Silvertip Mountain Cat's in the cradle

*lures @Chakra* :D

Although she knew it might not be wise to travel in her condition, Pied convinced herself that getting out and stretching her legs would actually be good for the healing process. Thusly, she swiped her tongue across Kisu's muzzle, said goodbye for the day, then set off from the foot of the ridge. She headed south, then west, trotting slowly through Ravensblood Forest. Although she liked the eldritch woodland quite a bit, she was happy when the trees thinned and she emerged in the cool winter sunlight on the other side.

After taking a drink from one of the forks, Pied followed the river that threaded its way into the valley nestled between the mountain ranges. The plateau tempted her—she wouldn't mind seeing Hawkeye or checking up on Peregrine—but the Iota veered west today instead, her nimble paws carrying her toward the foot of a majestic mountain peaked in a frosted white cap.

She stopped in the shadow of this wintry alp, her two-toned eyes lifting to study the mount's face, with its sundry details. She saw sharp cliff ledges not unlike the ones back home; slender footpaths winding in and out of view; and various trees leaning out into the open sky, their roots solidly grounded in the rocky soil. Near the summit, silvery snow sparkled in the sunlight.

Various scents complemented the view and her nose quivered as she lifted her muzzle into the air, only for a look of foreboding to cross her face suddenly. She lowered her head and quickly dashed away from the mountain's looming shadow. The gouges in her shoulder gave a twinge with every few steps, yet she didn't dare slow. In fact, the pain hastened her step, serving as a stark reminder of why she was running in the first place: to put as much as space as possible, as quickly as possible, between herself and the pungent scent of a territorial mountain lion.

Holy cow, I forgot all about this thread. I'm sorry! <3

It was rare that Chakra Feralheart found the time or the desire to step outside of Neverwinter's coniferous gates. There always seemed to be a ceaseless list of things that needed attending to: checking caches, coordinating hunts, patrolling borders, refreshing marks, keeping tabs on newcomers…it never seemed to end. When she finally did find the opportunity to break away for a while, she wasn't entirely free. Her thoughts remained with her pack always, worrying that something might happen while she was away and otherwise engaged, unable to assist.

It was no different today as she trotted over the expansive grasslands that rolled between Neverwinter Forest and Silvertip Mountain, scouting out possible hunting grounds for her pack. Her pack had only recently become truly stable and strong, and had grown to the size that now necessitated seeking out larger hunting areas where game might be more plentiful. In the midst of winter, prey was scarce, avoiding open territory and hiding well amidst the timbers of her forest. But in warmer months, she thought these prairies, particularly surrounding the hot springs, would be prime grazing lands. It was never too early to begin exploring one's prospects and defending them as such.

A sound caught her attention, tugging her ear rearward. Glancing about, she caught sight of a pale wolf galloping speedily across the the russet plain, clearly spooked about something. She scanned the landscape behind the other, but saw nothing in pursuit. It creeped Chakra out a bit; she made no move toward the other, watching her with arched brow and slightly bristled mane.

<style type="text/css">.chakrastar {width:490px; background-image:url('http://ghostecho.net/stu/chakratab.png'); background-position:bottom center; background-color:#1D0D25; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #000; padding:20px 30px 140px 30px; margin:0px auto; text-align:justify; color:#bc6d89; font:15px/1.5 Georgia; border-top-right-radius: 50px; box-shadow: 0 8px 6px -6px black;} .chakrastar b {color:#E79876; font-weight:600;} .chakrastar p {text-indent:50px; margin:0px;} </style>table by hilli ♥

's all good! :)

When Pied saw another wolf in the distance, she veered slightly toward her, despite the fact that she was a stranger. With the pungent scent of the puma still thick in her nose, the sight of another canine comforted her. Besides, she wanted to warn away her fellow, lest she wander too close to the mountain, encroaching on the cat's territory and inciting a wrathful attack.

She began to slow as she neared the pale stranger, her feet still moving as she looked over her shoulder to gauge the distance between herself and the mountain. She slowed to a stop with her head still arced, then faced forward, her tongue lolling out in a pant. Pied eyed the unfamiliar she-wolf, mentally checking to make sure she presented herself neutrally.

As soon as she caught her breath, she explained, "I smelled a mountain lion. I just had an encounter with one the other day..." She nosed the shallow gashes on her shoulder. "I don't intend to repeat it." Sucking in a steadying breath, she added, "It's too bad too, because I really wanted to explore the mountain. Anyway... I'm Pied, from Horizon Ridge." The Who're you? was implied in the amicable twitch of her tail.

