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Taking place in the dampwoods. 
It had taken some time for Alexey to muster up the courage to step foot within her birth lands again. She had almost turned back upon hearing rumors which thus far, proved to be true. Lexey could smell them; a very large number of strange new wolves and... coyotes. Pickle, her ever faithful chinchilla companion, had advised her not to go back numerous times. Rats and mice everywhere were whispering secrets of a great fire, fearsome shifters, and new packs. The female was amazed at how well-informed the rabbit-sized rodent actually was. It was as if he and his little friends had nothing else to do but gossip all day. And perhaps she would've listened to her wise pal if only her sister Adelaida hadn't been involved in some way. Her sibling's safety was far more important than her own. She would find Ade and drag her away from this nightmare.
Although her mission was top priority, the heavy raindrops constantly pummeling the Koios femme's head were starting to drive her over the edge. Ever since she'd come back, mother nature had been far from cooperative. Gusty winds ruffled through leaves, seemingly slapping her in the face with every single one of them. And eventually, Pickle's whines and pleas for shelter got the best of her. Musquodoboit Valley was too far from their location; seeking refuge there was definitely out of the question. However, Alexey vaguely remembered a small cabin nearby where her father had taken her once or twice when she'd been just a pup. With some luck, it would still be in decent condition. Gently picking up the chinchillidae by the scruff of his neck, the wolfess quickly made haste to the location where she'd once spent some alone time with her recently deceased sire. Upon arriving, she noticed the structure was barely standing. It was obvious that the little house might crumble under torrential rains, but it was a chance Alexey was willing to take.
The floor squeaked with every step she took, until she finally lay down in a corner where water wasn't seeping in from the old roof. Walls were covered in mold, and that mixed with humidity created one heck of a smell. Lexey amicably nudged her little friend, holding back a chuckle as she made note of the disgusted look on his face. "Sorry bud, but this'll have to do."
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Ever since the terrifying experience with that shifting freak Adelaida had lain lower than before. Compared to the shape shifter who had called herself Natt, the coyote she had encountered seemed like a child, or at least he had acted like one. And physically, Adelaida decided that she would rather get in a fight with a coyote than a werewolf, although what if the coyotes could shift too? That would be the worse of all, and Adelaida hoped that the coyotes had not the ability to do so, if she saw Umbra agains he would have to ask him, as she had forgotten last time. Either way, she decided she had enough of these freaks for a while, and after escaping Natt she had not bothered to wander too much. She had stayed in the Dampwoods, hiding out in all the places she had known of before, only leaving her hideouts to move location if someone was too close or if she needed food.
It was the need for food which drove her out now. The rain had started and was growing thicker, it might even storm later, and while she did not enjoy the rolling thunder she found that most of the other wolves and coyotes sought shelter as well, so she would be alone. Which also made hunting harder, as prey hide in their burrows and nests, but she had stumbles upon prey in storms and could do so again. And if she didn’t, at least she didn’t fall victim to one of those… monsters. The creamy female with the chocolate mask and boots shuddered to think of Natt, and how horrible the others might be as well.
As Adelaida continued through the woods and her pelt absorbed more and more water until she could become no wetter, the female was beginning to loose heart. The scent of wet earth helped to mask prey animals’ scents, and even when she found one it was hard to follow. None of the burrows she had come across had been filled and her stomach constantly reminded her of how long it had been since she had last eaten. Adelaida was about to turn around when she did catch a scent that was impossible to ignore. Her sister. How? Adelaida tried to follow the scent but it became broken. However it was fresh, so she couldn’t have gone far. Relying more on memory than on her nose, Adelaida followed the practically invisible trails, so overgrown with brush, she and her family had used before they had ever left the lands. One of these trails, on which she found Alexey’s scent often, went past that cabin. Adelaida had avoided it, never really interested in the human’s artifacts, but perhaps…
"Alexey!" It had been a little less than an hour since she had first scented her sister, but there in the cabin with her rodent friend, Pickles, was her sister, in the flesh. Her brilliant blue eyes took in the sight; it hadn’t seemed real until now, now that she saw her sister had actually returned. Breaking into a grin, forgetting in her surprise that if Alexey had returned that probably meant that their father had finally passed, she was too overjoyed to see her sibling that she could think of nothing sensible to say except again for her name. "Alexey! You came home."
