Sex: FemalePaws were placed upon the ground tenderly as the she began to explore the new territory she had stumbled upon. The Spectral forest was an amazingly beautiful place, and some areas were breathtaking. Nakita was hopeful that one day the gorgeous woods around her could properly become her home and serve as a refuge to accommodate her. Sapphire eyes and perky ears open, she ventured further into the territory than she had ever been previously. Since arriving into the area two days prior, she had barely scratched the surface of what lie beyond the borders. Having been timid about doing much hunting since her arrival, she had only taken down two pieces of prey and was thankful that her delicate bodice did not require any more nourishment than feeding only once a day. Not much food was required to sustain her lithe form.
A problem had been run into, however. The damsel had not yet located a source of water and had been relying on a now dried up puddle a few yards from the den she had claimed. Her survival here would be dependent on a water source, and one would have to be discovered in the near future if her life was to be continued. A water source would not be heard, and the scent of one had not yet reached her nose. Following her instincts, as she walked along she sought out the scent trails of wolves and other animals and soon enough, the faint scent of water was within her reach. And the strong scent of other wolves was also prevalent in the air. It was apparent that others of her kind were all gathered somewhere near, or more likely there was a gathering place or home for a pack somewhere nearby. The water was not yet in sight, so she hoped that the water was a river and continued onward in a direction. She chose to move to the left and keep her right eye towards the overwhelming scent of the other wolves so that she had a better chance of spotting them. Her left eye did not have the best vision and she wanted to see anyone that approached her before they saw her, though that was an unlikely thing to happen. Caution was always exercised when she was venturing out. It was not that she was afraid, she just wanted to make sure that if there was someone hostile heading her way, that she could avoid conflict.
Zera knew the creek was the only place cold enough to numb her. The white water lashed, unquiet, slapping itself against the rocks - sliding back into the inescapable froth. That was how she felt: an escaping drop one second, sent furling over the rapid sloe of unknown depth, to ricochet gravity and propel back downward. If there was such a way to escape isolation and shame, she knew nothing of it. Ever since her mother returned and the weight of her pregnancy set in, Zera felt suddenly forgotten. It was like she'd been a leaf shed from a dying tree. Replaced one by one, over and over. She wondered if her parents would do the same with these new additions, if they'd all travel the same road to the same ambiguous shame. The young Tainn was reluctant to return to the Bend, and knew that the creek was the only place where she could see her own face in the swirling reflection. She sat there for a while, took a thin sheen of mist on the ends of her silvered summer coat, and watched her eyes blare into the water.
It was like licking an old wound, feeling the old pain sting up to the surface as though the skin was newly slashed. She wanted to cry, drip into that fragile reflection that looked grown and able, but somehow mentally pent by an unbearable weight. Is this what it feels like to be replaced?
She took a breath for a sigh, and with it came the unwelcome scent of an unfamiliar wolf. It was a female, which made Zera relax enough to stay put at the waterside. If she was just passing through, the young Tainn wouldn't bother to intersect her on her way. She rolled her eyes away from the rapids, just in time to catch a glimpse of her white figure moving through the left bank across the creek. Zera knew now she had to intervene. The white wolf was far too close to the pack's borders, and already a threat enough since she was in plain sight.
The dark child pushed herself onto her feet and started down the bank, nearing a narrow slip in the water. She lept across in three swift strides and met the female face-to-face, giving her damp tail a kind wag to show she didn't mean any trouble. "Hello," she greeted fondly, taking note of the woman's crystal blue eyes, "I am Zera Tainn, princess of Oak Tree Bend. It appears that you've come quite close to our pack borders." She sat regally after pronouncing herself, thinking of how Darrah so proudly (arrogantly) proclaims his role as prince in comparison to her as rightful princess. The pomp and majesty of familial ranking was bullshit to Zera. She was capable of just as much, if not more power than him - woman or not.
"If you're lost or seeking assistance, I'd be glad to help."
Shinyuu crossed the water; noticing two wolves but ignoring them; the smell of the deer was calling her. She barely stopped to confirm that those two are not after her meal and moved on; noticing the animal carcass. The deer was dead and someone got its meal already; but there still was plenty for tired wolf and she was confident in securing it. Other two wolves were a bit of a problem though; and she returned her gaze to them; baring her fangs a bit in a quiet growl; her bold stance reassuring them on her plans. After all; they didn't look like they were here looking for this particular deer and they didn't look like pack wolves either. "They can solve their problems and I will finally have my snack" thought Shinyuu and sank her jaws into the deer; eating hasty and keeping the eye on the wolves. She turned a bit so that she could keep an eye on both females and still eat comfortably.
