The Sunspire Lampropeltis californiae

@Andraste @Abedi @Agana + any other Courtfall wolves who may be interested in hopping in. ♥

Chausiku felt her physique thinning with each passing day. Prey was a rare sight no matter where she went, panicked by the battle that waged beneath the Earth's surface. Though the quaking halted weeks ago, wildlife had yet to return to the land. The stillness meant the gods' struggle was over, but who won? Try as she may to reach out to Hilaeusi, her prayers were met with eerie silence.

Unease churned in her breast as she worried about the well-being of both her god and her fellow missionaries, both of which she had lost all contact with during the disasters. She was completely isolated in this foreign, desolate landscape with naught but her serpentine messenger, and it was all beginning to take its toll on her mind. Resolute as she may have been, Chausiku was still a wolf; there was only so much she could take before even her steely exterior cracked.

Exhausted from the constant travel with little nourishment to go off of, she stopped beneath an oak tree to lie in its bed of fallen leaves. Winter was coming, and she couldn't be any less prepared. She considered returning to Maloka but quickly perished the thought. She was meant to be here, and she especially would not be leaving until her packmates were found. But if she was staying through the winter and no Maloka wolves showed up, she needed to make plans to join another pack temporarily.

Chausiku rested her chin upon her forelegs and sighed, sending a stream of fog past her lips. Lend me your wisdom, Hilaeusi... She murmured, unsure if the prayer would reach him.

With the snake's bellies filled Abedi parted from Courtfall’s claim. He was much less restless now that his precious gifts got what they desired, but his own stomach still grumbled. There was little to eat in that valley, days of searching had proved so. Perhaps he would have better luck someplace else. Maybe a hare would cross his path, or better yet a lone goat. Abedi's mouth watered at the thought. 

It was not prey he found, but another of his kind. And were his ears deceiving him? Was that the native tongue she spoke? It was hard to tell, it was just a whisper after all. Abedi was still hopeful, even more so as he neared the oak. His eyes lit up when he spotted the snake on her person.

Hello. It was a simple greeting, one to test the waters.

Agana breathed slowly, filling her nose with all sorts of scents. Prey was not as abundant as before, it was pure luck she’d get paws on something edible. The herds, hares, squirrels, everything was gone. In an attempt to gather something for her pearl and herself, she left the safety of the vale to the nearest mountain, hoping she might find something.
 
A particular scent caught her interest; the scent was fresh, and with no other options, the sand female padded towards the source. Two different voices, none in the common tongue; it was different from her native Romanian, or the newly-known Russian, or even French. Agana slowly revealed her presence, a cautious pad to the two wolves.
 
One of them smelled like Courtfall; but the other was unknown to her. The beige female kept a safe distance between them, golden gaze watching them, taking a defensive position. She remained quiet, tail twitching behind her.

A voice spoke out, soft yet too close for comfort. Her eyes shot open before she'd even realized they were closed, and she lifted her head. After a moment of processing what she heard, Chausiku recognized it as her mother tongue. The rat snakes curled around his neck was a comforting sign, and it brought a warm smile to her lips.

Greetings, She returned. I haven't heard Swahili in quite some time. It's... refreshing. You see, I've become separated from my missionaries and haven't seen them in about a moon now. Have you by chance come across them? So ecstatic at having met someone who appeared to share her own culture (what were the chances?), the world around them disappeared. He carried a pack-scent, and she wondered if he was in a pack of Hiladini worshippers.

Chausiku did not oft allow herself to become too hopeful, and for her presumptions to be true would be quite the stroke of luck. But she was woefully alone, and the signs were pointing to her being correct. Was it Hilaeusi's will? Did he hear her prayer?