Duskfire Glacier Hymn for Winter

For @Scarlett but anyone welcome!

The last hours of night's cold touch faded as dawn began its ascent. Smeared grievous hues dominated the sky, but soon kisses of peach and tawny yellow would soon make an appearance. However, the moon was constant, determined to keep its place in the heavens. Tuwawi sat alone as she watched the milky crescent while enjoying the silence a new morning brought.

Soon, she was on her feet. The pack had a successful hunt without her participation, but the Eta had managed to find enough leftovers to stave off hunger for a while longer. She would join them next time, the mother thought to herself. No longer would she be a stranger to the home she once so dearly cherished.

She was mentally frail but knew that, in time, she would once again grow strong.

Lazy me, reposting the same reply with some adjustments. xD Shhhhh

A white figure trotted through the duskfire territory. She had promised Malachi to keep a look out, which she did with all her effort. Scarlett always put in more effort just because she didn't mind hard work. But being in charge of the youngsters and doing patrols was a lot of work. Add the fact she was probably the most useless warden ever. Scarlett was too friendly. If an intruder would act injured or alone she would probably soothe them and try to get a fresh meal for that said wolf. She snorted a bit in laughter. The female just hoped if her trail was fresh others wouldn't cross it.

Maybe next time she should take Néa with her. She might learn the trade as warden. Scarlett then rationalized with herself that she would not want the pup close to a dangerous intruder, let alone that she herself was no good at chasing away strangers. Néa would learn the wrong thing. Being so busy she felt guilty for not visiting Maera more often and her secret club. Maera was no little pup anymore, so hunting lessons were top priority now instead of playtime. Scarlett might start with getting injured animals and bringing those to the two girls to let them try to catch it. She liked that plan.

Soon her red eyes spotted the wolf with the red back. The albino trotted forward. "Excuse me! I don't think you are allowed to walk here!," she called out. The female's fluffy white fur smelled of Maera and Néa. Little did Scarlett know she was trying to tell Maera'a mother, and a founder of the pack, to leave duskfire grounds. To her defense Malachi told her that Maera's parents were dead or at least suggested it. Scarlett hadn't been with the hunt this time, she had been exploring for her Naturalist Trade. "Oh... You are in our pack? I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you but-- Oh dear," she stumbled. Yeah this was going great…

Dawn's peace was disturbed by gentle footfalls of crunching snow. Only a single ear turned to acknowledge the encroaching company, as Tuwawi's mind was still entranced by the soft morning light. The cool, but fragrant, air hinted that this wolf was not in her registry and at first Tuwawi was filled with nothing but apathy. Already she knew it was neither Danica or Tyrr. Their scents had long since faded from this territory which left little interest for the broken mother. Yet, when the stranger spoke it caused the ember's head to turn abruptly and regard the other woman with an ugly scowl.

She was a young alabaster lady with hematic eyes and hesitant words. 'Excuse me! I don't think you are allowed to walk here! Oh... You are in our pack? I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you but-- Oh dear,' the pale girl said uncertainty, trying to decipher who exactly the rogue ember was. Immediately, Tuwawi marched over to the petite warden, her posture oozing entitlement. To the Sveijarn, it did not matter that she was no longer alpha or that she had been absent for many months. Duskfire was her right.

Tuwawi's tattered lip curled to reveal her fangs, posturing dominantly in front of the other female despite her lower rank. Much of her compassion for strangers had been bled out, leaving little etiquette for the new wolves initiated under Malachi's tenure. "Who's asking?" Tuwawi hissed venomously, narrow silver eyes fixated upon the kind and gentle Scarlett.

As it turns out Scarlett had offended the wolf with the red back. She was no way a dominant wolf like the one across from her. The red eyed female had been looking for her pup/teenager she took under her wing. But the girl seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth. Every hour she felt more horrible without knowing were Néa was. She thought freedom would do her well. Her worst fear would be that Néa was taken by a cat or even worse killed by one of their own. Scarlett couldn't think who could even hurt such a little cutie! Maybe she was just exploring further away. She would come back, hopefully.

The white girl looked in shock when the female dominantly strode forward. Her white ears fell back and Scarlett hunched down to make herself smaller. She knew this behavior all too well from her old family pack. Her mother was horrible to her. She would also grab Scarlett to place her in submission for no reason at times. This female across from her did have a good reason, Scarlett scolded herself, she had been entirely rude to someone who was in their pack! She was never rude. Scarlett felt like she was going to pay for it.

Once the white female saw a flash of teeth she just coward in and flopped on the ground. Her red eyes staying focussed on the dominant female's paws or the ground. Her fluffy white tail tugged under her small body frame in pure fear. Scarlett was almost so fearful she missed the question. "S-Scar--Scarlett," she whined softly. "Please don't hurt me..." Flashes of her begging her mother or other pack members not to hurt her were envisioned into her mind. But they never listened. "I'm-- I'm the care--Caretaker of this pack!! I can't be injured otherwise I can't give hunting or naturalist lessons to the youngsters!" Maybe those words would save her.

