled her eyes fondly, mocking herself. "My name is Scarlett. What is yours?," she introduced in a friendly manner. Her ears turned to the sounds coming from the lumps of fat. The female turned her head briefly and frowned. "I almost feel stupid for asking since you are a guest here too. But, do you happen to know what these lumps of fat are called?," she curiously inquired. She also asked this for another topic to talk about. The female had not responded to her compliment. She wasn't sure if the female was just being polite or silently disagreed with her.

Her nose tried to catch a scent on the female indicating if she was a lone wolf or in a pack. The albino decided that she must be a lone wolf since there were no other distinctive smells on the grey female. Maybe she could use a friend, or a supporting system. Scarlett would be happy to be that for her.

Such cuties these two

"I am Osprey - it is nice to meet you, Scarlett," Osprey said with a light smile and polite dip of her muzzle.

It took a while for Osprey to realize that there was something off in the way the young wolf, who was standing in front of her, looked. She hadn't been able to pinpoint that in the beginning, but now a quick second look at the girl's eyes explained it all. They were red - depending on the angle of light. Not wanting to appear rude by staring too long, she cast her gaze away to look at the waves and understand, what Scarlett had meant by those "lumps of fat".

She went over and the closest thing that matched the description was the sea-foam. "Do you mean this?" she beckoned with her muzzle. "It doesn't seem like fat," she mused out loud, while touching the white stuff with the tip of her nose and sneezing right after.

Scarlett give a quick nod in return. "Osprey. Cool name," she complimented. Scarlett wouldn't say things that were untrue. She liked the name. Her name was rather boring. Her mother had not been that creative with giving her a name. The most horrible thing her non caring mother said to her once actually. 'I didn't gave you a name at first because I thought you wouldn't make it. But then I saw those horrible blood red eyes of yours looking at me....' The albino felt a shiver going over her back when she heard her mother's voice go through her head. Horrible wolf. She quickly pushed it away. Not the time to think of that.

The pale wolf followed the other female more towards the water. A giggle came from her throat and then she shook her head. "Oh no no,' she smiled fondly. "I meant those!," she spoke and then pointed her muzzle towards the animals that were snoozing on the beach and making very strange noises. Scarlett snorted and shook her head. She had never seen anything like it before. "Oh bless you," she returned at hearing the sneeze. "Although I also don't really know what that white stuff is."

Osprey didn't think that the name "Scarlett" was in any way less beautiful than hers. It had an unusual sound to it and fitted it's bearer. Whatever the young wolf thought of herself, she was rather good-looking with an additional bonus - one of the kind. While you could find many gray wolves like Osprey, she believed that someone like Scarlett was an original.

"Those?" Osprey repeated after the girl, lifting her head and looking in the direction she had pointed out. She had somehow missed the creatures and now spent a minute or two staring at them in awe, her mouth slightly agape. She tried to fit the right name to, what she was seeing, but nothing came to her mind. "I have no idea," she shrugged.

"They can remain "LOFS" though - lumps of fat, as you called them," she offered.

The albino chuckled as Osprey only now seemed to realize the lumps of fat on the beach. Maybe her eyes were more keen she didn't know. But they were still weird alien creatures even this wolf didn't know about. The white female frowned a bit and then had to agree with the grey female. "I think so too. Lofs it is," Scarlett decided with a firm nod. "At least I am not the only one clueless."

The female looked at the slow moving lumps and then squinted his eyes a bit. "Osprey... Do you think we could eat them? They look so slow, they would make an easy meal don't you say?," the female thought out loud. Her red eyes sparkled a bit in excitement. Maybe their flesh wouldn't taste nice, just like the water was salty.. But. It was worth the try in this season called winter. A playful grin came on her face. "Lets hunt the lofs!," she let out, growing more excited.

Scarlett was so easily excited and glad about something. Even the small things could make the pale female's day. Although these things didn't had a neck.. where would you bite them then? They also had no legs to keep them from going further. Maybe this wasn't an easy prey after all... This would need to be planned well, the female realized.

