Perhaps it was a scout’s sixth sense that awoke the delicate agouty mistress. Her honey eyes flicked open as an odd feeling that she was not alone tingled down her spine. That was the one problem with this perch on an outcropping next to the waterfall: it was beautiful and provided an excellent view of the pack’s borderlands, but the sound of water crashing onto the smooth rocks just below her perch often lulled her to sleep. She stretched her forelegs out in front of her as far as the small outcropping allowed and yawned, feeling groggy from the unintentional nap. What an odd dream she’d had. It was like she was herself.. but something more. Something different. She had trouble putting a paw on the feeling, and the longer she was awake the more the dream slipped from her memory.

As she drifted slowly back to the present, the unmistakable scent of a Cave wolf --clay and a bit of marshy tang—met her nose. The tawny lady peered over the edge of her perch to glimpse the Cave wolf below, just as the woman leapt nimbly onto one of the river rocks for which her own pack had been named. Naia was overcome with an odd sense of déjà vu the moment she saw the stranger leap. An odd creature hopping up onto a smooth wooden structure... The images in her mind made no sense, and Naia shook her head forcefully as if to fling the confusing thoughts from her head.

”Hello,” she cheerfully called down to the Cave wolf, glad for the distraction. Though she didn’t know the formal name of the stranger’s pack, she was aware that the two families were on friendly terms. The wolf down below was built like a scout, and Naia wondered if the woman was carrying a message for her pack. ”What brings you to our neck of the woods, friend? Business or.. or pleasure?” For some inexplicable reason, as Naia spoke the word pleasure she felt an uncomfortable flutter in the pit of her stomach. There was something very familiar, but also strangely disconcerting, about this conversation. Naia was positive she had never met this wolf before, and yet for some reason simply speaking to her was giving her the oddest, anticipatory sort of feeling—it was like happiness mixed with a twinge of nervousness, which was quite uncharacteristic for Naia.

”Pleasure” the stranger answered, and at the repetition of the word Naia felt her stomach flutter once again. As she spoke there was a playful gleam in her azure eyes, and Naia met the woman’s smile with one of her own. The was a spark of recognition in her expression—she had seen this intriguing woman smile this way before, she just couldn’t place where. The stranger continued to leap from rock to rock over the churning water, drawing closer to Naia’s perch with every hop. Soon Naia had to stand and crane her neck over the edge of the outcropping to keep the nimble wolf in her sight. Now that she was closer, the woman introduced herself, confirming that she was indeed a Cave wolf—a Whisper Caverns wolf, to be more precise.

”Inali Wayha,” Naia repeated almost to herself, rolling the name over on her tongue like she was savoring it. The name too was familiar.. this was starting to get frustrating. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her honey eyes took on a mischievous glint of their own. Two could play at this game. ”I’m Naia Aegina, indeed from Cut Rock River.” Naia shook out her pelt before continuing; the already sleek fur had grown damp in the time she spent lingering at the edge of the waterfall. She hoped the gesture might make her next question seem offhand, though in truth Naia was dying figure out why this whole encounter felt so familiar. ”Do you visit this spot often, Miss Wayha? I can’t help but feel that I’ve seen you before somewhere.” Naia flicked her tail nervously, perhaps jeopardizing her carefully constructed impression of nonchalance. She watched with keen interest as the woman leaped again, and the graceful movement stirred that strange, giddy feeling within the pit of Naia's stomach once more.

Naia’s shoulders sank in disappointment at the answer. The emotion sprang from more than just unsatisfied curiosity… although they had only just met, the agouti lady had been hoping for the chance to see her new acquaintance here more often. Her honey gaze swept out over the view as Inali commented on it. Naia was glad for the excuse to turn away from the alluring woman, as she was still trying to conceal her struggle with the intense, baffling feelings. She had been raised in an untraditional birth pack that condoned... abnormal unions, but she was aware that in many places such behavior was considered the height of taboo. Knowing so little about the beliefs and traditions of Whisper Caverns, Naia felt the need to hide the emotional reaction that this conversation was triggering.

Naia’s ears jumped to high attention as her companion spoke the words, ”The feeling is mutual,” and she turned to the Whisper Caverns scout in disbelief. Could it be possible that she felt a connection as well? As she met the lady’s azure gaze, it was as if a jolt of electricity passed between them and shot down Naia’s spine. The woman was closer now. ”Not unless I need to access the Pass,” Naia’s voice felt faraway as she answered the question. The words they were exchanging seemed shallow now, and the River wolf felt disconnected from the spoken conversation as she let herself slip further into the unspoken feeling—the physical connection—that she felt with Inali Wayha.

