{queen of mists} open

[!DETOXi]

AUTUMN mornings had to be the most peaceful time of year. With the sun just barely beginning to turn the eastern horizon pink, the forests that blanketed Mount Sora were quiet. Small mammals slumbered, tucked up in their burrows while bigger beasts such as wolves and those of that ilk dozed in their dens after a long night of hunting. That left the trees standing quietly like silent guardians, their limbs spread wide showing off the vivid coloration of their dying leaves. In the forest, the continuous sound of running water left the whole place feeling like it was caught in a standstill, as if time had stopped having any sort of hold on this place. In the peacefulness of it all, snakes of mist curled from ponds, creeks and streams, weaving between trees and settling like a heavy blanket over the ravines where creeks ran deep and craggy rocks waited to trip up the unknowing traveler. This particular morning, the sky turning a pretty shade of pink-gold, the fog seemed to hang particularly heavy on the forest surrounding the banks of the Quicksilver Stream. It gave the entire area an air of mystery and muffled silence, save for the sound of the fast-flowing stream.

IN this fair early morning glow and curling mist wandered a single four-legged beast. Common sense would dictate that this must be a deer, since little else wandered here that had hooves. Unfortunately, common sense was still slumbering with the small critters and sated predators. Instead of being a lonesome doe in search of grassy meadows, it was a grey mare in search of refreshment.

BEING a fairly large beast, Ally should have made quite a bit of noise as she moved her bulk through the crackly, dying undergrowth. She was as quiet as the mist itself, her hooves perhaps making a soft rustle from time to time as she passed through leaves that were not yet dampened by fog or dew. Her breath was quiet, blowing softly from a velvet soft nose while large knowing brown eyes swept the still forest. She moved at a quite unhurried pace, hoofsteps slow, tail only moving occasionally. Her head was hanging in a neutral almost sleepy looking pose, about level with her withers as she wound her way through the undergrowth. Against the vivid reds and oranges, mild browns and tans, she stood out quite starkly with her untouched grey pelt and graceful height. To ask her if she felt unsafe being so obvious however, would be foolish. Ally always felt calm, always felt that things would be safe as long as she was beyond human hands. Even if a wolf appeared in her path, snarling with the foam of madness on his lips, she would be certain all was well and that she would escape if she was meant to, die if she was not.

THAT mentality was perhaps the reason this mare roamed alone, her oddly mystical air disturbing others. Her lack of concern driving them to believe she was as mad as a loon and her quiet voice uncomfortable to those that were used to the harsh tones of hatred and anger. None of this bothered Ally however. Of course sometimes she felt the touch of loneliness, but then reminded herself that her lonesomeness was what kept her safe. Without someone around, she could not be hurt.

HOOVES finally meeting the smooth stone that lined the banks of the Quicksilver Stream, the mare colored the same as the mist, lowered her head further. Her breath disturbed the rippling stream a bit, though not for long as it rushed along its way. Though she stood quite exposed in the pale morning light and rolling fog, she drank without concern or worry, even letting her deep brown eyes slip closed as she savored the crisp cold refreshment of a clear mountain stream.

[Nic]

As the sun rose to turn the sky a striking pink-gold color a solitary wolf quietly made her way between the large trees that seemed to stand guard over a forest that was bathed in silence, on her way to the banks of Quicksilver Stream. Normally those of her kind would be sleeping, resting up after a night of hunting and wandering in the moonlight but this particular female was different from most of her kind, granted this fact was not overly obvious upon first sight. A myriad of grays was illuminated as the sun’s rays came to rest upon her coat, in the spaces where the foliage of the trees opened up to allow the light to reach to the forest floor beneath, her thick coat gleaming in the sunlight. Jannali was slightly smaller than normal wolves of her species but this was not what set her apart from others of her kind. She had been born frail and as a result tired easily, making her virtually unable to hunt for her own food or even to protect herself from any threat that may appear before her. If not for the fact that her brother hunted for her, leaving offerings of food at the entrance to her den, she would surely have starved to death.

