Greatwater Lake i got my ticket for the long way round.

The day was an unexpectedly cold one. Eshe awoke to find herself shivering while the sun came up. She looked around to see if @Tiarnach was near, but couldn't find anything more than his scent. It wasn't unusual, so she merely stood and gave herself a good stretch before setting off to find a stream to drink from.

It didn't take her too long to find the edge of the great lake they'd camped near. She sated her thirst and then stood at the shore, watching a few ducks as they skated across the water's surface. She thought of her mother, and what she had warned them of before they'd set off.

Liffey had not approved of them deciding to leave the pack so close to Winter, but she hadn't tried to stop them. Somewhere along the line, her mother had learned better. But her warning had been firm, and now that Eshe felt winter's chill digging its claws into her dark spine, she knew well that it likely needed to be their next move.

It was time to find a pack to settle in with for the Winter.

Eshe sighed, wishing there was more time for her to take things slow and not be rushed into a decision. But, she knew better than to argue with nature. Turning from the water's edge, she started hunting down her brother.

Tendrils of the coming winter crept over the lands in the cold winds that came by night, the crackling layer of frost that encrusted the fields in the early morning light, the urgent calls of migratory birds that beckoned their brethren to prepare for departure.  Tehama greeted each warning of the coming cold season with a silent gratitude that she had found a place for the winter in Moonspear.  She did not yet know whether warmer weather would see her remain on its slopes; the whims of pack leadership, and the bonds she might yet form throughout the winter would determine that.  Yet the lady had grown so fond of Moonspear already that she considered it home in her mind, and had hardly seen fit to depart from its security in the weeks since Dirge had accepted her into their midst.

Today it was the prospect of a change in hunting venue that led her for the first time away from the mountain.  The early riser left her mark upon the borders, reaffirming Moonspear's claim as well as Firefly Glen's.  It was her understanding that they were inextricably linked, two feathers belonging to the same great eagle's wing, and that they were an extension of the family bonds that made Moonspear stable and strong.  She had heard the familiar voice of her acquaintance Bronco among their claiming song, and as she skirted their borders she silently wished him well.  He had seemed a dutiful young man and likely would be a boon to the newly-founded pack.

The lake where Tehama had met Tahoe glistened silvery smooth, mist rising in tendrils from its glassy surface in the early morning's grey light.  Tehama found her paws carrying her further as the world lightened, the pale glow of sunlight transitioning the dark blue hues of night to the mauve and salmon tones of morning proper.  An open stretch of grassland gave way to another expanse of water, and Tehama was pleased to find a selection of waterfowl skimming along the lake's surface, bobbing and diving amongst the rushes that lined th lake's banks and drooped heavy with the weight of a thin layer of frost.  Duck or goose or grebe or gadwall, Te wasn't particular, but she wanted to hunt a fine specimen to take to Sialuq's homestead as an offering of thanks to the budding medic and her family.

Only at length did the woman, focused on her potential hunting prospects, notice another wolfish shape at the water's edge.  A taller, silvered wolf, black-spined, lithe.  Tehama approached silently, drawing to within a few paces of the other as she trailed along the lakeside, and offered a slow tail wag of greeting.  "Hi," a soft-spoken greeting, voice gentled both from the cold air and remnants of sleep.  A flare of her nostrils told the Moonspear that this was no packmate, but that didn't mean she couldn't be sociable.

Eshe had barely turned from the water's edge when she heard a quiet voice greeting her. She turned back, curious to see who owned the voice. It certainly wasn't Tiarnach; she would've recognized her brother. She trailed the landscape with her gaze until her eyes landed on an unfamiliar, but friendly enough face. She relaxed when she saw no threat upon the other, though she hadn't realized before that moment that she'd tensed. Her memory flashed back to the crazy bitch that had attacked her and she suppressed a scowl at the unpleasant reverie.

She wagged her tail to convey her own friendliness before calling back. "Hello there," she greeted, wondering what the other female wanted, if anything.

Tehama stepped through the cold dew-covered grasses and drew up closer to the other wolf, to be within conversational distance.  Her voice was decidedly feminine, and this along with her amicable tone set the Moonspear wolf at ease.  Despite her acquaintance made with Tahoe near a similar lake, she would not have been so ready to speak with a stranger male; she still recalled the unsettling encounter with a dark beast of a wolf further south when she had newly arrived in the Teekons.  But this lithe silver creature seemed no threat, and Te held her tail and ears in a neutral-calm fashion to project her own lack of animosity.

