Snowforest Taiga Right Sarah Lynn? ...Sarah Lynn?

At the base of Emberflame Ridge but before Dawnlark Plains. @Aviana

It’s been a few days since he’s seen anyone, whether by sheer luck or he’s starting to figure it out don’t matter. It’s been days. None of the wolves are nice. Not like Blackbear, anyway. He misses her. He should have tried to stay with her. Maybe she’d help him, teach him things about being a wolf, but he’d been on a mission back then. He had to find his people. He had to get out of here. There was something around the corner that would help lead him to them. Or answers. Or anything.
 
Now, there’s nothing up ahead. Mr. Peanut Butter just keeps moving. It’s all he’s got. He’s hungry and thin and the muscles around his face have broken down and sunken in. He’s tired.
 
He doesn’t know where he’s going, or why. The last thing he’d eaten was a dead fish he found on the lake near the ocean but since then? Nothing. Can he go any longer? He closes his eyes, feeling hot despite the cold weather, and slowly lowers his rump on the cool ground and just… sits.

Aviana had left the pack lands in search of food. She hadn't intended to be gone long, but she needed to make a kill. Her ventures took her a little further than she intended to go, but when she spotted the dog, it was the first moment she thought it would be worth it. Sure, dogs were cousins of the wolf, but Aviana mostly considered them on the prey level than on the pack level. 

She was silent as she stalked him, closing the distance between her and her intended target. He sat back on his haunches, and that was when she went for him. She pushed off the ground with her back legs, and was mindful not to growl while she raced towards him. She needed to be as quiet as she could. Once she was close enough, she would try to barrel into him and knock him to the ground. Then, if she succeeded, would open her jaws and try to clamp down on whatever body part she could.

It is hard not to hear the sound behind him but at first he thinks nothing of it. One floppy ear swivels back but it is nothing compared to a wolf, so when he does hear the distinct crunch underfoot and a large creature after him, he swings his head back in surprise. Eyes widen dramatically and he picks himself up off the guard. On a good day, he doesn’t have the speed to get away, and certainly weakened by starvation and infection in his shoulder, but he tries anyway. Whatever instinct he has left, he’ll use, and he starts to run.
 
Of course, he doesn’t get very far. It isn’t very fast—never really was—and the best of the woman, teeth of her mouth, all come down upon him at once. His head jerks back and he yelps hoarsely, feeling his legs crumble beneath him and hit the ground hard.

She puts her weight into the hit, and then upon him when it succeeded. Her teeth sunk into his should and then she did release her growl as blood pooled into her mouth. She tugged on the infected muscle, and then released it quickly to grab onto the dog's throat instead. She chomped down quickly, wanting to end this before the dog started to fight back. She was prepared for him to struggle, and her muscles tensed on top of him, ready for it.

Her travel takes her south, further from the coast. She thought going back all the way to the plateau might be a god idea but it’s too far than she’d like to travel. Would Saarthal even go back that way? There isn’t a single scent that would indicate so, but if she’d gone days ago she likely couldn’t trace her anyway. When she’d intended to go back home, something pulled her along the mountain range. Some of it is vaguely familiar, if having been here once or on the fringes or in a state of black out fear, running from your ex-girlfriend’s mother, but nonetheless she can’t pinpoint much.
 
At this point, she’s certain she’s just checking anywhere that someone might be, even if it isn’t Saarthal. The grey girl is long gone, without a trace, and doesn’t want to be found, and her heart aches for the first time in days when she allows herself to accept failure.
 
She closes her eyes, briefly, and takes a few deep breaths. Mixed in is something familiar but she can’t quite place it, but when she opens her eyes over the expanse past the plains, she sees a blur of a figure rushing toward another. From a distance, she can’t really see definite features but one looks as much of a wolf as a coyote might, or a fox, but much bigger. Her jaws tighten as she watches it happen, one canine crash into another, but she keeps her distance as if she’s witnessing something she’s not supposed to.

It takes a matter of seconds for all of it to happen. The weight of the larger creature crumples him to the ground and he doesn’t stand a chance. New pain erupts from his injured shoulder but before he has a chance to yelp or fight back, teeth pierce the skin of his throat. His legs twitch beneath him, struggling against the weight, and he gurgles before falling limp on the ground.

Her jaws were clamped down on his throat, and she cut off his airways, preventing him from breathing. It took a few more minutes, but eventually, the dog jerked with it's last live moment. When she was sure he was dead, she released his her hold and sat back on her haunches. Her sides heaved with exertion, and her gaze looked around the area to make sure no one was going to challenge her for her meal.

Her eyes caught sight of the other wolf, and she waited to see if they would come towards her. She didn't recognize the other wolf from such a distance.