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It was Pickles who rose to his feet first. Alexey had been stuck in her own little world; golden eyes fixated upon the decaying wall whilst her mind wandered. Her body was aching from the long journey back: it was begging for sleep and rejuvenation but her brain would simply not let that happen. She was in some sort of trance, a half-conscious state where everything seemed so distant. Memories of her sister were already fading, and Alexey wasn't sure whether it was the lack of sleep preventing her from picturing her clearly or if she was already forgetting what Adelaida looked like. The only thing she could remember without much effort was her voice, a sweet alto similar to their mother's. Oh, how she missed her!
The red-hued femme had been so lost in her daydreaming, so intent on wanting to be reunited with her sibling... it was as if Ade's scent had never reached her nostrils. Pickles caught the smell before she did, rapidly growing agitated with every passing second. And just as Lexey glanced downwards to look at what he was doing, she heard it. Her name. It was that voice; a sweet melody to her ears. She jerked her head to the side, attempting to focus on her sister's silhouette. The Koios female was speechless for a good moment as she mentally adjusted herself to the occuring events. "S-sis?" The rabbit-sized rodent was already at Adelaida's feet, squeaking joyously to get her attention. He had missed her too. Meanwhile, Alexey simply stared ahead in disbelief. A small part of her had already gotten used to the idea that she might've not been able to see her sister again. But there she was; alive and well.
Then came the only logical thing she could come up with. "He's gone." Stupid thing to say, really. A 'how are you?' would've been a tad more appropriate, but she wanted to get this over with.
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Adelaida noted the delayed reaction in Alexey, but Pickles was as quick as ever. Looking down at the chinchilla, Adelaida lightly touched her large nose to the smaller creature, a gentle greeting she used often with her sister’s companion. She rarely spoke to the chinchilla, unlike Lexey, as she wasn’t always sure that she understood the chinchilla’s noises or that the chinchilla understood her when she spoke, but the silence suited them. Adelaida found that even if terror overtook her and she could not read the body language of coyotes, they were so strange in her mind that she made them hard to understand strangers in reality as well, she could understand the thoughts and basic feelings of other animals. And Pickles was one of the few of another species that she delighted in communicating silently with.
The greeting with Pickles was short and brief, and then Ade turned her eyes back onto her sister. He’s gone. Spoken out loud what Adelaida had neglected to remember, what she did not want to remember. Still, it was no surprise. They had all known it was coming, whatever illness had taken hold of his body wasn’t going to let it go but through death. Fyodor was gone and where was Katanka? "So mother stayed there?" It would be like their mother to stick by their father’s side, even if one of them died while the other lived. Adelaida did not resent that their mother’s loyalty still lied with their father, her children were well grown and could handle themselves and Adelaida knew that Kata had loved their father above all else. If anyone was missing it was Sankor. If their brother did return, and perhaps he never would, they would all have to have this same conversation all over again. Despite the fact they knew his death was coming, Adelaida did not want to face it. It was part of the reason she couldn’t beat to stay with them while he was dying. Her head hung and her voice was soft. "I’m glad you’re back though."
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It pleased Pickles to know that Adelaida remembered him. That gentle nudge was a quite a boost to his little ego, and it instantly made him beam. He then allowed himself to affectionately nuzzle the masked femme's nose. It seemed Ade hadn't lost her touch with the rodent. Initially, Alexey had wanted to take her sister away from this place, but now she was having second thoughts. The two-year-old shamefully lowered her head downward as she began to understand why her sibling had called this place 'home'. Their whole lives revolved around here, and leaving would mean losing a part of themselves. Lexey nodded briefly at the mention of their mother, knowing her sister didn't need much of an explanation. She more than likely understood Katanka's reasoning more than Alexey ever would. "I missed you", she said sincerely.
The Koios femme had so many questions and concern, she had no idea where to start. "I was afraid you might've been hurt. Everyone's been saying that there are... you know, a lot of..." She paused, lowering her voice as if they were being spied on. "coyotes." The previous had been the greatest concern of them all. Although Adelaida seemed in perfect condition, Alexey couldn't help but inquire about her well-being. "Are you okay?"
