Tuktu Hinterlands My Immortal

All Welcome!

Sovereign again wandered the Hinterlands. She had been doing so much more often lately, getting the layout of the land since she already knew the ins and outs of the Strath.
The child grumbled in irritation, trying to look for something or someone to keep herself entertained.

She failed, so far anyway...

Sovereign huffed after a while, pausing to shake her head before continuing northward.

There was a darkling moving about the northern swamps lining the hinterland. She was thin and bedraggled, with fur clumped by mud or salt, and a half-eaten frog suspended in the air by her teeth.

She throws the long legs aloft, catching them, swallowing thickly to force it down. The woman is licking pond scum from her lips when she spots the pale figure of someone else - the girl, roaming.

Ay, this is my fishin' spot. Find yer own. Mag called out, then hesitated to let out a flagrant burp.

Sovereign watches the darker wolf with a deadpan stare, unphased and undeterred.
She huffs with vague amusement and comes closer with the confident flag of her raised tail.
An ambitious smirk played upon the youth's lips, golden gaze fiery and bold- daring Magnolia to do something about Sovereign's presence.

"These lands belong to my mother. All I need do is raise an alarm, and you will die."  She said rather ominously for a mere child.

The smile upon her young, pale face was bloodthirsty.

The kid came closer and upped the ante with their attitude, snarking at the frog-gobbler with some threat of mother. 

This land? Right here? The land I'm standing on. Or do you mean the whole of the Hinterlands? Be specific with your threats kid. She wasn't taking it seriously. Even if this girl's parent was the boss of some claim, that wouldn't extend so far north.

Mag hadn't found any sign of such an empire. She hadn't been here long, but that didn't change things.

Do you always threaten strangers? Not very diplomatic of ya. Catch more frogs with bait n' all that. On cue, some errant bullfrog gave a croak.

Sovereign scoffed at the lack of seriousness in the dark lady.
The child felt a deep anger burning in her chest at Magnolia's amusement of the situation.

The youth curled her lip to show her teeth, a snarl folding over her young features. 
"No other packs out here except mine. What's that tell you?" She sneered, feeling her ego wince in pain.

One day she wouldn't be taken so lightly by others!

Feeling less inclined to chat with a brat, Mag had lowered her head towards the mire and stalked forwards a step, ears twitching. As the kid finished their tantrum and flashed teeth a frog hopped free of the mud - and Mag snapped, catching it by a narrow margin by a leg.

It hung from her muzzle as she lifted up again and looked to the girl, quirking a brow at the display. The frog writhed and kicked air with its free leg.

Mebbe cuzza all th' 'tude. Mag answered. She struggled with the desperate amphibian a moment and managed to toss it up too, catching it between her teeth for a satisfying snack.

You have roommates? They must put up with a helluva lot.

Sovereign's ego was bruised, and she was having none of it was Magnolia looked away and caught a frog.
So casually, at that!

Seeing red, almost, at least, the Private rushed the darker lady as she was looking away, aiming her teeth right for the meat of Magnolia's face with fervourous wrath.

The kid didn't hold back. They shifted from idle snarling and face-pulling to a bull run, and for a second Mag was glad she had chosen the mire for her fishing - the mud and water which pooled around the area was deceptive at the best of times.

The woman wasn't the most graceful thing, or the fastest, but she did know the terrain. She had been fishing here for a while before the kid showed up and knew which patches to leap upon. A thief always needed a backup plan and Mag knew her points of egress.

The pale wolf would sooner plough the mud than catch her, and Mag was glad she'd caught as much as she had; she wouldn't return this way again.

Sovereign indeed ploughed through the mud.
In fact, as Magnolia jumped away and onto a stable patch, the angered child stumbled in the mire and fell almost face-first into the mud, skidding with her lower jaw and chest directly a few yards due to the slickness of the land.

Pride and ego bashed to bits and pieces in this moment, Sovereign glowered at Magnolia with hot, embarrassed tears rolling down her face as she pushed herself to her feet.

The child would sniffle as if Magnolia was the one in the wrong as she picked her way through the swamp towards home, where she would cry to her mother about the entire interaction.