Horizon Ridge Hell on heels

@Rain Sorry I forgot to start this earlier! x.x

Danica had begun branching outward in her search for their missing members, and logic stated that the most likely direction for the cats to go was south. To traverse further north in this season was foolish, for it would only mean more hardship as the weather got colder. Therefore, she began her search with aims set on the coast, hoping to pick up some kind of a trail.

So far she had not met much luck. The travel also gave her some scouting experience, though, and a chance to explore the area even more than she already had. This was not a part of Teekon that she had spent much time in. Her current location was on the edge of the mountains, and as she looked up she saw a tall ridge overhead. For a moment she thought to perhaps climb it, use the vantage point, but she decided against the notion. It was not as though height would help her in this case. She knew where she was and her quarry were too small and too stealthy to be caught in such a manner.

It was a lovely spot, though. Too bad Danica wasn't much into landscapes.

This is kind of a jump ahead in Rain's story line. I've still yet to do the Thread with Amekaze about exploring. I hope that's all right.

The ocean has a calmness to it as Rain watches the waters constantly climb across the sand then back out again. She sits atop an overhang entranced by the glimmering vastness of the ocean. From the mountains of her pack she had been able to glance the beauty of it, but up close it is breathtaking.

She is glad that Amekaze had let her go explore the lands. The Alpha wanted her to bring back news of what was going on out in the world, but Rain just wants to get to know the area and make a few friends here and there since her pack mates didn't seem so friendly. It was probably her fault that she hasn't gotten to know them. Not taking the time to speak with them and just watching from afar didn't speak much for friendliness from herself.

Sighing, she stands and shakes the wetness that seems to cling to her fur. For some reason water is drenching her, making her feel heavy and it is not a pleasant feeling. She gazes out at the ocean one last time before deciding that she should probably move on and hears paw steps below her. Looking over the edge she spots a cream colored wolf. "Hello," she calls out.

A 'hello' caused Danica's attention to shift rather rapidly, fierce golden gaze lighting on silver she-wolf approaching. Instantly her hackles rose, but she forced them down. The other's tone spoke of no danger and she would be better served with obtaining information if she didn't instantly jump down the throat of every outsider she came across. There was a reason Danica wasn't an Outrider.

"Hello," she responded, somewhat uncertainly but without enmity. For a while she had been convinced to go through with her search alone, letting none know of her intentions outside of Duskfire, that approach so far had turned up a big fat nothing. So she was branching out her methods. "Have you by any chance come across any traces of lynx around here?" That was an easier question than asking about Larus or Njal.... a puppy and an adult wolf were common enough with so many packs in the area. A lynx seemed a much rarer occurrence.

Rain tilts her head at the females question. "A lynx? No, I haven't seen one." Scratching a sudden itch on her neck with her back paw she adds, "I didn't realize that lynx were in this area. Why are you looking for one?" She looks out at the ocean again, listening to the waves breaking on the shore.

An idea makes its way into her mind. "Would you like some help?" It would be good to make sure relations between their packs were friendly. Yawning, she gets up to stretch and says, "If I stay here any longer I'm going to fall asleep. I could use some excitement."

Danica sighed. She wasn't sure what she had expected, really... of course she hadn't seen one. Danica kept it vague, not wanting to reveal too much. "They stole something from me, and I intend to get it back." And make them pay, dearly. She did not add the last part, but her eyes burned with the resolve.

"If you don't slow me down, why not?" She responded, somewhat resigned. While she wasn't much in the mood for company, two would search better than one. Her pride couldn't overcome that common sense. Besides that, if she knew the area, then perhaps she would know where the demons might have hidden themselves. "Do you know of any areas around that would suit such creatures? Thick forests or rocky areas perhaps?" Cats weren't much for open spaces.

Rain gives her a smile saying,"I'll help you get back what you've lost and don't worry about me slowing you down." Taking a few steps in a random direction she stops to look back at the wolf. "I don't exactly know the area, so we might as well walk forward with our noses to the ground." She starts forward again, a sudden thought crossing her mind. "You can call me Rain by the way," she calls back over her shoulder.

With her ears perked up, Rain feels excited to join on a little hunt. She would be able to learn the area more too. Well, I hope we find what we're looking for at least. It would be a slight disappointment to come up with nothing, but the search should be fun nonetheless.

@Rain so should I assume Danica just sorta left? Or is she just standing there? I'll try to be vague. (To readers: Rain has allowed me to jump in this thread because Danica hasn't responded in a while.)

