i cut my teeth on wedding rings

@Ryka!

She was not far misplaced from her home but the distance felt greater than she'd intended, her paw steps heavy on the green grass beneath her pads. The borders had been marked, she had been fed, and her children were well-preoccupied; opportunities to go exploring like this were few and far between. Ava had to seize the moment. Those in her charge were more than capable and she knew the itch needed to be scratched. Not used to the inkling feeling to turn back, turn back, the black-furred Leader had sprung away from Darkwater Rapids quite suddenly, trying very hard to appreciate the world beyond her borders.

It was not unusual for her to follow the river, finding that matching her pace to its flow was an easy way to relax, but this time she meandered far beyond the run-off from Secret Falls. The crash of white water grew duller and duller until it was very nearly silenced, and then she couldn't tell what was the hum of the river and what was the distance drumming of home. The spaces between the trees grew larger and red ferns began to sprout at her ankles as the water curved through the forest. Without the rapids violent current there was no mist to hide the foliage and Ava found the Vale was, despite its secrets and stark contrast to the Westlands, quite beautiful.

Pausing to contemplate the dark she-wolf noticed shapes beyond the ripples of the river's surface. A good number of a school of fish had congregated, perhaps in search of a food source though hell if Ava knew what fish ate. She'd always been of hunter's blood, unable to control her thirst at the sight of hares hopping or deer grazing in a clearing. Fishing, though, she'd never tried her hand at. But while she was here, finding it quite pleasant and in much better spirits than she'd been some several minutes ago, why not try her hand? Poising herself at the edge of the bank she narrowed her amber eyes, hoping to catch on to the pattern of their swim before launching an appropriate attack.

(This post was last modified: Aug 11, 2013, 06:28 PM by Ava.)

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(OOC: Please excuse the mediocre quality of this post.)

During the weeks since her arrival in Relic Lore, Ryka had moved from west to east. She had met a few other wolves, but none that she was sure she'd ever run into again. There was still no sign of her brother of course, and she hadn't extended her knowledge on what the packs were like around here. No doubt, they were there, and many to choose from but her solitary existence continued. Times were changing, she knew. In another month, fall would arrive. Prey would grow harder to find, which meant wolves had to stock up on reserves and take advantage of the plentiful season while they could. Winter was no time to be caught living alone, and Ryka knew that she would have to find a pack before then. It wasn't exactly easy, and it made for a lonesome way of life.

Today, she found herself in a dense forest, the sunlight made minimal by the canopy of the trees. For this, she was thankful, for she didn't feel much like putting up with the heat. As she walked, exploring curiously, she was mindful to stay well away from the border of an unknown packs territory. Slowly, she meandered through the forest, while keeping an eye out for signs of any other wolves. The pangs in her stomach were becoming stronger and stronger, and she could use a good snack. Surviving on mostly hares wasn't gonna cut it for much longer. Perhaps she'd get lucky and stumble across a carcass of some large animal, or even better, one that was fully intact. Curiosity took hold, and she lowered her slender muzzle to the grass, sniffing for any signs of prey, or any others who had passed through this area. What she found was not prey, but the lingering scent of a wolf having recently trekked through here. How close they were, or if they were even still around, she couldn't be sure.

As she ventured further and further, soon the welcoming rush of water reached her ears. Listening intently in the direction of the creek, she turned and began to head towards it's source. Where there was water, there was often fish. If she could catch one or two of them, her hunger would be at bay for at least another day. Emerging from the shrubbery, the river came into view. Here the ground was more open, and the sunlight shone down freely, glinting brightly upon the water. Stepping carefully towards the bank, emerald eyes peered down into the depths of the water, searching for any signs of life. No fish were within the shallows, but perhaps they were towards the center. One leg after another, Ryka slid in, allowing the water level to reach her belly. Another wolf nearby, the one she had scented earlier, went unnoticed. Her back was turned towards the black female, who was a little ways downstream from the form of Ryka. Feeling the rise of a rock below her pads, she used this as crude perch while she scanned the silty depths for any signs of fish, quiet not to disturb them.

For a short while longer Ava was alone; or at least, she was not aware of anyone else. Some time during her staring contest with the fish beyond the surface another wolf had come close. It wasn't until the faint sound of water moving that she was alerted to another's presence, though the smell of wolf followed quickly after. Her dark ears flickered toward the source of the sound, delicately leaning away from the bank of the stream as she drew her head up once more. Understanding that she was on neutral grounds the black-furred female denied her first instinct, keeping her tail in a low rise rather than allowing it to curl over her back as came natural to leaders. Upstream a grey-brown wolf had entered the creek, seeming not to have noticed Ava.

The mottled she-wolf wore no allegiance Ava could discern, at least not any scents shared with Ataneq and Magnolia Glen, or Oak Tree Bend. If they'd any other neighbors in these parts she had yet to discover but the blackened she-wolf imagined she was safe to assume this one was a loner. She appeared to be busy with the same task Ava had been flirting with but unlike the Darkwater leader the other wolf seemed to understand what she was doing. Unwilling to scare away her prey she remained still as she had been, but she had to address the green-eyed wolf somehow lest she be startled. She could think of quite a few ways that could end up badly but it was unwise to be laughing at strangers now that she was a mature adult - or so she told herself.

Narrowly parting her jaws Ava huffed a low note, non-aggressive in tone and with just enough force that it might be noticed. Her hackles remained smooth, amber eyes looking near but not directly at the other she-wolf. Sensing no threat from the other and posing herself as anything but one herself, Ava would simply observe the situation at hand. Perhaps she could learn something today.

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