Riddle Heights It sounded like lunch...

Hope this is fine, Iopah hasn't seen Terra yet.

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Early evening.
51-degrees. Breezy

Gradually, over the course of an hour, the ground beneath Iopah's feet and shifted from soft, rich loam to a sandy gravel. Iopah relished the change. She was seeking out the mountain range that was just beginning to rise before her. A stiff breeze blew into her face. The season was changing. The breeze carried with it the scent of scrub pine and rock dust. Iopah knew the water itself would taste different as well, tainted with minerals absorbed from the rocks it coursed over.

Iopah had spent the past year as a nomad, travelling through whatever terrain was due north of her. The tawny wolf was raised on mountains not unlike these. Those naive, peaceful months were cherished. As she continued, Iopah thought of the silver wolf's words. If she had found family here, then, perhaps Iopah could too.

She was drawn to the mountains, treacherous as they may be. There was solitude in the marsh and beauty in Fireweed Rise. Although those once radiant flowers were already starting to brown and drop. No, Iopah was most comfortable in the rocky peaks and steep terrain. She would need to readjust to the change in altitude, but that thought was barely worth a moments pause.

Finally she reached a boulder that stood two wolves high. As she examined it, her gray tipped tail wagged loosely, tracing an irregular circle in the air behind her.

She was already looking upwards, plotting her course, when she heard it. Her head tilted, as she listened closer. Less than a quarter mile away something was moving. From the noise it was making it was large, and injured maybe. Perhaps a mountain goat had broken it's leg of the shifting rock? Iopah's stomach rumbled an answer and she turned it it's direction. No use starting her journey on an empty stomach. As she neared the stand of pines the sound stopped. Iopah paused, uncertain. What is it? Did it hear me?

The scent of wolf hit her suddenly. What the... Baffled, Iopah pressed forward. It was curiosity more than hunger that urged her on. Hello? Is someone there?

(This post was last modified: Dec 27, 2012, 03:37 AM by Iopah.)

All the young wolf had seen for plant life on this wretched mountain was a variety of mosses, lichens, a few patches of fox tail grass, and some prickly bushes the girl had no name for.

"Honestly, why did I even come up here?" She growled at herself then continued climbing the misty rocks. A cool wind blew from the east making Terra wish she was warm in front of a fire. Of course there were no fires here. Unless you count fires started by lightning strikes. Anne shook her head ridding herself of the thought. She would not want to be laying in front of that type of fire. The outside world was full of uncontrolled dangers like fires, flooding, avalanches, and tornadoes. It was much safer to be in my stone house with the humans.

Terra Anne hadn't heard, scented, or seen the other she wolf until she practically ran into after taking a sharp corner around a boulder. Leaping backwards and tripping over the loose stones Anne howled in fright and hid behind the boulder again.

"Oh gods its a wild wolf.. a WILD wolf.. Help me Help me.. I gotto run somehow before it eats me!" She spoke quickly to herself while hyperventilating. She told herself to run but her paws stood almost attached to the stone beneath them. She was so scared she couldn't move. Only whimpers came from her muzzle.

(This post was last modified: Nov 17, 2012, 06:51 PM by Anne.)

One thing I forgot to ask, does Anne have any human scent on her anymore? If not I can edit that bit out, if so Io will certainly "clue in" later.
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As the coppery-brown wolf rounded the boulder, and saw Iopah standing there, everything seemed to happen at once. The wolf spun on her heels, slipping on the loose rocks and howling in terror. She disappeared behind the boulder once more. Iopah expected to hear rapid footsteps as she raced away, but the wolf had stopped. Iopah stood, puzzled, for a moment before carefully padding around the rock after her. She felt bad for having scared her. Though she wasn't sure how she had managed to.

As she slowly approached she heard panicked muttering. Help me... before it eats me. She stopped cold, her fur raising in shared fright. She thought another wolf was going to eat her? Iopah thought of the wolf Hollow had met, the one that had attacked him. Maybe it had some this far? Iopah inhaled deeply, searching for scent of another wolf. None but the two females. It brought something else, though. Something from long ago. The memory was too murky to recall clearly. It danced just out of reach, whispering something Iopah could not hear. She pushed it away.