"I didn't think anyone else would be out at this early hour," Tehama said warmly, to show she didn't mind the lack of solitude.  "I've come down from Moonspear to the southwest.  It's my... home."  And it felt good to call her new pack home, even to a stranger.  Nudging her muzzle towards the glasslike surface of the lake, where a pair of nearby ducks sailed along but kept a wary eye on the wolves, Te added, "I was considering taking one of the birds, but now I'm not sure I wouldn't end up wet, cold, and with nothing to show for it in the end."  The Moonspear wolf grinned sheepishly, thinking of how frigid the creek had been with Sialuk tending her now-scabbed porcupine wound--and that had been during daylight hours.  One thing was clear: the oncoming winter weather had done nothing to silence Tehama's talkative nature, now that she was increasingly comfortable with her mountain pack and no longer worried where her next meal would come from, or where she would next lay her head.

Eshe's nostrils flared as she began to sniff at the wind, trying to decipher what she could of this woman's scent. She was excited to smell other wolves on her, which meant a pack. Perhaps one that was looking for two new packmates? But then the girl spoke and in short order, Eshe knew this was not where to look. Moonspear had long been a place her parents had warned her about, though the warnings had grown less dire as time had passed. Wolves of Moonspear should be avoided and aren't to be trusted. That's how the warnings had been. Before she'd left, though, the warning had simply been to proceed with caution--Frostfurs were likely not welcome on their borders.

No need to bring up any of that drama, though, or so Eshe decided. This woman was friendly enough and didn't seem to recognize the family resemblance in the frosted tips of her dark ruff, so she remained relaxed and curious. Her gaze slipped over to the birds the woman referenced and she smiled. "Well, I do think you want to avoid going after the ones that are already in the water," she replied with a wag of her tail, "Though you might find some along the shore further down. They like to hunker down in the dry, grassy areas when the weather starts to turn. I can help you look, if you like?" She thought of Tiarnach and how she wanted to find him, but it was early. That could wait for a little while.

It seemed for a brief moment that there was some reaction blunted, something that was quickly shuttered behind the other female's gaze when the Moonspearian introduced herself.  But Te was not intuitive enough to even know what it was, exactly, that flickered for an instant then was gone, nor would she have been dogged enough to pursue the topic if she had.  A newcomer to her mountain home, the tawny woman as of yet knew none of its history, and it would likely take a metaphorical whiteboard, multicolored markers, and wildly-arranged pins and strings to fully explain all of that complicated backstory to a total outsider such as Tehama.

So it was with the bliss that accompanies ignorance that Tehama sailed unwittingly past any awkwardness and simply got down to the present moment with this yet-unnamed woman.  "I think perhaps going along the lake's edge would work.  It might be possible to flush out more of the fowl.  Most would go for the water, but any injured or older would be an easier catch."  Her ears pricked forward with enthusiasm, tail swaying in slow arcs as she contemplated.  "It would be better with the two of us.  One to come from behind and another to lay in wait.  We can split whatever we get."  Surely teamwork equally divided would end up with rewards that could be equally shared.  "I'm Tehama, by the way.  Or Te."

Eshe's gaze trailed further up the shoreline as the other female replied, considering. It was still too early for them to be nesting, so it was unlikely that any they found on the shore wouldn't run. She had always watched them simply because she was interested in the habits of all wildlife. She had never really applied her knowledge towards hunting techniques. Now that she did consider it further, she thought how hard it must be to hunt any but flightless birds. Just more reasons why she wasn't a hunter.

"Nice to meet you," Eshe replied, turning her gaze back and offering a smile, "I'm Eshe Frostfur." Oops, she thought in the next second. This woman was from Moonspear. Was it wise to share her identity so freely with one of them? Maybe, maybe not. It didn't matter to her, really. "I'd be happy to help. Would you like me to flush or catch? Admittedly, I would probably be better at the former than the latter." Her skills were definitely in sneaking up on other animals. She usually just observed them, but she could certainly scare them this time instead.

So sorry, I thought I had replied a while ago on this!

Tehama dipped her head cordially in acknowledgement of the other woman's introduction, filing away the first name along with her silver features, and marking the surname.  Tehama's own line had been more interested in passing along the title of Tehama matrilineally than inheriting a last name, but she had not missed the common practice in these parts of having a family name and introducing oneself by it.  The long history behind the Frostfur nomenclature in these and other parts was far beyond Tehama's knowledge or understanding, but already she was beginning to know the family name of the Ostregas, so prolific upon her own mountain home.  It wouldn't surprise the surnameless female if Frostfurs, too, ruled a nearby pack... although she didn't believe she scented a multitude of others on Eshe, and the name of any such pack was not forthcoming from the woman.

