She had a nightmare. A nightmare that caused her to break out of her den in a hurry, rushing away from Myriad lands. Katie’s mind was reeling, her heart pounding in her chest as she let out a whine. She hadn’t gone far, just far enough so that she had hopefully outrun the nightmare and the cloak of evil it presented over her family. The young girl was shaking, breathing hard as she looked around her. Suddenly Kait looked around, realizing where she was. This was... The gully! Kaitlyn gave a soft whine, her ears sliding back against her skull as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She missed her mother. She had her siblings back but not her parents. Where was Marina now? What about Nako? Did they even care for the children they left behind? Kaitlyn slumped downward, moving her paws over her head. She was scared of what the future held. What if something bad happened to Myriad? What if she lost her siblings again? Katie’s mind was racing a mile a minute as she lay there, panic getting the better of her. If only there was someone to break her out of her thoughts... ""

There was a personal debate going on about the depth of her 'instinctual' nature, an argument she had waged for a large part of her life since leaving the Pack. The beat of her heart thrummed a kind and casual tempo, a pulse that reached out through her body and into the pads of her feet with every step. But was it real? Was it the face of her true feelings or simply a mask devised to hide what really lurked below? Ootat struggled at times with the always changing opinions in her own mind, at the very least it made it easier to avoid company that way. Nobody wanted to play host when they could not even provide for their own psyche. Of course that was the other thing... she never really craved the companionship of others, a curse she imagined, from a nomadic lifestyle. It was fast becoming a problem. This valley was filled to the brim with life, activity, but even more so - with wolves. Not to say all wolves are bad! Just so long as they avoid me... Ootat shook her head and moved on, pads smacking the dry ground with every jolt. It did not take long, no more than a few miles, for the terrain to suddenly transform. She began to notice small plant life here and there before she caught the silhouette of something small in the distance. As it usually goes that small darkness became a vast forest, tall, thick trees entangled and barbed together. Flowers seemed to bloom between and through every crack and the female had to stop and stare, jaw slightly ajar. It was massive! Huge! Was there even a way in? Why would you want to go!? Her mind screamed, ringing bells and waving red flags. Somehow it did not seem to matter so much, the rest of her senses were blissfully calm, her usually riled nerves were blessedly untouched. Ootat licked her lips, tasting the humidity and confirming her desires. Although her mind found judgement lying elsewhere, the grey she-wolf squared her shoulders and moved in. Sliding between the trees was anything but easy, some were so tightly woven it was near impossible! Through trial and error she found herself panting beside a small creek, the water so clear you could see the stones at the bottom. Temptation attempted to draw her in, the promise of sweet relief was hard to resist, but in the end Ootat let herself crumble where she stood, cushioned by ripe grass. This place was beautiful, utterly so in a way she had never experienced before, there was nothing in her memory to lend vision to such a masterpiece. It was hard to believe it existed at all, if not for the soft tickle of the wind against her nose, and wet grass wrinkled beneath the weight of her body. Panic, Her head whipped around as discomfort rippled down her spine. She was not alone. In one moment the peace was drawn to the back-burner and the she-wolf rose to her feet. Nostrils flared and she massaged the earth, nothing. Whatever it was it was not dangerous and this was only a little bit comforting. Ootat clenched her teeth and swiveled her ears back and forth, but where was it coming from? Don't go. She went anyway, of course she did, picking a direction and setting off - tentatively. It did not take long, only a few meters down the creek-bed and she came across another wolf. It was young, terribly frightened, and female. "I have learned," She said aloud "that covering your eyes does not make the terror go away. It only makes it stronger." Her heart pinged for the trembling creature. "To face your fear is the only way that you will learn, truly learn, and become strong from it."

...and so a voice came, though not one that Kait knew. She slowly moved her paws, frightened green orbs turning upon another wolfess. She was a bit older and rather beautifully marked for a beast of such natural coloration. Was this... An angel? Her mother had once told her a story that, in times of terrible anguish, an angel might appear before a wolf to help guide them in the right direction. Katie wasn’t sure what to believe as far as angels went but she knew that this other wolfess was there before her, giving her advice. Though she was shaking the chestnut girl opened her mouth to speak. “I’m sorry.” An apology came first, though it was likely unneeded. She wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for... But her current state had her even more submissive and frightened than usual. She shifted uneasily, ears sliding down to the sides of her head as she remained lowered to the ground; she felt safer there. Her green eyes continued to focus on the femme before her and, after a pause, Kaitlyn spoke again. “...What if I’m not going to be strong enough to face my fear though? What if I lose everyone again...?” Kait’s words were so quiet as she spoke them, as if confessing her fears to this woman might make such a thing happen. “I don’t want to be alone again... Those thoughts... They get so dark when I’m alone...” Katie wasn’t sure what to do. Part of her was screaming to get away from this stranger while another part told her to stay. Perhaps learning to interact with strangers was something else she needed to face sooner rather than later. ""