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Adelaida smiled warmly at her sister. "I missed you too Lexey." And she had, although being so preoccupied with hiding from the newcomers and the coyotes had kept her too mind busy to know just how much she ached for her family. She hadn’t realized just how lonely she had felt until now. Something that had been laying heavily on her heart had been lift. She was no longer a stranger in her own lands, because she had her sister and friend now. Many of the worries that plagued her had melted away in moments, all problems were put on the back burner.
Yet Alexey’s next question sent them rushing back. Adelaida’s eyes widened and her heart beat faster at the mere mention of the coyotes. The sick feeling that had been following her around tried to work it’s way back into her stomach, but she pushed it away. She wasn’t alone anymore, it wasn’t as bad as it had been before. "Coyotes? Well yes actually. A lot more than use to roam around her. Actually there is a whole clan of them, though I don’t know how many members they have." Still, the clan had to be big enough to pose a threat to the other packs, Iskata had said that even if the packs tried they wouldn’t be able to run the coyotes off. Adelaida paused, perhaps she shouldn’t mention it, after all the incident with the coyote hadn’t been too horrible, not compared to the shape shifter she had seen. "I actually ran into one of the coyotes... on a beach... but the coyotes aren’t the worst of it." How could she explain the luperci to her sister? She had barely believe Umbra when he had told her, not until she had seen one for herself.
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Alexey hadn't expected an answer of the sort. Of course, she'd been aware that the coyote population had risen a little, but for them to have an actual clan meant they were quite a few. She nodded absentmindedly, now only semi listening to what Adelaida was saying. The sisters needed to come up with some kind of elaborate plan to use under emergency circumstances, just in case the yotes felt courageous enough to try anything funny. Luckily, Ade wasn't alone anymore. They were together now, and Lexey was there to help if anything bad was to occur.
However, Adelaida's next affirmation was a direct blow to the red-hued femme's composure. Not only had her sibling run into a coyote, but she spoke of something worse. Could it be? Were those two-legged freaks more than just a myth? Alexey remained quiet, mentally debating whether she wanted to know more about them or not. Maybe ignorance was bliss after all. The two-year-old stood there agape, not knowing what to do or say. "What are you talking about, sis?", seemed to be the only inquiry that made sense. Before the other female could reply, Lexey finally made her way toward her. She couldn't do much but try to lighten up the atmosphere. It was then that she playfully nipped at her sister's left ear, attempting to take some gravity away from the situation.
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Adelaida’s mind spun, trying to think of how to explain those freaks to her sister. Trying not to think of that freak Natt who had threatened her with a knife. As her sister’s playful nip landed on the tip of her ear, Adelaida shudder. She did not mean too, but Alexey’s attempts at lightening the mood did not alleviate the sickness Adelaida felt at the memory. Although Natt had not been outright hostile, more of a passive “don’t try anything funny” sort, the encounter still cemented in her mind that shapeshifters were no good, low down, dirty, horrible creatures. Logically Adelaida knew that normal wolves too, could be “bad” people, but she had never had any negative incidents with normal wolves. And normal wolves did not tower feet above you and wield a knife.
Swallowing hard, her cool blue eyes locking into Lexey’s warm honey ones. "There are these creatures here now. They can walk on two legs and they can use their hands and they are so big. Really big." Adelaida remembered the fear of seeing Natt, even without the knife she had been terrifying because based on size alone the strange female could have taken her out. Trying to remember how Umbra had explained them to her, she struggled for what to call them, not knowing the words luperci or were herself. "A wolf I met called them shape shifters, and he said that they can look like us too. Normal wolves. That we could run into them and never know if they were on or not. " Adelaida took a deep breath. She hate that she got so worked up over this, but the memory of Natt was still fresh and she still puzzled over how such creatures could really exist. They seemed like something out of a fairy tale, or a horror story.
