Otatso Wetlands Our hometown's in the dark

More outriding! Open to all!

She had moved too far west on her return from the riverside, her course winding towards the moraine; and when her paws touched down in the rock-strewn terrain, Tavi turned back. Or, she thought she did. In the distance she saw trees and thought it was the Maplewood -- but after hiking some hours (during which the light began to fade), she found it was only a sparse array of foreign forest. She trudged on through the greying hour, tired and worn out from her exploration. There was a dim hope in her mind that she'd stumble upon a marker, or maybe someone from the pack -- but the more time she spent walking, the more clear things became. And when she found the ground getting cool to the touch, layered with ice and snow, she eventually recognized the boggy Otatso Wetlands. With a sigh, she settled against the roots of a large old tree, hoping to stay dry and warm until morning.

I couldn't resist because of the title.

What, Wildfire asked herself as she slowed to a stop and peered off to her left, then to her right, is up with all the swamps around here? Deciding to avoid getting wet and dirty all over again, she threaded forward between the two wetlands, following the course of a small stream that widened ever so slightly as she followed it due south. The mountains loomed invitingly in the distance and she hoped to reach the foot of the nearest one by nightfall.

A rabbit burst abruptly from the brush and the young hunter gave chase without even thinking, spinning on a heel and pounding after it as it fled north along the bank of the creek. When it darted away from the water and tried to make a break for one of the nearby marshes, she surged forward and dispatched it. One red paw rested on its carcass as she caught her breath, then she plucked the dead hare off the damp grass and looked around for somewhere safe to enjoy her meal.

She decided to venture into the slightly larger swampland now on her left. Sighing around her kill, she moved forward, only to stop suddenly when she saw a shape curled up near the base of a large bald cypress. Wildfire squinted her warm amber eyes, trying to pluck out any details, yet all she could surmise from this distance was that she was looking at a wolf.

I can't stop listening to TOP, send help.

She was settled for a few minutes, not quite ready to drift in to the half-sleep wolves often fell in to, and was pulled back to a coherent and wakeful state when a yawn crawled through her. It started in the pit of her belly, found her spine, and coursed along - fur raising, back arching briefly, and then the snap of her teeth as they set back in to place. The yawn made her eyes gloss over, so Tavi blinked to clear them -- this was when she saw the rufus-red shock of color out among the grayness. At first she thought it was a fox; it carried something with it, most likely food, and Tavi rose up to full height to get a better view. Maybe she could take that meal from the fox? It'd settle her belly and make sleep a bit more welcoming. With that thought, Tavi descended from her nest of roots and began to slink closer.

How is that a problem?! "Hometown" is my favorite. :)

The wolf evidently noticed her in turn, because it rose and began to slink closer. She, Wildfire noted mentally as the stranger's scent wafted toward her. After the past couple of days, she was quite used to encountering new faces, though she didn't let down her guard. Especially with the meat in her mouth—she clenched her jaw all the tighter around the carcass—Wildfire knew to tread carefully around unfamiliar wolves.

Keeping an eye on the skulking, shadowy figure, she slowly lowered the body to her paws, then swiftly straightened. "Hello," she spoke softly into the dim night air, amber eyes squinted slightly as she tried to pluck out details. Pale gray fur, with a white belly that stood out in the dusk. Green eyes. Large build. If the she-wolf wanted, she could certainly pose a threat to the sylphlike Wildfire.

"House of Gold" makes me want to sing/shout along every dang time!

She was wrong to think this girl was a fox. The closer Tavi got, the more she realized this error - and her predatory stride became less and less pronounced. When the stranger spoke, their voice was light and soft. The meal they had carried was now missing; a glance told her it had been placed on the ground, but Tavi was more interested in the fire-furred stranger now. "Hello," she calmly responded, voice laced with curiosity. Tavi passed through a patch of shadow and then found some light, dim as it was. "I didn't mean to worry you -- thought you were a fox." How often did this girl hear such a claim? Probably a lot. The larger of the two ladies then pulled back a step, trying to look less intimidating (if she looked intimidating at all, which Tavi didn't believe for a second). "Do you live in this valley?"

The unfamiliar she-wolf offered a similar greeting, then apologized and said she had initially mistaken Wildfire for a fox. The yearling's lips twitched into a wry smile. Before she could comment on that, though, the she-wolf posed a question, one she didn't mind answering.

"No, I'm from further west, from a pack called Moonspear," she said, then shifted her weight slightly and added a casual, "You?" to make the exchange mutual.

Moonspear -- that's such a badass name, oh my god, she exclaimed before she could stop herself. Whatever apprehension Tavi had, it was replaced by an abrupt enthusiasm. Maybe she should venture farther along and take a look at this Moonspear - whatever that may be - but if it was west, she'd be gone for a while. That was something Tavi couldn't do to Saena or to Reek. I'm from the east, uh, a place called Phoenix Maplewood, she gave a shrug as she said this, as if the beautiful forest wasn't so impressive. Its nice. Not as epic sounding as your place though. Moonspear. That's rad.

