Golden Glade Im Stubborn as a mule

@Ankuusa here we are!

She had settled in just barely, made herself a den a bit away from the others just for some privacy. She had noticed how close everyone here seemed to be and wondered if she had gotten herself into a pack where everyone was family. At least her place there seemed based off of her ability to do a good job hunting and providing. Even as busy as she was she missed Ankuusa and wanted to look for him.


That day she decided to take a walk, patrolling and marking before stepping over the borders and heading toward a tree covered area. She had no idea where to go to find Ank and if he had wandered far away she couldn't have gone after him anyway. Her tail drooped and she sat down, feeling a lump rise in her throat. She let the tears come finally, she mourned her brother and sister and she cried because of how stupid she had been to lose Ank to a stupid bout of stubbornness.

Her scent is stronger here, he thinks — or perhaps that's only wishful thinking. The barren glade also bears evidence of a nearby pack, scents of many wolves who have passed through this area. Even if she were here, surely Kaala has moved on by now in search of her sister; he's certain it's too much to hope that she's finally decided to settle for the winter. Anxiety churns in his stomach at the thought, slowing him for a moment, but he swallows the feeling and presses on. There's nothing to be done about it — not until he finds her, anyway.
As if she's been summoned by his worrying, he crosses a painfully fresh trail a beat later and freezes immediately, ears pulling forward. He's certain this isn't his imagination — she's here somewhere. He turns without hesitation to follow the trail, quickening his pace as he draws nearer until the familiar fiery figure is in his line of sight. His stomach clenches tightly with emotion that does not reach his face. Kaala, He calls out, calm tone contrasting his racing pulse. He slows as he reaches her, heart twisting at the salty scent of tears, and he almost misses the pack scent wreathing her — but not quite. He has so many questions, so many things to apologize for, but suddenly he fears she will not welcome his reappearance. So he lingers back instead, only a scant few yards separating them. Somehow it feels as if there is an ocean between them in this moment.

She wished that she could go back and fix everything, make it so her siblings were alive so that she never had lost anyone at all. She had no idea what to do, no idea what she was even trying to do by joining that pack where the leader had said if she left she would have her body torn apart. She shivered at the memory of the Alpha female licking her bloodied lips and sniffled quite loudly, deciding just before her name was called that she should return to the pack before they started assuming she had left. That was until she heard her name called, the voice making her eyes widened as she stood up and whirled around as if she would see a ghost and he would vanish if she didn't turn quick enough. 

Sure enough he was standing there in all his stark white glory and she swore she had never been happier to see a single person her whole life. At first she didn't show it, she just stood there staring in shock like a stunned deer but then she launched herself forward to nuzzle him with a cry of joy. "Ank! I'm sorry, I'm so stupid. You were right. If my brother froze this early in the season, we'd be at high risk without a real pack and a real den." she said sincerely.