She watches the woman make an easy kill and she finds herself more curious to see what it is, and whether or not it was simply that weak or if something slowed it down. She is not dumb enough to approach yet, standing there and trying to see what she can, nose fluttering for new scents aside from blood and that one she can’t quite get out of her head. It is not often that she comes face to face with a wolf over a kill that isn’t her own pack mates and after her recent loss against her brother, she doesn’t care to get into any fights any time soon. Plus, she’s tired and hungry herself and would hardly make an opponent that so easily crushed this one.
 
Mallaidh remains for a few seconds before she starts to walk. She does not make a path right for the woman and her kill, but more of a circle as if she’s going to keep going but her gaze remains on the hunter. At one point, however, she comes to a stop, close enough. Her brain fires on all cylinders in that instant and her head lifts, recalling a painfully embarrassing and scarring memory. Something she’d wiped out of her mind for as long as she could and she remembers Artaax had stirred up his own before disappearing from the pack entirely. Her jaw tightens and she halts, watching, wondering if she’s recognized—and, god, she hopes not.

Her eyes remain on the wolf as it stands motionless, but then begins to move. It doesn't make a beeline for her, but Aviana doesn't trust that she isn't after the fresh meat. She growls, her eyes taking in the other wolf as she was circled. The other woman paused, looking at Aviana, but she didn't look aggressive.

Aviana silenced her growl as recognition entered the picture. She lifted her head and her ears perked, as she whispered, Furi. She hadn't seen the other woman since their first meeting, and guilt seeped back into the picture. Did the other wolf hate her? Furi, she said louder, now hoping the other woman heard her. Would she come over? Aviana would not attack her, now knowing who she was.

They linger in awkward silence for a moment and Mallaidh decides to turn and go, getting back to her search that isn’t going to turn up anything, but Aviana moves and she stops. She swings her head and looks at the older woman and twitches her ears, finally flattening them against her head once she hears her name from another life. Her heart thumps heavy in her chest and she shifts a little, wishing she hadn’t been noticed at all. She could turn and run away like she had last night, disappearing, never wanting to see her again, but she remains planted for a little while longer.
 
And when she does begin to move, it’s closer. Not farther.
 
What am I doing? Stop. Stop it.
 
Nothing works. Her legs keep moving and eventually she’s only a handful of yards away from the other. Closer inspection reveals how canine the other is, all the same features as they have, but it doesn’t look right. Her tongue moves over her dry lips and looks back to Aviana, still quiet.

It was agonizing, waiting for Furi to make a move. Would she come closer? Go further? Aviana waited with bated breath that did not release until Furi started coming towards her. Her tail wagged hesitantly, showing her friendliness. But, it didn't seemed to be returned. Aviana frowned as Furi stopped several yards from her. 

Do you hate me? she asked, sadness in her voice. She wouldn't blame the other woman if she didn't. For sure, Aviana had confused her, even though she hadn't meant to.

Do you hate me?
 
Her brows knit together, one ear twitches back. Slowly, she shakes her head. Hate is the last thing that would cross her mind when it comes to Aviana. It isn’t what sparked the series of events, but merely one of the events along the way. It certainly had complicated a lot of things and left her with just… more questions. Questions she’s long since forgotten or had answered or just accepted she’d never actually know.
 
“What is that?” is what actually comes out of her mouth, pointing with her nose at the dog by her feet and staring at it instead of returning her gaze.

Furi shook her head no, which Aviana took as a positive sign. She gave a small smile, hoping Furi would come closer. Instead, she looked down at the deceased dog instead of looking at Aviana, and asked what it was. 

Aviana took it, as it was better than not having Furi talk to her at all. I think it's a dog, she replied. She hadn't actually seen one up close before, but she had heard of them. Some befriended them, some ate them, some likened them to annoying coyotes. If Aviana hadn't been so hungry, she might have felt indifferent, at the least. Today, though, she would eat. Are you hungry? she asked, willing to share.

A dog. Okay, that gives her something else to think about. She wants to get closer and examine in and figure out what it is that makes it a dog. Unfortunately, she can’t talk to it—could they talk? she’ll never know—and so she looks back up when asked if she’s hungry. Again, she shakes her head despite the slow roll of her stomach, saying otherwise.
 
“Um,” she starts, looking away from the dog to Aviana. It feels too awkward to talk about the dog when more is left unsaid between them. She doesn’t feel like the kid she had been when she first met Aviana, less awkward and more confident on tall legs but still she remains slouched and uncertain. “I should get going,” she tells her and looks to the ground, turning to her original path.

