my heart is as cold as the clouds of your breath
#1
The Dampwoods.[html]
They don't tell you what to say
when your whole life has gone to hell.


It was absolutely amazing how fast little Valkyrie was growing. She had quickly outgrown the small pouch that Ryan had sewn for her, and already her eyes were open and she was speaking very simple words. She was the cutest thing, and Ryan’s heart melted whenever she saw the child. Her eyes were a brilliant blue and her fur had began to change slightly, and Ryan wondered how much of her appearance and personality would come from her god forsaken father. She had still yet to tell Hybrid the news, and wasn’t sure when and if she ever would.


At about three weeks now, Valkyrie was allowed to take small excursions from the den. Only a few meters outside and only for very brief instances. Ryan was still worried about the cold and wanted to protect Val from any harm that was threatening to rob her. This little girl now was everything to the young de le Poer. She wasn’t going to let anyone ruin that.


She tucked Val into some soft skins, and then set out of the den. Valkyrie had shown some interest in trying meat, so Ryan figured she would bring some back for the girl. Wrapping the cloak around her frame, Ryan wandered to the dampwoods, thinking she might have better luck finding some small game to fell.

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#2
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Eee! -Rushes something out before she has to go to class.- We needed a thread, though. |:


----------faster, faster.. the lights are turnin' red

Maserati's black nose wriggled like something fierce as her twin red eyes squinted at the feminine form in the distance. Having been to Inferni recently, she easily recognised the scent. Having paid attention to her father's words, she easily recognised the description. While the young pup might have originally caught her off guard, she had Savina's word that her half sister recently had a daughter. Everything seemed to match up; her subconscious was begging her to submit to her rising excitement but logic told her to remain neutral, at least until the stranger's identity was confirmed.
Finally realising that sneaking around hiding behind the dead trees (which only provided mediocre cover, at best) might not be the best tactic around any new mother in general, the decorated woman stepped forward. Ryan, or who she thought might be Ryan, was still out of talking distance. She sounded a quick, curious bark, her head tipped to one side. The message was simple enough: May I come closer? Her tail swayed gently behind her as she awaited a response--her posture was calm and friendly. Un-shifted as usual (she opted for two legs when there was work to be done, and little otherwise) she hoped she'd appear non-threatening enough.
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#3
Sorry this is short and crappy, but thanks for joining! Whee~! I'm currently on a music binge and cannot stop singing for like five minutes to even type something decent. Go me.[html]
They don't tell you what to say
when your whole life has gone to hell.


The noise caught her off guard and, for a moment, Ryan thought that perhaps Valkyrie had trailed along behind her all the way from their den in Inferni. She turned to look behind her and was relieved to find that her daughter wasn’t there. But then…? Ryan looked up, and then around her. She hadn’t even noticed before the other feminine form that now stood out so plainly against the white dotted scenery. "Hello," Ryan called out, taking a few steps towards the stranger. She couldn’t tell who they were, but obviously they meant no harm. Otherwise they wouldn’t have alerted Ryan so politely, right?

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#4
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----------faster, faster.. the lights are turnin' red

After receiving the go ahead to come over, Maserati trotted over lightly with a bit more spring to her step than usual. Side by side, only the hue of their eyes would reveal their common genetics. This thought struck her queerly for a moment as she neared Ryan--her half-sibling looked much more coyote than either herself or Anselm, and she could only figure Anselm had been nondescript with the ladies when it came to conceiving his children. The marked girl hardly resembled her father herself--she much took after her mother. Anselm had a much more powerful figure, whereas Maserati was (extra) fine tuned for agility and speed. Her coat also matched her biological mother's, as Gale had eventually told her. It was pure coincidence that Kendra, her adopted mother, also sported a dark coat.
Top of the afternoon, to yeh! she exclaimed once she figured she was in comfortable talking distance. Pardon me for pesterin', but yeh wouldn't happen to be Ryan de le Poer, now would yeh? Deciding it was rude to know someone else's name without them knowing hers, she quickly introduced herself. Oi'm Maserati. de le Poer. Oi guess. She flashed a sheepish smile as she shrugged and took a seat. In the back of her mind, she prayed she wasn't wrong--if this were anyone but Ryan they'd probably think her mad for approaching and acting so 'needlessly' enthused. Her head cocked up at the towering optime's figure as she awaited a response.
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#5
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They don't tell you what to say
when your whole life has gone to hell.