Iopah stopped just within sight of Anne. She needed to at least make sure she wasn't injured. She hesitated, debating silently. Smelling the fear coming from Anne in waves, she dropped to her belly, her tail wagging furiously behind her. She gave a high-pitched whine, it was the same sound a pup would make. It meant, I am helpless, I am harmless. It was an instinctive sound, learned by all wolves in their infancy.

Iopah laid like this for a couple minutes, watching Anne, her tail wagging. Finally she ventured to speak. "I'm not going to hurt you. I didn't mean to scare you. Did someone attack you?" Iopah's golden eyes watched Anne. What had happened to her to make her react like this?

(This post was last modified: Jan 01, 2013, 06:59 PM by Iopah.)

Since she's just coming from the drop off point where she was released. I would say yes she does still have human scent on her. Sorry tiny post..

Anne flinched hearing the creatures words. It was telling her that she wouldn't hurt her. Asking if someone else attacked her..

"N..Noo..but..wolves attack others whenever they get the chance. They only like family.. I'm not anyones family!" she yelped trying to continue squeezing herself into a little space between the rocks. She could easily protect her head if the rest of her body was safe squeezed in between the boulders.

"Canis lupis stay away from me! " She barked in a high pitched voice not trusting the small womans words. Terra was trying to figure out a way to get around the female so she could run away down the mountain. But Anne couldn't see past the rocks to her right, and she was too scared to run.

Iopah watched as the young wolf's fear only seemed to escalate. Despite laying on the cold stone, Anne continued to yelp and try to wedge herself further in the crevice at Iopah's very presence. Her skin prickled with unease. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. This wolf was making no sense, Iopah had never caused this reaction before. Nothing in her features screamed danger. This other wolf was even the same size.

She slowly stood up, easing herself onto her feet. "Here, I'll back up if I'm too close." With that she shifted backwards. After a couple steps she causally sat down. With this opening maybe she would make a break for it? "Why would I attack you? You could hurt me as easily as I could hurt you. And I'd much rather eat something that won't bite back." What had she gone through to make her scared of every little thing? Her subconscious whispered to her. Can't you smell it on her? Can't you smell them on her? But, no, Iopah couldn't. Not yet.

They only like family. Iopah puzzle over the wording. She felt pity for this frightened female, but Iopah was beginning to lose patience. If this wolf didn't want her around, Iopah had other things to do. "I don't have any family either. So... I guess we're in the same position."

Iopah stared in confusion. Didn't she know she was a wolf? What was wrong with her?

(This post was last modified: Jan 01, 2013, 07:02 PM by Iopah.)

Anne stayed rock still in her hard place between the two boulders. She watched silently as the other female backed up then sat down giving Anne the space she needed to run, but instead Anne watched and listened.

The female wolf spoke in a confused manner. Like she couldn't understand why Terra was afraid of her. The woman even went so far as to say that Anne could possibly injure her. Like that would ever happen...I don't like to hurt others like wild wolves do. She thought while sitting unmoving in the crevice.

The stranger wolf spoke about also not having a family. Narrowing her brown eyes Terra tried not to feel pity for the she wolf. However the feeling inched its way into her heart because Anne too knew what it felt like to not have family.

"I...I had family once..but.. they weren't...they walked funny, and their front paws were shaped wierd.." Anne snorted denying the fact that right NOW she had no family. She had been dumped here by that strange up walking family and left on her own. Just thinking about their betrayal to her made the young wolf whimper.

"I want to be with them.. In the warm sun lit den sitting next to the fire. I want my family back.." Closing her eyes Terra remembered the two black haired tawny colored humans who had first taken care of her and her siblings. She wanted so much to be back with them snuggling into the females fake fur.

Iopah allowed herself a faint smile as Anne seemed to gain some trust in her. The gray pelted female still felt guilty to having sent her into a panic. She listened attentively to Anne. Mindful not to startle her again, Iopah remained sitting.

