Swift River louder now

@Yennifer - set a few days before this thread. backdated to 6/24 maybe?

A penny for your thoughts but a dollar for your insights,
Or a fortune for your disaster I'm just a painter and I'm drawing a blank 

It had been some days since Miskwaa and Ziigwan had bid Alphinaud adieu following a feast of epic proportions, leaving the duo to fall back into a routine that had become comfortable and easy. Each day brought them greater knowledge of the land and an increasing sense of familiarity with the world around them. That being said, Miskwaa had taken it upon herself to roam ever further in the attempt to expand their knowledge base, the nagging problem of their homelessness a constant thorn in her subconscious. 'Soon,' she assured herself grimly as she pressed further into the expanse of trees, finding comfort in the shade they provided; 'We will find home soon enough.' And in spite of the promise that seemed to bloom in almost every corner of these new lands, there remained the doubt and fear that they would not.

The sound of rushing water dominated the otherwise peaceful grove, drawing Miskwaa towards it, molten gold eyes keenly surveying her surroundings. In her recent travels, she had not come across a body of water quite as sizeable as this — aside from, of course, the lake to the southwest. It soothed her irritated spirit, calling her back to a simpler time. Her childhood had been peaceful, plentiful — far unlike the competitive bitterness that adulthood and all of its responsibilities brought. For a moment, she allowed her thoughts to linger in the past, to reminisce of days spent amid the lakes and rivers of her childhood home...

And then with a firm shake of her head, Miskwaa waved the thought away, grounding her thoughts to the present. The bank of the river before her seemed well-worn, showing the tell-tale signs of settlement... But the absence of any of her kind made it clear that the area had been long abandoned and so she investigated the area freely, unburdened of the usual anxiety that came with wandering too close to pack borders. In particular, the river itself — more so than the abandoned den site some feet away — drew her attention and Miskwaa focused her investigation there, peering intently at the clear waters. Beneath the surface, there was the occasional flash of silver as fish darted by and she was have content to observe them closely... Until a rather spirited creature sent water splashing into her unsuspecting face, to which Miskwaa backpedaled, sputtering in surprise at the sudden disturbance.

HAVE YOU ANY DREAMS YOU'D LIKE TO SELL?

Alone again. After just meeting her first acquaintances of this strange, new land, just like that they were gone. It didn't bother her much, the young she-wolf was used to having the closest of relations with her immediate family. Moving around often made them nomadic so faces that were soon forgotten were immediately replaced just like that. In years, she learned to not dwell or even rely on anyone around her too much. She was happy in the company of herself and that was that. "

Who needs friends, they just disappoint me.

"

Too deep in thought made Yennifer almost step right into the rushing river ahead of her. Grinding her heels, soft dirt kicked up for the immediate halt; a sigh of relief escaped her muzzle. Water was such a site for sore eyes, and feet, as Yennifer's yearned to dip a paw or four into the cool riverbank. Scanning the perimeter showed no signs of company, the more she stepped down the shore, the more it led her to believe it was quiet — way too quiet for it to be natural. Stepping among the baby reeds only then broke the silent, a unnatural rattle somewhere deep inside the grass thickets.

"

Must be a rattler somewhere, fool to step on one of those spirits,

" she noted, "

Is it always this quiet here?

"

Suddenly Yennifer's thoughts were broke by the splashing of something upstream.

275 words

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CORVUS OCULUM CORVI NON ERUIT

:D

A penny for your thoughts but a dollar for your insights,
Or a fortune for your disaster I'm just a painter and I'm drawing a blank

The initial shock of the disruption waned quickly, leaving Miskwaa standing on the river's edge with a sour expression. Her face was wet and cool, an uncomfortable and unwanted feeling; irritated, she slunk closer to the river's edge, golden eyes staring harshly into the water. The fish seemed to be travelling upstream, their long bodies thrashing violently as they fought the current, flashing silver whenever the sunlight caught their bodies. Miskwaa was sure that venturing further upstream would lead to a bountiful harvest of fish, especially if there was some obstacle to further slow their journey... But there was bound to be competition if she followed their path, whether it be bear or wolf, and Miskwaa was unwilling to subject herself to such danger.

Hopeful that there might yet be potential downstream of her position, Miskwaa turned slightly to follow the river in its winding course through the heart of this new land. Paws traversed the muddy bank slowly, gaze settling primarily on the water but rising every few moments to appraise her surroundings and ascertain that she remained safe. During one such inspection, the form of a dark canine became visible among the reeds that grew in patches along the water. For a few short moments, Miskwaa stopped, ears trained forward and golden eyes resting on the far darker creature nestled among the flora. The stranger didn't appear to be a threat and focused as she was on the other wolf, Miskwaa was mostly unaware of the rattling close by and the slithering beast that accompanied it. She took a small step forward, stance firm and strong, but kept silent — waiting, gauging the other's reaction to her approach, ready to depart in a moment's notice should the stranger be of the unpleasant variety.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

HAVE YOU ANY DREAMS YOU'D LIKE TO SELL?

Too busy concentrating on the rattlesnake, Yen took no notice of the guest that was coming towards her from a distance.

