Corbie's loop had taken her north on the last leg of her journey. Soon she would be returning to the plains and her sheep, and begin the arduous lamb watch. She thought that the freedom and the easy ability to speak with others, whenever she wished to seek them out, would have made her reluctant to return to the confinement of being a shepherd, but she found that she was ready to go back. She did wish now as she never had before that there were others like her who would want to live as she did, with her, rather than just her alone. She did love Tam like she loved a brother, but the collie was a dog, not a wolf, and it wasn't quite the same. There was Ayar now, too, but as much as she was enjoying the kinkajou's companionship on this journey she, too, was a species with a highly different focus than the social drive of a wolf. As she and Ayar basked together in the winter sun atop a low part of the ruined wall, she dreamed and planned things she'd never considered before this journey had awoken the hunger in her.

Keahi meanders through the forest that is part of Armada lands, eyes scanning the landscape as she patrols. Spring is just around the corner and the thaw has already begun in the northern lands. While the temperature is slowly raising, it is still too cold for the tropical wolf’s liking and she has her polar bear coat is wrapped tightly around her red frame to stave off the chill that always tries to take ahold. The sun shines brightly on this winter day through the dense canop of leaves and Keahi decides to make her way out to a more open area to enjoy the warmth it has to offer. Trotting through the tall trees, she makes her way to where the crumbled wall is, knowing that the open space there will be prefect to catch the sun’s rays.

As the forest falls behind her and the sun hits her pelt, Keahi pauses to tilt her back and take a deep breath. Silently, she gives thanks to the land for seeing her and the pack through the winter months and welcomes the coming of warmer days. With that done, she blinks open her blue eyes and continues on to the wall, only slowing when she spies a monochrome form laying on top of the stones. Curious, Keahi lets out a soft woof of greeting, hoping to alert the other wolf to her presence without disturbing them too much. Slowly, the tropical woman moves closer to where the stranger rests, body relaxed and tail wagging slowly.

"Keahi Mogotsi"

Corbie opened half closed drowsy eyes at the sound of a woof, focusing on an autumnal wolf who stood in her view with tail wagging. "Hello," she called back, streching before hopping down to join the other. "I'm sorry if I intruded. The sun was so pleasant I couldn't resist." The other woman seemed friendly though, which she probably wouldn't have if Corbie were actually intruding. She wasn't particularly afraid of retribution if she were, she could handle herself if it came to it, but it would be rather rude to use someone's home as a sunning spot and then fight them. Instead Corbie favored her with a friendly wag of her own to show that her intentions were good. "My name is Corbie. I'm just passing through on my way back to my home in the west."

As the woof of greeting leaves her mouth, Keahi regrets it. Not because she doesn’t want to meet the wolf but because it looks like the stranger was half way towards taking a nap. A sheepish grin is on her red lips as the wolf looks down her, calling out a greeting of her own. As the stranger stretches and hops down to join the tropical wolf, the stranger speaks of intruding, which has Keahi waving off the apology with one of her red paws. A friendly smile on her lips as she says, “No need to apologize. If anything, it looks like I am the one intruding on your sunbathing. I live in the pack that claims the woods over there.” Paws indicates the direction she had come from where the mile-high woods rests before continuing, “I just came out here to enjoy the warmth of the sun as well.”

As Corbie introduces herself, Keahi dips her head in respectful bow while saying, “My name is Keahi and it is a pleasure to meet you, Corbie.” Straightening back up, she offers the woman an easy before saying, “I have not been able to travel to the west much… what is it like?” As Keahi speaks, the red wolf slowly moves to an area where a huge pool of sunlight has melted away the snow and the slumbering grass can be seen. Carefully folding her hunches, she sits and cranes her head upward, eyes closing but still paying close attention to what Corbie says. A red paw gently pats the grass near her in an invitation for the monochrome wolf to join her if she wishes.


"Keahi Mogotsi"

The other woman was unconcerned about any intrusion, introducing herself as a member of a nearby pack. Her curiosity about where Corbie lived, and the invitation to join her, drew Corbie to the patch of grass in the sunlight. "Oh, the west is much hotter than here, and mostly arid." She knew there were arid places in the north, windswept steppes like frozen deserts, but she had never been there before. "I live along the coast so it isn't so arid, but it is still quite hot during the summer. There are other territories a little further north that I've considered moving the flock to, but it can be difficult to leave the familiar, and every land has some upsides and some downsides after all.
The basin has great grazing to make up for the heat. How do you like living up here in the north?"

Keahi enjoys the warmth of the sun, listening intently as Corbie speaks of the hot and arid west. Hmm. The tropical wolf makes a mental note to check out it out at some point if, for no other reason, to get warm. Then the monochrome wolf asks how she likes living up here and a light, joyful chuckle falls from her red lips.

Blue eyes open to look at Corbie as Keahi says, “Honestly… I hate the cold. My home is far from here on a tropical island. It has been an… adjustment living here but I would not give up my family for the world.” Something that Corbie says catches the red woman’s attention and she says, “You said the basin has great grazing… may I ask why that is important?”

The question is not meant as an insult, her tone is inquisitive as the tropical wolf is truly interested in knowing why a wolf would be interested in good grazing ground. A warm smile is on her lips as she looks at Corbie for answers.


"Keahi Mogotsi"