She could only stay in one place for so long. Winter or not, if she stayed home any longer – Like a good girl – she was gonna die of boredom. How did the adults do it? Walk the same, tired line every day, occasionally stepping out for a hunt. There were only few things Nalda found as dull as hunting, patrolling being one of them. Was that really all that awaited her in adulthood. The young wolf shuddered as she speed up, as if trying to outrun this unwanted future. Her travels brought her southward, close to, though not the exact, route she had taken a few months prior. She wasn't sure if she was actively looking to run into @Kyna and @Sahalie again, or if it was something else that had drawn her this way, but with every step she breathed a little freer.

The slate and russet girl was trotting along the foot of the mountains, when her eyes caught sight of something interesting. A path, not carved deeply between the rocks, but used just enough to appear worn, leading up into the pass. She stopped, eyes widening with excitement as she stared up along the hillside. She had yet to brave the mountains, these supposedly treacherous heights, too dangerous for pups; Like everything..! Curiosity tucked at her. What wonders might hide in those higher elevations? She swallowed once, then set off, not once looking back; Up I go!

Word count: 240

The route was steep, and it didn't take long for her untrained legs to feel the fatigue of the climb. It didn't stop her though, she was determined, now that she had started, that she would finish this mountain scale. As she moved higher, she came across subtle relics of those who once lived here; old bones with visible teeth-marks – she recognized them easily as canine, having done her share of bone gnawing – and marks left by claws on the few trees that remained at this altitude. Excited by this payoff of her adventure, the pup sniffed eagerly at each find, but all scent seemed to have faded from remnants, adding to the ghostly feel of this abandoned lands; Just as well. She thought merrily, much happier exploring by herself than running the risk of coming across other, territorial, wolves.

It seemed luck was not on her side though, as a waft of, definitely fresh, sent crossed her path, making her freeze in place. Perhaps she had been too hasty in her judgment of this place? But she was absolutely sure she hadn't crossed any marked borders, she knew enough about those from lessons and study of their own, back in the Pines. Still there was someone else here, an explorer as herself? Or a scavenger hoping to take advantage of the former residents' departure. The last thought caused her stomach to stir, a faint rumble reminding her that she hadn't eaten since she left home. Perhaps an easy meal hit beneath the frozen ground up here, hidden by those who'd anticipated harsher times, yet hadn't been around to witness them.

The thought of having to fight someone else over the scraps didn't thrill her though, but now that her mind had turned to food, her teeth were starting to water, and her belly seemed to have awakened and was making a fuzz. She might be able to steal, at least a small bite from the unsuspecting scavenger though, she'd gotten quite good at running, faced with a larger wolf, she should be able to out run them. Her stomach seemed to have made up her mind, as she crouched between protruding rocks, slowly sneaking along, trailing the stranger who had passed by moments before. She caught the faint smell of rot and smirked triumphantly, she'd been right in her assumptions. Up ahead, she glimpsed a white body, eagerly at work digging up a hidden treasure. Finding shelter where best she could in the mostly barren landscape, she crept closer, eyes straining to spy what might emerge from the snow. She wanted to get close, so that she could swoop in quickly and grab her prize, darting off before he even knew what had happened. Only a few lengths now. A small ridge covered her advance, her ears flattened back. She readied herself to pounce.

Word count: 475

The boy seemed utterly oblivious to her approach, apparently too consumed by his digging, and Nalda smiled slyly, inching her way towards his back. From her position it was hard to see what exactly he was unearthing, but his apparent interest was enough for the lurking thief; If he wants it, I want it! So as soon as he stopped his work, seeming to lean back a little, she sprang into action. No longer worried about stealth, the young shewolf pushed off hard against the snow, swerving around the white form before here to get at his booty before he could. Her head was already lowered, jaws parted to grab hold of, what was hopefully something eatable, every muscle in her body poised to run off again. The sight that met her once she was free of the other wolf froze her in place though. Rather than the remains of a pronghorn or other large prey, or even an old frozen hare, the disturbed ground so carefully parted by the pale lad revealed a much more sinister content. Wide goldenrod eyes stared into the empty sockets of a dark, leathery face.

