The Bracken Woods Dwinnderlets

Pretending to be scarier and more dangerous than you were had worked out for Dwinn. Up until today, when she had managed to scare away a mountain lion from its dinner by pouncing at the unsuspecting cat from the cover of bushes, howling and growling in an unholy manner, that earlier statement had just been a theory. Or a tale to be told yourself, when you were feeling uneasy or afraid. Her prize was not big - because the other hunter had nearly finished - but the girl was not a picky eater. She settled down and ate very last bit of the bloody pieces of fur, bones, leftover meat and even snow. 

The food was far from satisfying, but for now it filled her belly comfortably and she felt her mood change from one that was slightly depressed and apathetic to one content and even happy. She recounted all of the encounters and adventures she had had since leaving home - she did this every other day, in order not to forget anything. If she was to impress her parents and siblings with, what she had witnessed, remembering details was very important. Not only facts mattered, but the way she wanted to tell them. It was already clear that she would not entertain anyone with retelling all the discussions she had had word for word. Therefore, while she chewed on the last bone, she coloured the less exciting version of her own history. 

She found her way to the Teekon Wilds through the North - the same way papa and mama had carried their family away long long ago, before she'd had any sort of capacity to care for herself. But things were different now, weren't they? Different enough for papa to let her go. She knew Tulugaak watched her. He always watched her, even when there were no trees around for him to settle in. Starlette supposed he must be happy she'd finally found a forest to wander through and rest in. She would see his familiar shadow soon.

Sure enough, she heard him, swooping through the trees a little way off and offering his raven call into the soft rays of the late afternoon. Starlette thought of going her own way, but she trusted the raven - as much as she wished papa had trusted her enough to let her out without anyone to watch her. And yet, she coveted his companionship.

Tulugaak! she called out through the trees, and moved to follow. The raven did not come towards her. Tulugaak, what's - oh! and there was a girl instead of her raven, though his cries had now settled somewhere around her. Grey and rain like, and gnawing on a bone. A wolf bone? She wondered, remembering her papa's tales - and Starlette drew a cautious step away, who are you?

The sound of approaching footsteps and materialization of a young wolf with very unusual set of colours, drew Dwinn out of her contemplation and she looked up at the strange with curiousity. "Oh, hey! How do you do?" she responded with a common courtesy for the sake of saying anything, while the rest of her being decided, what to do about the situation she was in. 

On the second, better look at the girl, she realized that the other was not much older than her, which already lifted Dwinn's spirits. There was, of course, certain pride in her for being the only traveller her age out here, but it was also nice to have a confirmation that there was a small movement of young people outside Brecheliant, who also had chosen the life of travel. 

"I am Dwinn," she introduced herself, standing up and craning her neck to get a better sniff at the girl before her. "What is your name and do you live here?" she asked.