The stranger's—Wildfire abruptly realized they had yet to exchange names—reaction surprised a light laugh out of the young explorer. It was a pretty fierce name. She was trying to think of something clever to say in response when she mentioned Phoenix Maplewood. Immediately, Wildfire's eyes widened and brightened slightly.

"Really? Run by Reek and Saena, right?" she queried, pausing to let the stranger confirm before saying, "Saena's actually my sister, though we're not close or anything." But on that note... "Maybe you could pass along a message for me?" she said even as the idea occurred to her. She didn't know what she wanted to say, just that she would like to send along a well wish of some sort, now that the opportunity had presented itself.

As soon as the girl mentioned the two leaders, Tavi's own eyes widened and she hastily confirmed, Yeah, that Maplewood, only to be further surprised by the factoid the red girl provided. The gray girl's tail wagged briskly behind her but came to a halt as soon as the information lodged in her brain. What? Really? You look nothing alike - oh, but that might've been rude. I mean, not... Not in a bad way. She decided to be quiet for a second. Let the shock wear off.

If they weren't close, that would explain why this girl wasn't living in the Maplewood. If Tavi hadn't been sidetracked by Ukko, she'd still be hunting for Lex or any of her other siblings. This thought dawned on her quite suddenly too; with such force that she almost missed the request placed by the other girl. A lengthy pause stretched between Wildfire's words and Tavi's own response, but once she disposed of that idea swimming in her head, she gave a nod.

I can bring her a message, sure. I bet she'd appreciate a visit too though - what with the kids coming.

The other wolf's observation didn't offend Wildfire at all, partly because it was true and partly because it was pretty difficult to faze the fiery yearling. "We're half-sisters," she amended. "Actually, we're not biologically related at all." She was forgetting that they did share bloodlines, calling back only to the fact that Saena wasn't the fruit of Peregrine's loins. "My dad and his first mate adopted her and her brother when their mother died giving birth to them." Her shoulder moved in a vague shrugging motion.

"Kids?" she echoed dumbly. It surprised her, initially, but then Wildfire decided it made total sense. "Well, we're not close enough to justify a visit, especially with pups in the picture. But if you tell her I said 'congrats,' that would be awesome. I was just going to ask you to tell her 'hello,'" Wildfire admitted with a sheepish laugh. "Reek too," she added. She actually got along with him better, all things considered.

"I'm Wildfire, by the way," she finally remembered to say. "Guess that's pertinent info, if you're trying to pass along a message." Her lips twitched and her amber gaze absently fell to her kill, then back up to the other female's face. "You hungry?" If she was going to pass a message for her, the least Wildfire could do was offer her some food in exchange.

Tavi was a bit confused, but she said nothing about it. A fleeting look of befuddlement flit across her face, and at Wildfire's shrug, she decided it wasn't so important how they were related. Families were weird.

I'll tell her. It was a sad thing that they weren't close. She couldn't fathom being estranged from family members - even with her own siblings, though they were scattered for now, they didn't exactly hate one another or anything. If she ever ran in to Lex again she'd probably still be the pestering little sister figure. A small smile appeared on her face as she thought of this, and her heart felt an ache - but it was well timed, as Wildfire redirected her attention to the kill at the girl's feet.

Oh, I - I don't want to take your kill. You need that. She was being polite - not a common thing for Tavi, come to think of it - but the truth of the matter was, she was hit by nostalgia and yearned to reconnect with someone. It was unfortunate that she couldn't run home to Ukko anymore; he had become a surrogate, and now Tavi was without. I should be heading back anyway -- oh, she had half-stepped in anticipation to leave, but paused long enough to mention, my name is Tavi, for future reference. In case they ran in to each other in the future.

Tavi declined, though Wildfire shook her head in a placating way. "I insist," she said, bending over the dead rabbit and holding its stiffening body down with her right forefoot as she tore at one of its thighs. Her fangs sheared through the cooling flesh like a knife and she presented the slab of meat to the other she-wolf with a twitch of her tail. "For passing my message. If nothing else, give it to Saena," she added, in case Tavi wasn't hungry.

Beyond that, Wildfire had no reason to hold Tavi back from turning and going, so she merely dipped her smudged snout in a genial farewell and waited for the older wolf to disappear into the darkness that had by now fully descended. The young huntress then plucked up her kill, eyeballed her swampy surroundings (sighing lightly around the carcass) and continued her search for somewhere quiet and private to eat, then eventually sleep.

I'll archive! :)

There was no use in arguing. Soon enough, a plump portion of rabbit was plopped at her paws, and so Tavi graciously accepted. She scooped it up, clutching it with care, and took a few certain strides. She turned back to mutter, G'bye, and sauntered off for the Maplewood.