Gone Tomorrow

Leaving Serach and Sceral was still no less painful today than it had been the first time, at least for her. Her two cubs were always happy to see their older siblings and their pack mates, and her absence was always overshadowed by the excitement of learning about and seeing new things. A final lick between their tiny ears and a stern word to listen to their sitters, followed by a mother's confession of love, and Corinna Donata had set off. Lean limbs carried her over the grassy hill and into the woodlands that covered Oak Tree Bend's territory. Her pregnancy had left her unable to to travel far, so she was making it up now that her sons had been born.

The unfamiliar terrain held just as much excitement for her as it did her sons, though the she-wolf was far more aware of the dangers that could be lurking. Fenru had warned them of what could have been a small pack gathering to the west - she had a mind to determine if they were still here. Keeping her nose to the ground, she followed the path that had been set before her by her pack mates. But after crossing the border (which she did after thoroughly marking it), the familiar scents were lost under the musk of the unfamiliar.

Overhead, summer birds sang their songs, either unaware or uncaring of the predator that loped through the woods beneath them. Once, when ducking her head to investigate a shrub, the leader startled a rabbit. Adrenaline kicked in and she gave chase, but it was no use. With a bark that was more scoff than defeat, Cori let her unexpected prey go and turned back to continue her path.

Warm rays of sunlight shown down, warming the patches of ground that were not covered by tree leaves. The day was half done by the time something dilly caught her attention. Lifting her head where it had been investigating a fading scent at the base of a tree, she tilted her head to better hear the sound. Running water. Scent forgotten, Cori settled into an easy lope, the sound bringing to mind how thirsty she was. Only the briefest look around was given when she finally came upon the creek before she went forward from the brush. Wetting her front paws as she entered the creek, Corinna lowered her head and lapped up the water greedily - only somewhat aware of her surroundings.

Gone Tomorrow

Clearly, Corinna had not realized how thirsty she was until arriving at the creek. Her front legs in the water to steady her on smooth pebbles, her pink tongue lapped eagerly at the water. It did not run anywhere near as fast as the Swift River had, but it was satisfying all the same. Water was all she was able to get, though. No fish seemed to live in this part of the creek, or at least, those who did evaded detection. Despite having lived by a river filled with fish for almost the entirety of her adult life, Corinna was a terrible fisherman. Pulling her face from the water, she grinned at the faintest traces of shadows between the water. Ah well, they were no meal for her anyhow.

Lifting her head from the water, the Oak Tree Bend wolf stepped back onto dry ground. Lifting one leg and then the other, she shook herself to dry. The sunlight would do the rest, if she could find an un-shaded area to rest. Absentmindedly looking around, Corinna barely caught sight of golden eyes watching. With a start, she took one step backwards, the fur along her back and neck rising - her stance more defensive than aggressive. It had been a long time since she had been surprised by somebody sneaking up on her. How long had the other been there? And why hadn't Corinna been paying attention?

While her peripheral vision had only caught a glance at the golden eyes looking at her, now that she was focusing, the rest of the creature became clearly visible. Another wolf, clearly. Her pale fur stuck out like a sore thumb against the green and brown around her - it was a testament to how Corinna's obliviousness. But this was no stranger, and her own widened eyes and slight gaping of the mouth betrayed her surprise. "...Borlla?"

Gone Tomorrow

Somehow, seeing Borlla across the River was almost like seeing Indru again. Indru had raised Borlla in place of his parents' after their death, and the younger she-wolf had seemingly resented Corinna's presence in her brother's pack and life. But the golden eyes that were looking at her from across the creek were not Indru's, and the voice, familiar despite how little Cori heard it, was far too feminine to be her old mate's. The shock was enough to drown out Borlla's words for a moment, though she frowned when she heard Triell's name roll off his sister's lips. Triell had known that Borlla was here? He'd not said...but they also hadn't spent a lot of time catching up since his rejoining the pack.

