Swiftcurrent Creek If you must wait, wait for them here in my arms as I shake

Vagueity vague for timeline, all welcome! BWP in effect. Preferably shorter, quicker posts because I need to work on that.

Another day of heavy rain to hinder the movements of the Sagtannet wolves come down from the peaks. Wylla separated herself from the pack with the intention of scouting ahead. These lands were familiar to her and she was well equipped to perform a quick sweep to determine the suitability of the terrain for their use.

She had first thought Swiftcurrent Creek might be an ideal location for them, but it didn't take a genius to know that was no longer possible. The rain was so heavy that the fertile ground underfoot had turned to mud, and one look at the river was enough to know they couldn't stay here. A few days of significant rainfall had already made it rise and break its banks in some places. If the storms kept up, it would become far too dangerous for them to live here. And Phaedra was already terrified of water. Not to mention this wasn't much further from the canyon than they had been before.

Heart sinking, Wylla stood safe on a high bank and sadly watched the rapids rushing by. Now what?

Arlette had decided that she couldn't stand being in Easthollow at the moment. She just needed a break from endlessly avoiding her mother and lurking on the borders. The female was tired to be vigilant all the time. The girl had a lot to process after all the events that happened and perhaps some traveling outside of Easthollow would do her some good. She was not completely without a purpose. She hoped to collect herbs and other medicinal items since that would at least help her with her medical trade.

Ever since she left though, the rain had not stopped. She didn't mind it too much. The sound was soothing, and being on the move kept her warm enough. It did gave her less visibility which resulted in feeling a bit blind in where she was navigating. She had reached a wild rushing river, and decided to follow it downstream. With the heavy rain, she only realized at the last moment that she was close to another wolf. Arlette's red eyes looked up before moving into a respectable distance. Her head low and curious, tail hesitant and carried low.

Between the roar of the water below and the static crackle of rainfall, Wylla had no hope of hearing Arlette's approach. The Easthollow wolf was invisible until Wylla heaved a sigh and turned around, only to encounter an abrupt flash of white nearby, as sudden as a headlight in the fog.

Her first reaction was an alarmed recoil and the fluffing of her coat to make her look bigger. Only when her eyes picked out the outline of a wolf in the downpour with its head and tail lowered did she calm down a little. Wylla remained on edge as her eyes roamed quickly over Arlette's figure, and when no reason for her posture was immediately evident, she hollered over the deluge, can I help you or something?

Arlette noticed that she had startled the other. The girl had not intended to cause such a reaction from the other female but she could understand that her approach had been a little quiet. Luckily the other seemed to take the edge off rather quickly. Arlette lifted her head a bit and wagged her tail. "Not really. I am traveling to get some herbs," she explained to the female. "With the rains I almost didn't see you," she admitted.

"Can I help you with something instead?,' she asked curiously. She tried to get a sense if the female was from the pack. But if she was, she probably didn't know them. The girl still kept one eye at the other, shielding her scarred side of her face away from the other.

She was surprised that despite a stance that Wylla read as expectant, Arlette wanted nothing from her. Puzzlement darkened her yellow eyes. Hadn’t Arlette been the one to stop and look at her? But she was in unfamiliar territory, among unfamiliar wolves, and made weary by both the downpour and the search for a new home. Her usual fire was easily doused.

While she cared nothing for herbs or Arlette, she did take the younger she-wolf up on her offer. Her big idea to bring Sagtannet here was a flop, and she didn’t exactly have a Plan B. Do you know any mountains around here? she called over the gale and rushing creek. Besides the ones south of here.

Arlette was merely curious about the other. The female slowly nodded when she asked her a question. "There is one west of here, but there is a pack settled there. Legion," she commented. Maybe this female was looking for them. She turned her muzzle in that direction but it clearly wasn't visible now. "I also accidentally wandered North of here, there are also mountains, even a glacier," she commented to the female. It had been the time when she wanted to visit Ira and she completely went the wrong way. Luckily she had found her way back home.

A mountain to the west, and more to the north. Wylla wasn’t interested in getting her pack tangled up with any others, so north it was. She wasn’t sure a glacier appealed to her very much–it was already colder here than she was accustomed to without living on literal ice–but maybe they could find something suitable in the area.

Thanks, she offered. Beyond that, she didn’t really have anything else to say. Swiftcurrent Creek’s resident pack had disappeared ages ago, so there was no point asking Arlette about that. As for the white woman herself, Wylla really wasn’t interested in her. She was no good at small talk at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a downpour with a total stranger, not even one as helpful as Arlette.

See you later, then, she said, stepping away from the creek and Arlette both. The polite thing to do would’ve been to help her find her herbs, but… nah.

Arlette nodded in return. Having nothing more to say, and glad that she could help the stranger. She dipped her head in greeting and then turned away from the other. Perhaps she had expected more from this conversation, but she reasoned that the continuous rains didn't help with the chit chat she might have expected. So she went on her way and left the female.

- end -