She was surprised, to say the least, at the accent that accompanied the words. It wasn’t like anything Ryan had heard before and, instantly, she love it. "Good morning," she responded, a light smile finding her features now. Somehow, she seemed easily put at ease next to this stranger. Maybe it was because she knew who Ryan was? Or so it seemed..? "I'm Ryan." Her brows twisted, confused. "Do… I know you?" But then the other girl introduced herself and things made a bit more sense. Not that she understood any better who she was, but the fact that they were related somehow explained why this girl was asking for her.


"Maserti, huh? Who.. do you belong to?" She knew of Corona, and Gabriel, and had even met Ahren. But she hadn’t seen this girl nor heard her name before. And now that they were standing closer to one another, she could tell that there was no strong scent of Inferni.

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#6
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----------faster, faster.. the lights are turnin' red

Ah; so this was her! Excellent. Her elusive sibling was perhaps the one Maserati was most interested in finding for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, she loved her brother dearly and could only imagine she could come to care for her sister as much, as well. They were both about the same age, too--up until this point in her life, her brother was the only one she saw regularly who was not several years older than herself. Second, it would be nice to have a female companion. Her brother all but holed himself up on the topic of Anselm, and secretly Maz was desperate to actually talk with someone to sort her feelings out--Ryan seemed like the best candidate of all, as she wasn't sure a random stranger would really understand or connect with the situation.
The same one as yehself! We're half sisters, she answered promptly with an excited grin. The smile faded and her tone became more serious as she spoke next, but her eyes remained soft. Anselm wanted me to find yeh. She wasn't entirely sure how Ryan would respond to this information--would she be happy, upset, or mad that he'd gone away and didn't have the balls to face her himself? Maserati wasn't sure, but she resolved no matter what she was going to see this through to the end; even if their father was absent, they could always be there for each other.
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#7
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They don't tell you what to say
when your whole life has gone to hell.


"Whaa?" Ryan responded, though a broad grin broke across her face. "Half sisters, huh?" She asked enthusiastically. Though she obviously had another mother and maybe even more siblings, Ryan instantly felt a connection. She couldn’t help herself. She took a seat on the ground as well, eager to hear more. "Anselm sent you?" She had wondered about her father and where he had gone off to. She wanted desperately for him to meet his granddaughter and at the time things had been well, she had wanted him to meet DaVinci. "Is he alright? Is he coming home?" She knew of course that he wouldn’t be, at least not right now. He wouldn’t have sent a messenger if he had intentions of returning.


She studied Maserati a bit closer now, noting the identical color of their eyes they had received from their father. Everything else, though, was vastly different. Ryan had inherited more coyote genes and it was clear that Maz was similar to Anselm in that she had more wolf in her blood. She silently wondered about who Maserati’s mother was and if her story was similar to that of Ryan and Lené.

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#8
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----------faster, faster.. the lights are turnin' red

Not yet, though Oi'm personally of the opinion he'd do well to, she said, her nose crinkled a bit and her tone somewhat flat. 'e is apparently on some great mission now to figure out how many of us exist. After he left here he found me 'n my brather first; Oi'm not exactly sure when he intends to stop. She rolled her eyes a bit; what, exactly, was Anselm hoping to accomplish? If he'd left his kids for dead, they'd either already died or figured out their own way to survive. It all seemed pretty ridiculous to her--not to mention it usurped wolves like her who'd done quite well in his absence.
Well anyway, Oi think what he really wanted yeh to know is this: he's sorry that he vanished, he does intend to come back, 'n he doesn't want yeh to think he got mad an' ran off. Although 'e would never say it 'imself, Oi personally think he's more scared than anything. No; Anselm wasn't exactly the sort to admit or submit to fear. He was regrouping, in a sense, as he tried to figure out the best course of action. Maz felt he'd eventually realise it was best to make up for lost time where he was wanted or needed (i.e. here) and that until then, he was just making an ass of himself. Honestly, what adult wolf was so genuinely surprised that his previous sexual encounters may have yielded children?? Still, she had to give him credit for trying; at least he intended to come back here and he wasn't running away entirely.
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#9
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They don't tell you what to say
when your whole life has gone to hell.


"Hmm," Ryan hummed, taking a moment to take it all in. She was thrilled that she had a sister and that there was a possibility of there being even more. Of course she would have preferred a more common union between her mother and father, but who wouldn’t? She took what she could get, she supposed. Now that both her parents had gone and things were rocky with DaVinci, Ryan only had Valkyrie to hold onto. She wondered if because Maz was a messenger, if she would be returning to wherever she came from. Ryan hoped that maybe she would stick around for awhile and she could get to know the sister she had never had.