Sorry for my delay! T__T

When Tuwawi marched forth Scarlett practically withered like a dead flower, folding herself towards the ground to show great deference. She beseeched the incensed ember with a stammered plea and diverted gaze, but the Sveijarn only grimaced in distaste as the she-wolf wormed beneath her. Once upon a time Tuwawi might have been nurturing towards Scarlett, as she had Bazi and countless others, but those fruitful times had long since passed. Only a narrow skeleton remained where her once wealthy self had stood - and it lacked the mercy Scarlett sought.

A growl rumbled from Tuwawi's throat as she pressed down into the albino's personal space, making her point of dominance thoroughly clear. "Caretaker?" Tuwawi barked, tone pointed, "you know Maera?" As Scarlett had anticipated, her words had an effect on the red-crested woman, causing her advance to pause.

Not to worry! <3

The pale female closed her eyes in fear as the red collared female came into her personal space with a deep growl. Her tail was tugged between her legs even more. The young female knew how to submit to more dominant wolves. That was what her past was all about. That was how she survived. If she had not done that Scarlett would probably wouldn't have been alive this day or would be littered with scars. Then her name would have another meaning. The albino didn't like to think about it.

Once again her strategical words had saved her day. Her red eyes opened and then nodded. "Of course, I do! I was the girl's only friend after Danica and Arabella left. When she turned into a juvenile I learned her how to hunt. I am even a member of her girl club." Whoops, that was secret. But in her moment of fear she spilled it. Scarlett knew about Maera's hoarding. But she wasn't spilling that to Tuwawi. It wasn't her secret to tell. "You know Maera?," she questioned.

An electric shock of jealousy snaked down Tuwawi's spine as Scarlett explained she had watched Maera grow from child to teenager, offering hunting lessons and companionship as a surrogate guardian. "I am her mother," the saffron woman snapped, teeth clicking together at the close. Any other might be have been thankful for such a kind and endearing wolf to be their daughter's caretaker, but Tuwawi found herself boiling with spite. Her hate was more for man than Scarlett, however, who had deprived her of Maera's golden days.

The Sveijarn's face softened just the slightest, though her silver gaze continued to leer at the albino. She took a step back, offering the white female some respite, but pined for more information to fill in the blanks. "My jewel - My Maera - is she well? How are her hunting lessons coming along? Does she get enough food?" she asked with a low croon, voice laced with deep concern and peppered with remorse.

Scarlett's ears flattened at the snap. It would remind her of her own horrible mother that would only yell, snap or ignore her. Scarlett was feeling a bit sick from reliving those memories. Scarlett blinked when she realized that this... this woman was ... Oh. The albino slowly nodded. "Welcome back. Maera will be glad to see you," she returned politely. There was no hate her in tone, not a single ill wishing directed towards the fire furred woman. Scarlett was happy that Maera had some of her family members back. But this meant that what Malachi implied was not true. Scarlett was under the impression all Maera's family was dead.

The light furred female instantly nodded. "She is. Her hunting lessons were almost unnecessary. She is a natural and is doing very well on her own. She in an independent girl. I do not believe she ever saw me as her surrogate mother. She kept herself at a distance from me, but not too much though. You could say that we are 'friends'." The female took a breathing pause. "Like I said before I think she will be filled with joy to see you returned.," Scarlett spoke kindly.

Last post for me! :)

Welcome back. The words twisted Tuwawi's heart, bereft for her daughter who had gone so long without her mother. The red woman could remember a time when she, too, had been deserted by her parents -- and for some reason, Tuwawi had always bellied a hot anger for their neglect. But now, she understood. Understood that her mother had been forsaken by her mate and forced to raise two girls alone in the wilds. Tuwawi's past was not so different from her present, and it made her breast ache for how she had unwittingly repeated the same offense Palla had committed.

Her sooty ears twisted thoughtfully as she listened to Scarlett's report. Though a smile dared not attempt to reveal itself, a shine in the ember's eyes suggested that some clarity among Tuwawi's proverbial shipwreck managed to pool itself together. Her hunting lessons were almost unnecessary. She is a natural and is doing very well on her own. She in an independent girl. Maera was truly a prodigy in her mother's mind and her pride overflowed. "I must go to her," Tuwawi said, voice solemn. She backed away from the porcelain Caretaker, turning towards the glacier's heart. Tuwawi had no more words or thoughts for Scarlett -- only Maera's image dominated the Sveijarn's mind.

Scarlett understood that the female would need to go to her pup. She would want to do the same. The female let out a shaky sigh, glad to have survived that encounter. She now realized that she wanted to be far away from this frittered woman. The albino instantly trotted the other way. She would have to talk to Malachi about this. So Maera's mother was still alive. Well that was interesting news. Scarlett wasn't expecting that. Nor the behavior that came with the woman.