Okay how did this get so long. :| But
anyway, here ya go! +770
It was nice to be heading north again, and Vesper trotted at a pace that was brisk in movement but leisurely in mind. She looked forward to the end of her journey this time, at least, and there were no longer doubts rattling around in her mind. She hadn’t exactly gotten clean-cut answers from her stay in AniWaya, but it was more than she’d honestly hoped for, and she could lay most of her worries to rest even if she still wasn’t happy about the interpack mating. Right now, there was little for her to think about—other than those thoughts that brought a dreamy smile to her face and a skip to her step.
The coyote passed through the entangled southern forest, keeping a sharp eye out for any animals lurking nearby; she had not eaten too recently, and she could allow herself a quick meal before she went on her way if she was lucky enough to find one. She still remembered days that she’d ventured the woodlands all over Nova Scotia alone, hunting small creatures and making temporary dens and chatting up all the pack wolves and loners she came across. She had still been a stranger to the land then, and it was amazing how much had changed in—well, had it been a full year yet?
The scarred female did not afford herself much time to be philosophical, and even as she loped ever northward, she mulled over these thoughts. There were no conclusions to be drawn from them besides the obvious, so after a moment of reminiscing she abandoned them entirely—and, besides, there was a change in the noisy backdrop of the thick woods. She froze and tilted her head back, listening to the rustle of leaves above and the distinct flap of wings, before grinning and executing a leap a wildcat would be proud of. There was an indignant caw, feathers buffeting her muzzle, but then she was on the ground and the raven perched on her back with his talons digging into her skin.
“Boy not telling leaving,” Stark admonished darkly, but he seemed taken aback by the grin she threw at him.
“You don’t have to babysit me, papa bird,” Vesper retorted, and shook him off. He landed on the forest floor and hopped a few steps, chortling in the awkward way that corvids happened to chortle.
“Good mood,” the black bird remarked. “Got laid?” And suddenly he had the advantage in their banter, and flew off before she had a chance to say a word. Growling in a manner that was playful and utterly unlike her (at least as far as she let everyone know), she chased after him.
It was not long before the game of tag between coyote and raven drew them farther north and close to pack territory, which Vesper noted with her nose pointed in the air. They went more cautiously from then on, Stark offering the most awkward advice possible or otherwise scolding her for leaving Inferni without him. She threw him a smile from time to time, but her attention was soon gained by the distinct cries that could only be a couple of birds in a tussle. She shot her partner a look, but the raven dismissed the sounds with a flippant wave of a wing.
“Diving falcons,” Stark remarked, and she thought for a moment before realizing which species he was talking about. “No problem,” he clarified with a hoarse chuckle. “Falcons fast and showing off, yes, but ravens being bigger.” He left it unsaid that he was pretty large for his species, and that was the end of her concerns about the peregrines in the distance—at least until, by some stroke of luck, they happened to stroll/fly in on the clearing the pair had originated from.
The scarred coywolf froze then, her eyes sliding upward to the falcon perched on a magnificent oak tree whose roots spilled over an outcropping. Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t dare move after noting that there was a canine in the area—most likely hidden underneath the overhang. She didn’t blame them if that was the case; this area was very scenic, and she had the feeling that she’d stumbled upon a private place—but this was neutral territory, she reasoned, so she was allowed here as much as anywhere.
Vesper was at a loss of what to do next, her curiosity stirred by something in the scent. Recognizing that she wouldn’t follow him, Stark flapped back and landed on her shoulders, announcing himself to the two visible peregrines with a bold caw.
Image courtesy of henrikj@Flickr; table by the Mentors!
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