Where the wolves meet (priv rp with Val)

Vasishta - Young Adult Female - Margārīta Pack - Scout
Location: Mountain Base - Interacting with: n/a

in the midst of the light rain, a wolf padded along the edge of the river that ran down the mountains. her silky fur was slicked back from the water and small droplets began to freeze at the base of her tail. vasishta's head hung low as the carefully watched the glittering waters. not for any fish, of course, the hunters were probably gathering enough of those, but for pretty mussels and shells.

scouting by itself was a bore. all the rocks and trees of the mountain looked the same to her. but the pretty shells she'd find on her journeys made it tolerable. it also gave her a chance to be alone. away from the chatter and squabbles between her 'packmates'.

it still didn't feel natural to call them that. they all lived and cared for each other, yes, but the dynamics still felt off. to vasishta, and probably the other wolves, it still felt like a group of disconnected wolves from eight other packs. it still didn't feel 'united'. and it most likely wouldn't be for a long time..

Vasishta - Young Adult Female - Margārīta Pack - Scout
Location: Mountain Base - Interacting with: n/a

vasishta snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed something glittering at the bottom of the river bed. up ahead, lodged between two rocks was a black spiral snail shell that had lighter mottling and without hesitation, she dove into the river's waters.

since the rain had already soaked her pelt enough, she didn't react to the river's slightly colder temperature. she swam down to the riverbed, feeling weightless in the water. while she missed the ocean, she did like how the freshwater didn't sting her eyes as much. using her teeth, vasishta lodged the shell from out of the rocks and swam back up.

the wolf exited on the other side of the river, shell still between her teeth. vasishta first shook her pelt free of the excess water before turning her head and noticing another wolf just downwind. their pelt resembled her freshly caught shell and they looked to be alone so she kept her distance, taking on neither an aggressive or extremely friendly stance. she watched them to see what they would do and hopefully they weren't aggressive.

Vasishta - Young Adult Female - Margārīta Pack - Scout
Location: Mountain Base - Interacting with: Vera

vasishta relaxed slightly when she other wolf noticed her and didn't immediately attack. hopefully she wasn't in their territory or something like that- she still had no idea about the wolf etiquette in the mountains. she'd only ever seen glimpses of the local wolves. she honestly felt like a newborn pup, learning everything for the first time. how to get around, how to hunt, everything seemed so different from her previous life.

not wanting to seem rude, vasishta dropped her shell and held it down with her paw before speaking,
"i hope i am not intruding on your territory, am I?"
it was clear from how she spoke that she wasn't local. but her tone was kind and bright, friendly even.

Vasishta - Young Adult Female - Margārīta Pack - Scout
Location: Mountain Base - Interacting with: n/a

the wolf's ear flicked in curiosity when the other mentioned they were a loner. vasishta always wondered how life as a loner was. it must certainly be much quieter than pack life. maybe more peaceful. but certainly much harder.

"i see," vasishta replied before softly chuckling at the last question.
"yes, I very much am. is it so obvious?"

maybe the other wolf was familiar with the area and the wolves who lived there. or maybe vasishta stuck out like a urchin in a bed of sea shells. at least she didn't smell like the ocean anymore.

Vasishta - Young Adult Female - Margārīta Pack - Scout
Location: Mountain Base - Interacting with: Vera

vasishta took a moment to glance at her own pelt before making a soft 'oh' sound. yes, it was much thinner than any mountain wolf's fur should be. it was also quite glossy, a trait from her and her ancestors fish-heavy diet.

"no, you're correct," she replied, turning her head back to the other wolf, "i've never noticed that. i'm not much suited for the mountains."

realizing that she forgot to introduce herself, the wolf dipped her head. "i am vasishta of the margārīta." there was the smallest bit of hesitance when she said her pack name. she still wasn't used to it. all her life she had said 'ābi' when asked what her pack was. "we are rather new to this area so apologies if i'm not familiar with the customs here."