Her farther had received a notice that someone was challenging for Valta. After extending the invitation to travel up there to see it for herself, Bramble had excitedly agreed. Her first big girl mission! Okay, there were probably more appropriate, adult verbiage she could have used, but around her father? She was still his little girl so how could she not say it like that?

Anyway, they make it across the Bifrost, through the Fjord, and up into Fern Gulley in no time. They had gotten some rest and as the sun rose, Bramble awoke to catch their breakfast. She hardly slept as is so it was a good excuse to stop tossing and turning and probably accidentally sticking a paw in her father's face. The weather was pleasant, a bit warm and a tad dry, but nothing to complain about. When she breaks from the trees, she spies a small goat herd lingering around a cluster of lavender. Ah, perfect!

Quickly, Bramble takes an adult goat down, expertly snapping its neck and sets it on the ground. While she knows she wants to take the meat for breakfast, what would she do with the rest? Sitting down, she uses a claw to slice open the belly of the goat so that it's intestines can spill out and it's blood begin to drain. As she waits, she wonders if she could feasibly tan the hide here somewhere and grab on the way back? She remembers something about Meadow mentioning that her books were falling apart...

Rumors rippled quickly overland, talk of the challenge spreading like wildfire. Why did it feel like so much of the inner workings of their lives revolved around hurry up and wait. Some sort of larger metaphor at play, though she wouldn't question it (if you don't crate your border collie mix while left unattended, she might start to gnaw on the fourth wall). Gilgamesh is busy, and she will need to wait before properly approaching the challenge at hand. While she'd spotted the goats, she can also smell blood. Coming over a rise in the land, she spots the girl. Large wolf. Fresh kill. Jael freezes, her heart pounding in her chest. Streaks of teal playing across her coat, fuck. Does she need to run? Was the Gulley not safe anymore either? Could Gil still get here quickly enough if she needed him? Head dropping low, Jael wants to back away slowly. An unfriendly breeze picked up, putting her downwind from the stranger. Fight or flight-- no. Jael could handle this. She could handle being out like this, and she wouldn't derail herself just... she could be pointedly nonthreatening. Taking a deep breath and willing herself to be brave, she continued on, head low for a moment. "Sorry," cutting wide away from the girl. Nonthreatening. Jael, The Pet

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Bramble has begun to work on skinny the goat are carefully and precisely as her cat claws will allow her. She doesn't even notice the girl slinking around her until a tiny voice apologizes. Looking up, tongue poking from between her lips, she surprised to see the collie mix looking awfully frightened. Her brow furrows as she stops what she's doing and frowns. "I'm not sure what you're apologizing for miss, but I won't hurt you," Bramble pauses, looking from the girl to her kill where a leg is extended between her paws, a neatly sliced line in the skin moving from inside the thigh to the hoof.

"If you'd like, I do need some help. Have you ever tanned hides before to use for books?" Her heads cants to the side again as she continues working. Maybe being too forward would frighten the girl more. Which ultimately was hard for Bramble. She was... definitely that girl that hugged you even after you said please don't. Everyone was Bramble's friend, whether they liked it or not. "I'm just skinning this goat here and going to start the prep work," she motions with a paw at the goat that lays a bit crooked on the ground but no less worse for wear than her own bed head.