Vala




The sun had finally gave way to the cover of darkness as a small figure appeared within the view of the willow trees. Light snow dusted over the paw printed path as it walked, not falling quite hard enough to cover anything, melting not long after touching the ground. The figure would stop every so often, taking in the new sights and smells previously unknown to it. The trickling of water was what had first caught it's attention, as it moved deeper into the wooded grove. It sat for a moment, just listening to the flora and fauna, basking under the view of the stars and trying not to draw excess attention. 'Observe, then decide'.  

Bangles clicked quietly as it walked, shiny and glowing a bright blue through the darker colors. As the moon began casting it's rays upon the ground, a pelt the color of rust was revealed, shimmering with red and brown hues. The figure was a wolf, small enough to be ducking under the twisted roots that jutted out of the ground. Eyes the color of gold appeared through the layers of fur around her face. Her paws dipped lightly in the small streams of water, as she padded along from tree to tree, watching the long branches of the willow trees swaying back and forth. "I wonder what these are called" she murmured quietly as she pulled a few leaves off of a lower branch. Willow trees were unknown to her, most of the trees she knew had jutted far into the sky. Darkness had taken over the area, as she climbed up onto a thicker branch to settle for the moment. The woods were quiet, too quiet for the wolf's liking, but being alone never suited her. She enjoyed the noise of her old pack, but until she could find another, the silence would have to be something she would adapt to. "Everything will work out Vala." 'can't go back now anyway.' She thought, only saying the first part out loud.  

The sun had fully dropped below the horizon when Recluse left her pack lands, it was a simple walk. No real destination in mind but wanting time to think through her plans for the upcoming season. Her heat hung heavy in her scent and she was more sensitive and aggressive because of it. She only had one thing in mind to deal with this, but the timing needed to be perfect. For now she wasn't doing anything to mask her scent but soon enough she would start hiding her heat scent, the last thing she wanted was to chase off the young man she'd gotten in her grasp. Pale paws carried her towards the willows, familiar ground as she was no stranger to wandering the lands that stood between Habari and the rest of the empire. A stranger's scent reached her and Recluse was struck with a crossroads. She could keep going, avoiding the stranger. Or... She could let her curiosity get the better of her and she could approach them. The latter felt more fun tonight, besides the alpha never left her lands unarmed, her cruel claw covers gouging out the earth under her paws with each step, and black snake skin bracers bound to her forelegs. Lilith was slung around her neck, a scally boa and Galho flew above her, landing every so often and perching like a dead branch in the willows. A slight smirk pulled at her cherry lips and the woman adjusted her course, padding easily among the drooping branches as the stranger's scent grew stronger and she spotted a figure perched among the trees. She cocked her head to the side, and spoke, voice strong: "Can't say I've ever seen anyone climb the willows before." "Speech"

Vala

Sitting among the moon and stars brought a sense of calm over the rusty colored wolf, narrow eyes watching the lights sparkle above. She had been traveling for a few months now, exploring any area she could, meeting anyone friendly enough to stop and chat for a while. Vala had been careful to avoid other pack boundaries on her travels, and it had been at least a week since she had ran into anyone else. She was eager to meet others but she wasn't stupid, trespassing into the wrong territory could very well be the end of her life. This would be her first Winter alone though, and she didn't want to be packless any longer than necessary.

The fluttering of wings redirected her attention before the actual presence of another. She stared up as the strange looking bird took flight and landed a few times in the tree branches. Words being spoken toward her made her alert as she stood, gaze going over the pale wolf. Vala had been told stories about wolves with pelts paler than snow, and eyes the color of blood, but never had she experienced the sight for herself. Though this one appeared different, not just because of the snake around it's neck, although that was strange enough. As she inhaled, she caught the slightly bitter scent of the other wolf, a female in estrus. She glanced at the trio before focusing in on the wolf, "And I can say I've never seen a wolf with such strange companions." The accented words forced their way out before she could stop them. "Not strange in a bad way, just unusual I suppose" She continued, hoping to not offend the one before her

The stranger turned her attention towards Recluse and spoke, her voice lilting in an unfamiliar way and Recluse couldn't help but laugh, her voice a lifting and echoing loudly as her shoulders shook. "All that tells me darling is that you're not from around here." She took a few steps closer to the willow, tipping her head back to look up at the other woman, a grin spread across her face. It wasn't malicious and her tone was almost teasing as she spoke. "The citizens of Boreas are known to make friends that break many a species boundary." She took a moment to run her cherry gaze over the woman, a brow arching. "So tell me love what made you wander so far from home?" "Speech"