Blackfoot Forest I can't say "no"

@Kaori <3 He'll have let Chusi and @Pyro know about his departure

With Rannoch gone, there was really nothing keeping him at Northstar Vale anymore besides his brother. Not that they shared a great bond... the boys had grown apart recently, and slowly Tryp began wondering why he had set out to find him at all. Of course he was family, but so were their parents, and he had left them behind without as much as a goodbye... Still, the way he went was not towards he had last seen his family. It was the opposite, towards a place he had never been. Beyond the mountains, down and into a frightening forest that made even his bulking frame tremble in fear. Perhaps he should not have gone while the sun was going under. He took no fright in darkness, no, but the mixture of fox cries, the whispering of the wind and the fact he was alone did frighten him.

The smell of smoke burned throughout her nasal cavity, clogging her throat and forcing passed her lips several painful coughs. Wheezing, her forelimbs extended forward, clawing for salvation but finding none; the fumes were inescapable, the fire around her growing angrier each time she gasped for air. It was not until darkness crept into her peripherals that she caught a glimpse of the culprit behind the raging inferno, the one who’d started—and would end—it all. With one final breath, she screamed his name, only for her voice to tear the thinning veil between her dreams and reality, waking her to the sound of a desperate cry: “Draco.” And on the ground she laid thereafter, panting and searching for fires that were no longer there, as well as straining to hear the sound of the dragon’s voice—a voice that she would never hear, her purpose being something other than a vessel for a beast.

Whilst there was no voice to be heard, the message had come through loud and clear: it was time for her to leave, to discover her purpose for existing, and that meant leaving the mighty tribe’s claim. So, when the sun had reached its peak at last, it was first her mother and then the elders that she’d visited, sharing her troubles with them. From her mother, she received wishes of luck and the assurance that the dragons would always watch over her, no matter where her head might lay at night. From the elders, she received similar utterances, but it was the hope that she might fare better than her mother had that had risen above all else. For they understood the dangers of the outside world all too well, and wished not for another young soul of their’s to suffer. Appreciative, she’d waited until nightfall to depart, sharing one last glance at the stars with her family before travelling back in the direction whence she’d originally come—back towards her place of birth.

*  *  *

Several weeks had gone by since taking her leave, the winds having been most unkind towards the young traveller. On more than one occasion, Kaori had found herself all turned around, lost and uncertain of where her mistake had been made. Thankfully, she’d always found a way to right her wrongs, continuously moving back towards her preferred destination. And as she wandered, she thought, the curious soul that she was. To her, her desire to return to the lands that had caused such distress made little sense, for she’d thought for certain that, following her leaving of them, she would remain forever then with the Draconid Tribe. The universe had a funny way of operating, however, driven by and creating choices that she could not quite understand. It was strange, and terribly so, but she often dropped the topic and focused instead of where she was going, her numerous detours having extended the length of her travels nearly tenfold.

Night had since claimed the lands when she’d reached a place that smelled familiar. The cries of foxes concerned her, but it was with a light feeling in her chest that she pressed onwards through the darkness, taking solace in knowing that her wanderings hadn’t been for naught. Still, she had a long ways to go before she reached the lair, leaving little time for breaks. It was then with a sudden burst of energy—brought on, surely, by the fact that her former home was well within her reach—that she took off running, caring little for the noise she made and hoping that it would clear her path of any foxes.

It was too bad that Kaori hadn’t learned her lesson the last time that she’d gone running so carelessly, for it was shortly after that, that she had been forced to a stop. And, with an audible and strangely familiar thud, she collapsed in a heap of nightly furs, a yelp spilling from her mouth as history repeated itself.

I'm assuming Tryp recognizes her, but if that isn't okay just lemme know :))

His breath quickened as his seemingly stable legs quivered in discomfort and fear. How he had managed to keep moving so far was a miracle, for his trembles were, perhaps, enough to make a less sturdy wolf fall over to only get up once daylight was present again. He kept telling himself to be brave - That Rannoch would have liked a brave man at his side instead of the wimpy boy he was. Only when a yelp echoed through the forest did he freeze.

It took him a good 10 seconds to start moving again, this time towards where he thought the noise had come from. His mouth became dry and his muscles started to feel prickly and painful. Hello? You ok-... He recognized that scent. It was not a fox nor a stranger. Kaori?