Damballa

was said to have created the entire world, messing with a servant from the snake god was no only bad luck but a sure-fire way to guarantee ones death. With only one good eyes, looking through the grass seemed pointless and the only way to avoid such luck would be a dip into the river. Somewhere the snake could not follow.

With a graceful leap, the dark wolf plunged herself into the somewhat strong water currents. Past experience proved useful as her legs did not falter and she continued to make her way upstream. Now free of river foliage obstruction, Yen took notice of her visitor and gazed back with one brilliant amber eye. As soon as she realized she wasn't alone, fury enveloped the she-wolf like a sickness.

" Now watchu' doin' in the grass like that, is you spyin' on me? " The female's voice was sharp and threatening like winter's ice. "Ain't yo' mamma ever teach ya'll some manners? Why don't ya'l come ova' here, you ain't foolin' no one

fille

"

254 words

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CORVUS OCULUM CORVI NON ERUIT

:D

A penny for your thoughts but a dollar for your insights,
Or a fortune for your disaster I'm just a painter and I'm drawing a blank

It was but a moment before her curious gaze turned incredulous, ears pulling back in disbelief at the turn of events. Her, a spy? She snorted at the very idea, having never been known as a secretive creature: she was too forthright, too direct... But first impressions, it would seem, worked against her and Miskwaa felt no need to remedy the stranger's opinion of her when the ebony stranger seemed to be such a foul individual herself.

"You have no claim over these lands, so why should I appease you?" her words were just as cold as the stranger's, stark and stern as she took one step into the water. One paw rested on the sandy bottom, a response to the other female's challenge, rising to meet the other girl's fire with flame of her own. For the moment, Miskwaa was not outwardly aggressive, but rather countering the stranger's indignation with her own poor attitude. "You dislike the idea of a mere spy, but practically beg for a fight? Pathetic." How had such a being with such hubris managed to survive this far on its own? If not for Miskwaa's own cautious nature, she may have given the stranger precisely what she had asked for.

HAVE YOU ANY DREAMS YOU'D LIKE TO SELL?

Though they seemed the same age, Yennifer felt a lot older; older then she should have. She had to stop a moment and remind herself that this wasn't a young yearling she was addressing but a peer. Yet the feeling of superiority still crept through her fur like it had time and time again. At this point, the she-wolf had no intentions of making friends with this new-comer. Projecting her voice now, she made her intentions clear.

" This be everyones lands fille, showing your fellow wolf some respect would be nice ey? " grinding her teeth now, Yennifer sized up her guest. If a fight had broken out, would she be able to properly defend herself or would the stranger merely just walk away? " That a lotta' words for someone that doesn't seem to be able to throw their weight. Do'ya treat everyone with the same pissy attitude? " Though generally a passive wolf, the young female could easily spark a fire in the right situation. Her fatal flaw, a temper that burns bright and hot to just about anything.

Taking a step forward, Yen made sure she was passing on the message that she meant business. If a fight did break out it would be on her turf, out in the water. Somewhere in the distance the rattlesnake still called out in caution, as if commentating the event.

250 words

{ ooc notes - - Sorry it took so long to reply!! ;o;
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CORVUS OCULUM CORVI NON ERUIT

no worries! :D if it comes to blows (and i'm thinking it might xD), do you want to do dice rolls or...? i'm fine just playing out a fight, both of them sustaining minor injuries before deciding it's not worth it to fight further haha :)

A penny for your thoughts but a dollar for your insights,
Or a fortune for your disaster I'm just a painter and I'm drawing a blank

Hubris and an unwillingness to back down seemed to be a common trait between both of the women, though whether it was due to something in the water or their innate nature's was hard to say. Whatever the case, Miskwaa stood firm in her opinions, unwilling to yield to someone who struck her as so unreasonable. For one, in what lands was it a necessity to announce your presence to strangers? It seemed an awfully silly thing to do, likely to get you killed depending on the wolf. The threats had begun with the inky woman before her: Miskwaa just had no qualms reciprocating in instances such as this. They seemed to be on even footing, after all, though Miskwaa's higher position on the river bank gave her the advantage of looking down at the stranger with an overt sense of disapproval.

As for correcting the stranger on what had really happened, well — it seemed rather pointless, didn't it? At the mention of "lotta words," Miskwaa snorted amusement. Never in her life had Miskwaa been described as talkative! If anything, the spitfire before her should be quite pleased that Miskwaa was talking, arguing against the perceived idiocy of the whole situation. Did she prefer they talk with teeth? “Only those that deserve it,” Miskwaa fired back, though her tone was less energetic than the waterborne wolf before her; rather, her words were dry, making it clear that this was not an argument of impulse in her eyes but one of principle. It was unusual for Miskwaa to speak up in this way, but if she let herself be walked all over by some stranger, what did that make her? No, no, no — bigger battles had been fought and she was honor-bound, unwilling to ever find herself in such a position again.

Of course, this situation was nothing like the dire circumstances that had initially brought her to Relic Lore, but why should she start bending now? Standing firm with legs slightly spread and locked, forepaws in the water and hindlegs set on the muddy bank, Miskwaa waited. Her tail held parallel to the ground, she watched silently: unwilling to lash out in aggression, but simultaneously unyielding to the stranger and her demands.