Hush Meadow All of my darkness leaving me here

all of my fight, all of my fear

The silver wolf had long since grown into her ears and paws, carrying herself with a certainty befitting her lineage, almost arrogant in her carriage as ghost grey eyes surveyed the lands spread out before her. Her mother might have been the ruler the Scowle, content to keep her borders and mind her own, only ever venturing as far as the Willows to visit Sedna’s regal aunt, but with the coming of her second year came an itch. A less lawful wolf may have faltered, a weaker woman might have shuddered - even so, it seemed wherever she tried to retreat to ride it out, her mother was watching, waiting for the girl to step out of line. With the onset of spring, the borders were no longer big enough for the both of them.

It wasn’t as if Morganna wasn’t familiar with the way her daughter was eyeing her, the critical glance any time the older wolf winced with the onset of arthritis in her joints, the narrow eyed judgement the younger wolf gave whenever she would hand off a critical position in the hunt for someone younger. Someone more capable. How much longer could the Archer really hold on? A sneer marked her lips for just a moment before her tongue dragged across her nose.

Another problem, for another day... Unless...

all of my darkness leaving me here

She had wanted to visit her old home, the place of her birth. There had been something telling her to find some closure in it she supposed, as a type of way to see where she was born and give it a proper goodbye that she felt was never given. Yet as soon as somewhat familiar smells crossed her nose, with memories of this forest as fuzzy and clouded as the sky dressed up in the clouds above, the young wolf found that she couldn’t do it.

There was no real reason as to why she felt there was some invisible boundary she couldn’t cross. There was no longer a pack here, having long since been abandoned by the old pack and no one had yet dared rebuild anew in the ruins of the old. But still, Merida felt as if staring at some limestone bluffs in the distance was more than enough for now. So she steered away from the cedar forest, heading southward and skirting around a marsh instead. There would be time to visit later, she told herself. It wasn’t like anyone was expecting her anywhere at least. Her parents were safe where they were and her brother was off doing his own thing. The young woman was safe to meander around as slow or as fast as she pleased.

Yet there was a stutter in her meandering when the smell of wolf crossed her nose. Coming to a pause, Merida swirled her nose about and wondered if she was near a pack. It only smelt strongly of one wolf though. Either way, she carefully sniffed the air a little more, keeping her guard and senses up. She didn't want to cause any trouble (her mama and dads had made sure to drill it in from a young age to be careful around other wolves who weren't family or friends.) and if there was more then one wolf, she certainly would be deep in it.