Squish.



No matter where she went there was always something wet to put her paws into. Looking down at the thick, clay-colored mire, she huffed and sighed. Some time - any time - soon her luck would change. Thunder heads to the east were a single sign that this day was not going to be any different, however. They hung over the horizon dreadfully, and she felt as though they were following her to what seemed like the end of the earth. Her eyes grazed over the horizon aimlessly; there really wasn't much to see here. The swamp grasses were unremarkable despite the fact that from where she stood they seemed to go on forever. The water in which they grew - well, she wasn't going anywhere near it if she could help it, but its sulfurous stench was foul enough that it was no wonder this place was a wasteland.


Wrinkling a lip, she shifted her weight and strained to pull her fore paw from the mud's suction. The air felt colder than it had in the previous days, and she could smell the front on the breeze. It would be safest to press on until she came across a place suitable to wait out the storm, but she didn't know how much further that was and she was tired. Each new day in this place proved only to be lonely, and no matter which direction she took it never seemed to be the right one.


The treeline in the distance looked promising, as if it were the end of the swamp and the bridge to her salvation. A tinge of excitement made her heart beat faster and her movement more fluid, her hips swaying as long strides brought her nearer to what she knew had to be- an abrupt halt. The single scent hit her like rain on a sunny day. Testing the air, her eyes roved the area with caution. The only thing worse than being alone was being in the presence of someone who didn't appreciate your presence. After several minutes of waiting, listening, and waiting, she quietly continued onward.

"Who's there?"



Immediately her head popped up, her tail falling limply between her hind legs as she focused on the feminine voice that was much closer than she'd anticipated. For several seconds her triangle ears would swivel forward and backward. From the tone of the faceless voice it was clear that she may be a bit intrusive here, but she was positive that the scent she'd caught whiff of just just a moment before was the only fresh one. Great. She'd nearly made it out of this hole in one piece. She was no less curious, though, and a little interaction couldn't hurt too bad, right? "Here," she called back cooperatively as she stretched her neck to try and get a good look through the grasses. Lowering her head and using her slender muzzle to weave closer, it was in typical Lucero fashion that she cautiously stalked near. Peeking her head timidly over the tips of the blades, only her big, bright, golden eyes were visible as she caught her first glance.



It struck her in a way she hadn't seen coming. The creamy stranger who crouched low to the ground was like a sight for sore eyes against the scenery she considered to be quite ugly. A tone of orange she'd never encountered before burned in the female's eyes, and her lustrous coat was a bit thicker than her own; she looked to be not much older or younger than Luce was. Intrigued for whatever reason, she gulped down her stranger-anxiety with valiant perseverance before taking a few steps forward and poking only her head out timidly from the safety of the grass. With a nervous sort of girlish charm, an easy - hopefully not too easy - grin spanned her dark lips. "-Hope I'm not intruding..." She swallowed hard. The next word wasn't what she wanted to say but it rolled right out anyway. "Luce." Because that wasn't awkward or confusing to a complete stranger. "I mean - I'm Luce..." she introduced herself with a near fumble of words, immediately offering up a smile as if it would help break the ice.



The pretty lady didn't look like she would be the type to turn her away, and Luce hoped she wouldn't. Either way, the exit was just a quick hop, skip, and a jump away.

He had been checking borders early that morning. Marking and such for this @Elettra alpha. Kasai was trying to fit in. However after meeting only one other pack mate he was finding it hard to feel any comradeship among the rest of the pack. Then the black wolf decided to leave Willow Ridge to catch a rabbit or two. Although the large wolf rarely had luck catching anything unless it was a pack hunt. While he traveled farther and farther from the border Kasai had zero luck catching anything spare for a small mouse which was barely a mouthful for him. He ate it and then traveled farther.

Until the scent caught his attention. Two scents to be exact. Female wolves, and one that the burnt male wolf somehow knew.

The scent stuck fast in his nose. It was a scent that disturbed him. Those old fuzzy memories. The very one's he was trying to get rid of. The second feminine scent was just an annoyance, but the first. The first female odor was what held the burnt males attention. The sweet scent she distributed due to the season cloying the primaveral air. That need was not at the forefront of his mind. For there was only one she wolf who he would be tempted to do such a thing with, and she was far off in Swift River. All he wanted to know was just who this scent belonged to. It was so long ago that he couldn't place it.

His claws dug into the muddy snow melting under the sun. Kicking up dirt as he lengthened his long bare-legged stride. The image of a white pup clear in the pair of minds that made up the single entity called Kasai. It took him a few minutes of dwelling on that memory. Of his parents second litter. He had been so happy back then, to be an older brother. The names of those three new pups barely registering in his mind now. What were their names? What is her name? Kasai knew this scent was from back then. One of those pups perhaps? The one's who he'd promised to protect, play with, and teach. Back then Hotei had been so excited. He sat near his parents den just sucking in the pups scents waiting to be the first to help out if his mother had needed it. Of course his father had not liked him being so close to the den most of the time. Not with the pups so young. The alpha male was very territorial about the den entrance. So Hotei had only gotten to see them once and really take in their smells.