Scarlett's offer to hunt lofs came so suddenly that Osprey didn't know, what to say or how to respond in the beginning. She was a bit hungry - yes - and the creatures seemed big enough to have two wolves feast on them for several days to come. Yet she didn't feel so confident about their chances to bring one of them down. She had hunted various animals during her life, but these were something entirely new. What if it turned out that they hunted wolves?

After a brief moment of consideration Osprey shook her head. " I don't think it is such a good idea," she began cautiously. "I recently got injured in a hunt and I don't want to dive in adventure head-first at the moment. Maybe another time," if Scarlett wanted, she could go off and hunt them. Osprey would remain here and observe in that case. "Besides they won't go anywhere either... even if they do, they will return here at some point," she hoped that this had worked to convince the other.

The excitement that the albino female had for hunting was not returned by the grey female. Scarlett's tail dropped and she looked over her shoulders to the Lofs. Hmm. The white female was not tempted to go by herself either. Osprey's caution had caught on to her. Some form of a pout came on her lips. "Maybe your right," she then spoke quietly and sighed softly. She regarded Osprey's words and then nodded. She could always come back since the lumps of fat would be here laying on the sand if she had to believe the grey female. Disappointment ran through her body. There she thought she had found an easy meal.

Slowly Scarlett seem to realize why the female was so timid. Maybe it was because she had an accident with hunting that she grew unconfident with hunting and being happy with herself. Even though Scarlett might have realized this, it could still be false, maybe it was just Osprey's nature to be like she was. It wasn't the albino's place to comment an that, so Scarlett didn't. They only just met. "I will listen to you, and not be reckless. I am about to walk back to Duskfire. Maybe we can walk a bit together if you like that?," she offered. Scarlett would hate to just leave and make the female feel bad for being cautious.

Scarlett was quick to grasp Osprey's uneasiness about the situation. It was a bit embarrassing to admit your weaknesses in front of another, especially, if it was a younger wolf, but she knew her pride would get over this tiny blow and would be healed over time. The only thing she was glad about was the fact that her mother was not here to see her daughter like this. Giving up was not in March Owl's nature and she would probably be disappointed to see Osprey giving in rather than fighting.

"Isn't that very far?" she would gladly go for a walk, because she enjoyed the company quite a lot, yet Duskfire Glacier didn't sound like anything that was located in the neighbourhood and Osprey didn't feel confident enough to go and not have Stavenger bay anywhere near. "If you have come this long way here, maybe you would be interested in exploring this area more? There are more things to see on the coast."

Scarlett ruffled her fur because of the winds that were picking up. "It is very far indeed, which is why I should return. I also have the juveniles to look after,"she admitted. She had been here to calm her mind and explore new things. Now Scarlett had lots to tell and explain to the little ones, so they wouldn't be clueless as her. Scarlett would lecture them on the lumps of fat and the salty water that was not made to quench a thirst. It had been a valuable day. "I didn't meant for you to come all the way back with me," she chuckled. She just meant if they were going in the same direction they could walk together. Scarlett liked the quiet company of Osprey.

"Do you like young ones? Otherwise I could take the youngsters with me on a fieldtrip to see the LOFS in the flesh. Maybe they will be brave enough to hunt them," the albino spoke with amusement in her tone. Once she was here again she could call out to Osprey to meet Meara and Néa. Maybe even Lazar, although he was a yearling, he might be interested. Oh that would be so fun. It also showed how easily Scarlett trusted someone. She knew Osprey for only a brief moment. Scarlett liked to think she had a sixth sense when it came to wolves being trustworthy or not. "Then you can meet them and watch them play. It always makes me really happy to watch the young ones. It makes you want to have little ones of your own, doesn't it?," the albino babbled. He love for kids was no secret.