"Well I’m glad that he’s alright. I was surprised when I finally realized he wasn’t around anymore. It was strange – no word or anything. But he's alright, so then I guess it doesn’t matter. And a sister!" She beamed, looking towards Maserati if perhaps she had known her all her life. "Wow. Do you plan to stay around here for awhile, or are you heading home?" Wherever home was for her.


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#10
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-Swats at midterms.- Baaah D:


----------faster, faster.. the lights are turnin' red

Ryan did one better than taking the news in stride--she actually seemed quite pleased with what she had. Immediately, then, Maz found her quite respectable and down to earth. Although the petite girl could talk and get along with nearly anybody, she had to admit she preferred the stable up-beat folks. Already she too felt as though they'd known each other much longer than the five minutes of reality. And why not? Even if their lives had been running two separate courses up until this point, there was a strange parallel in their paths and it just seemed to fit now that they had finally crossed.
Oi've got a project Oi wanna complete before goin' back, she said simply. 'n at any rate, it'd be noice ta stick around 'n get to know yeh, she offered with a smile. Ta some extent Oi really don't know what to make of the whole thing, anyway.. my brother wasn't much for talkin' 'bout it. She shrugged a bit and looked at Ryan expectantly--hopefully her half-sister wasn't as stuffy with emotions. Maybe it made sense in her brother's world, but she figured it only made him more grumpy. Hah; perhaps he simply took after his father more than she did. Either way, wasn't it best to get these things out in the open so you could deal with them?
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#11
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They don't tell you what to say
when your whole life has gone to hell.


Though she had mentioned her brother a few moments before, Ryan hadn’t noticed with the news of Anselm’s existence. She knew he was alright, but she did find herself worrying at times. With one parent lost, she didn’t want to believe that the other had also perished and permanently abandoned her. But no, Anselm was alright. And Ryan would see him again one day, or at least she would hold onto that idea. But Maz’ words now piqued Ryan’s interest once more. A brother! She had a brother too! And whether or not they we’re half related, Ryan would still consider him family. It was great to see this family tree sprouting from seemingly nothing. The smile across her face couldn’t help but broaden. "A brother," she finally vocalized, looking to Maserati expectantly as if she could somehow produce him from thin air. "So he knows about all of this too?" The fact that he wasn’t much for talking about it disheartened Ryan for a moment, but she was glad that at least she had her sister in front of her.


"Have you only just come? Have you seen Inferni?" She didn’t meant to bombard Maserati with questions, but the excitement was really beginning to bubble. "Our dad used to be a leader there, you know," she informed her, smiling that her word of possession wasn’t exclusively ‘my’ now. "That’s where I live, with my daughter." Ryan suddenly beamed. "You have a niece!" Oh, all of this was so great.

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#12
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----------faster, faster.. the lights are turnin' red

Maserati knew her brother would never fault Ryan; he'd probably get on with her alright, honestly, as it was just Anselm that he was grumpy about. Admittedly, the dark coated girl could see where he was coming from: it was a little uncalled for him to come barging into their lives long enough to throw everything into the air then leave. Yeh; Oi don't think 'e was even very happy 'bout me leavin' to come 'ere. But.. to be completely honest, Oi think Oi did it more for you 'n Gabriel than Anselm. Without even having spoken to Gabe yet, already she was quite glad that she had come. She shrugged a little, not meaning to make things awkward. It was true, though; neither she nor her brother owed the golden wolf a thing. Anselm did owe the folks here an explanation, though, and deep down Maserati wished to clarify things a little for their sake. Besides, this had to be the best excuse for an adventure vacation she could possibly come across!
Oh! That Oi have. No offence to yeh all, but the exterior decoratin' ain't very noice. She frowned a little bit--if she thought about it, she could still see the hollow eyes of the wolf skulls staring back at her. It might have caused her to shudder, but it still wasn't cool. 's alroight though. Oi can see yeh out 'round 'ere Oi guess. She guessed? Nay; she really had no intention of stepping near Inferni again... or any other pack around here, save maybe Savina's (since she'd been invited). Oi'd love to meet 'er sometime! Actually, Oi met a very love-ly girl when Oi came 'ere; Savina. We got to talkin' and she mentioned Valkyrie, she said lightly, by now a grin back on her face and her tail swaying wildly behind her.
Must admit, though, yeh make me feel a bit behind! she laughed, although the joke had some truth in it. Was she supposed to be having kids already? She'd barely just begun to give thought to the idea of a mate! Oi don't imagine yeh are much older than Oi am, eh? Oi'm about a year 'n a half. My birthday's in July. Where did yeh grow up? Here, she stopped her assault of questions; there was just so much "catching up" to do!
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#13
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They don't tell you what to say
when your whole life has gone to hell.