Her frailty and the resulting isolation had combined to turn her into an introverted soul, one who barely spoke and one whose voice was barely above that of a whisper when she did choose to do so. While she longed for the company of others she was too timid to actually make an attempt at befriending any of the other animals of the forest who may have served to cure her loneliness. Since birth her only companions had been her mother and littermate and Jannali had simply never learned to interact with others. This wasn‘t to say that she didn‘t want to, only that she didn‘t exactly know how.

Making her way toward the stream, needing to satiate her thirst, Jannali gazed around through cool, smoky gray eyes. There was the hint of caution held within these orbs, the small female keeping her senses alert for any possible threat. Coming to the stream alone was a risk, since if she were attacked by a larger animal she would have great difficult fighting them off or even running away, but thirst was enough to spur her forward despite the inherent dangers of doing so. Her head was held aloft, ears pricked to filter in the various sounds that were echoing through the forest such as the sound of running water and the happy singing of the birds that flew about overhead, her tail just barely brushing the leaves that blanketed the ground.

Reaching the edge of the forest she lifted her muzzle to sniff the air, hoping that her honed senses would pick up any threat in time for her to make a hasty retreat back into the dense forest. It always paid to be cautious, something that she had learned over the years that she had lived upon this earth. And, as it turned out, her wary approach was not completely without cause. A strange scent did reach her nostrils, causing her to blow out through her nose, but it was one that Jannali couldn’t readily identify; something wholly unfamiliar.

Taking a deep breath she decided to continue on despite the strange scent that hung in the air, her level of fear increasing but not enough as to cause her to turn tail and make a run for it. As she stepped from the cover and relative safety of the forest the first thing that Jannali noticed was another, unfamiliar, animal standing at the stream, drinking deeply from the cool water and seemingly oblivious to it's surroundings. Coming up short Jannali tilted her head slightly to the side and simply gazed at this creature who could almost blend in with the mists that blanketed the area.

[!DETOXi]

IT was a soft rustle of leaves that drew Ally away from her drink. At first, she remained as though oblivious, finishing consuming the cool stream waters before slowly raising her soft grey head. Doe-like brown orbs swept the area as her long silvery tail flicked lazily behind her. Farther up the stream, a few yards along the stony bank, Ally found what had drawn her attention. Standing downwind so that Ally hadn't smelled her approach, was a she-wolf. The mere sight or scent of a wolf would send most wild equines into a state of fear because wolves were known to try and hunt horses. They were sometimes successful in bringing down the slow, injured, ill, young or old but Ally was glad to be none of those things. She was young, it was true, but mature as far as her body structure went. Her muscles were strong and her limbs gracefully long. This wolf would smell her good health and, if it had any common sense, not try to eat her for fear of her sturdy hooves giving it unfortunate broken bones. That more than anything was why Ally didn't simply up and run at the sight of the wolfess.

INSTEAD she stood quietly regarding her stream-mate with quiet eyes. Her tail continued its lazy flicking, ears occasionally twitching when a songbird overhead changed its song. For several moments she let the silence stretch between herself and the wolf as she regarded the hunter fully. The huntress was small, petite by any standard. Of course, wolves were never considered overly large by horses because they were so short but this one was smaller than any mature wolf Ally had ever seen. Breathing in through her soft grey nose however, Ally could smell no milk scent or the lingering scent of a birthden that suggested this was a juvinile wolf. No, this was a mature she-wolf, simply tiny in stature. Another thing Ally noticed, there was now pack scent, no sickly sweet smell of starvation or disease either. Blowing out a soft breath, Ally gave her head a light shake, making her mane flare up for a moment with the motion.

"GOOD morning, night-hunter," Ally nickered, her voice soft, floating like music notes on the morning air. "I trust your hunts this past evening were successful?"