Anne described her family and Iopah tilted her head in confusion. Such deformity in an adult wolf was unheard of. A hunter, Iopah had a seen anomalies in newborn animals. It made them easy prey. But, how could such a wolf survive? Iopah found herself studying Anne's feet. Completely normal. Sore, likely unused to mountain traveling.

Fire. At first Iopah didn't catch the significance of the word. It was said so casually. Anne couldn't have had any idea was she was setting loose. Iopah blinked, her gaze hardening on Anne. She couldn't breath. There was thick silence as Iopah stared her muscles tensing. "Humans." She hissed accusingly. The word was followed by a deep growl.

She sprang to her feet and stretched herself to her full height. Fearful gold eyes scanned the mountainside for any trace of them. Finding nothing she snapped back to Anne. "Are you leading them here? Why did you come?" She advanced, trying to cut off any escape. "Don't think of running, if I ever catch you, you'll be sorry you did." Iopah did not know how Anne came to smell like a human. It didn't matter. Unless Anne could convince her otherwise, she represented an enemy.

(This post was last modified: Jan 01, 2013, 07:04 PM by Iopah.)

The wild wolf seemed happy to see Anne come out of herself and be less afraid. At least that's what the young wolf noticed at first after she had spoken about her family. However as Terra Anne watched the female mull over her words the rusty wolf became nervous again. The female wolf was confused first, then her confusion switched to anger.

Why is she angry with me? What did I do wrong?!? She shrunk back again as the wolf stood her full height growlng down at the thin young wolf. What is she talking about? Why is she so scared of humans? Anne cringed as Iopah stared at her asking a boat load of questions.

Wetting herself before speaking Anne looked up at the female with tears in her eyes.

"They dropped me off and left me here! I didn't tell them to bring me to this god awful stupid cold savage place! I don't know why they left me..." She began crying unable to stand and flee like her body wanted to. All she wanted was a home. Not some savage wolf snarling at her.

Why did they leave me?...

The strange wolf certainly had no trouble interpreting Iopah's current body language. Anne's reaction did little to appease Iopah's temper. She continued to stand tall, ears angled forward challenging. When the stench of urine drifted to her did she stop advancing, sure now that the wolf had no will with which to run with. She listened accusingly while Anne spoke. Iopah was not normally an aggressive or overly dominant wolf, but the possibility of humans infiltrating her new home burned away the inhibition that normally held her in check. Had people never come into the Black Mountains Iopah would have stayed, serving under her parents, possibly taking their place by Kele's side as they aged. She wasn't sure what was going on now, but as luck would have it she had Anne to pull the answers from.

Iopah growled, she had the feeling something something was being left out of the story. "That doesn't make sense. They would have killed you." Nothing could make sense to the woman. She remember her sisters scream being drowned out by their thunder and the baying of those animals.

Her hackles rose and she straightened every limb, while letting her tail raise dominantly. She was trying to emulate her mother, every posture she could remember when she was young. For years Iopah had wondered how her diminutive mother could change into something so imposing and impressive as to be unrecognizable. Iopah was the spitting image of her mother. "Stop crying. Tell me what happened, from start to finish." She gazed expectantly at the broken wolf.

Anne looked up wide eyed at the stranger. Why was she so angry with her? Then the savage female spoke up about humans killing wolves. What?!

"No way!My pack wouldn't kill any wolf! My humans were kind! Unlike the rest of you wild wolves!" She growled from her low spot still trembling from fear. Even if she feared this wolf she still had to back her old pack. She couldn't let this female tarnish HER family.

Then the strange she wolf asked for Terra to explain herself. Anger swelled up in Anne. Why should she explain herself to tis savage!

"Why should I explain myself to you! You who disrespects my alphas?! You don't know anything about humans! " She stood up a bit, tail raising, ears held forward, head still held low ready to attack if the other she wolf came closer. Her fangs glittered as Terra parted her lips in a snarl.

"They raised me, and played with me... taught me how to behave in the pack. They fed me... And they loved me... THEY were my family... Why would you say that they would kill us? " She gave a little information about her pack mates only trying to defend theirnames and honor. It was fine if the strage savage tried hurting or insulting her, but she would not allow the wolf to say that about her family.