Firefly Glen [PHE] sngagil

Tag for reference!

Nantahala had been thinking of @Sirmiq more than she cared to admit. He haunted most of her waking thoughts—even some of her dreams!—and while she tried her best to push him away, he always seemed to come back to her.

How frustrating—! She hardly knew him, and yet he did this to her.

She’d managed to walk through some mud, and now sat alongside the river and cleaned herself. She tsk’d occasionally as she worked to remove the mud, feeling defeated and embarrassed that the thought of a boy had made her so mindless.

When you were your sole provider, you did what it took to survive.

There were wolves here - and where there were wolves, there'd be food left over. Averie had spent the last night picking around the outskirts for any straggling meat or soft paws she could wrestle food from. But these packs were resourceful and cunning, not unlike herself.

Much harder to steal from than coyotes and foxes.

Averie considered the girl by the river with the eyes of opportunity. She was younger than many of the others - perhaps as young as herself, but surely not any older! She looked of pack blood through and through. Healthy, adjusted, and presently concerned with matters the young stray had little time herself to fuss about.

Averie drew up to the river with the guise of taking a drink, but a side eye at the girl betrayed another interest. Gee, she said, nonchalant and conversational as she bent down to lap at the steam, that puddle must've been awfully deep.

”Gee,” the stranger remarked. ”That puddle must've been awfully deep.”

Nantahala’s bad mood reared its ugly head—her blood boiled and her heart began to race. Quickly, her gaze snapped towards the nonchalant adolescent, and she frowned deeply as she studied her for a moment. She was a skinny thing who lacked any pack scent, and her suspicion towards the other wolf increased tenfold.

What’s that supposed to mean? she snapped in reply.

Averie shrugged, nonfussed at the girl's defensive attitude, and glanced up from another lap of water. Just what it sounded, and she licked the river droplets from her nose, you've got mud on you, and it looks like the puddle was deep, she shrugged again, and casually lifted her paw to wipe the dribble of water from her chin, was I wrong?

The girl was in a bad mood, and maybe she was stoking fire, but what of it? Worst was this girl would go in for a fight, and despite her station, Averie figured she had a fair chance at beating her. It was clear the stranger had lived a plush life, and even if she'd had the luxury of being trained by her packmates, Averie had other teachers, cruel and unrelenting and perfectors of what it took to teach a wolf to simply survive.

Averie’s answer caught Nantahala off guard. Oh, she breathed, falling silent as she watched her own reflection. Yeah—no, you aren’t wrong. It was pretty deep. But even though she’d been sobered by the reply, some suspicion lingered.

She proceeded with caution, and took a long, deep breath as she tried to steady her nerves.

It’s over there, she said, causally motioning over her shoulder. I’d watch out for it, if I were you.