Now Nalda was not the squealing type, in her studies of other creatures she had seen death plenty enough – often taking advantage of the opportunity to fill her stomach – but this was different. Though its time in the ground had degraded the corpse, causing the skin to shrivel and darken and the fur to come off, the head in front of her was recognizably a wolf, every line of the skull visible through the naked, black cover. Dead wolves was one thing she had yet to experience, and while she wasn't so stupid as to think that they lived forever as opposed to all other creatures, it was still something different to actually see it. So while she didn't scream exactly, the breath did leave her lungs with a low, wheezing sound, nostrils flaring in alarm. She had completely forgotten the other pup, consumed as he had been by the dead body at their feet, a mixture of macabre fascination and chilling disgust rushing through her; "Woooow!"

Word count: 358

Her ears flattened back at the sound of warning coming from the other pup, but her gaze never wavered from the unearthed prize. Tail held straight down between stiff hind legs, the tip waving nervously, she continued to study the grizzly sight, unable to look away. She'd seen dead animals before, plenty of times, killed in all manner of ways. But never another wolf. It was a whole new experience, looking at this, half-mummified, creature, which had once been just like her. Heart pounding loudly in her ears, she was completely locked in her own world. So when a question suddenly broke the silence, she jumped slightly, spinning half around to face the ivory boy. Quick to defend herself, she straightened up and spat: "Scared'o wha'? 'is dead!" It. She couldn't quite bring herself to accept that the corpse had once been a living character, someone with friends and a pack, maybe a family. It made her curiosity that much more morbid. Golden eyes drifted back to what was visible of the wolf, most of the body still buried under snow and half-frozen earth; Who was it..? She wondered. Male or female? Young or old? All the clues she would normally go on gone from the degraded face, only the faintest scent of decay hanging around the turned up dirt.

The second comment turned her attention back on the other pup, ears lifting tentatively, one brow quirking; Murder?! As in killed by another wolf? Deliberately? Nalda bit her lip, pondering the possibilities, hundreds of questions buzzing around her head: Why, when, how? Her tongue felt a little dry, but she managed a mostly neutral tone when she countered: "Why'd you think tha'? 'is buried! No wounds'or 'nything." It wasn't so much that she didn't believe him, but rather she wanted to understand his reasoning. She wanted to hear more! The concept of murder was mostly new to her, killing someone, not pray to eat, but a wolf. Of course, when you spend your life killing animals, how much further was murder, really? The russet marked pup looked over at the remnants of wolf again, and it seemed to stare back with dark hollows of sunken skin, yellowed teeth bared in a ghastly grin. Part of her still wanted to bolt, get away from the eerie air, surrounding this place and the strange boy, fitting in well with his ghostly complexion. But it was receding, pushed back by her wish to learn, and the allure of the new and grim.

Word count: 419

He grinned at her, an expression rivaling the grotesque smile of the corpse. It send a small shiver down her spine, though not an entirely unpleasant sensation.  Her protest only seemed to further his amusement, their grizzly find all but forgotten as ghostly pale eyes centered on her. Why? What was it he found so interesting? What thoughts hid behind that, oddly humorless expression? To her own surprise, a smile started to creep onto the girls own lips, curling the creamy corners of her muzzle. She met that silver gaze evenly, for the first time wondering about this strange boy who slunk around the mountains, digging up graves. He looked nothing extraordinary, a uniform coat of silvery white, only marred by a bit of black on his snout; A bit to the larger size, though no giant like Koda. But where was he from? Nothing in his scent seemed familiar, how far away was his home; Does he have one?

Low, rugged voice cut into her thoughts, centering her attention back on the stranger, brows lifting slightly. His expression had changed, absurd mask shifting into a half sneer, and his tone had become rougher. She didn't take offence though, rather her own smile grew a few inches at his swear, large ears flicking into a mostly forwards position. This kid seems to know an awful lot  about murder; Or think he does anyway..! Still, it was more than Nalda could say for herself, but she was not about to admit that. "Wou'be a lot'o mess a'guess," She mused instead, puckering her lips into a thoughtful expression and tilting her head. Really her interest had drifted from the long-dead wolf, there was only so much her morbid curiosity could get out of the ice-mummy. This boy though, he was an entirely new mystery, and one she would much rather work to decipher. So she said: "Wha' does it matter 'nyway? Y' didn't know 'im!" A statement that she was mostly sure of, yet a type of question anyway. And then, just to prod a little deeper: "How'd you even find'im?" What were you looking for?

Word count: 354