As the other drew nearer, came to a stop, and then began to speak, Chakra was fascinated – this was quite possibly one of the strangest-looking and most beautiful wolves she'd ever seen in her life. Irregular blue-grey patches mottled a coat of otherwise pristine, snowy white, and one of the brilliant golden eyes that now regarded her was marked by a deep, vibrant splash of indigo. Chakra was not a vain wolf by any means, but neither was she unaware of her own beauty…and how it paled in comparison to this striking she-wolf. For a moment, she was almost jealous.

She nodded in reply to the other's observation about the mountain's most hostile residents. "In this season, they are hungry and angry about it..." she commented, her eyes flicking to the reddened lines on one painted shoulder, "…as you noticed." Her unexpected company introduced herself, and Chakra deduced right away where the name "Pied" had come from. This would be the second wolf she had met from Horizon Ridge. "Chakra, Neverwinter Forest." Her own introduction came with a suggestive nod of her head toward the expansive sea of evergreen in the near distance to the west of them, stretching endlessly toward the horizon. Turning her sea-ice gaze back to Pied, she added, "I met one of your packmates recently – Jinx."

<style type="text/css">.chakrastar {width:490px; background-image:url('http://ghostecho.net/stu/chakratab.png'); background-position:bottom center; background-color:#1D0D25; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #000; padding:20px 30px 140px 30px; margin:0px auto; text-align:justify; color:#bc6d89; font:15px/1.5 Georgia; border-top-right-radius: 50px; box-shadow: 0 8px 6px -6px black;} .chakrastar b {color:#E79876; font-weight:600;} .chakrastar p {text-indent:50px; margin:0px;} </style>table by hilli ♥

Now that she wasn't frantically fleeing the realm of a wildcat or struggling to catch her wind, Pied could more fully focus her attention on the other she-wolf. They shared similarly pale coats and her cohort even sported a splash of gray not unlike the blotches smeared into the yearling's coat. Like her, Chakra—as she introduced herself—was petite in stature but with a certain prowess about her. Although she didn't include a title in her introduction, Pied guessed Chakra was part of the leadership in this Neverwinter Forest.

Before she could ask, if that was Pied's intention at all, Chakra made a remark that made the piebald wolf's lips purse briefly. A moment later, she licked them and replied, "I hope it was a favorable encounter. You never know with the infamous Jinx..." Her tail gave a single lash, which probably gave some indication of her opinion of the Kesuk, yet Pied wasn't one to badmouth others behind their backs, nor spread gossip.

"I don't know if I knew there was a pack that way," Pied admitted after a beat. "Why is it called Neverwinter Forest?" she wondered, peering at the snowy woodland in the distance. Was the name meant to be charmingly ironic, she wondered?

Sorry for ze wait!

Pied's reaction to Chakra's comment about Jinx kindled some curiosity in her; the painted she-wolf's body language said far more than did her tongue. For a brief instant, Chakra reflected back on the day that she had escorted Jinx to her old densite to retrieve some dried ferns. They'd had a pleasant conversation, as she recalled, and when they had parted ways, Chakra had left with a good impression of the silver-tongued Kesuk. She wondered what inspired that tail-lash on Pied's part. Arching a brow questioningly, she replied, "She was most polite, and I would welcome her again. Is…there something I should know?"

Pied commented on the forest pack, and asked why they were called Neverwinter Forest. Chakra took a minute to think about it before she answered, a note of puzzlement in her voice, "You know, I'm not really sure myself. I knew the pack that lived there before mine did, and they called themselves 'Neverwinter'. I don't know where they got that name, but I liked it, so I kept it."

No worries. :)

Edit on 02/20: I'm gonna edit in a conclusion for us so this can be archived!

Pied paused, then shook her head lightly in response to Chakra's question. "I don't want to speak ill of anyone so I'll try to phrase this as objectively as possible: Jinx was once an Alpha and disappeared for several weeks without a word. By the time she returned, her pack had been forced to move on, lest they perish. All parties were angry with one another and it's a wound that will take a long time to heal... if it ever does." She left it at that.

It turned out that Chakra didn't really know the source of her forest's name. Although its ironic nature still intrigued Pied, it was the other tidbit of information to which she gave her new acquaintance a curious look. "There was a pack there before yours? That's strange. There's pack living at Blacktail Deer Plateau and before them, there was a pack called the Dragonwatchers living there. What happened here to make them all disappear, I wonder...?"

They chatted about the possibilities—as well as a few other things— for the better part of fifteen minutes. When the conversation ran its course, Pied decided to excuse herself and head back home. After saying farewell to Chakra, she plodded back toward Silvertip Mountain and, when she didn't detect a puma's scent this time, she dared to venture closer. She wound up spending several hours exploring the mountainside before the encroaching night forced her to give up and head home to the ridge.