Valkyrie's claws tore through the tree's bark with a satisfying crunch. She'd tried on many an occasion to explain to other wolves just how satisfying it was to sharpen her claws, but to no avail. The nearest thing she could liken it to was stretching after a deep sleep and even that didn't quite do it justice. It was stretching, yes, but with all the pleasure of eating after a long fast. She craved the feeling of things rending under her claws. Arching her back, Valkyrie stretched her forepaws upwards until her shoulders protested. Even standing at her full height she was nothing compared to the tree she stood against and yet, small as she was, she was going to leave a mark on this giant. She tipped her claws downward and felt them dig into the bark. Valkyrie then brought her weight in and down. Her claws tore bark free from the tree in long curls and left in their wake deep red gouges. They were not unlike wounds left in flesh and this pleased her. She would leave her mark on these lands just as she'd left her mark on this tree.

She was heading back to the pines after a long day of exploring nearby territories. On the way, she trekked through the red forest. Her mother had told her it was named that because of the towering red wood trees that thrived there, and now in the heat of summer, their colors almost looked like they were a bleeding background against the browns and greens and the remnants of white slush and snow that lingered. This season seemed to be hotter than usual, which left her feeling a little irritated which was unusual for the incredibly docile woman. Her thick Ancoran fur was shedding in thick clumps, so she was constantly grooming herself to keep her presentation up. Not that it mattered much, she supposed. She never really went anywhere or met anyone new, but the past week she had felt that itch in her paws to go out and explore instead of staying in the same couple lands she had been in with her family. Ice blue eyes scanned the tree tops as she walked beneath them, head tilted upward as she tried to see if there were any squirrels or birds above her. She knew that somewhere up there, her mother's companion was probably hiding. Avalon had made it a point that until Okami felt comfortable enough to travel on her own without worry, her companion would keep an eye on her. Okami was okay with that fact, however. She didn't have enough experience on her own to really know what was out there, and she didn't know when or if she would run into trouble. She had been so sheltered before, and so she took it upon herself to go out and see what lied beyond the walls of her family. At least until her eldest brother decided it was time to ressurect what had been taken from them. She had been lost in thought until a strange sound pulled her attention forward. Several yards away, crystal blue eyes fell on a strange sight. She tilted her head slightly as she stopped, watching as a young wolf seemed to claw into the bark of one of the redwood trees. Being near-sighted, she couldn't quite tell at first that the young wolf's feet were very different from her own, and she was curious as to what she was doing. Slowly, she moved a little closer but didn't say anything. She simply watched and studied this curious behavior. "Talk" "You" Think

It felt good to stretch her toes so Valkyrie kept at it, leaving gouge after gouge in the tree's bark until the patch she was working on was bare. She might have kept clawing had not the back of her neck began to prickle. Someone was watching her. She could feel it; the sensation was nearly as concrete as the tree under her paws. Valkyrie played it cool for a few more seconds, her claws digging into the bark with renewed vigor, and then she spun with a snarl, her hind legs coiling mid spin so that she bounded forward like a spring under pressure. She didn't like being spied on and she would rather pounce first and ask questions later than risk being attacked from behind.

The sudden motion from the she-wolf she had been watching was unexpected, so when the other girl spun around and leaped towards her, Okami scuttled back with surprise. "Wait! I mean you no harm!" She quickly cried out, all the while setting her guards up just in case the younger wolf decided to keep advancing towards her. Her heart beat fast in her chest as blue eyes settled on the agitated features of the young woman. She was trying to get her startled heart under control, and she wasn't quite sure that she was going to be successful right now. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that," "Talk" "You" Think

She'd just finished coiling her hind legs for the last bound that would bring her into contact with her stalker when the taller female cried out in obvious alarm. Recognizing the albino's stance as purely defensive one, Valkyrie skidded to a halt. In an instant her snarling features smoothed and she adopted a calm and authoritative stance. She knew a threat when she saw one and this female wasn't one. That didn't excuse her for being a peeping tom, but it did save her from getting a beating. "Perhaps," she cautioned, "You should take more care in the future. Few appreciate being sneaked up on, accidental or otherwise." Valkyrie studied the larger female. While she'd heard of such wolves, she'd never seen one before and the woman's pink nose and skin kept catching her eye. "Do you live here?"

The girl stopped her advance, her aggressiveness quickly turning calmer after Okami explained she wasn't here to hurt her. Icy blue eyes watched the femme, ears tilting with uncertainty as she spoke. It was true, she should have taken more care in her approach. Probably should have made herself known as opposed to watching in silence. She nodded though, acknowledging that she understood. Then she was asked if she lived here, a question which brought Okami to lightly shake her head. "Not exactly. I live nearby with my family," She watched her with caution, though her eyes wandered to the girls paws with great curiosity. She had never seen paws and claws like that on a wolf. The only beasts she knew that had claws like that were her brothers companions, the Jaguars. How was this possible? Her gaze quickly returned to the womans own, heat beginning to spread across her face as she realized she probably shouldn't be staring like that. "I'm sorry, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Okami Ancora, sorry for startling you earlier. I didn't mean to." "Talk" "You" Think