Dragoncrest Cliffs So comes snow after fire.

Open to anyone.

Atsula had been dismissed, which left Seregryn on her own. She wasn't sure what to make of this new place just yet and was entirely too anxious about it. The girl wanted to carry herself like the fos goufa for she knew she was destined for that spot, yet at the same time she couldn't quite exalt herself to that position without knowing if there were others to contend with. So, she did the best she could to scout the territory out. To find the places where the wolves slept, to learn of them through the marks they left behind, and inevitably spent the majority of her first days simply investigating.

Today, as she rounded upon a lake that had become the center of her universe, Seregryn paused to dip her head and drink. Tasting the chilled water rolling down her throat was a great relief; seeing her reflection in the distorted pool, not so much. Her ears turned back upon her head and she looked away, turning her head, then shoulders, until she was off at a fresh trot around the lakeside. She couldn't let her guard down yet — not until she knew every scent upon these cliffs. Not until she knew, without a doubt, she was uncontested as Thuringwethil's fos goufa and eventual successor.

She was unsure of her place here, and eagerness borne of anxiety flooded her body. Emaleth was restless and, though she typically disliked the company of others, found herself enveloped in a deep loneliness. It was a mere week's travel from home, but the yearling felt as if she were on an entirely different plane. She could not understand their language and knew little of their culture— and all were so busy with the business of establishing themselves, she couldn't seem to find anyone that was willing to teach her.

Much of her time was spent patrolling the borders, something she perceived as a warrior's duty, but she drew toward the territory's center on occasion to eat, drink, or sleep. A lake beckoned, sunlight glinting off its surface, and the yearling moved to its shore. It was cold and partially frozen in places, a sign that it was freshwater— for the ocean itself was immune to such things. A large boulder concealed her form on the right, protecting her from the wintry breeze, and the dark yearling bowed her head to drink.

#100!

As she drank she looked out upon the lake, at her reflection, and at the tremble of the surface just beyond. For a moment Seregryn forgot her desires for conquest and control — she watched as the silvered spine of a fish crested the frigid water, listened to the creature splash its tail, and then drew her eyes away once the stillness resumed. She licked her lips, a thoughtful expression upon her face, and began to march again. As she followed the edge of the lake she came upon a boulder.

And as Seregryn slipped around the boulder, she unwittingly — gracelessly — slammed head-first into another wolf. As her body connected with the dark shape she belched an awkward grunt and reversed her steps, coming to an abrupt halt a few feet back, where she planted her rear end. For a second she had a stunned look on her face (the fuh wazzaht?) which swiftly morphed into a look of concentrated fury — and she was standing again, doing a good impression of an angry porcupine while her tail lashed behind her.

She was still drinking as the hard body of another connected with her hip, and she stumbled forward to keep her balance, paws splashing in the shallows. Emaleth wheeled around with teeth bared, more startled and instinctually defensive than actually angry at the stranger... at least until she was met by the furious expression of the wolf she had intercepted at the borders not so long ago. She couldn't help herself, feeling indignant of Seregryn's misplaced ire, and loosed a frustrated snarl.

It was the spark that ignited an explosive flurry of movements between the pair, flashing teeth and bitter snarls. In the end, all that was left of Seregryn was her paw prints leading away from Drageda, and Emaleth breathing heavily— angrily— as blood flowed from various wounds into the snow.