SHE had to be one of the few horses in existance, domestic or wild, that would actually initiate conversation with a wolf. Anyone else that saw or heard such a thing would surely think her more than a little mad. Maybe she was, Ally had never been quite the same as others but she had never let it bother her. Every soul carried a measure of insanity, some just showed it more than others. It had been the cruel hands of humans and their neglect that had brought out this touch of madness in her, though her particular brand of madness was most often labeled as harmless enough. She had never lashed out in violence, though violence was often taken upon her, so most she came across simply blew her off as harmless. They would be right. Unless this wolf raised a claw or fang to strike her, Ally would probably not feel an inkling of fear toward her.

SOMETHING in the wolfess's odd grey eyes also made Ally loath to flee.

[Nic]

One black-tipped ear flicked forward as the mare actually spoke to her, the small she-wolf more than a little surprised by the initiation of conversation. It was true that she was unfamiliar with the creature that stood before her but it had features similar enough to the deer to cause Jannali to assume that some of her species most likely had had cause in the past to attempt to capture her as prey. Gazing into gentle brown eyes Jannali was almost surprised to hear her soft reply to the greeting.

"Good morning," she whined, her whispery quiet voice just barely audible over the noise of the water that was flowing along the riverbed. There was a slight hesitancy to her speech, as well as a small tremor to her voice, but Jannali did her best to hide both of these. Keeping such a close monitor on her words also had a secondary effect. Her ears pricked forward, first the right and then the left, as the she-wolf noted that her words would be fairly difficult for the other creature to make out and she consciously made an effort to raise her overly quiet voice. "Prey has been plentiful as of late."

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a lie. Jannali was far from going hungry but this was due more to her brother’s success as a hunter than her own. Occasionally she could manage to capture a rabbit or some other small prey for herself but it her skills were far from good enough to rely upon. This coupled together with the fact that she had a nonviolent disposition made her skills as a hunter less than desirable. But of course that simply wasn’t something that one went around advertising; weakness of any sort was something that was almost always taken advantage of.

Jannali had learned this lesson well in her youth and had taken it to heart. This was why she held her head high in the proud manner that was a trademark of her kind, her tail casually sweeping about as her gray eyes took in the mare who stood mere yards from her own position. Powerful legs that could easily snap the bones of even the most able bodied of hunters would make this creature a match for any wolf but Jannali didn’t feel even the slightest inclination to attack.

Instead her gaze held a look of intrigue as she held her position, not backing away or making any move to flee back to the forest but at the same time hesitant to step forward. Even though there was a yearning look in her eyes that spoke of the fact that she would like to do just that.

[!DETOXi]

STRICTLY speaking, Ally had never met a wolf before. She had seen dogs, the tamed descendents of wolves, but mostly from a distance. She knew they barked, were very loud, often quite mean and had teeth that were all too willing to nip at her heels. Her old human had owned a dog, a grumpy old thing that had done nothing to help her when her human got violent. That was when she had learned to dislike dogs and all their barking noise. This, however, was a new experience, speaking to a wolf. She had assumed any ancient ancestor of a dog would be dumb, violent and rough voiced. This tiny huntress was far from what Ally had expected, but she wasn't going to let her surprise show. For all she knew, this wolf was as much an outcast of her kind as Ally was of hers. Even though she'd gone feral from her domestic past, she still bore the weighty name of a horse meant for the ring, she had the pure bloodlines and temperment of a horse used to human hands even though she feared them. The wild horses didn't often take kindly to once tame horses, even if they went completely wild. For a domestic horse to survive in a wild setting, they had to completely smother their past. While Ally didn't advertise her former ownership, it seemed the wild ones she came across could still tell it was there.

