Sex: FemaleTo her this was neither fun, nor enjoyment on her part. So when she had her chance she ran and she ran until she literally couldn't run anymore. Nearly collapsing onto the ground just outside the red fern forest, those blue eyes searching for an escape route and anyway out. However, it was not to come; she had passed out from exhaustion upon slipping into the woods for a good two days. Now however, she had finally awoken and the smells around her were inticing with hunger nawing at her belly. Those white ears perked upwards to listen intently for any sounds that might indicate and easy lunch. Her movements stealthy and quite as she walked, white fur standing brilliantly against the budding red leaves and brush giving her an almost etheral ghost like appearance as she moved..
Where others may have been able to see life reemerging from the forest around her the tawny woman saw only death and despair - lost hope for children both dead and missing. Somewhere on this side of the mountain was her son, although whether he was still alive or merely a tattered scrap of fur and bone like the other she had seen, she could not know. She had a long walk home yet, only lengthened by the constant stops and looks over her shoulder in the general direction from which her advisor had moved on without her, hoping to see some movement, a flash of gold between the trees - @Mapplethorpe hurrying after her with @Datura in tow, perhaps he had been just out of sight after all? But after long moments of staring to no avail she would continue on until the next rustle of the underbrush lifted her heart, only to dash it against the sodden snow patched earth again, and again.
Ahead, there was a movement, a flash of white amongst the dreary browns and faded reds of the perished ferns. Her hackles itched and stood on end as a low growl of warning was issued forth. Show yourself! it commanded in words unspoken as golden eyes stared daggers in the direction from which the flash had come. The scent was decidedly wolf and her tail arched over her back in preparation. While the scent was not one of those she had crossed on the mountain, it was foreign all the same, and she had seen nor scented any other since her son’s disappearance. Perhaps the flash of white was one of his kidnappers? Perhaps - if not, they had seen her son, and might offer her some hope, or closure at last.
![[Image: chase.gif]](http://u.cubeupload.com/becuffin/chase.gif)
![[Image: naira_by_becuffin-dawj8rp.png]](http://orig15.deviantart.net/3a83/f/2017/023/4/a/naira_by_becuffin-dawj8rp.png)
It was just then that she heard the sound, it was a low growl yet demanding. Those ears flicking up suddenly as her body went ridgid. Her mind literally snapping away from the hunger and the prey that sat in view of her. However, unfortunately or perhaps fortunately she didn't know which, the animal made it's escape. In many ways she couldn't blame the animal for running, it wasn't like they were stupid after all; otherwise they wouldn't have made it this long. The tone of the growl was obviously feminine, which in her mind made her relax. She knew the pack wouldn't send out a female to hunt her down, after all it was frowned on for women to fight anyway. HOWEVER, it was ok if they fought amongst themselves. Those ears flicking slightly as she tipped her head as if listening closely.
Her posture becoming ridgid as she slowly sniffed the air and pushed herself upwards to stand as she made her way into full view. She was obviously smaller than the femme who stood infront of her, and she reeked of a higher position, which made the femme shake her head slightly before lowering her posture enough to seem submissive, but not enough to be outright cowardly. After all she was exhausted not completely pathetic.
text. "speech"
The pale beast moved forward and folded before her display. Her lips relaxed, sheathing dagger like teeth as she took a moment to really consider the scent of the wolf in front of her. She smelled only of herself, old fear, and nothing like the earthy scent of rotting ferns and dirty snow that was this place. Her tail remained high and her hackles rose like angry spikes over her shoulders and down her spine. Her eyes still burned holes in the wolf before her but the growl was quelled in her chest. Her hopes that this girl might know of her son’s whereabouts were dropping, but she wouldn’t know unless she found the words to ask.
The distance between them remained open, plenty of room should either decide to flee. She shifted her paws to a more comfortable stance and the more she breathed in, the less hostile she became. Hackles, though slow to settle - came to lay flat against her back, and her ears settled more neutrally atop her skull. The banner behind that was her tail was the last to lower, coming to sit more level with her spine as she allowed the silence to stretch between them, tension fleeing the air as she sized the smaller woman up - still searching for the right thing to say without giving too much away. Finally, smoothly across the distance her voice - slightly strung out with the tension that had built up since the disappearance of her son. “Have you seen a boy by chance? Near a yearling, golden fur and eyes - You would know him if you had...”
Listening intently she waited for an ambush, her nerves standing on end. However, it was not like the females hackles being raised, but skittish and easily ready to run at any moment. She knew that her former pack would have never sent out a female for her return, but that didn't mean she couldn't have been used as a decoy and it was making her even more nervous with the way the other was using the wind to their advantage. She didn't know if there was men hanging around and waiting for their time to strike and drag her away howling and fighting or not. Those eyes darting around nervously as she listened to the womans question. She tried her best to remember anything that she might have remembered since her arrival. Of course when she tried to think she cringed; her mind was still exhausted to an extent and it made her head hurt when she tried to remember much.
Those snow white ears flicking slowly as she shook her head gently before speaking. Her voice soft and timid as she let the words flow off her tongue, with a thick canadian accent upon her voice "I am sorry, but I have not seen another other than yourself ma'am.
text. "speech"
The quavering voice finally travelled to her ears across the distance between them, her whole body tensed at first but when it became clear the girl had not seen her son her shoulders slumped a little, her lips still drawn tight over her lips in distress. She tried to keep her breathing even at least, but she knew that wouldn’t change the scent that was rolling off her pelt in waves. When she looked at the girl again, she took the time to really look. She was on the slim side (no more than any other loner, in fact she was probably in better shape, perhaps a newer disperser). But still she smelled of fear.
“Where are you from? Why are you scared?” She questioned, drawing attention away from the fact that she herself was radiating a similar scent. The girl could be useful if it was fear of pursuit that had her so flighty, but if it was simply for the fact that the girl was alone, she would have little use for her. Her home was hidden, one of the harder packs to find, and the young in her belly squirmed to remind her that soon she would need others to help her care for them. Some females would produce their own milk to help feed the pack pups. It was a skill the males lacked, and a shortage of females she found herself with.
It was when the questions began that she tried to think, she didn't want to tell the stranger everything. She still couldn't be sure if the femme was a decoy, and the whole have you seen my son thing a ploy to draw out her sympathy. Yet, she couldn't be sure if it was a ploy it was a really good one, with the way the smell that radiated from the woman seemed to scream into her nose and make her cringe a little. It was obvious the woman was upset, and upon closer inspection one could tell she was heavy with young. Those eyes darting to the woman as she tipped her head and spoke slowly. The words careful, and trying to be as of little revealing in nature as possible. "I fled....I fled my home pack...they can be anywhere..."
text. "speech"
I fled... The more she listened the calmer she grew, for stress was not good for the lives that grew within her. She gave the girl another sweep of her eyes, she seemed of a suitable age to disperse given her own pack’s preference for wolves to remain until they were at least two, if not three before determining them ready to leave at will, but she also knew other packs were not so flexible. It sounded as though the girl feared being pursued, and having lived with the feeling for several months herself she could sympathise.
“Is it another pack you seek? Somewhere safe?” She questioned more gently than previously, the girl was clearly terrified and it would do her no good to terrify her further. “My pack is fairly secluded, and well protected, if it is safety you seek.” she offered, feeling the tension slip from her body as she focused on the task at hand. @Asta could use some female company with the absence of @Sagacity and with her own children on the way, she would not pass up an opportunity to take this girl under her protection for the services she could offer in return.
A snap of a branch in the distance was quickly attributed to something far heavier than a wolf, but she tensed none the less. The sooner they were gone from this place, the happier she would be.