She slowed down as she was getting satiated; her mood improving with every minute. Good food and nice place; the sound of water and stillness in the air. Would be perfect if not those two; but as her hunger faded; her curiosity intensified. Shinyuu raised her head and looked straight at the wolves; making them aware that they got her full attention now.
Naktia had taken note a while earlier of the slowly strengthening scent that marked the borders of a pack's territory. The lone she knew that approaching pack's border was not a good idea nor an ideal situation for her to put herself into, but something inside told her not to stop. Maybe it was the fact that despite not wanting to come to terms with the fact that she actually missed having contact with others, somehow she was beginning to gradually let the loneliness set in and head toward a place where she knew would be others of her kind. And, just before the border, had she just decided to turn around and move farther back down the steam when she detected the strong scent of another woman, who was approaching her from within the borders of the territory. There was not reason why she continued to walk in the direction of the borders, or did not turn around and try to look less guilty about coming within an inch of trespassing. She just didn't. The thing that ultimately stopped her was the intervention of the younger she, who now stood directly before her. Nakita noticed the slight wag of the other's tail and visibly relaxed when she realized that the other meant no trouble.
"Hello Zera, I am simply called Nakita." She found herself lowering her dome to the princess, and offering a slight wag of her own tail to show that she, too, meant no trouble. "I am no longer lost, I just was seeking a drink and sought a water source. It seems as if I have found one." Leaving a moment for that to sink in to the other, she spoke once more, her voice remaining gentle and of a very quiet tone. "I apologize for approaching your pack's borders so closely; I mean no harm." Another wolf's scent became apparent to her, but the other seemed a distance away and seemed to be in the direction of the deer carcass. Nakita had not been planning on scavenging and taking another creature's kill. There was nothing wrong with doing that, but it was not something that the she liked to do. She preferred her own kills and enjoyed eating everything fresh, while the blood was still warm. The other scent betrayed no more information other than the fact that the other wolf was a female like herself; the scent of the pack that the princess belonged to did not cling to the newcomer's scent.
The white almost-trespasser seemed shy enough, obviously meaning no harm to the pack or Zera. Probably just as lost as she could be from time to time in this enormous expanse of dense umbra. From her softened blue eyes to the gentle wag she returned, the young Tainn summed her up as just a lovesick traveler like all the rest of them that came traipsing past, looking for the slightest whiff of acceptance. She couldn't imagine what it would be like without her family, or the bend. She often wondered what it would be like without Darrah sulking around. It was easy enough to imagine Nayeli absent - it was the dark child's worst nightmare.
If she glanced back on those moments, it would picket her defense, send her immediately back to the coldest hell of desperation and despair. It was why she still kept loner scents like Nakita's on the forefront of her mind. If she ever crossed the evil bastard that tore her mother away from her and her brother so young, Zera would be the one loud enough to pull everyone out of their places, to the brawl. But most of the wolves she'd encountered out here were the otiose type, the kinds that momentarily irked and stalled her confidence.
I am no longer lost, I just was seeking a drink and sought a water source. It seems as if I have found one.
"Okay, Nakita," the Tainn answered with a kind eye. Just as long as she doesn't care to linger. It was always the lingering kinds that made her a little nervous, they didn't quite possess the ability to take a hint, and usually the pack elders would take the precious time to chase them off. But Zera was a little taken aback by the fragile girl's next reaction, it bumped her a little out of pulse. She didn't want Nakita to be fearful of her, and couldn't take it when they started to shy away from her big mouth. The dark Tainn had the tendency to be a little cut and dry with words, especially with strangers. "No, no! It's not a problem or anything. Feel free to stick around with me for the day if you want."
The lone she was not one to trust quickly, and usually would quickly shy from the offer to be in the company of a stranger for the day. The lonely life she had been living for the past few moons, however, urged her to choose differently. Normally the prospect of spending a large deal of time with someone that was basically completely unfamiliar would make Nakita nervous, but today it was a different story. After having lived completely alone for such an expansive amount of time, the idea of having the company of another for a full day, stranger or not, sounded completely wonderful. Even though she truly did want to hang around, she would have to be slightly cautious and reassure herself that someone actually wanted to spend a day with her by asking the other to provide confirmation that she was being serious.
