Riddle Heights It sounded like lunch...

The explanation poured from Anne. It was thorough and heartfelt, and yet Iopah could not accept it as truth. Iopah felt a surge of anger at the joke she was being told. She stared for a minute, taking in her unkempt appearance and desperation of her expression. Anne had nothing to gain by lying and she did not appear crazy.

Iopah blinked. Shock washed over her. How could this be? She didn't know whether to continue advancing or turn and run. She shivered with the knowledge that her own coat would smell faintly of human as well. It would be a cruel reminder of her family. Perhaps she could find a skunk to antagonize later. She snorted and backed up a few paces.

"Because they came after my family! I lost everything because of them." She replied angrily, her teeth flashing sharply as she spoke. "Don't you dare tell me I don't know anything about them." She paced roughly, occasionally stopping to lick a patch of fur. She stunk.

"I would rather face the worst of your so-called 'wild wolves' than any human." Wolves she understood, they always had a motive. Humans were irrational and dangerous. Leaving unguarded meat in the woods with an acrid poison for them. Returning only to leave more poisoned meat while the victims rotted in the woods.

She stopped to look at Anne. "Your alpha abandoned you. They don't deserve your respect, let alone mine." She looked Anne up and down. "They didn't teach you to survive, how to find food. They have killed you just the same as they killed my sister." If Anne wanted to try to defend them she might as well know what they were guilty of.

Ears lowering as Iopah spoke Anne lost her will to fight once more. This female seemed to know about humans too. However her experience was a bad one. The she wolf defended her story with the same truthfulness that Anne had previously. Human.. killed her family? Closing her eyes and calming herself Anne thought quietly about the other womans words.

The female at least had backed a few paces away and just that movement helped Terra to feel a little better. Maybe the other lady was calming down too?

Then Iopah spoke about how Anne's human pack mates should not have her respect. Flattening her ears again unhappy with that thought Terra opened her eyes to see a more calm female watching her. As much as she couldn't believe the womans words Terra Anne knew they were true. They HAD left her all alone out here. As much as the young she wolf denied it she knew that they had purposely driven her far away from home so she couldn't find her way back. However she could not find fault in the humans for not teaching her. They had taught her most of what she knew about plants and animals, they and her real mother had helped with that.

I just don't think they knew how to teach me anything else...like hunting..among other stuff.. she fessed up silently in her mind unable to really lay all of the blame of her circumstances upon her old human pack mates. However Anne did know that not all humans were nice like hers were. She had met a few other humans outside of her pack mates and family. Not all of them were nice to her and for some reason many were afraid of her. Though the girl couldn't tell why. She always viewed herself as a happy wagging tail animal who only wanted affection. However some people would view her as the huge pawed and clawed wolf with very large dangerous canines.

"You know.. Not all humans are bad...but.. " she paused trying to gather her words and thoughts. "you're right about how they left me here.. they shouldn't be my pack anymore.. But, I know that they loved me like one of their own. At least my humans did. The others.. They didn't like me and I didn't like them. Some humans are bad..mean.. or evil even.." She couldn't figure out how to word herself correctly. Anne was stuck between wanting to cry about losing her family and accepting that they had left; or defending them. She was far too loyal for her own good in this case. Though if the young wolf had a pack that loyalty would prove good.

"I'm sorry.." She spoke finally. "about your sister..." She looked at the ground allowing a tear to fall. Though the tear was not for the females sister, but for her bond with her human pack that was now breaking.

This sucks, my computers dying, it's the best I could do.
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The last of Iopahs anger was burning out of her system, leaving only confusion and a feeling of discontentment. She didn't understand how this could be, despite the wolf crouched in front of her. Didn't understand how this wolf could feel as she did towards human. Not all human are bad. Iopahs eyes flickered with something unreadable. Sorrow raged within her and she had to brace herself. Brace herself against what? She wasn't sure if she was preventing herself from collapsing or running again.

"You can feel however you want about them, but don't trust them." She snorted, "Trusting them is how you came to be in your situation." Her head tilted as she studied the girl. It was an almost imperceptible movement. She felt a tinge of concern. Now that they were on the same page the other wolf's situation was sinking in. Iopah thought she had nothing when she came to Relic Lore, but she had the ability to survive. She knew how to hunt, how to interact with other wolves, and when to turn tail and run. Anne had none of that. She watched as Anne let her head drop. She saw the tear fall to the chilled rocks under their feet. But who were the tears for? The humans leave so much misery in their wake. The tears could be for anyone. Iopahs sister was only one of many.

"What will you do now? There is no way for you to find your way back." Her query was simple, it was not meant to mock this other wolf.

Shaking her head Anne was unsure of how to answer the she wolf. The young wolf wasn't sure what she was going to do now. I.. I guess I'm never going to find my old pack again.... She tilted her head a little letting her tail droop a little more comfortable.

"I...I guess.. I have to find a new home, but where?" Looking up with concerned eyes Anne whimpered a little. How was she supposed to join a pack? How does a wolf even join a pack in the first place? What am I supposed to do? Sitting down the young wolf flicked her tail back and forth unable to figure out what she was to do next. Obviously find a pack and join. However much the thought of that repulsed her. She had to survive. Anne was very afraid of termination. Of death.

"Miss..what packs are there around here?" She cocked her head glancing at the she wolf quickly.

What a strange encounter this was turning out to be. Iopah watched as Anne drooped further. The mountain called to Iopah but she was reluctant to leave Anne. Even though she seemed to be more comfortable in Iopah's prescence, Anne still appeared to be disheartened. Iopah had left her pack. Had turned from them in their time of need, her lowest point. To leave Anne to her fate now seemed to Iopah too close to what she had done in the past. She liked to think that she was a better wolf, that she was worthy of trust again.

The indecision and confusion were evident in Anne. She asked about the local packs. Well, it was a start was Iopah's wry thought.

Iopah looked around. She was keenly aware of how little help she would be. She'd made it a point to avoid any packs. "To be honest, I don't know the packs around here. I haven't had a home in several months." Her smokey gray tail wrapped around her front feet self-conciously. An ear twitched as she remembered speaking with the pale wolf in the meadow. "But there is one in the mountains, I don't know where it is, just that it is there somewhere."

An opportunity dawned on her. They would be going in the same direction. Maybe they could walk together for a ways. The pragmatic part of her argued that it was an opportunity for trouble. She stood there, the offer on the tip of her tongue.
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I know Anne ends up in the mountains, if they travel together we can just have it fade to black.

Yep ^^

Anne wasn't so sure if she wanted to follow the female into the mountains. Or if she wanted to go there herself, but what else was she supposed to do? Certainly not stand there like a tree the whole time.

Though her mind said not to follow her body said otherwise. A tiny nod of her head accepted the she wolfs aloof offer, and soon they were both heading towards the mountains. Anne's mind said no and yet her paws said yes. They continued to carry her forwards towards the home of more savages. Terra could only hope that these wolves would be nicer than the scary she wolf in front of her.

Oh how wrong she would be......

And fade to black..