Word Count → 560 :: Keldava is in Lupus form 
Keldava could hardly believe it when she made it past the Arte borders without immediately turning around an bolting back in like a frightened rabbit. Finally healing enough to shift into her Lupus form had given Keldava some of her confidence back; the more natural form reminding her of happier times when she was still a small puppy, but she hadn’t expected to actually manage to leave the territory, at least not without constantly glancing in shadows and jumping at small sounds.
Wanting to move before her nerves got the best of her Keldava started running. Almost instantly she grimaces as pain and a wet feeling blossomed on her back; shifting into Lupus had been painful and one of her slowest shifts ever but it hadn’t broken the scabs that her running had finally cracked loose. After a minute or so Keldava skidded to a stop, the now familiar feeling of panic blossoming in her mind as she tried to figure out where the hell she was, already regretting her stupid idea to go running off into the wilderness.
All of a sudden her panic stilled as Keldava’s eyes fixed on an odd looking tree, blackened and split in half. A fraction calmer she forced herself to focus and look around, more features coming into view that she recognised, she knew this place! Keldava had roamed the territory just outside of Arte extensively and knew much of it off by heart. If she was where she thought she was then she knew half a dozen ways to get back to Arte quickly, several taking her through paths nobody much bigger than her would be able to follow.
Still, there was some doubt; it had been weeks since she was last here. Hesitantly Keldava orientated herself and then set off, following a small path hidden to the right of a large bush. Relief flooded through her when the small pond came into view – a small but deep pool of water barely wider then her Lupus form was long set into a depression in the heavily wooded land – there was no chance that both the tree and the pool could be reproduced somewhere else; she definitely knew where she was.
The knowledge of her location, and more importantly several escape routes nearby should she need them, calmed Keldava down and she finally stopped moving. Keldava tilted her head back over her shoulder, scowling as she looked at the mess she had made of her lower back. With the longer fur of her Lupus form the scabs were more hidden somewhat – faintly visible through the fur as opposed to appearing a large, red growth on her back – but the fur just above her tail was soaked a dark red from the broken open wounds underneath.
There was nothing that she could do about the wounds for now so Keldava started looking around. Her eyes caught the pool and for a moment she was tempted to wash herself off but decided against it. The pool was still water and would remain corrupted for a long time if she got blood in it and if she remembered it was a useful place to stop for a drink when running. That thought drew attention to Keldava’s own thirst, which she hadn’t even noticed, so she stepped forwards, dipping her muzzle into the cool water and drinking deep.
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