"Are you sure? Your pack won't mind?" And there was that, as well. Nakita would never wish for one's pack to become angry with someone, especially the pack's own princess, for spending time with a lone nobody such as she. She found herself lowering her dome once more and her sapphire visionaries widening, partly from the fact that she was a bit excited about possibly having a companion for the day, partly because she was still the slightest bit nervous, and partly because she feared that the other woman would change her mind. What she was seeking had been companionship from another individual or even a group of companions, maybe eventually joining a pack. Though previously it had not been likely that she would be joining a pack soon, maybe befriending a member of a pack would sway her opinion on once more joining one. Truly, deep down, she most likely wished to be accepted within a pack once more. She would not admit this, even to herself, but she despised being lonely and really did desire to end her time alone.
She didn't want to threaten those two; but it was just a reflex she couldn't fight; her body demanded to look more intimidating than she wanted. The head; raised high with ears slightly twitching to the sounds of other wolves; bits of blood on the muzzle that she didn't intend to clean; her tail; curled a bit to the right but nevertheless explicitly stating her dominant character.
Standing there and looking at others; she was thinking of why she came here; of the years being a single wolf; surprisingly; she felt herself not as confident; although that feeling never left her mind. The amber eyes stayed focused; reading through the movements of females; her nose telling her their scent. She remembered noticing a similar scent a few days ago; although back then she was too exhausted by the walk to give it a better notice; now she realised it was a marking of a pack territory. She went through it without even realising that up until now. "Staying too long without wolves; you can be the next prey the pack will go after; dear" thought she and bared her fangs in a grin.
Zera well knew she could get in trouble for doing these kinds of things for people. She didn't have the pack authority to permit strange interlopers refuge this close to pack borders But she felt bad for the white wolf. The yearling couldn't imagine life without the safety and strength of her pack. These were the simple things that played on her heartstrings. Nobody could really own mother earth, and a vital source of water no matter how close to pack borders, was always open in Zera's young mind. Nakita appeared weathered from her travel, almost dry in the eyes with thirst. The dark Tainn felt even worse for her previous thoughts when the woman asked for clarification, with petals of excitement growing in her voice. "Of course, just stick around me."
But a low huff broke her thoughts over the water and yellow eyes shot around to face the newest edition, also white but marked with distinct amber irises. Great, another one, she thought. Zera studied the wild looking woman, raising her hackles as she noticed the blood and raw indelicately staining her lips and her domineering posture. "Wait - who the hell do you think you are?" The yearling felt her thoughts lock in place. She was suddenly outnumbered by two unknown wolves, one dripping the remains of a kill, and the other probably hiding more fearsome intentions than Zera could give credit for. Anxiety started building in the accumulation of the moment. The unnamed killer crept forth still, with teeth bared and filthy. Yellow eyes darted to the icy blues of Nakita, hoping she'd be willing to defend something that wasn't hers if the time came for it.
"I can't have two of you lurking around here. One was already enough," she finally blurted, attempting to break some of the tension. Submission was an awkward thing, and bloody submission was over the line. If this Shinyuu was really just another vagabond, ill sensed and driven to drink from a densely marked water source, Zera couldn't tell by her expression.
Taking a minuscule step toward Zera after being told to stick close, she closed a little of the distance between herself and the other she before a light huff of a noise announced that they weren't alone here. Snapping her head to face the direction that the noise came from, Nakita immediately noticed the other's matching white pelt. What stood out the most, though, was not her coat, which was white and easily identified in the forest, or her bright amber eyes. It was her body language, which seemed to be somewhat threatening, and the bright splatter of blood upon her face and chest. The intimidating posture of the newcomer provoked Nakita's natural reaction to stiffen up as well. The fur on her back began to stand up and while she tensed, she made an attempt to not look as if she was sending the threat right back. If it all came down to violence, of course Nakita would fight, but she would not push the other to carry through with her intentions and start a fight.
It was not her place to do the talking in this situation, after all, this territory was not hers to fight for. But that wouldn't stop her from defending it, anyways. It was not her decision to make whether a fight ensued at this border of the territory, this was between the other two females. Nakita glanced over at Zera and wondered if she thought that she would turn against her and double-team her with the newcomer, but that was not the case. She hoped that Zera would realize that.