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Alexey felt shame and dissapointment. She was disappointed with her failed attempts to cheer her sister up, and ashamed that she had so selfishly allowed Adelaida to come home alone. Seeing her own blood relative in such a state of panic was a direct blow to her heart. She couldn't help but apologize, feeling entirely responsible for everything Ade had gone through. A part of her kept wondering if perhaps her sister's imagination and loneliness had triggered any hallucinations, making things seem worse than they really were. After all, giant two-legged wolves did seem far-fetched. However, Pickles and his rodent friends had mentionned something similar to what Ade was talking about, making her stories somewhat more plausible. Alexey preferred believing it all; it was highly unlike her sister to lie about such things, and she was far from crazy. "I believe you sis." Her tone of voice was meek, powerless. The Kiois female pushed her nose through Adelaida's coat, nuzzling her neck affectionately. She would not inquire about such things anymore, not tonight atleast. Seeing her sibling this upset over this was not worth it.
"Are you staying in the old den?" Changing the topic of conversation was the right thing to do, and besides, her question wasn't completely pointless. Lexey was exhausted, and she wanted to know whether she'd have to get used to a new home or not. It seemed they would be spending the night here anyway, the storm was still going strong. Pickles was already fast asleep at Adelaida's feet, his little body curled up around her left front paw.
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I hadn’t any real place in mind for the den, since Adelaida hadn’t been back to pick it, so any real preference on where to put it? Or we can have it were one of the claimed lands are and have the girls be all like “Noooo  “
Adelaida smiled at her sister, as best as she could. Her sister did not dismiss her, did not laugh at the story, yet she wouldn’t have had to wonder why if her sister had. Even after seeing one of these creatures, it was hard to wrap one’s mind around it. Adelaida closed her eyes and exhaled, returning her sister’s embrace. Relax. Relax. Relax. Adelaida was alive and well, Alexey was home, Pickles was sleeping peacefully with his warm body curled around her paw. And no one would bother them tonight, not here, not with the storm raging outside. She could just relax, could stop panicking, which only made matters seem worse than they really were. It was time to just relax and listen to the rain beating over head.
Alexey’s next question surprised Adelaida, though it shouldn’t have. "Why no, I hadn’t gone back to it. I haven’t really settled down anywhere permanent, I suppose I was just so surprised by all the new wolves that I didn’t think about it. I’ve been trying to learn about all the new wolves and coyotes and at the same time stay out of there way. Slipped my mind." Adelaida hated to admit that to her sister, and hated to realize that she really hadn’t thought about the den the whole time she had been home. Of course before arriving home she had envisioned herself returning to the den, curling up and falling asleep before anything else. Yet that plan had been forgotten when the shock and curiosity of the new arrivals had taken it’s place. Now, however, the longing was back. She wanted to see the den again, make sure it was still there and that no one else had claimed it for their own home. "Let’s go tomorrow, after the storm has cleared up, alright?"
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To be continued in thread number 2?
Alexey too, closed her eyes and relaxed as her sister returned the warm embrace. It was better to simply get some rest now, as they had a very important mission coming up . The golden-eyed female was looking forward to it, though she wasn't quite sure how she'd react if someone had claimed the family den during their lengthy absense. "Sounds good to me.", she replied simply. Her gaze riveted up to the ceiling, examining the small holes allowing water to infiltrate the building not too far from where they were standing. "You might want to sleep in the back of the cabin, seems to be dry over there." That being said, the two-year-old gently picked up her pseudo-child by the scruff of his neck and carried him to the designated sleeping spot. Her previous actions inadvertently woke the rodent up as soon as the warmth of Adelaida's paw faded, which led him to complain a little. However, the whining stopped as soon as Alexey put him down and curled up around his body. She then looked up at her sibling, silently beckoning her to get some rest too.
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Yes. Once we get someone who wants to thread with us.
Adelaida smiled at her sister. The fear completely left her for now. They had a plan, and they had each other and life was starting to look up. Azure eyes followed her sister’s movements, her heart warming as Lexey lifted pickles like a child, and for a fleeting moment Adelaida wondered what it be like to have puppies around. They were grown now, which one of them would make the other an aunt first? Perhaps neither, it’d be harder to find a proper mate and a proper place to birth and raise puppies if coyotes and shifters were abundant. Shaking the thought from her mind she cheerily nodded at her sister and padded after them. The cabin wasn’t the best option, but it was dry enough, and they would find something better. Maybe even the old den. Hopefully the old den. Dropping herself gently by her sister, mindful of Pickles, Adelaide curled herself into a ball, sweeping her tail over her feet. "Goodnight Lexey... thank you for coming home."
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