Onyx had decided to go see her Jarl's old home today. Before there was Stavanger Bay there was Horizon Ridge, which had once upon a time been Wheeling Gull Isle's rival. She faintly missed the good ol' days of WGI like a dull nagging pain, never could she get back her role models Majesty or Alpha Ypres or Silvermane. Suddenly Onyx smelled the drifting scent of wolf. It doesn't smell like here on the coast, but instead it had something different about it. "Hello?" She called out, hoping someone would respond.

future reference, you can always shoot me a pm to bump me if you feel it's been a while ^^ sometimes I fall behind on threads and lose track. I'll go ahead and take Danica out, don't mind doing that either! :)

"Danica," she responded, not bothering to put an explanation on it. She should be able to get that it was a name from that. Honestly now that she knew this other wolf didn't have much insight to give, they wouldn't be much better off than she was alone. She was doing well enough with her 'nose to the ground', so to speak, solo.

"I tell you what. If you happen to catch a trace, I live near a glacier northwards." She indicated the direction. "Or if you meet anyone who knows something. We'd be grateful for whatever you might find. Just send up a call. But I think I'm gonna take it solo." She really wasn't feeling a group exercise right now. She'd have said no offense, but she doubted it would make much difference. If the girl wanted to take offense, so be it. With a farewell flick of her tail she was gone, back towards north. She'd stick by the coast a bit before heading home once more.

Coming to a sudden stop, Rain looks back at Danica with a drooping tail. "Well okay, maybe I can catch up with you again sometime." She watches the white wolf flick her tail in farewell and take off back down the coast.

Sitting she wonders what she should do now? Continue on to another area or enjoy this one for a while longer? The ocean is a refreshing sight, and if there is one wolf passing by then more should walk through here, right? The light grey wolf thinks, starring back out at the shimmering red waters. The way the sun's light reflects off the sea almost makes it seem bloody like the great expanse is a living thing. She supposes it could be alive with the way it's great waves break along the shoreline and then returns to itself.

Rain returns to the warm cliff she had spotted Danica from, laying down. Soon enough the warmth of the rock caused her to feel drowsy and her eyes slowly start to close. The last thing she sees is the red light behind her eye lids before dozzing off and the almost distant sound of a 'hello'.

befuzzled means confused too ^u^

Onyx was confused and befuzzled when the wolf didn't reply. She ran up a little ways to the ledge where the canine now laid in a heap. "Hello?" She said again. She nudged it with her paw before sitting down. "Are you o.k.?" She asked the sleepy lump. It smelled like cold mountains, where she had never been. She smelled like many wolves and cold stone and snow and the breeze. She'd never smelled this before, and it was unfamiliar to her.

As soon as she had closed her eyes the hello she thought she heard became much closer. Rain jumps to her paws with her hackles raised, snarling at whoever stands nearby. It was a sleek black wolf. Composing herself, she lowers her raised fur and takes a seat. "Oh um, hello," she greets hesitantly. "Sorry. You startled me."

She inquires about where the wolf came from. "I hadn't noticed that you were nearby," Rain tells the female with a flick of her ear.

Onyx stumbled backwards with a light gasp, her ears flattened to her head. Onyx slowly and cautiously stepped forward as the wolf calmed down and explained that she had surprised her. "I-I'm sorry..." She said quietly and shyly, and it trailed into silence. "I'm Onyx.." She said quietly, it was almost a whisper, but still loud enough for this wolf to hear her. She wondered where this wolf was from.

Tilting her head as the black wolf stutters out an apology and introduces herself Rain tells her, "I hope my reaction didn't scare you. That wasn't my intention." Onyx seems a bit nervous to Rain's studious gaze, not missing the way the small black wolf seemed to whisper out her words and the way she had seemed to cower back from Rain's sudden hostility at being snuck up on.

Making herself less intimidating by wagging her tail slightly and smiling softly she says, "I'm Rain." Flicking an ear she asks, "Are you from a nearby pack?" She wonders if this wolf was in the same pack as the wolf who left not long ago.

She was relieved as Rain wagged her tail and smiled a bit. It made Onyx think that maybe she was nice. "Yes- I'm in Stavanger Bay." Onyx wondered what a sravanger was. Was it similar to a scavenger? "What about you?" She said. Perhaps she could find out why this wolf smelled like stone. "Are you from far away?" Onyx said, her eyes lit with curiosity. Maybe this wolf wasn't even from the Wilds!

Rain tucks the name of Stravenger Bay to the back of her mind. She quite likes the name, it rolls off her tounge smoothly as she silently mouths it. She wonders how far the pack's boundaries are from them. "Danica, the wolf who just left, is she from Stravenger?" Perhaps the wolves of the Bay pass through here often, that small bit of information could prove to be useful at a later point in time.

Realizing that Onyx had asked a question, Rain hastily answers, "Originally, I am from some place else, but now my loyalties lie with the Sunpire." The black wolf seemed excited about how Rain isn't from the Wilds and she wonders if the shy female dreams of the world beyond the Wilds. Smiling, she enjoys the thought of Onyx possibly longing to discover new and exciting places. Rain had shared that enthusiasm once, but in the end she was forced to take on travel and now she would do anything to have been able to stay with her original pack. "Do you wish to leave here?" She questions, giving voice to her thoughts.

