I'm back baby!

For Kuwindwa, life seemed to be the same day in and day out. Time blurred together and she lost track, uncertain exactly how long she'd been alone now; several months? A year? It wouldn't be fair to say she was only just starting to feel that loneliness; Kuwindwa was an introvert, but she was also a wolf. The wolf is the pack, the pack is the wolf... she had felt the pressing lack of a family unit the moment she fled. It was safe to say the side-effects of being alone for so long were not good on one's psyche, but somehow the woman managed. She always managed... even if it was only just.

Today, like every day before it, Ku wandered in an aimless direction, concerned with maintaining her cover and ensuring her own survival. However, unlike every day before it, a new sound would greet her listening ears, prompting the woman to freeze mid-step and point her muzzle in a new direction.

There it was again! It was a feminine voice, uttering the simple child-like phrase "ow."

Kuwindwa's tongue flicked over her nose once as she considered her position. She could press on, unconcerned, but her heart clenched at the thought: had she been alone so long she had forgotten her honor? Decision made, she altered course until she neared a thicket stuffed to the brim with brambles. The thorns on them looked like fangs; they would be hazardous even to a wolf with a thick winter pelt, never mind a thin summer coat! Anyone foolish enough to go through there probably deserved at least a few thorns... even so, it wasn't without some small amount of pity Kuwindwa came upon the form of another woman.

Approaching from the side, Kuwindwa made no effort to conceal herself from sight. The stranger was strikingly similar to Kuwindwa, though habit caused her to note that their builds were different: the other female was slighter than the former hunter and warrior... but that didn't necessarily mean much. The second thing she noted was the amount of debris in the girl's fur, the faint tinge of blood in the air and, apparently, the thorns the other woman was spitting from her mouth.

Keeping her distance, Kuwindwa once again was contemplating what she might do... but she had no reason to move on too quickly, and there were some things about her nature that hadn't changed in spite of her cold demeanor. "Do you need help, stranger?" The words are simple, kind, though given Kuwindwa's tendency to mute her own feelings they probably sound strange. Even so, her watchful eyes indicate she means to help if she can, and a reassuring sway of her tail reinforces the intention.