Osprey understood Scarlett's need to get on with her way and despite the fact that she felt uneasy of wandering anywhere further, she reasoned that pushing those borders of her comfort zone again would be good thing for her. Just as much as her new acquaintance was needed at her pack, Osprey believed that her true place was with the wolves at the plateau. Was it possible to return, if she feared to leave this area.

"I can go with you for a while," she spoke more bravely than she actually felt, but didn't let her fear surface. When asked about children, Osprey felt a pang of uneasiness in her heart. She liked the company of little ones, even though sometimes she didn't know, how to speak with them easily. She admired their neverending curiosity and sources of imagination, she felt a little disappointment each time, when kids grew up and lost their playfulness.

Did she want children of her own? Yes and no. It was a huge responsibility and from what she had seen in Peregrine's very turbulent months of quickly arranged mateship, kids born, kids lost, kids disappointed and hurt, breaking up and leaving, she didn't think she wanted anything of it. Why bring more suffering in the world, when there was plenty of already? But this was irrelevant in terms of Scarlett's question. It was random, it didn't require a thorough answer.

"They are fun to have around," Osprey agreed. "Maybe. Which way you have to go?"

Scarlett smiled at that glad she could chat more with her new friend. A quick nodded was returned with glee. After that Osprey seemed to grow quiet for awhile. Scarlett studied her green eyes in that moment. She wondered what the other female was thinking about, though she suspected it had something to do with her question about little ones. If she let her mind drift off then she would be still standing here at the end of the day. "They are fun to be around. They are so playful and innocent. I cannot imagine how great it is to have a litter of my own. Although.. I would need a mate for that. And well.. yeah." That one was lacking. She briefly wondered if she ever found a mate.

Her thoughts were distracted at the other question. Mentally the wolf grabbed the map she pictured of Treekon Wilds. "Well, I could go up the river, through the woods, past Blacktail Deer Plateau, through the Northstar Vale and then avoid the borders of Swiftcurrent onto the glacier. But depending on where you would go, I could also go up the beach and then take a right after the mountain ridges. Where are you planning to go?," Scarlett wondered what place Osprey called home. Her smile was soft. "If you go south I am afraid I can't join you," she added. That would make her travel a day extra and she was not prepared to do that.

Scarlett seemed to be so excited about the prospect of having children that Osprey could only admire her, while feeling none of this herself. In her opinion - being an aunt was a better option to balance the need of having kids of her own. You could be good and spoil them as much as you wished to, you were in no place to either punish or scold them, you could be a shoulder to cry on or somebody, who listened, while one poured his or her heart out to you. It was important for you to be there without having any of the complex relationship parents and kids had. Mentally Osprey wished the young girl to fulfill her dreams and get all the things she wanted to have in life.

"Yeah... a good mate is hard to find," she said. Her limited experience in the love front had taught her not to trust men, who made romantic advances toward her. It was always safer to keep them at a polite distance and, if you happened to like one more than the others, admire them from afar. "I will follow you and decide, where I leave. Is that fine with you?"

Seems like a good last post from my side. Feel free to add one of yours to end it! Thank you for this <3

A good mate was hard to find. Scarlett wasn't suspicious or anything but it almost sounded like a glimpse in the future. She had a male she fancied but where these mindless words a warning for what was about to come? Scarlett shook it off and started trotting. "Of course you can." Scarlett trotted in the direction of Blacktail Deep Plateau. She liked that route better, and it seemed shorter for her. She was curious till where the female would go. But once again she didn't want to stick her nose in someone's business. The young female looked to her side at the grey female next to her. "I'm glad I've met you. You are good company, Osprey," she complimented.

Her paws turned from a trot into a run over the beach. It felt amazing with the wind blowing and her paws carrying her further to her destination. And for once she wasn't alone with sharing that feeling. She ran past the lumps of fats until the river came in sight. Scarlett slowly turned to the right to follow the river upstream. Yes she did that in a casual trot instead of a run.