"You have a Pack," Ootat breathed, taking a split moment to command her decision before settling pale haunches into the wet grass. "I can smell them on you, many, many wolves - a family." Indeed the young pup was infested with the scent trail of wolves, so many that Ootat could only wonder how large the actual Pack was. It begged the question nagging at the edges of her mind, where were they? A Pack was unpredictable, they might come from nowhere seeking their youth, ready to defend against any threat. This was not something the she-wolf could handle, fighting was not her strong suit, it was a last resort should any true danger arise, and more often only when cornered. It had been many long moons since she had been cornered, an experience she was wan to have again. Yet... sitting there, tail curling and uncurling out of habit, watching the young she-wolf gaze up at her in confusion, and loss; Ootat was compelled to remain put. "No pup should be Alone." The words dripped away from her tongue, thick and heavy like molasses, a syrup of nostalgia oozing through the veins of her memory. The phrase held a lot of meaning for Ootat, it was the beginning of an end she was still running from. Or so this is what she told herself, this is the motivation she drew from to keep going, to give speed to her paws. This, is perhaps how she managed to relate to the pup, small but not tiny - growing, and fast. This creature was beautiful really, freckled and brown like the earth, eyes bright and green like the grass she rested in. This child was harmless, this child was lost, this child was Alone in her own weird way. "And you are not, I am here. I will protect you." Ootat exhaled deeply "It is not a matter of strength, rather than a need. Everyone must face their fears eventually, the sooner you get it over with, the easier it will become." Or you will disappear into yourself her heart pounded you will become your fear, she swallowed her misgivings in peaceful quiet.

Kaitlyn gave a shakey nod as the other woman spoke, stating that she had a pack. Many wolves... Most of them strangers, save for her siblings... She was scared of them too she supposed. Scared of the unknown. The only way she was ever going to remedy that was if she met the wolves of her pack... But in order to do that she would first need to get over her fear. But fear was so strong... How did one manage to get the courage to stand up to it? Kaitlyn didn’t know... And she wasn’t so sure she was ready to try either. But the other woman promised that she wasn’t alone... That she would protect her. Even a complete stranger... Kait felt relieved. The earth toned girl’s gaze flicked to the ground for a long moment before lifting to meet the hues of the other she wolf. ”Thank you...” She flicked her ears back. “My name is Kaitlyn... Kaitlyn Agatsuma.” Her name rolled off her tongue and the she-wolf gave a soft sigh. “How do I learn to stand up to my fears, miss? How do I summon that courage?” ""

"You don't." She responded simply, staring down at the she-wolf with wide, gold eyes. No... strength is like a riddle you must solve throughout your experiences and of course Ootat was terrible at riddles really. Any kind of puzzle was better left un-bothered, more often than not they turned out to be more work than they were worth. Similar to this situation perhaps, and yet still Ootat sat, staring down in forced decision at the small girl - no, Kaitlyn. "You can't teach strength, though some will live their lives trying," Oh Mother you should have just waited! "you either find it within yourself or you don't. Strength is like one of those... oh... soul-searches. You've got to seek it out in your heart and manifest it as a fact." It was true enough, maybe she could have said it differently but there were only so many ways that you can tell someone that you don't really know. This way it felt as though she had some reign of control over her own charade. Ultimately Ootat had no business instructing anyone on how to be strong or any other kind of inter-personal adventures. The pale woman was a coward, this meeting was proof of that in itself, she never intended to run into Kaitlyn and worse, stay. Here she sat though, submerged in a sea of not-quite-untrue speculations that she could not simply draw back in. She was painting a picture for this girl, one way or another, of a world where maybe strength was something she could just pull up from the depths of her soul. Maybe she could. But even Ootat knew that strength was so much more, it just starts at the soul.

Kaitlyn frowned as the she-wolf responded to her. One couldn’t teach strength, much to the little one’s dismay. Having to find it within herself was a scary though, and she gave a soft whine. She wasn’t sure she had the will to find her own strength… but if she didn’t… Kait struggled to find the middle ground between what she felt and what the she-wolf was saying. The little brown she-wolf shook her head, struggling to gather her thoughts, focus herself back on the matter at hand. It was alright, she had to remind herself. Nothing was happening right now… and she wasn’t alone. This woman was here to help her, offering protection. Kait took a steadying breath, speaking up once more. “Forgive me…” The small creature tilted her head to the side. “Your name… you never said your name.” Kait frowned, focusing on breathing as she tried to keep herself in a calmer state. “If it wouldn’t be too much to ask for it…” Kait tilted her head to the side. “…before I go… If I could have something to call you by in case we see each other again…” ""