She was not far misplaced from her home but the distance felt greater than she'd intended, her paw steps heavy on the green grass beneath her pads. The borders had been marked, she had been fed, and her children were well-preoccupied; opportunities to go exploring like this were few and far between. Ava had to seize the moment. Those in her charge were more than capable and she knew the itch needed to be scratched. Not used to the inkling feeling to turn back, turn back, the black-furred Leader had sprung away from Darkwater Rapids quite suddenly, trying very hard to appreciate the world beyond her borders.

It was not unusual for her to follow the river, finding that matching her pace to its flow was an easy way to relax, but this time she meandered far beyond the run-off from Secret Falls. The crash of white water grew duller and duller until it was very nearly silenced, and then she couldn't tell what was the hum of the river and what was the distance drumming of home. The spaces between the trees grew larger and red ferns began to sprout at her ankles as the water curved through the forest. Without the rapids violent current there was no mist to hide the foliage and Ava found the Vale was, despite its secrets and stark contrast to the Westlands, quite beautiful.

Pausing to contemplate the dark she-wolf noticed shapes beyond the ripples of the river's surface. A good number of a school of fish had congregated, perhaps in search of a food source though hell if Ava knew what fish ate. She'd always been of hunter's blood, unable to control her thirst at the sight of hares hopping or deer grazing in a clearing. Fishing, though, she'd never tried her hand at. But while she was here, finding it quite pleasant and in much better spirits than she'd been some several minutes ago, why not try her hand? Poising herself at the edge of the bank she narrowed her amber eyes, hoping to catch on to the pattern of their swim before launching an appropriate attack.

For a short while longer Ava was alone; or at least, she was not aware of anyone else. Some time during her staring contest with the fish beyond the surface another wolf had come close. It wasn't until the faint sound of water moving that she was alerted to another's presence, though the smell of wolf followed quickly after. Her dark ears flickered toward the source of the sound, delicately leaning away from the bank of the stream as she drew her head up once more. Understanding that she was on neutral grounds the black-furred female denied her first instinct, keeping her tail in a low rise rather than allowing it to curl over her back as came natural to leaders. Upstream a grey-brown wolf had entered the creek, seeming not to have noticed Ava.

The mottled she-wolf wore no allegiance Ava could discern, at least not any scents shared with Ataneq and Magnolia Glen, or Oak Tree Bend. If they'd any other neighbors in these parts she had yet to discover but the blackened she-wolf imagined she was safe to assume this one was a loner. She appeared to be busy with the same task Ava had been flirting with but unlike the Darkwater leader the other wolf seemed to understand what she was doing. Unwilling to scare away her prey she remained still as she had been, but she had to address the green-eyed wolf somehow lest she be startled. She could think of quite a few ways that could end up badly but it was unwise to be laughing at strangers now that she was a mature adult - or so she told herself.

Narrowly parting her jaws Ava huffed a low note, non-aggressive in tone and with just enough force that it might be noticed. Her hackles remained smooth, amber eyes looking near but not directly at the other she-wolf. Sensing no threat from the other and posing herself as anything but one herself, Ava would simply observe the situation at hand. Perhaps she could learn something today.