IN the huntress's whispery voice, Ally couldn't help but find a similarity in them. This wolf acted less like a wolf and more like a dog that had been beaten into silence by the rough hands of a human. At the same time, for some reason, Ally could see this wolf quite happily munching on the odd dog food her human used to give the old dog. The stuff had looked and smelled horrible, even when Ally was on the brink of starving, but oddly she could see this wolf happily taking freely offered food of any kind. She wasn't necessarily starving but...the grey mare tried to conjure an image of this she-wolf hunting and simply couldn't do it. That in itself was unusual, since Ally was known for her broad imagination. After all, she spent most of her time in wistful fantasies.

"I am glad your belly is full. Once winter sets in, I hope it can remain so," Ally whinied, ambling to the left away from the stream a bit to a patch of grass left uncovered by leaves. Lowering her head, the mare nibbled on the drying blades, absentmindedly missing the sweet blades of spring's first shoots. Still, this was better than the barren lack of food that the first snows would bring, when ice smothered the grass completely and blanketed even the fastest streams. Head still low, Ally turned her head to regard the wolfess. "Come closer friend, we are not pray here. My name is Ally."

TURNING her head back to the grass, Ally took another delicate bite, chewing the blades contemplatively. Something was odd about this wolfess, something Ally couldn't quite put her hoof on. With a mental shrug, she let it go. Who was she to judge anyone when her own kind considered her such an oddity? She was no one to judge, only one to offer comfort and an odd companionship when someone dared to face her oddness. A soft breeze caressed Ally's neck, tugging at the fine strands of her white mane, skimming along her strong legs and velvet soft flanks. Savoring the feel, the mare continued her morning meal, only a quarter of an ear even on the wolf for she had no fear of attack. Perhaps it was madness, perhaps it was trust, whatever it was Ally was not bothered by it.

[Nic]

Jannali blinked a couple of times, tilting her head first to the left and then to the right in a gesture very similar to a dog that was being spoken to by a human. The fact that this creature… Ally she had said her name was… seemed completely unafraid of her was something to marvel at. That and the fact that she seemed openly friendly despite the predatory nature of Jannali’s species was more than a little confusing to the she-wolf. This confusion shone plainly in her gray eyes, which her brother had told her had always shone her emotions even when she was trying to hide them. Was this some kind of attempt to draw her in closer so that Ally could attack with those obviously powerful limbs? This was one of the first thoughts that entered into Jannali’s mind but she banished it almost as soon as it appeared, shaking her head slightly. She wasn’t certain exactly why she felt this way but the wolfess got the impression that Ally wasn’t out to harm her.

There was even something in her speech and mannerisms that hinted at the fact that the two of them may have more in common than either would think upon first impression.

Dipping her head and lapping at the cool water with her pale pink tongue Jannali satiated her thirst, using this time to think over her course of action and decide on what to do. A choice had to be made and in this instance Jannali would have to decide which to listen to; instinct born from her ancestors or the desire to have someone to talk to. Raising her head and allowing drops of water to drip from her muzzle and back to the river from which they had came, Jannali hesitated only briefly before making her decision. Stepping forward, her paws falling almost silently on the rocks that lined the river bank, the she-wolf padded over to the grassy spot where Ally was now grazing.

The fact that Ally seemed to harbor absolutely no fear of her went a long way toward helping Jannali reach the decision to approach. She was accustomed to most other animals fleeing at her approach, before she even had the chance to say or do anything, but this mare was different. She seemed completely at ease in the presence of the she-wolf and this more than anything served to put Jannali at ease as well.

Which, she had to admit, was a good feeling.

Coming to a stop within a few feet of the mare Jannali whined, her voice still quiet, “Very pleased to meet you Ally. I am called Jannali or Janna if you prefer.”