There was only one leap left between the pair; the one up to Naia’s perch. The tawny woman didn’t even realize she was holding her breath until she expelled it in surprise at Inali’s bold jump. Petite as the two of them were, this was not a ledge built for two wolves. As her companion teetered on the edge of the overhang, Naia pressed her shoulder into Inali’s without even thinking about it, steadying the woman against the slide of the cliff. Nose resting mere inches above the woman’s shoulder blades, Naia breathed in, and her companion’s scent set her head spinning.

"Inali..” she whispered, still barely aware of the words coming out of her mouth, "Do you believe in...” Whatever she was about to say—fate.. destiny.. perhaps even love at first sight was lost as Naia’s footing slipped on the damp ledge. After a short fall she splashed into frothy water churning below the waterfall, disappearing below the surface. The temperature of the water was so shocking that it took her a moment to remember how to work her legs, and when she resurfaced she found herself in a dimly-lit little cavern. Realizing she must be in a space cut out behind the waterfall, Naia pulled herself out of the water and onto a small, rocky ledge. "Inali?” she called, knowing that it must have looked to the other wolf like she had never surfaced at all. "I’m down here! It’s.. amazing.” And it was, truly.. Looking out over the forest through a veil of falling water, Naia thought she had never seen anything so beautiful. Well, perhaps maybe that pair of crystal-blue, mischievously sparking eyes…

The blurred form of the Whisper Caverns scout moved behind the cascading waterfall moments before Inali found her way inside, leaping gracefully to the dry ledge on which Naia had taken refuge. In the drenched female’s shocked state of mind it was as if a blue-eyed angel had appeared, revisiting her from a forgotten dream. You can come closer, you know… A voice spoke in Naia’s mind as her newfound companion rushed to her side. It was Inali’s voice echoing in her mind, saying words that Naia knew she had not spoken aloud. I promise I won’t maul you.. too much. Naia laughed softly at the memory—or more like hallucination at this point, because that conversation hadn’t really taken place, right?— her laughter probably worrying the other scout all the more. She calmed as she felt Inali press into her side like a heating pad, enveloping her once more in that dizzying scent.

”I thought I had lost you,” The words her new friend had actually spoken moments before registered, and the soaked-to-the-bone lady met Inali’s azure gaze with a small smile. ”In s-stead, you f-found me.” The simple reply held a hint of deeper meaning for Naia. She leaned against the other woman, only just now realizing how much she was shaking from hearing the trembling in her own voice. They stood that way for a few moments in blissful, quiet coexistence before the idea struck Naia that the two of them should probably move into the sunlight. Her logic was still a little sluggish from the cold shock and the proximity of such an intoxicating wolf. She hesitated to make the suggestion aloud though, reluctant to move away from her companion’s embrace. It’s just better if we stick to the shadows…

Her companion finally spoke, voicing the logic that Naia had been trying to ignore in her own thoughts. She clung to the moment they had shared for a final instant before she felt Inali’s muzzle gently nudging her side, urging her toward the sunlight at the mouth of the cave. The scout’s warm breath sent a shiver down Naia’s spine that had nothing to do with being cold and wet. The Timber lady let herself be guided by her newfound friend, mulling over how she was going to express her feelings to the woman. She was certain that they both felt the very obvious connection, but such an unusual pairing was considered taboo in many circles. Even if Inali felt the same urge, it was entirely possible she would deny herself up and down to avoid the stigma.

They settled in a spot where sunlight was streaming in by the mouth of the cave, glittering off of the falling sheet of water. They were so close to the waterfall that If Naia had desired, she could have reached a paw out to interrupt the flow. She nearly did, but as she was about to lift a paw she noticed her reflection gazing back at her and froze in fascination. It was not often that she saw an image of herself with her own eyes. Oddly, her reflection was posed next to a near-body double, which whined at her softly. Hearing the whine come from Inali at her left, she looked at her companion in surprise. ”You c-could be my t-twin, Inali,” she said, honey eyes sparkling in awe. She lay down in the sun as her friend had asked, her shivering subsiding somewhat as her belly rested on the sun-heated rock. ”You’re not from The Republic, are you?” Naia racked her memory for any instant where she may have come across Inali in her birthpack. Was it possible that was the reason why the Whisper Caverns lady was so familiar? There had just been so many wolves in her birthpack, and Naia had maintained very little interaction with many of them due to her position. Was it possible..?