For a moment, Borlla's remark regarding Swift River cut home, and the older she-wolf physically recoiled, jerking backwards and taking a step back. Even though Borlla's tone had not reflected any malice, it had hit her like a blow - had she really made the decision to abandon her pack and its whole identity? But no, she thought as she righted herself and straightened up, she hadn't left them. They were all right here. "Yes. Swift River is done. We live South of here now - Oak Tree Bend is our pack and home now," she confirmed. "What are you doing here?" Not an accusation, but a genuinely curious question - Corinna had thought she had seen the last of Borlla when she had denied her reentry into Swift River. She hadn't realized that Borlla had remained in Relic Lore despite being turned away by family. Across the creek, the wind was not in Corinna's favor to easily smell the mix of pack wolves' scents that would no doubt have mingled with Borlla's own. Even if she had, her unfamiliarity with the area meant she had no knowledge of the other packs who had decided to make this part of Relic Lore their home as well.

Gone Tomorrow

Borlla's smile took Corinna by surprise, though she could not honestly say if it was in a negative or a positive way. The younger female's words echoed the same positiveness, helping to assure Cori that Borlla was being genuine. It was good, wasn't it? They had done quite well for themselves now that they were no longer tied to a broken land that was haunted by ghosts. Perhaps in her own way, Borlla could understand that - Swift River surely had held plenty of demons for her as well. Dipping her head in acknowledgement, she lifted it again as Borlla spoke up to answer the question that had been posed to her.

Magnolia Glen? Phineas? Both names were unfamiliar to her. A bemused expression crossed her face for a moment, and she closed her eyes as she attempted to concentrate. No, that had not been his name-the stranger who had come to Swift River with Borlla-she was fairly certain. But, Corinna couldn't remember what his name had been. "I can't say I've heard of it, this is the first time I've been outside our borders." Pausing, she registered what Borlla had said. "Your mate? Then perhaps you understand not being able to leave your own territory for a while." A knowing smile had twisted Cori's black lips upwards and she looked on. She was taking an assumption, but there was no real other reason for a mated pair to start a pack than to breed. "Maybe we have some common ground now, after all this time."

Gone Tomorrow

Borlla's bashful expression was all the confirmation that Corinna needed, and it made her chuckle. Who would have thought it? Or at least, who would have thought that the two of them would be able to have a civil conversation about anything, never mind motherhood. Borlla hadn't been quite a year old when she and Corinna had first met, and it was a reminder of just how long it had been to know that the young cream colored pup was now a mother and a leader in her own right. Taking a deep breath, Corinna took a step forward, her paw going back into the river. A few more, and she was fully within the stream, and a final few and she was out - a few yards from Borlla on the same side of the creek. The tension that had always surrounded their previous encounters was nonexistent today, and that had made her bolder.

Keeping the few yard distance between them, Corinna settled down to her haunches. Borlla had asked her a question, before the Oak Tree Bend wolf had crossed the dividing creek. There was no malice in the younger she-wolf's voice, but the mention of Marsh's name made Corinna looked downward, her shoulders hunching up as she "withdrew" into herself. Triell had told them what had happened, and though his death had happened months ago, it was still fresh in her mind. "Marsh is dead now." Looking up from her feet, she met Borlla's golden gaze and held it for a moment. "He and Triell were attacked by one of the sick wolves. Marsh killed her, but..." Her voice trailed off, leaving little question as to what had happened to the beloved Guardian. "Ice Aesir leads beside me now." Tilting her head a fraction to the side, the mottled gray female wondered if Borlla would know who that was. Had Ice been there the last time Borlla had come back to the River looking for refuge? It had been so long, she couldn't remember.

"What are their names? Your pups?" An abrupt switch of conversation, but Marsh's passing was still very much a raw topic. She could not blame Borlla for wanting to know, but this new found truce of theirs was potentially fragile enough to shatter at one wrong word or two. So better to avoid it, and besides, Corinna was genuinely curious about Borlla's offspring. In some sense, she was technically their aunt and her own cubs were their cousins.