[!DETOXi]

THE mention of the huntress's name caused Ally to raise her head a bit and regard the femme. She was standing a few feet away, looking confused but still at ease. Ah, that seemed to be the norm when Ally was around. Everyone was confused by her, though she didn't do it intentionally. This unusual beast that had once been named Atlantic Treasure was just what the world had turned her into. She had lived in fear for years, fear of being struck, fear of starving, fear of the dogs, fear of the small spaces. If she let herself live in fear now when she was free of those things, she might as well have stayed in that silly pen with the angry human and grumpy dog. Maybe that was what made everyone so uneasy, her lack of fear? Don't get her wrong, Ally did feel fear, but she felt fear about very few things. Storms and humans were her main causes of true fear but she had always had those. The ones the man had introduced to her, such as the fear of small spaces, could be contained. As long as she was surrounded by the forest, able to move and roam she felt calm. There were a great many things Ally didn't like, dogs and wolves were one of those, but if she let those things get to her all the time she would never get anywhere with her life. That was why she hadn't fled right away when the wolfess appeared, that was why she had yet to flee even as the canine drew closer. Lack of fear because what would happen would happen, regardless of what she tried to do about it.

"PLEASED to meet you Janna," Ally nickered, whisking her tail and bobbing her head a bit.

LEANING forward a little, Ally breathed in, her grey nostrils flaring as she took in the wolfess's scent. The smells of earth, plants and a recent kill wafted over the mare. She chose to ignore the smell of red meat, though it made her skin crawl. Scent was important to all animals, including horses, so if she ever met this she-wolf again she would be able to greet her by name, she had to take in her scent. What mildly surprised Ally was the lingering scent of a male. His scent was close to Janna's so he must have been family but as far as she could tell there weren't any other scents. Pulling back her head so the wolfess wouldn't become offended or something, Ally raised her head and breathed in the breeze. No hint of the male was on the wind. Reassured that there would be no surprise attacks, Ally lowered her head though not to graze. This time, it was just to be on level with the petite wolfess.

FLICKING her ears toward the wolf, Ally regarded the wolfess quietly for a moment. "Tell me, why do you speak so softly when you have a lovely voice?"

IT was true, the she-wolf had a fair voice unlike the rough one that Ally had expected from a wolf. So many dogs she had come across barked themselves hoarse and thus had rough voices or were old and gravelly. This wolf had a soft wisp of a voice that, surely if she spoke up more often would be strong and clear like the waters of the nearby stream. Not to mention Ally had often heard wolves howling in the hills and forests when night came, announcing their hunts or just howling for the joy of it. Because of this, the grey mare had simply assumed the voice was important to a wolf, a symbol of strength perhaps. Despite her small size, Ally wouldn't have thought Janna to be on the lower end of the order of things, since wolves always were depicted as often fighting for power and not being willing to accept low standings.

[Nic]

This casual exchange of words was serving to put Jannali more at ease the longer that she remained near Ally and the she-wolf’s posture visibly relaxed. Her ears dropped the slightest degree, no longer in a fully upright position but instead tilted slightly in a rather charming manner. Sitting down on her haunches and wrapping her tail around her, the appendage just long enough for her to cover her front paws with it, Jannali gave some thought to the question that had been posed to her. As well as to the compliment that had been paid. Truthfully she had never given much thought to the reasons behind her whispery quiet voice which was most likely the reason why she found herself unable to answer the question right away. Mikae had often told her that she should speak up, that the other wolves that they occasionally encountered would treat her with more respect if she made herself heard and her desires and feelings known. For whatever reasons the petite she-wolf was for the most part unable to do this. The sheer lack of practice had as much to do about it as anything, she supposed.

But that wasn’t to say that Jannali wasn’t occasionally annoyed by it.

“My brother often says that I should speak up,” Jannali whined, her voice rising slightly in an effort to be more out-going. And yet the slight quiver in her voice that she couldn’t quite rid herself of was evidence enough that her confidence was lacking. “But I guess… I just never learned how.”

Wolves learned most of their social skills from other members of their pack but since Janna had only ever really been around those of her own family she had never truly learned the social hierarchy that her species was known for. Not that she would have faired much better had she been a member of a pack since her frail nature would almost have assured that she would be the Omega wolf, the lowest rank in the pack and the wolf that best case scenario was shunned by the others.

