Drooping Willows I'll ride the wind

@Leda

The mother-to-be was out past the borders that morning. She remained somewhat close but she was on a mission. In her condition she was taking every precaution while still doing the things that she needed to get done. That morning she was on a mission. Avella often recieved reports about the movements of the herds nearby. That morning she was planning to check it out herself. They needed to have a pack hunt and soon.

The masked woman made her way in the direction she'd been last informed of. Shenwas aware the deer she was seeking could have moved on by then but she was really hoping they hadn't.

The weather wasn't bad so Avella was taking her time as she walked through the willows. She scented the air for the familiar deer scent but hadn't caught it just yet.

Leda had settled into her usual quiet, shy nature. The large male that had stolen her meal a day ago had not reappeared, and so she had let herself linger around the lagoon for quite a while before choosing to set off exploring. The drooping willows provided shade, and certainly a new array of scents to pick up and sort out.

The willows were a small stretch of forest that did not seem to terribly deep, and she'd found a deer, more specifically a very young deer, that she was watching, crouched to the ground as she waited. It was starting to think she was not a threat, the fact she had been laying here watching it for minutes on end.

The end of the willows was in sight. She'd done well to avoid the scent of a pack and had realized the willows seemed to lead towards a pack, the further in she'd gone. So she limited herself. She'd had enough trouble to last her for a while, and that rebellious burst of snarky energy wouldn't last around a pack.

The deer moved to bolt, and she darted after it, sinking her teeth into its leg. She was dragged as the deer continued to run, and dug her back paws into the ground, weighing the young animal down until it finally grew tired.

It faltered and she circled, waiting for its legs to stop flailing. And then, a new scent caught her attention, and her ears pinned to her head, when she very briefly looked at the very pregnant she-wolf walking towards her.

Her kill was still thrashing on the ground, one back leg extremely mangled, and its stamina depleted, but she made no move to go for the kill. From her pack days, she remembered that it was rarer for lone females to wind up pregnant due to resources, and harder for lone females to raise pups... And unless she was terribly lucky, the she-wolf coming towards her was not likely to be a loner.

She averted her gaze and sat, watching the deer as it struggled to get up. She remembered pack politics, despite her years as a lone wolf. Specifically, she had learned over that time not to speak unless spoken too (and just as important: not to fight unless outright challenged, like with the meal she had caught the day prior).

@Avella

Avella hadn't found a heard of deer just yet. What she did find was a female chasing a young deer through the willows. The masked woman kept her distance waiting to see how things would turn out for the young wolf. The Ridge leader would have offered her help with taking the young deer down. However, it seemed that the stranger was doing just fine on her own. She didn't want any claim to the prey, Willow Ridge had enough food. If her hunch was right the girl needed the food more than she did.

Finally it was all over, the deer however was flailing about trying to get its feet back under it. This bothered Avella especially when the younger wolf moved into a respectful position. That was the moment she decided to approach. "I think you should take care of the deer then we can talk," she suggested. It was an act that would only tale a moment. Avella was content to wait.

Being that the younger female was so close to her own territory she was rather curious about what she was doing there. So she sat back on her haunches to show that she wasn't in a big hurry. She wanted the other to feel more comfortable with taking the time to dispatch the deer.

After a few moments she spoke again, "I'm Avella Archer, leader of Willow Ridge. What brings you into the Willows?" She asked pleasantly.

The older wolf spoke about the deer, and Leda was silent as she turned to the deer, circling to its neck to end its life quickly. She'd return to sitting in front of the deer, staring at her paws. This wolf did not seem to be as eager to take her meal from her as the last one she had met, and eventually, she's relaxing. She'd relaxed enough to look at the other female, but upon hearing a name and a title, quickly averted her gaze. "Is that... what this place is called?" It made sense, given the trees.

Leda shuffled her paws, anxiously adjusting herself. "I was just... there's water that way," she nodded her head in the vague direction of the lagoon. "and food." Because just like every other wolf, she's hungry, thirsty. Though she is shier, and quieter, and less likely to get into a fight.

"I didn't mean to intrude." Because she could only assume that having the leader of the pack stumble upon her indicated she was too near to pack grounds, too close to truly intruding where she did not belong. The other wolf was pregnant, and she would, if Avella indicated, let her take the deer she had caught. But she'd not offer it, instead she'd follow the cues of the other wolf.

"I'm Leda." She added, breathlessly, once she'd realized Avella had told her name, and she'd completely skipped that step in her need to apologize for intruding.

It was some relief to Avella once the other woman had taken care of the deer. Now she wouldn't have to watch it struggle in its last moments. Once that was done she returned her attention to the stranger as she spoke about the place they were in. "We call it the Willows for short. It's actual name is Drooping Willows because of all of the Willow trees that grow here." It seemed she might he giving another lesson on the lore and frankly she enjoyed talking about her home.

