Not sure what form Kaena is in, but Tay is in Optime! :] (WC: 650)
Tayui understood the risk she was taking. She was nearing the borders of two warring groups, and the threat of severe violence could not dissuade her from carrying out her mission. She had no one to report to, and was carrying out independent research of her own accord. Certainly, she supposed she could report back to Dawali, but she had no reason to. In fact, if she told him she had gone ahead and investigated the war any further, she knew it would rub him the wrong way. He had explicitly told everyone in AniWaya to remain out of the conflict. Although Tayui bore the scent of her new tribe, she would not be bringing them into this mess. Her thirst for knowledge was too strong, and unfortunately, her loyalty to the tribe could not overcome that.
Nonetheless, Tayui did not want to disappoint anyone, be it her leader, her friends, her children, or herself. She could easily disappoint the first three by doing this, but she knew she would only serve disappointing herself if she stayed cooped up in her den, hidden away from the world. Perhaps Tayui was a busybody, or perhaps she had spent too many days reading books. Whatever the reason, she knew she had to do this. For this reason, she had informed Claudius that she would be absent for a few days, and tried to put a word out to Ember and Dawali to notify them as well in case they came looking for her. Of course, instead of being responsible and ensuring that they knew she was leaving for a bit, she had gathered what she needed and set out. She had a few supplies to sustain her, should she end up waiting by the borders for a few days. She knew she would not find any members of Inferni just wandering through the neutral territories, so she was prepared to find one on their own time.
She had set up a small makeshift camp in the central western region of The Dampwoods, ensuring her camp was closer to Phoenix Valley than Inferni. She did not want to be mistaken for a Dahlian spy, but also did not want to alarm the members of Phoenix Valley.
She was not sure when, but eventually, she spotted someone familiar. It must have been a day or two -- certainly, sooner than Tayui had expected. A greytoned female came into view, and from a distance, Tayui couldn't be sure to which pack or clan the woman belonged to. Tayui slowly made her way closer, walking slowly so that the other woman wouldn't be startled. Tayui did not want to start a fight -- all she wanted to do was talk. And learn. As Tayui neared the other canine, the familiarity became more apparent. She had not seen the other woman in what must have been years, and their last meeting had been fairly pleasant. Tayui paused, reaching out for a moment, then retracted her hand, holding it to her chest. She was unsure if she should call out or just wait to be noticed. Kaena Lykoi was studying the sky, and Tayui could see that she was a little lost in thought. Tayui took another step, pausing as she stepped through the snow and broke a branch, which made a muffled crack.
“Kaena,” she called out at last, letting her arms drop to her sides. “I'm Tayui Aston. I'm not sure if you remember me, but I was Alpha of Jaded Shadows some time ago. We met to discuss Inferni and Jaded Shadows.” She made sure to add the context of their meeting, and remind Kaena that they had met before, hoping that it would substantiate her greeting. And again, it would be like their last meeting. Although Tayui did not come representing her pack as a leader, she came again to inquire about Kaena's clan.
Table by Kate!
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