Setting aside that momentary speculation, the Moonspearian considered the question Eshe posed.  "Well, we can play to our strengths then, and if you flush them out, I'll catch."  Or rather, she hoped she would be able to catch.  The tawny woman half-crouched and crept slowly down the gentle slope to the lake's banks, watching as the sun's rays crested over the far horizon and cast golden light through the rolling mist and onto the lake.  A small flock of ducks squabbled and quacked some few wolflengths away, and Tehama gave them a wide berth.  The she-wolf made a show of ignoring their presence so as not to alarm the avians where they milled about, half on shore and half in the lapping shallow water.  One of them appeared older, moving less than his brethren, though without any obvious injury or deformity.  For Eshe's benefit, she pricked her ears in their direction, lowered her tail in concentration.  She glanced over her shoulder in askance: a likely target?

Eshe was a bit relieved when Tehama agreed to let her be the one to flush. She didn't mind her lack of hunting skills when she was hunting alone, or even with her twin. But running the risk of disappointing a hungry stranger was not something she wanted to do. 

The Frostfur nodded once, and then they were off. Eshe altered her path to split from Tehama, slipping down into the brush and taking great care to walk silently away from the shore. She kept her eye on the terrain, searching for any sign of their quarry, though she stole glances at Tehama to keep her in sight as they went. She paused when she noticed the other wolf tense, shifting her gaze until she too spotted the ducks at the shore. She gave a small nod before creeping forward.

It was slow going, determined as she was to not startle them early. She eventually came around to stand to their side, opposite from Tehama. She paused then, looking between the reeds at her companion to make sure she was ready before she sprang.

It was a timeless dance and the two wolves fell into it as easy as breathing.  Eshe's gentle approach was coordinated to not startle the ducks, not until the moment was right.  Tehama's nonchalant wandering further ahead was a carefully laid trail in which she doubled back on her own tracks, pretending to be quite absorbed in sniffing at the cold, hard ground where a smattering of dying grass clung stubbornly to the lakeshore.  The sun shone through the fog over the lake, and the woman knew that as the day broke in earnest, their opportunity for the kill would dissipate along with the mist as the fowl took to their watery refuge.  

Te pawed idly at the little waves lapping at the banks, shuddering faintly at the frigid temperature, studiously ignoring the little family of ducks as they quacked and made any number of raucous sounds, moving amongst the reeds.  Still the old drake huddled down in the tall reed stalks, and when he did move, his motions were stiff and slower than his fellows.  Silently, Tehama issued a prayer to the Great Mother for guidance in the hunt and to thank her for the gift of life-giving food.  It was the creator goddess's will that wolves were carnivores, after all, and the Moonspear wolf tried to honor the life of each animal killed in the hunt.

The tawny woman looked up, her silver gaze glinting with the golden sunlight.  She sought the faraway features of Eshe Frostfur, lifting her tail encouragingly to say that she was ready whenever her hunting companion was.  The petite woman did not outwardly change appearance, but the faintest change in the tautness of her limbs indicated she was poised to pounce when Eshe charged forth.

Eshe didn't have to wait long for the signal--or what she thought was the signal. They hadn't actually discussed what the signal would be, but still she recognized it when it came. Swiftly, the Frostfur darted forward towards where the birds nested, angling herself so that they would (hopefully) flush in Tehama's direction. She didn't have much hope of grabbing any herself, but still she tried to nab one as she rushed into them. Her jaws parted empty as she slowed, dry grass and feathers settling around her as she peered over at her companion, eager to see if she'd had better luck.

On cue, Eshe rushed the waterfowl, ushering them towards Tehama.  Her hunting partner's effort was well-coordinated, well-timed.  The birds startled, some taking wing and some fleeing for the safety of the lake's placid surface.  Tehama's jaws snapped as she went for their chosen target, the older drake slower to react, stiff-winged and vulnerable.  Te's teeth grazed his flight feathers and she snapped again at him, lightning fast.  Soon she felt the struggling beat of his wings against her face and heard a distressed sound.  But webbed feet, cold, damp, and stronger than the wolf had anticipated from a elder duck, slapped against her face.  It was so startling and unexpected that the defense had its intended effect.  The Moonspearian's hold loosened infintesimally, and the duck, who had not made it to old age through foolishness or stupidity, took its chance and escaped.

Tehama stood, dumbstruck by this turn of events, as the flock of birds successfully evaded their lady huntresses.  After a moment, all she could do was sink to the ground in a fit of pure laughter at how utterly ridiculous she must have looked.  When her giggling faded enough to see through the tears that welled up in her silver eyes, the woman turned to look at Eshe and she shrugged as if to say well, it was worth a try.

The winter morning was young.  The two females continued along the lakeshore, looking out for further promising hunting prospects...