Avella smiled, "You must be speaking of the lagoon. It is quite plentiful in the things needed." She'd been there plenty of times in the past though she hadn't ventured there recently. "Is that where you came from?" She asked curiously.

The Ridge leader shook her head. "Don't worry, you haven't intruded at all. Our borders are clearly marked. I was just out looking for a heard that one of my wolves spoke to me about," she explained hoping the woman might feel a little more at ease. Avella liked it better when the conversation was more relaxed.

"Its very nice to meet you Leda. I take it your new to the lore?" At least Avella didn't remember ever seeing her around during her travels.

Leda seemed to grow less anxious the longer Avella spoke to her. This wolf was not threatening like the other one she had met had been. "The... Lore?" She'd not known that was where she was. "I'm new to here." 'Here' as in the broader sense of the world around them.

"I found the water a few days ago," she stated, nodding her head slightly. That much she could state and be quite certain of her wording with. It was a relief to hear she'd not accidentally intruded, and that the packleader was just following a lead on a herd of deer.

She adjusted her weight and was no longer staring at her paws, avoiding looking at the other wolf. Instead, she was quietly examining Avella, taking in the colors of her coat, the look of her eyes.

More was revealed to the Ridge leader as the other woman spoke. She was new to the lore which explained her previous question. "Many of us especially those who've grown up here call this place the lore. It's made up of many different territories. Drooping willows is just one of those territories. The longer you're hear you'll learn them."

Avella was happy to explain and answer any questions Leda might have. The masked Archer sat back on her haunches getting comfortable in case thus was a lengthy conversation. The fact was she wouldn't mind that a bit as it would give her some time away from her own thoughts.

Leda explained where she'd come from, "That would be Iridescent Lagoon. I don't get out there much but it's a nice place. So much so my great aunt formed a pack there." Avella remembered it well though she'd still been rather young. "Did you have any plans after this?" She asked curiously.

Leda listened, as if the other wolf was telling her great secrets that she must not forget. It was true, she had no idea what this place was, other than that it was the place she called home... simply because it was where she lived now. "Oh. So the Lore is... large?" Strange, very strange.

Then again, her homeland had been many territories. Her homeland, she couldn't help but try to remember the specifics and she failed to remember. She'd not been home in a long time. Long enough to start forgetting, it'd seem, and that made her sad.

"The Lagoon is nice." She stated, confirming the other's statement. The lagoon had quickly become her favorite place; after all the water and the hunting was plentiful; she rarely ran into much trouble from other wolves.

"Plans... no. Maybe wander, and see all of the Lore," she stated, glancing absently around them. "There's got to be a lot more to see, then just the Willows and the Lagoon. Maybe, after I've found them all, and seen them all, I'll find somewhere to call home." It was lonely, wandering by herself. But... she'd feel wrong if she settled in a pack now, without giving the rest of the world around her a chance.

Avella didn't mind giving Leda a lesson about the lore. The matriarch actually liked talking about her home. She felt that as an Archer that was prideful of it she should share it with everyone. "Oh yes my dear. It is quite large with many territories. Drooping willows is almost as far sorth as you can go. To the nouth are grasslands and a large forest. It also extends further east and west but I have to admit that I'm not as familiar with those areas."

Most of her time had been spent around the willows though she'd traveled all over the lore before settling she just didn't know them as well. Avella considered what else to tell Leda about the lore. There was just so much.

[B"Yes, it is,"[/b] she agreed, "And perhaps had I not had such ties to this place I might have settled there." Willow Ridge was her hime though and now that she was going to be a mother she couldn't imagine raising her pups anywhere else.

Avella nodded as the other wolf explained her thoughts on what she wanted to do. {B}"There certainly is a lot to see in the lore and many more wolves to meet. I can't blame you for wanting to see it all." Avella knew there were many places a wolf could be happy in the lore. "I'll make you this offer anyway. You know where my pack is so when your ready to settle if you so choose I would be happy to discuss you staying with us."

Leda listened as the matriarch talked about the Lore, eyes thoughtful. So much to see, so much to explore. "I could go and see them. Tell you about them," as a pup she had loved stories of what was beyond the pack, and she could only imagine that Avella's pups would someday enjoy such stories too.

She's quiet, as the she-wolf offered her a place to call home if she desired, and she couldn't help but consider it. She missed the life of having a pack. But she also wanted to explore; there were other packs out there, she was certain. How could she know that one pack was it, after just finding them?

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you." Packs meant easier food supply, safety. But... roots, to a place and its wolves was foreign to her after all this time.