The scent finally made a little sense. Past the puppy scent he'd remembered, and the scent of milk. Her scent had been mixed with two others. However now her scent was all grown up. Borlla? His younger sister, one face that they had not thought they would ever see grown up. Neither Burn nor Hotei had even known that she was still alive when they got back. Only assumed that she had died with the rest. That she had died with her parents as a young two month old.

Not now..

Now this is her scent for sure. I want answers.. clear answers. Burn spoke seriously inside of his cramped mind. Hotei only whimpered. He wanted to see the pup that he was supposed to take care of so long ago. Why isn't she in Swift River though? He wondered pushing against Burn's serious thoughts. The two personalities were not as meshed together today than they had been previously. Today Kasai might have trouble replying immediately to questions if there were any asked. For both minds would have to think of an answer to say.

Making a huge amount of noise was easy for a large wolf like Kasai to do. Especially if he was running and slipping over half frozen water and ice. However The black Tainn finally spotted the form of one of the two wolves he'd scented. The other wolf still hidden from his view someplace.

"Borlla!." His tone was not friendly but it was not hate filled either. The black wolf's weight cracked more of the ice than the female's had broken as he slowed to a trot towards the white she wolf. He wondered for a second what she was looking at in the grass, but did not see the other wolf as he padded closer.

(There this should be better now)

As he approached Borlla The dark wolf was not surprised to see a confused face staring angrily back at him. The white she wolf spoke then of how he knew her and what he wanted. Wasn't it clear what he wanted? To speak with her?

That's what you want.. is to speak to her. I just wanna stay away.. Hotei's consciousness spoke up Then recoiled as Burn snapped back at him. To the spectator the black wolf would have outwardly looked odd snapping at the air to his right at some invisible enemy. Then Kasai's features turned calm again as he turned his eyes to his sissy.

"Well I'm glad to see that my younger sister is alive and well. I thought you being so young back then had no chance of escaping the flames...Although it would be great if you greeted family a little nicer." His stance changed to that of slightly bristling fur and his ears were pushed forward threatening her to spit back some retort.

In the least Kasai hoped that she might recognize him past the scars, but of course that old thing called hope died like a candle in the wind. No wolf would instantly recognize him anymore. At least not the one's who'd known what he'd looked like before the great fire. Besides she was so little back then... She probably doesn't know who we are as it is. Hotei whimpered silently to Burn.

The Tainn's yellow gaze finally searched the ground where another scent, the other female scent, was wafting from. The hell? Where'd she come from? Burn noted silently whereas Hotei pushed forward to take control again.

His body changed once more back to the calm composed Kasai as he investigated the place where the other female was watching him closely from. He hadn't realized that his sis had been helping someone. Wait... helping someone? Burn snickered but outwardly Kasai grinned a bit down to the she wolf down on the ground.

"You okay? Sorry about that. I did not realize you two were busy..." He tossed the apology over his back realizing that Borlla was probably fuming over his ignoring her for a few minutes. Or still angry at him if she hadn't already guessed who he was. Kasai still hadn'ttold her his name yet, and he didn't plan on telling it. The dark wolf would rather watch her flounder while trying to figure who he was. Maybe have a little fun with his little sister.

Out of some degree of humility her ears would for a moment fold down upon her ivory crown at the she wolf's blunt reply. There really wasn't anything wrong with being curt, and she didn't mind. There was genuine quality to her words that Luce actually appreciated, and it only encouraged her further. She slipped into the open casually, betraying the safety of the reeds. To her gratification, the pretty stranger called her by her name and was nearly about to introduce herself when she was interrupted.


The dark male made enough noise that even a deaf, blind degenerate could deduce the direction from which he made his entrance. He called out a name before approaching the fire-eyed lady as if he'd known her for years. Unfortunately for the lumbering interjectionist, this Borlla didn't seem to have a clue who he was. It was clear by the edge in her tone that she didn't appreciate his rudimentary advance, either. Confused, Luce raised a single brow as she incredulously watched the interaction.


Before the buff-coated woman could reply, the other stranger continued on, regarding her now as his sister. The plot thickens? A little. She still wasn't convinced; in fact, he made her feel awkward. And just when she wasn't really sure what in the hell was going on, the situation became that much more uncomfortable as he turned to inform Luce that he didn't even realize she was there. Her eyes narrowed upon him.



Issuing Borlla a questioning sideways glance, she considered that this wasn't how she intended to spend her time.

The sarcasm in Borlla's initial reply flowed so smoothly from her mouth, in contrast with the general air of disarray, or confusion, that now saturated the encounter between the three. To her surprise, the creamy woman drew nearer to Luce, and for a moment her gaze would break from the wolf she considered to be an intruder here, sweeping sideways to study the way Borlla regarded him; clearly, far less amused than Lucero was herself. Her attention snapped back to dark brother-of-sorts, and she offered her support by way of a single, wide step closer to the lady's side. She nodded in acknowledgement to Borlla's introduction, the smirk at her humor fading to stone cold indifference as her eyes fell upon the sable fellow. Raising her head, the alabaster girl shot a hard glance in his direction, not caring to anticipate what would come next. Apparently, this would be quite a show, or nothing at all.