“I guess… it has a lot to do with my being so different than the others of my kind,” Jannali conceded after another brief moment of hesitation. Why she was willing to divulge the fact that she was different, and in doing so reveal her weakness to someone who could possibly turn around and use said weakness against her, was something that Jannali really couldn’t explain. Blind trust had never been something that she gave, to anyone save for Mikae, but Ally seemed different from the other animals that she had encountered.

Janna could only hope that her judgment of the mare’s character wasn’t woefully off target.

[!DETOXi]

A soft smile found itself perching on Ally's lips as the mare listened to the wolfess's quiet explanation. She was pleased to hear Janna trying to speak up a bit more but kept her main focus on her words. Ally, like most other animals, knew very little about the way wolves lived or developed. She knew what most others knew, that wolves ate creatures like her, that they hunted mostly at night, howled when they started or finished a hunt and they desired nothing more than to kill. It seemed this was not necessarily all there was to the wild canines. Then again, Janna probably didn't know much about the way foals developed either and thinking about it, Ally supposed an odd duck was prone to show up when they had no influences. Most equines were born in a herd setting, at least with their close relatives if not a whole extended family. Ally had been in a smaller setting, a small farm where the horses were kind and gentle souls sheltered for generations and round in the belly. If she had grown up alone, Ally didn't doubt that she would be much different, perhaps much shier though many would complain that if she got any softer in her voice she would become mute. That seemed the case with Janna which made Ally smile sadly. Loneliness was a bitter companion.

"THERE is no shame in being different," Ally pointed out to Janna, flicking her tail high so the tip brushed both her flanks as it swung from left to right. "I admit I am no norm among my kind." Ally let out a soft laughing nicker at the thought of her mother and father, prime examples of what a good horse should be, calmly letting a human ride them and being commanded. She had a mental image of the wild herd that lived out around the canyon, much too rough and loud for her liking.

LOOKING at Janna, Ally found their situation amusing. Both misfits in their own skins, roaming into one another by happy accident. Most likely there would not be such a meeting of two such different creatures for some time. In fact, Ally couldn't even remember ever hearing any stories about horses that had conversed with a wolf and lived to tell the tale, it was simply too unnatural by most standards. To a wolf, a horse should be food and to a horse, a wolf was to be feared and avoided. Funny how the tables had turned just because of two unusual ladies roaming the sides of Mount Sora.

"IT is never too late to learn," Ally went on, shifting her weight a bit on her long limbs. "Would you like to try? If you'll take no offense, you don't appear to be a hunter that inspires fear or demands respect. Perhaps I could help?"

YES, only Ally would ever dare offer to help a wolf become more frightening, more demanding of respect. Then again, Ally had never expected to have to offer such a thing to someone. She had never expected to converse so casually with a wolf, but then again, neither had anyone else. At least this day would be memorable for the solitary Arabian, a pleasant break from the mundane flow of time where she roamed nameless forests and crossed one stream after another in search of something she wasn't even aware of.

[Nic]

Janna couldn’t help but to think how amusing Mikae would find this entire situation, his soft spoken sister conversing with a creature that most in her position would deem an adequate meal. Not that she had ever been one to look at others in the context of whether or not they could be prey. It simply wasn’t in her nature to look at the world in that way. Her gray eyes shone in mild amusement and she issued a soft howl of mirth, enjoying the company of the friend that she had unexpectedly stumbled upon more than she would have ever expected. This was the last thing that the she-wolf had expected when she had decided to make this trip to the stream but it was a welcome relief to the hours spent in loneliness while her litter mate went about his own life and pursued his own interests. Mikae was loyal to her but had a life of his own to lead, the main reason why she tended to push him away at times.

“Seems strange to have come across a kindred spirit in such a manner,” Janna mused, wagging her bushy tail in a manner that was more befitting a domesticated dog than a wolf. “But I’m glad that our paths crossed.”

