Blacktail Deer Plateau pasiaktuk

Lane stood, panting, breathing in the scents at the edge of the plateau-- or rather, the lack thereof. Where was the Blacktail woman's marker? Her scent had been so much heavier last time Lane came through. Lane's brow furrowed in concern. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a cough echoing in the distance. The following stretch of time was marked by occasional shuffling sounds in the underbrush, slowly drawing closer to Lane's location. Once she caught her breath, the Duskfire woman would also move to close the remaining distance between herself and her unknown company, with no particular attention paid to moving quietly. She didn't want to appear as if she was sneaking around in someone else's home, after all. 

Eventually the two wolves came face to face, and each took their time in recognizing the other. Pig-Man's appearance had also changed markedly since their last encounter. It had been dark at the time of their hunt along the coastline, but Lane was certain that the man hadn't been sporting those claw marks along his sides and hips. His pelt looked darker too-- in her memory he was a white wolf, but the man who stood before her resembled more a dirty blonde. 

His voice, however, was unmistakable. 

"Hey..!" Lane chirped back, eyes lighting with recognition. She just barely stopped herself from saying, "Hey, Pig-Man!" knowing that some might find the implication behind the epithet offensive. The nickname had nothing to do with his looks or behavior, promise! The "pig" part was just the only part of his name that had stuck, probably because they were hunting pigs when they met. 

But that hadn't technically been when they met, had it? 

"We meet for a third time," Lane noted, lifting an eyebrow in a teasing, I-know-something-you-don't sort of way. The memory of their side-by-side fight through the blizzard had come to her only after they parted ways following their hunt.