Whether she wished it or not, Narcissa had been absent from Willow Ridge for going on five days. It was natural for her to be out so long but it was only so that she could gather more information about ongoing changes in the Lore. From what she gathered, there was a pack just up the Mountain and ontop of that was a Lake where a pack resided—Poison Path, Elettra had called it. Narcissa had not been given a name or two to introduce herself to when the time came but she was decent at figuring it out along the way. That was, unless she saw fit to manipulate or perhaps allow them to perceive her in a different light. Some folks just didn’t see her personality as charming where she saw herself as incredibly flawless in physical and mentally expression.

With Elettra’s grace just a week prior she had set forth to venture from South Eden to North, then all the way back to Serpent’s Pass. After her visit here she would likely return home to the soothing voice of her Queen to further protect her status as third subordinate and first scout. Semananti might have been in the Ridge before now but the wood nymph was ready to defend her title as well as she could. She had wanted to challenge Skana for her place as second but Narcissa was waiting for the opportune moment where her abilities shined brightly over the elder. After all, there wasn’t much the older woman could do at her age was there?

With a glint in her eye she finally crossed near to where a few faded scents lay but none of them seemed strong enough to house a pack. With a narrowed brow she howled, requesting for company but after waiting a few minutes she received no howl nor an approaching body. Had they disappeared?

With a twisted expression she curved her neck to look further into the territory of the Lost Lake, enchanted by its mystery yet chained by her respect. She wished to push forward and to explore but how could she when she had little information as to where these strangers were? Due to her rather excessive desire to weasel herself out of situations and obtain anything and everything her Queen desired, the wood nymph pushed into the territory and began to scout. No scents lingered except wolves that likely only passed by briefly, which led her to believe that the ones here had long since vanished.

With her attention stiff she was surprised to her a noise just off to her right looking to her with a piercing gaze that led her to narrow her eyes in return. “Did you live here?” she asked, her tone strong and powerful as if she had every right to walk into a land (presumably his home) that had faint scent markings and not a single wolf had come until now. It seemed clear that he could possibly be a member of the pack that was here or just one of the many wolves that passed through.

The scent in which he carried was unfamiliar—mentally gnawing at her mentally as though punishing herself for lack of knowledge—but at this point, anything was unfamiliar to the green-eyed scout. This stranger in particular who thought it best to interrupt a woman on a mission for her pack.

Very briefly her attention wavers to her surroundings once more, finding that every inch of this place left her absolutely no answer. This male that had somehow found her on top of this very height had no idea where they were as he had never lived here. “I guess they must have moved on,” she said out loud to herself as she pondered what the options for this would be for Elettra. It would likely be unneeded information as she seemed perfectly content with leaving in the Ridge—for good reason—but it was one less pack to worry about when winter came. That was always a plus, right? Right.

Live here? Narcissa shook her head and chuckled, obviously disregarding the idea entirely for in the moment now she could imagine no other place she wanted to be than under Elettra’s rule. “No,” she answered point-blank, “I live to the west of here on the Ridge. I was told a pack had been here but I suppose they have moved on, meaning that this territory is free range.” Carefully and without missing a step she gracefully relocated herself to the water’s edge to take a sip to quench her thirst. The hike up here had been hell on her feet but she held strong, claws pressed firmly into the very ground for stability.

“What’s your name?” she asked as she pulled her head up from the lake with water dripping from the button of her chin. Salmon tongue caressing the outside from nose to chin in a counter clockwise fashion while apple-green eyes never strayed from the stranger.

With how things went along in her everyday life, she always hated to admit that she was growing bored. She especially did not wish to tell Elettra of this because the woman was the most important thing she had come across in a while. The woman held her interest and she felt drawn to her like a moth to a flame, but Narcissa could never truly touch which made the Queen all the more desirable. However, she knew her boundaries and even though she was not afraid of consequences, she refrained from her deepest desires. So, she would simply have to make due with the boredom for now until another rise of chaos was born.

If she had realized that the man who Elettra who slaughtered mercilessly had led a pack to the south named Pitch Pine Trail, her reaction to the male would have been entirely different. As it were, she simply nodded as he introduced himself seeing as the pack was completely foreign to her and likely to Elettra herself. “It’s nice to meet you Aeolus,” she finally managed to speak through thinking of her own misfortune of only being able to scout the Lore but never venturing elsewhere. For now, her daughter who had long since disappeared would have to be the long-range wanderer for the both of them.

“I go by the name of Narcissa,” she answered plainly but with tact. It was not the name given to her by birth but by the soul that she had grown into. The girl that she had been so long ago no longer existed, it was just Narcissa now.

The woman took her job seriously, though not for the reason that some might think. Narcissa just preferred her solitude more often than not and therefore cherished each and every moment she had. However, she did like company in the form of men (and occasionally women if she felt a solid attraction towards them) and therefore Aeolus was not entirely unwelcome. “You must be very content in your pack,” she said to fill in the moment of silence that had long since drawn out between them. Surely he had some other words that he wished to say to her… or had she rendered him speechless?

A smile graced his lips as she contemplated the idea of chaos, of change, mild flirtation… perhaps. It would either draw him or chase him away, but she was interested nonetheless. “I have never been to your Trail…” she cooed, sweeping her tail back and forth with admirable sudden interest in him and his life. It was surely a strange reaction for her considering how aloof she tended to be but she was so far from the Ridge and with much time to spare so why not enjoy herself while she had the time? It wasn’t as though anyone was looking for her or needed her—all that mattered back there was Elettra and this was her given duty. Search for loners, look for clues and scout for trouble… and she always found trouble no matter where she ended up going.