Aviana could feel the hesitation in Furi, but she hoped the woman would at least stay and talk. Her hopes were dashed when she, instead, turned to leave. Aviana was quick to step forward, but just a couple steps. No, please don't, she begged. I've thought about you a lot since that day, she admitted. I've wondered where you were, how you were doing, she added. Aviana didn't answers to those questions. She just wanted Furi to know. I felt bad about confusing you that day. It wasn't my intention. But she knew that didn't erase the fact that her own actions had caused this girl pain.

Mallaidh hesitates when Aviana steps closer, asking her to stay. One paw remains above the ground as she listens, one ear swiveled back at the explanation. It doesn’t really make anything better and she’d have felt better if she’d never run into her again.
 
“You were…” she starts, uncertain what she wants to say. “My first. I don’t know… why it matters, but it does,” she explains and though she’s turned back, she isn’t out of position to leave. She’d never put much thought to sex until then. She’d guess Blixen might be her first, or maybe Rose, but it had been some strange woman and then Artaax, making everything worse. Suppressing the events with Aviana had lumped Artaax in because thinking about one leads to the other and it’s best for all of them to put away. It wasn’t right, she thinks but doesn’t find the ability to say.

The girl stopped mid-step, and Aviana's heart did a soft little flip when she started to speak. It was unexpected, she explained. Aviana wasn't sure if maybe Furi was having feelings for someone else at that point, and that was one of the reasons for the complication. And I was a stranger, she added. But, it means no less, she said genuinely. Aviana wouldn't have called herself bisexual, and she didn't think she'd ever have another female experience. 

She sighed. I tried to give you something that day... I wanted to take your confusion away, and turn it into confidence. Aviana didn't regret what they did, just that Furi didn't seem to think in a positive manner when she looked back on it. Aviana didn't, either, but only because it had ended to abruptly, and Furi didn't seem happy.

Aviana tries to explain her motives that day but they don’t seem to be doing much. She doesn’t feel any better about the whole thing and she doesn’t know when the bruised ego will eventually fade.
 
“Look,” she starts before the other gets a chance to try again. Not a single thing the older woman can do to make it better and Mallaidh knows that and she’ll have to find answers out on her own. “It’s over with. Can we just… put it behind us?” Whether that means they can be friends is a little… uncertain, but at least they can bury it and move on.

She thought that her words might ease the tension, but Aviana was sorely wrong. She frowned and retreated several steps back to the carcass. Her eyes were cast downwards as she sat back on her haunches. Sure, she responded softly. 

She would not try to stop the girl if she went to leave again. If Furi wanted it buried, then Aviana would give her what she wanted.

Her own gaze droops when Aviana steps back and sits down, agreeing to the notion. Maybe another time they can figure out and Mallaidh can say how she really feels but until she knows for herself, finding the words will be nearly impossible. Her tail twitches a little but doesn’t pick up enough speed. It would be easy to turn and go, figure it out herself and maybe the next time they run into one another they’ll be able to talk but she doesn’t move just wait, somehow still wanting answers.
 
“I’m looking for someone,” she finally says, struggling to keep her voice from cracking. “She’s a little smaller than me, all grey, orange eyes. Her name is Saarthal,” she elaborates, “have you seen her?”

Aviana was sure Furi was going to leave, and so she didn't both to look up from the ground to watch. So, when she spoke, Aviana looked up in surprise, her ears perked. Aviana thought they would part ways and that would be it. But, it seemed Furi was looking for someone. Unfortunately, someone Aviana had not mer or even seen. She shook her head side to side. No, I haven't, she admitted. I'll keep a look out, though, and let them know you're looking for them, she offered. Where should I tell them to find you? Aviana didn't leave the pack lands often, so the chances of her finding the wolf Furi was looking for was slim. But, on the off chance she did, she could at least point them in the right direction to Furi.

She doesn’t suspect Aviana has any answers for her. They aren’t exactly close as far as their pack goes (or she assumes, since she doesn’t know where they are) and their meetings have been by chance. And knowing she doesn’t have any information, she feels too weird to hang out here. She doesn’t know if they’ll ever be okay but, maybe… but she has to figure things out for herself.
 
“Drageda,” she says, uncertain whether or not they’d really talked about where they’re from. “On the other side of the rise, where we met. There’s a redwood forest bordering some cliffs. That’s where we’re from,” she adds. She doesn’t really want Aviana to know where she is but it’s an irrational thought and she offers a slight smile and looks away. “Thanks for keeping an eye out but I should… probably keep going.”

She listened as Furi told her where her pack was. She was about to tell her where Morningside was, but Furi seemed hellbent on leaving, and so Aviana simply nodded quietly. The other woman was obviously discontent in Aviana's presence, and she was not one to want to prolong that feeling. 

She turned back to the carcass, and grabbed it by the back of the neck, jerking it until it moved freely across the ground. She would take it back to Morningside so they could eat.