Lion Head Mesa I had a dream; I got everything I wanted

@Black Hat

           

She had wandered the land for a few weeks now, memorizing the layout and familiarizing herself with every minute detail. She was mildly surprised by how much she liked the Mesa. It was different from anywhere else she had tried to call home. She could see for miles and miles in all directions and felt elevated. Superior to that bellow.

With only Black Hat and Rowan roaming around, the young woman felt a sense of freedom on her shoulders. For the first time in a long while she was actually able to relax. Although right at the second she was headed to the base of the plateau to check some scent marks.

The hare's zigzagging path carried Quell west beyond Sagtannet's claim, her heart pounding with the thrill of the chase as they raced across the wintry meadow next door. She closed in even as the rabbit dashed toward the shadow of a distant mesa, swiping the critter's legs out from beneath it and then diving in for the kill. When her prey lay limp at her feet, blood painting the cold, dry grass, Q leaned back on her haunches to catch her breath.

While she waited for her heartbeat to slow, she caught sight of a sandy figure roaming around the base of the nearby plateau. She licked her bloodstained lips but found she didn't yet have the breath to spare to call out. Instead, she reared slightly and flailed, hoping her frantic waving would catch the stranger's attention.

hello! Thanks for jumping in :)

           

It wasn’t the scent on the wind, or the panting breath that drew her attention, but rather the floundering that finally caught her eye. A dark bluish girl with blood strewn across her jaw and a rabbit between her paws. Padma’s tail rose slowly behind her, they were awfully close to the Mesa.

With a confident swagger, and a signature frown delicately placed upon her features, Padma approached the stranger. “Hey!” She called out, “Are you stealing our game?” Her amber gaze flickered between the girl and the hare.

My pleasure!

The stranger, a she-wolf, spotted her and made an approach. Quell noted the posturing as she came closer, her head tilting at the obvious swagger. She didn't change much about her own demeanor—it remained candidly friendly—even in the face of the accusation.

"No, I caught this for you," Q replied without so much as missing a beat, lifting the hare and tossing it gently toward the stranger's feet. "I didn't realize we had neighbors! Consider that a housewarming gift. So you own this meadow?" She gestured sweepingly at the surrounding grasslands. "And there's more than one of you?" she guessed, based on the use of the word "our."

           

So startled by the young woman’s reply, Padma blinked a few times confused. She slowly lost the dominant stance she had originally taken. “You caught that for me?” Amber eyes fell to the rabbit and returned to the ice blue. “Why?” No one had ever caught food for her, at least not to her recent memory.

Astounded, Padma sniff at the carrion cautiously. Was it poisoned in come way? Or very old?[/b] And an even more shocking thought crossed her mind, [i]was she just being nice?

“Umm no not this meadow, the mesa behind me.” She flicked her head back toward the plaza, eyes now fixed on the rabbit. “There are a few of us now.” Padma nodded softly, not willing to reveal to much about the pack to a stranger.

“Who are you?” Her wary side returning, Padma’s eyes flicked sharply on the girl, analyzing her.

The sandy she-wolf seemed perplexed and possibly a little suspicious of the unexpected gift, questioning Quell's motives. The speckled youth replied with a shrug and a, "Why not?" Her eyes danced with amusement as she watched her bend down to sniff skeptically at the fresh kill.

In the next moment, she straightened to answer Q's questions. "Ah, cool!" the teenager chirped in reply. She either didn't notice the other girl's reluctance or simply chose to ignore it (likely the latter). "So are you guys, like, a pack in formation? What do you call yourselves? I'm Quellcrist and I'm from Sagtannet, the pack that lives on that mountain there." Quell lifted one dark paw and pointed at it before facing forward again, expression expectant.

           

Still not quiet understanding the girls motive, Padma shrugged. The girls forwardness and cheery disposition continued to baffle her. Is this how she would have turned out if she hadn’t left her family? All bubbly and cute like? Padma wasn’t sure if they could have ever been her, but she side stepped that therapist needing question.

“We’re just forming, we go by Corona.” Padma looked over at the mountains looming behind the girl… Quellcrist. “That’s quite the name, Quellcrist.” With no motivation to share her name in return, Padma tried to steer the conversation toward Sagtannet. A smile tilted her lips, if only to appear more normal. “How long has Sagtannet lived in the mountains?” It could never hurt to be well informed.

"You're welcome to call me Quell or Q," she agreed, "and I think the pack just relocated there, though it was originally two other packs that merged. I've only been there for, mmm, maybe a month?" That sounded about right. That reminded her: she really ought to get word back to Seabolt...

"Corona," she repeated after a brief pause, "like... having a coronary?" Q's tongue lolled from her mouth in a laugh, since that seemed like an absurd naming convention and she was surely off the mark. Hopefully the stranger would explain its actual meaning. Speaking of which, "What about you? What do they call you?"

           

Padma crinkled her brow at the terrible joke, her eyes rolled to the sky in a tiny gesture of exasperation. “No, not like a coronary.” She tutted her tongue. Although she was slightly annoyed, she was pleasantly surprised by the ease of this encounter. And although she tried to keep her façade, Padma had unknowingly relaxed slightly.

“Like a … crown.” She had never thought of the meaning before, but found the answer fell easily from her lips. A curious revelation lighted Padma’s face, an ah ha moment dawning. Black Hat’s branch… it was a crown.

Caught in her epiphany for a moment longer than she should have been, Padma almost missed the last question. Biting her lips slightly, she gave the woman a once over. “You can call me Lark.” She offered, an alias she had used in the past. It wasn’t often that someone caught he first name on the first encounter.

Q was no linguist, so she would never have made the connection between "corona" and "crown," though she supposed they sounded similar...ish. That was as far as her interest went, though, so she simply accepted the girl's explanation without further pressing.

"Nice to formally make your acquaintance, Lark of Corona," Quell said in reply to the given name, complementing her formal-sounding introduction with a salute. "You right, that is so much easier to say than 'Quellcrist of Sagtannet.' I should go by Q of Sag." Was she talking to Lark, or herself?

With a blink, the huntress clapped her forepaws together. "Well, I should get back to the hunt so I don't have to go home empty-handed. I'll be sure to stick to our side of the meadow," Quell assured as she turned to go. "See you around, neighbor-ino!"

           

“Goodbye.” Padma called after the strange girl. She supposed she had collected enough information to relay to Black Hat. With amber eyes, Pad ensure that Quellcrist had indeed left before turning back and heading back up the Mesa.