Onyx only realized there had been another wolf when Rain said so. She sniffed the cool hard stone, and indeed found the fresh scent of the other wolf. That doesn't smell like Ragnar or the beach, she thought. "Not that I know of. She doesn't smell like it."
She listened as Rain explained that she was from someplace called the Sunspire. Onyx loved the sound of Sunspire. She didn't know what a spire was, though. But she did know what a sun was.
Then Rain asked a more personal question- however, Onyx was still easily willing to answer it. "I'm facing some loyalty difficultness." She wasn't sure if that was the right word. "A guy offered that I could join his pack, Ankyra Sound. And they treat all girls really nice and the guys serve the girls. And they own part of a very pretty forest. It sounded nice. But I don't want to betray Ragnar! I just got here, and I started meeting some wolves... So I'm not sure if I should go to them or just keep loyal to my Jarl." She explained. She usually didn't say much, and this was a rather large load for her to say all at once. She hoped perhaps the lady, Rain, could guide her in the decision.

Patiently, Rain listens as Onyx releases her flow of worries. She takes a moment to think over her response. Anything she tells this wolf could hinder or help the situation. Experience has taught her to give advice that gives the wolf more of a choice based on what she wants rather than trying to lead her to what Rain thinks would be more right. In the end it will be onyxs decision, all Rain can do is offer a different view on the situation.

"Though I've never had to choose between packs, I have had to make a choice between a mate," she starts. "One of them, Whisper, was nice and put me above everything, he was also very affectionate. Kage, the other, was also kind, but he was not as affectionate and seemed stand-offish." In her minds eye Rain can see them. Whisper was a brown wolf with gentle and loving features while Kage was grey with a strong and protective demeanor. "In the end I choose Whisper because I liked his affection and the way he put me first."

Her ears press back as an image of a cruel and power hungry wolf replaces Whisper. "It was the wrong choice," Rain painfully tells Onyx. "Whisper betrayed me. His gentleness was a cover for his true face and Kage was the one who pieced my broken heart back together." She blocks an onslought of memories, forcing herself to concentrate on the present."Just because the other pack may seem nice, doesn't mean that it will be the same once you are there," she explains. "You may want to give it time before you choose. And just because you aren't with them does not mean that you can't still be around them. I have met many wolves on my travels that I could eventually call friends, and though I will always remain loyal to the Spire, I will try to keep in touch with them."

Onyx listened closely to what Rain said. Using a metaphor actually helped Onyx a lot more than just flat opinions. Rain explained although perhaps Ankyra Sound seemed nice, perhaps it was not the best choice. The second thing she said was true also- she could still have friends there, and there was a little bit of the pretty forest that they didn't own. "That's really helpful." She said. Onyx forgot to continue the conversation and instead drifted into thinking about what her choice should be.

Silence drifts between them as Onyx stares off into the distance lost in her thoughts. Rain knows that it can't bean easy decision. If the black wolf decides to leave, and then ends up wanting to go back, the pack could turn her away. Or if they take her back then she could feel bad for leaving in the first place. She could end up happier in the other pack, but there could always be that nagging feeling of having betrayed her loyalty to her current pack. Rain's ears fall back, she is glad that she will never have to choose between packs. "I wish that I could give you a straight answer, but there are too many 'ifs' involved," she tells the black wolf.

"That's okay. I guess I should just decide myself." Onyx said quietly. No matter how much anyone told her she should choose this or that, in the end it was the girl's choice. Onyx wanted to make everyone happy, but deep in her heart she knew it was impossible. There would always be a party that didn't like the choice she made, but it was hers to decide.

Flicking an ear, Rain paws at Onyx while saying, "Don't fret, you will get it figured out." Trotting towards the shore she beckons the wolf with her tail. "Lets take a walk, the ocean is quite soothing. It might help clear your head."Without waiting to see if Onyx will follow, she takes off into the sandy beach, and right up to the waves.

Onyx didn't say anything. She followed her new friend Rain down the shore. Onyx slowed her jog a little as she traveled where the waves just touched her toes when they came up. It reminded her of the day she had joined Wheeling Gull Isle. Then it had crumbled, and here she was, in Stavanger Bay. And about to head to Ankyra Sound? Maybe Onyx had loyalty problems, she thought. But she wasn't for sure what she would decide to do: stay or go? This question swirled in her head as she walked alongside the ocean.

"I guess I'll see you again sometime?" She said quietly, actually intending the question more than just stating it. She didn't wait for an answer though. "G'bye, Rain." She said. "You're welcome to visit me!" She called as she begun to walk away, unaware of border troubles that could get Rain in a pickle. Instead she was just happy that she had a new friend, one who would influence this big decision.