Heartleaf Creek taste of freedom

All Welcome, for @Clover - Late Morning, Scattered Clouds, 11°C

The sudden snowfall in late Spring had caught Marlow completely by surprise, especially considering how mild the climate had been before that chilly evening. The female supposed that it had served as a sharp reminder, to stay prepared for anything. It was the female's decisiveness and adaptability that had gotten her this far, after all; away from band of wolves that had wanted to tame and mould her into one of their own, and out into the great wilderness beyond where their rules and traditions had now hold over her.

The feeling of freedom, of finally having the power to follow her own will, it was what she had craved all along. It was intoxicating, and now she felt this strange pang inside her chest, a yearning, a hunger for more.

Sticking to her plan to travel north, Marlow had slipped away from the snow-blanketed willow trees and advanced onward. The snow had not been able to penetrate the thicker canopy of the surrounding woodland, and what little breaks in the shelter there were only allowed the warmth of the sunlight to filter through. Catching the sound of trickling water, the female soon discovered a small stream carving its way between the trees. Stopping for a quick drink, she paused to assess her direction, before she continued to stroll upstream beside it.

@Marlow

Her children were now old enough to be left alone for a couple hours at a time, and Clover had taken those opportunities while they slept to not only gather some of the medicinal herbs nearby, but also hunt down a rabbit or two to try and lessen the strain on Viorel. He put in so much effort between her and Vanadis, and she wanted to make it just a little less hard on him now that she was able to. And so once she was sure her brood was comfortable and asleep she had ducked out and ventured beyond the pack borders in search of a meal and a particular type of flower.

She found success in one of her goals, clutching the white flowers delicately within her jaws as she walked downstream. They had been a lucky find, hidden away from prying eyes among the roots of a tree. While it had taken her longer than intended to find the flowers, long enough that she determined there would be little time to find a bite to eat before her children woke up, she was satisfied with her efforts for the day as she made her way along the creek, intending to drop the flowers off at her medicinal den before returning to her den.

The sight of another wolf walking along the creek derailed her thoughts, and for a moment she panicked as her thoughts turned to her children, but then quickly came to her senses. They were safe in the den within the pack border, and one unknown wolf nearby was not enough of a worry given just how many members they had. Viorel would never let them come under harm, and she trusted him enough with that.

Clover let out a snuffled greeting around the flowers in her mouth, letting her tail swing amicably behind her. While there were thoughts in the back of her mind that this was a stranger who should not be allowed anywhere near her children, she forced herself to appear calm and friendly. There was no reason that this wolf would want to hurt her children, or likely was even aware there were pups nearby. She would have a short conversation with the other wolf and then continue on her way, and nothing bad would happen.