Poo, I forgot, can we forward-date this to maybe... two nights? December 20? Is that ok? I forgot to ask in the PM, I's sorry. D:
The world was a wonderland of pale white at long last, some inches of snow coating the ground after what seemed like the longest autumn of the hybrid's life. She had yearned for this, and now the snow was everywhere, covering every inch of the ground outside of her cave, hanging from the branches of the winter-withered, leafless trees. The world was softer and quieter with the blanket of white to deaden all of the noise, and the silver-furred hybrid's breath rose in a plume of steam as she walked purposefully about the Inferni borders, enjoying the cold-season weather far too much to let Vieira take her shift for tonight. The coyote had missed this terribly in the year and a half, two winters worth, spent in the south. Their cold had been weak and mild compared to this cold, the true winter of the northlands, and Kaena had scoffed and told Malai such a thing quite bluntly, though he'd shivered and shook all through the Oregon winter, complaining as if it was hell. Kaena had laughed at him, telling him he was at least half wolf and he ought to grow a damn coat like one, but he'd claimed instead one of his recent dog ancestors was a shorthair, a fact that had simply bewildered Kaena.
The coyote had completed her trek but she saw absolutely no reason to return home and relinquish this beauty and serenity to hulk in her cave and sulk; it was what she had wanted all throughout the fall, and she was determined to enjoy it. Instead of turning inwards toward the caves, the coyote wandered further along coyote territory, putting some distance between herself and the the edge of the territory, heading for the Dampwoods. It was nearly nightfall, and twilight permeated the sky, tainting the day's blue to a lavender shade that was steadily deepening to indigo, the first stars twinkling to life across the vast swath of sky. The coyote paused for a moment, tilting her head back to admire this sight. The sky was as clear as anything, showing no signs of further snowing and more wintery goodness for Kaena, but she was entertained enough by the beauty of the oncoming night. The three-quarter's moon shone brightly in the sky, streaming silver light down over everything and casting it in an unearthly blue glow. The snow all around her glittered and glinted, seeming to sparkle with this new silvery light. It stole the hybrid's breath, and she remained standing here for a long moment, twisting her head this way and that to immerse herself in the simple beauty if a winter night, something she'd missed for so long.
Though she realized she was intending on treading outside of Inferni territory, the silver-furred hybrid did not fear what might happen to her. Haku would not pass so close to Inferni; certainly he thought she'd opened her muzzle to whine to every son she'd whelped what had happened to her and they were all gunning for his blood. But Kaena was too smart for that; she realized it was her fault and she refused to involve her children in these matters. There was safety in sticking relatively close to Inferni, keeping it no more than a jog away. The hybrid woman was not a runner, but she was certain she was faster than Haku. Her body was lean and her legs were long, and her powerful, long stride certainly made her quicker than him. Another part of Kaena had begun to recover, and she realized that Haku was probably not going to come for her again. She'd served her purpose to him; what further could he gain from Kaena Lykoi? He'd spared her life once in exchange for her dignity, and this time the hybrid was aware that there was no recourse if they met again. If they met again, she would kill him. She would make him suffer. Either that, or he would do the same to her. It was simple warfare, the same basic, animalistic thing she'd engaged in with Salvaged Eternity, except now the stakes were far higher.
The cold made the hybrid far more aware that she was growing old. It made old wounds ache vaguely, her aging joints moved slower in the morning, and she felt it acutely in her bones somewhere. The hybrid still could not help but revel in it, padding swiftly across the border, pausing for a moment to turn her head back. The wolf's head she'd hunted with Hybrid stood on a stick, a gruesome and grizzly reminder of what happened to wolves who trespassed here. Even though that wolf hadn't walked across Inferni lands, she'd served as an example, a symbol—her life in exchange for Hybrid's respect. Kaena believed in respect, and life was a fleeting thing anyway; what was a life for one of Inferni's best soldier's good grace? She smirked and dipped her head to the half-frozen thing, scraps of rotten meat and fur still clinging to it. It was eyeless; those had been picked away by the crows that seemed to permeate their territory. The coyote turned away, and padded deeper into the woods, moving faster now. Her nose twitched as she inhaled the scents of the surrounding forest, on alert for that Dahlian scent that had been seared onto her brain so rudely, so violently. She'd never forget that smell, but she breathed a sigh of relieft when it was absent from her surroundings. Head down, the coyote trotted forward, her feet carrying her swiftly through the woods.
There was a faint scent of rabbit, and the hybrid began tracking it, finding the source very nearby. She had been walking loudly, and her presence was already known—the winter-phased rabbit, pale white coat that blended into the snow almost perfectly, bounded away from the coyote as soon as she emerged into sight. She sighed softly, annoyed such a nice meal for herself and Vieira would escape without so much as a chase, but unfortunately, she had been too loud, and too late.