Ryan chuckled to Maserati’s comment about Inferni’s decorating. No one could object that it was a little morbid. It hadn’t really bothered Ryan that much, and she still remembered running her fingers along the smooth bone when she had first come to Inferni. Though, through others’ eyes, she could see how it could be unsettling and not so welcoming. Inferni did have its reputation. Frankly, Ryan thought what she heard about her clan was a bit exaggerated. She had never personally experienced any of the awful things people had whispered. "I guess it isn’t so lovely," Ryan admitted, nodding. "But you’re right, there’s plenty of places to get together outside of the clan’s borders. The city, especially. Have you been there? I haven’t really explored as much as I’d like."


The mention of Ryan’s best friend made her heart lift. "Oh! You’ve met Savina? Isn't she just a wonderful girl! We’ve been friends ever since I met her, and she’s always so understanding of things. Really, she’s pretty much the only person I feel I could tell anything to. Especially now since dad’s gone and I don’t really know that many people around here personally." She was related to practically all of Inferni one way or another, but still, she hadn't really connected with much of them. Lately, being pregnant and all, she had steered clear of much interaction.


"I make you feel behind!" Ryan laughed, shaking her head. "Well, I have to admit I wasn’t really ready for it. But, I guess you take what life gives you. I was born in August, so you’re just barely older than me! That’s so close together. It’s strange that dad found different woman in that time." She paused to think about it. "He must have been with my mother while yours was pregnant with you." This, however, didn’t really bother Ryan too much. She had never really learned sincere values from Lené. "I grew up all over the place. Not one spot in particular. Mom and I always traveled around. What about you?"

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#14
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-Finally has time to post!- Seriously, fuck school.


----------faster, faster.. the lights are turnin' red

Ah, yes, the city. The crimson-accented woman was optimistic and hopeful when she thought of that city. There were a handful of random towns around the Outpost and she'd always enjoyed the various literature and knick-knacks she found amongst the rubble. Halifax sounded even more glorious--once she'd gone, she was quite certain she would be swallowed up by the looming buildings and entranced by their treasures for days. Oi'm gonna check it out shortly, yea. There's a couple 'f things Oi'm hoping to find there, but I wanted t'make sure Oi caught up with yeh first.. 'n maybe Gabriel. She had to keep her priorities straight.
Maz shook her head and rolled her eyes slightly at the thought of Anselm running amok, impregnating various females at random. What, had he just hit puberty or something? Although she didn't find it particularly objectionable from a moral standpoint, she did find it kind of irresponsible. Then again, it took two to tango--presumably their mothers had been well aware he would later vanish and they'd be left bearing the brunt of childrearing on their own. For it all, Anselm hadn't been deceptive on that front... though Maserati herself had no way of knowing. She almost wished she could find her birth mother (if she were even alive) and ask her some questions; she wasn't sure any answers she got from Anselm would be very straightforward. So it went.
Oi dun know my birth mother, 's it turns out. She left me 'n Detroit in the care of my adopted family when we were just born. Kendra 'n Gale are my real parents, 's far as Oi'm concerned. Oi grew up with them 'n a handful of others--Gale's brother Ross 'n their friend Bran. They were all from a place overseas called Ireland. Other than that some drifters came 'n went, toward the end before Oi left there was a dingo named Boomer from another place called Australia. We all lived southwest 'f here and further inland. It was a really peaceful area. Her tone was warm as she reflected on her youth, but now her voice dropped slightly: Oi'd always thought it was perfect growin' up, 'n now it's weird convincin' myself it wasn't all a lie. She'd enjoyed it there and knew she would return once she was ready. For now, she was very content having found her half-sister. Ryan would be her default companion while she was here, although Savina and Lubomir might be close seconds. So far, she hadn't met anyone she didn't like... though that may have been luck. As long as she stayed out of the packs' fur and out of anybody's way, she would be fine.
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#15
Auhgreed. [html]
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"Hmm," Ryan replied with a soft smile, thinking about Maserati’s vastly different childhood. It was strange to have her here in front of Ryan, her own half sister. She would have never imagined in the rest of her years that she would ever come to find that she had a sibling, let alone two; even if they weren’t entirely her blood. "I guess it makes you wonder," studying the red coloration adorning Maz’s fur, "about what’s possible."


Suddenly Ryan remembered her purpose for having traveled into the Dampwoods. Valkyrie, still very small and only a few weeks old, was tucked away in the soft skins of their den. She had come to fetch some small game, giving Val a look at what eventually would become her primary diet. "Do you mind," she started, lifting herself from the ground and swiping the loose dirt from her coat, "if we look for some food? Just something small, if we can find it. I was gonna bring something back for Val, and I don’t want to leave her alone for too long."




