Iktome Plains Phantoms and Blood

@Wraen early evening, overcast and a stiff breeze

Doon's trembling legs stumbled for the tenth or eleventh time as his paws caught among the lower strands of grass that grew profusely in the area. It certainly didn't help that he was dead on his feet, the last time that he'd stopped, really stopped, was several days back and forget about getting him to remember the last time he had anything more filling than a squirrel or a groundhog. Luckily he hadn't wanted for water for several weeks as he'd had the good fortune of finding a lazy river that he had refused to leave until it brought him to the coast. Doon wearily turned his head over his shoulders and looked back in the direction of the massively aqueous plain, he could almost still hear the surf when the wind wasn't whispering among the grass. Doon felt the tingle of nausea down the back of his throat and whipped his head toward his path again, unfortunately, as he'd never seen the ocean before, he'd drunk enough sea water to make him fairly ill and feel just as foolish. Luckily the fresh water river was still nearby and, without even knowing it, was able to stave off the worst of the symptoms by dilution. If it hadn't been for the nightmare he'd have stayed a day or too and gotten a proper rest, seeing as it occured though he'd been walking since just after midnight.
A shiver ran down his spine as the image of his eyeless mother returned from the night before, it'd been that same image that had been haunting him all the many days he'd crossed the country. Doon wondered, not for the first time, if he'd ever have any relief from that phantom trailing him it was worse than any physical threat he'd encountered all his life. The immediate area though gave him hope he may get a few days relief as it most resembled the area he grew up in. There was still too much green but the wide open spaces for miles and the wind over the rolling landscape brought to mind many good memories, he felt more comfortable here than anywhere else up to this point, hell he may even stay. Doon grinned to himself at his optimistic thoughts, it felt good to think of stopping someplace even if it weren't true, if he'd learned anything the last several weeks it was that he was steeped in wandering he enjoyed it way too much to keep still. Doon chuffed out loud as he settled down between two large patches of bunchgrass, that wasn't to say he'd be welcome to a permanent place he could return to, settling down was one thing but having someplace he could return to after wandering a piece was something entirely different and something he'd be open to. Doon lay his head down on his forepaws, still grinning.

It was almost a week now and the sharp ache in Wraen's heart after Maia had left the Teekon had somewhat dulled. She was still lonely, but it was not as painful as it had been and she decided not to wallow in sorrow any longer and fill her time with work and duties present. And, who knows, perhaps the moment of their reunion would come sooner than she expected. 

She had taken few days leave from her pack to scout the plains North to the copse. These lands she had crossed on numerous occasions already, but had never taken time to inspect them more thoroughly. Who would have known that in one corner co-habited pools of sea-food, a lifeless land clad in salt and a grove of the most unusual trees she had ever seen?

Now she traveled across vast grasslands - similar to those near her former home at Sunspire. Now and then she would stop to track and hunt a mouse or a lemming and by the time she reached the area, where another wolf was concealed, she had quite a few having a party inside her belly. The stranger's smell did seem a little odd and she could not place it right away. She stood few feet away from his hiding place, analyzing the scent molecules the wind brought her and thinking.