Serpent Lake I don’t recognize who’s in my bed

For @Santiago Arcos, dated to May 28th

They'd set out immediately, picking up the trail while it was fresh.
She wished it was damp so they could follow it properly, but alas the grasses were pretty dry. The scent wouldn't last long.
They'd just crossed the river and were now looking for where the scent was going next.

"So, what kinda training you got?"
It wouldn't hurt to ask, especially if she could help him.
"And, what's your plan for when you get there?"
She was gonna turn back soon, her children needed her soon.

They’d been going for miles and find themselves in the deserted land east of their kingdom. The scent is already weakening too much for his liking, yet he will continue until he’s got what he needs — information or the puppy itself.

He’s caught off guard by Vanity’s sudden voice drift through his ears and he looks over to her as she asks him the question. “Training I’m sure a real warrior would not consider real training.” He laughs darkly. “I’ve fought my whole life and every time it’s been to the death, so I guess you can tell what kind of training I’ve got. And I’m not dead so that has to mean something.” 

Then to answer her next question he contemplates for a moment. “I will stay just outside of their borders, along the edge and sniff around to see what I can pick up. Surely there’s a lot of information I can gain by the entrance to the valley. Since there is only one. We’ll see though.”

Her ears tilted towards Santi, she searched the ground with her nose for the scent.
It was wholly possible the wolf had taken Valium upstream to lose them, but it'd be pointless if their destination was Ursus.
They knew where it was.

She snorted at his remark, she didn't give a fuck how someone learned to fight.
If they could kill with less damage to them, they were trained well enough.
"It does," she mused. Of course not being dead meant shit.
It either meant you are smart, or strong.
Vanity liked to think of herself as both.

"Yeah, get close to them and they'll eat you," she grinned, but her warning was meant with full honesty. "I haven't seen their lands yet, but can't make the trip until my children are weaned."
The former Warlord badly wanted to go and explore, test their tactics and ferocity.
To find the best scouting vantage point and strategy to conquer their lands.

"Watch for their patrols, if you get a good enough vantage to do so, and note when the border seems most heavily defended."
This way, they could attack when they could make the most progress into their territory and divide their ranks.
Their formation would have to be tight and strong to prevent being overwhelmed.

She hoped Valour would encourage Hydra to send at least a Medic or a couple of Mercs for them.

Santi barks out a loud fit of laughter at her ‘don’t get too close or they’ll eat you’ comment and he nods. “Oh, I know.” He hums back. “Estado allí, hecho eso.”

“They’re surrounded by mountains on all sides. There’s only one entrance, so unless no one leaves it’d be really hard masking my scent if I were to go in the territory. Which I don’t plan on doing. I will search the other side of the mountains for any possible entrances besides the main one. Like a cave or tunnel or some shit.” All while he says this he paces around sniffing the dusty ground.

As she tell him what to look for he nods with a excited smirk. “Yes ma’am.” He confirms back. He’s excited to go snooping about.

She grinned at him, then quickly turned back to the water behind them to dip her dried nose in it.
A dry nose was not good for tracking.

As she did so, he gave her some valuable information that could make or break her plans.
She nodded at his plan though. It sounded good.
"If the entrance is narrow enough, we could block it and prevent them from escaping. I bet they have pups somewhere."
If they did, then they'd want them to be taken out of the territory as quick as possible. Through the escape routes Santi might or might not find.

"Don't go in if they seem unsafe. Caves are bad usually." 
All it took was one wrong foot or a lurking wolf to kill you in a narrow place like that, and she'd rather him not be a sufferer of such fate.

"If we have our ranks close, we can swarm the wolves one by one while others defend the formation." It seemed like a good plan of action - she'd have to take it to Valour and Hydra. "Are you an attacker or defender, Santiago?" She asked before putting her nose back to the ground.

His smirk remains as she dips her nose into the water and continues sniffing. Then it’s his turn to nod back. “Yeah, if we have enough we could spread out and guard it. Hopefully I’ll be able to find it if they do have a secret exit.” 

At her comment about the cave he waves her off with a paw comically. Than to her last sentence and question he hums, contemplating them. “I think that could work. And I can be anything anyone wants me to be. Though I’m usually an attacker.” 

"Good," she offered him a wry smile, trusting in his observation skills, and carried on trying to to pick up the scent.
She was a tracker after all, so what had she got to work with?

The riverside was damp.
She moved back over to it, marking their pawprints by digging her nail into the center of them, then trotting up and down the edge of the river to look for other prints.
What she was expecting to see were small, puppy prints, but if the kid had to be carried there was no chance of that.

"If they have a back entrance," she continued whilst searching, "then we can also enter from there once enough of a distraction had been caused, which would stop anyone escaping through it."
However, from what she's head of the pack, they would more likely fight until their last man than run. Unless there were designated evacuators.

And he agreed with her plan, which was good. Valour likely would too if he hadn't already come up with it. "If your skills lie better in attacking then you shall be, rather than defending those who may need extra help." She didn't know if anyone needed it. She'd already decided herself that she would go, as long as her puppies didn't rely on her milk anymore.

He nods to her and grins. He can’t help but be giddy at the war that’s about to happen. Some real bloodshed that he’s been hidden from for so long. It makes his blood boil excitedly.

He continues sniffing though and he fitfully lifts his head, dirt covering the appendage. “I don’t smell them anymore.” He hums to Vanity only a bit away. “I can take it from here if you wish. Can start making my way towards Ursus.”

She could sense his excitement at talking about this war.
Like her, he was also the bloodthirsty sort, and he perhaps wanted some revenge for the unjust attack.

Vanity just wanted to beat someone's ass.

She shook her head too, "Me neither." There were no tracks, no scents.
Evidence in water isn't evidence, unless you were close enough behind.
"They probably went up the water to lose the scent, but I bet they're still going to Ursus."
Or at least a rendezvous where they would then go to Ursus.
Where else would they take the kid?

Before her mind could run with the possibilities, she nodded.
"Ok, be safe," she smirked, moving to bump shoulders with him.
"If you're not back soon, I'll look for you," she grinned, winking. Maybe he'd stay out for extra long time just so she'd have to haul ass looking for him.
It seemed like something Santi would do for fun.