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#16
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Ryan's point made her more sympathetic to Anselm's cause. It was true--she did find it kind of fascinating how her family went from just her, her brother, her adopted parents and her uncle to potentially a whole lot more. Already she had a new father, a half-sister... Well, maybe when Anselm gets back 'e'll be able to tell us, she resolved, feeling more optimistic about the situation than usual.
Oh, certainly! she exclaimed as Ryan explained about Valkyrie. In the back of her mind, she wondered how Ryan managed to find free time for herself. Did she have time to pursue other personal interests or projects, or was life now mostly consumed by providing for her child? She remembered how her crimson-eyed sister said she hadn't been ready... hm, perhaps Maserati wasn't yet, either.
If yeh ever need a day to yourself or somethin', just let me know, too.. she offered. Maserati had helped look after Gale and Kendra's litter a little before she left, so she wasn't completely clueless. Just make sure the puppies don't choke on anything or fall in a river or eat anything poisonous, right?
Should we split up 'n look for hares or something? she wondered, having not noticed any big game particularly in the area. Then again, Ryan was undoubtedly more familiar with the territory than she was (considering how close they were to Inferni). Maybe she knew the regular haunts of a herd or something, but it seemed like she was just looking for something simple and quick: take out to go, please.
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#17
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"Really? Thanks," Ryan responded, nodding her head in agreement. That would be awfully helpful, considering there was no father to pawn Valkyrie off to when Ryan needed some time to herself. Mostly, this didn’t bother her, since the girl was so young and had completely captivated the Inferni woman. But there would be times, she was sure, that she wouldn’t mind getting a puppysitter. "Maybe I'll take you up on that sometime."


"That sounds like a good idea. I was thinking something small like that, just to give her the idea of meat. She seemed a little interested already." She gave a quick scan around them, trying to decide where they could go. "Maybe you could check out that way," she pointed to her left, "and I’ll go this way," and she motioned towards her right. "Uhh, and I’ll call if I find something. Shouldn’t take too long." She grinned then, moving a few steps, before stopping to lean against a tree trunk. "Sound good?" And then the woman did something that was a rarity of her – she began shifting down to four legs.



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#18
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Child-rearing seemed like a full time job. After Gale and Kendra's newest litter had been born, she noticed them both taking a back-seat when it came to general pack maintenance. Fortunately for Bran and Ross, her brother had been more than willing to pick up the slack. Did Inferni support Ryan as much as the members of the Outpost supported Kendra? Sighing inwardly, Maz found herself growing more sympathetic to her nameless mother's folly: abandoning them at such a young age. Surely, if it were difficult to raise children with the help of a pack or a mate, it was damn near impossible to raise them as a non-mated loner. Fair enough. Deep down, the accented woman was very grateful for this meeting--she'd made several realisations that didn't really change anything, but they enhanced her personal understanding and therefore her mood. In that sense, they changed enough.
She could ponder these thoughts more in the future. For now she had to hunt, a task which generally demanded maximum attention. Yup, sounds good! Oi'll do the same, she said before moving and diverging away from her half-sister, leaving her to shift in "private." (She certainly found it odd when others gawked at her while shifting, and sometimes others felt vulnerable in the transition states.) Between the two of them, they ought to be able to find something quickly enough. Automatically she slipped into "hunting mode;" her footfalls came quieter, her hearing was seemingly more sensitive than usual, and her nose tested the air more frequently. Her posture was low and her eyes alert. It did not take her very long to pick up on the scent trail of some kind of rodent and she moved quickly as she sought its source.
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#19
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She dropped the cloak onto the forest floor and slowly began to feel the changes take over her body. The process was one that didn’t take place too often for the girl, but it wasn’t any surprise either. It took her longer than most luperci, she figured, completing the transition about 8 minutes after she had started. She felt no awkwardness to once again be on four paws, and there was this hidden sense of old understanding – as if she had to pick up her bike and remember how to keep herself balanced. After a moment for herself, she stalked off to the right.


Her movements came fluidly once she began moving, and she reminded herself to concentrate on the essentials of hunting. Her breathing softened, her footfall lightened, and her hearing unlocked. This was an entirely new game, and she had to throw her mind set into it.


She caught the scent of cottontail, and instantly slowed her pace. She relied almost entirely on her sense of smell, stalking silently through the woods. When her crimson gaze caught sight of the animal, her muscles stiffened. She waited just a split moment, calculating the perfect strike, and without another moment's hesitation, the lithe coyote frame was pouncing towards the rabbit.




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