It was another cold, clear day; one lone, dark cloud trying its best to block out the sun, but blown along soon enough, too small to pose any real threat. Despite having vowed to be a good girl and stick close to the Bend from now on, Nalda couldn’t resist taking advantage of the fair conditions. She wasn’t really searching though, she was done with that! But there was no harm in going a little farther than usual, scout out a less-travelled area for a change, now was there?
She’d mostly been investigating the mountains on her frequent treks from Oak Tree Bend, drawn to the open air and the challenge of more difficult terrain. Besides, she knew the northern lands well enough already. It was a strange feeling, being in these parts again after so long - though she didn’t miss her days among the Pines, there was a strange sense of wistfulness in the back of her mind as she walked among the red ferns. But she shook it off with an irritated yawn, sniffing the large leaves for any unusual scents; prey or wolf. Nothing had caught her interest so far though; Not that many wolves passing around here… Neither familiar nore strangers.
There was a new pack formed up near the falls, she’d heard from her aunt, maybe she’d go give them a closer look. She felt fidgety, in need of some entertainment - something to keep her mind from returning to that same old groove. Just then, an odd smell did reach her nose: not animal, but a plant she hadn’t smelled before. That remaining hint of childhood curiosity relit, the dark wolf followed her snout, brows furrowing ever so slightly. While she didn’t concern herself with healing and medicinal properties, Nalda had a pretty good handle on the different types of trees and herbs growing in the Vale - some of them could be used when tracking down prey, knowing what plants they found particularly tasty. This strange, bitter-sweet one was completely new to her though, coming from a large clearing, where the land dipped into a small valley, around an outrunner from Cold Water Creek. Here, away from the dankness of the denser forest, stood an abundance of low, knobbly trees, bedecked with small, white-pink buds, despite the early season.
Word count: 387
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