There was something to be said about being in the company of someone that you had a certain amount of things in common with and Janna found herself more than a little captivated by this rather unorthodox conversation with Ally. Should any other lupines catch wind of this she would no doubt be a laughing stock to all of her kind but for some reason this didn’t really concern her at the moment. The views of others, especially those that she would likely never interact with, were something that wasn’t worth the time or effort it would take to worry about.

Inclining her head slightly to the mare Jannali confessed, “I can’t exactly fault you for speaking the truth nor be offended by it. Far from inspiring fear or demanding respect, I can’t even really call myself a hunter. Most of the time my meals are delivered to my den by my brother.”

Janna was somewhat ashamed by this admission, this fact reflected in her eyes as she lifted her gaze toward Ally. Admitting this weakness was something she would never have dreamed of doing even mere hours ago and yet here she sat telling it to a virtual stranger.

Would wonders never cease?

[!DETOXi]

ALLY found herself smiling at the wagging of the she-wolf's tail, happy to have eased the oppressive loneliness she had spied in the unusual grey eyes. Though she seemed to float through life rather than live it, Ally was prone to giving comfort. She was quite likely to bend the ear of an orphan or draw the gaze of a lonesome soul because she understood their loneliness. She understood the unending ache of having nowhere to go, the weight of having no future. She'd spent over a year and a half standing in a corral or stall that was far too small being fed too little and being kept in disgusting conditions. She had been hit, kicked, whipped and yelled at. She had been degraded and made to look a mess. Her mind had gone spiraling off into a world of its own as a purely defensive measure and would always linger in a similar state. She knew herself inside and out because for so many months she had had nothing to do but understand herself. She knew she was selfish when no one was looking, knew she was odd, knew she didn't have the same fears as others, knew she was far too flighty to ever fall in love but too soft to hurt someone by telling them no. She knew she would be abused again because that was the only way she knew how to live. In a way, she could tell Janna was similar and it hurt to see.

SWINGING her tail, Ally looked left toward the stream, right toward the forest, forward upstream and backward downstream with a look of contemplation upon her features. Finally her gaze turned back to Janna with something akin to playfulness in her eyes. "Well it simply doesn't do for a hunter to not hunt," Ally tutted lightly, prancing slightly on the spot as though warming up her muscles. "You'll need to learn in the fashion of horses, by doing for a colt that can not stand will never grow to a stallion."

HORSE sense at its finest.

WITHOUT further ado, Ally wheeled away from Janna. Raising up in a half rear, front limbs curling so her hooves were near her belly, muscles bunching and maw releasing a light whimsical neigh before she dropped back to all fours. Hooves clattering on the stones of the riverbank, Ally started to run, banner lashing from side to side as if daring Janna to follow her. Powerful neck arched, limbs moving in a light rhythm, Ally cantered down the riverbank for several yards before veering into the forest, leaping over a fallen log as she went. The mist had been burned away by the rising sun but the land was still relatively peaceful, save for the sounds of Ally moving through the brush. She didn't gallop fully, this was merely getting Janna to follow and chase her. This was how a mare taught her foal to stand, by example and in turn foals learned to run long distances via conditioning. Perhaps this would be what Janna needed, someone to show her how to do it properly. It was unlikely she would find anyone else as similar to her prey as a horse after all, though deer were lighter and faster, it would at least perhaps bring some muscle to the she-wolf's legs if she understood the game and played it.

BREAKING through a screen of half dead foliage, Ally half galloped half slid down a ravine into a small creek that most likely fed the stream. Here she stopped and stood still, ears and head up, brown eyes seeking out her wolven companion, the water rushing not much higher than the mare's ankles and comfortably cool.

[Nic]

At first Janna was confused by both the mare’s words and then the game that she was playing, the she-wolf jumping to her feet as Ally reared but making no move to pursue. Her ears pricked into a fully upright position once more as Janna tilted her head this way and that, trying to grasp exactly what Ally wanted her to do. It took her a bit but, as the mare dashed into the thick foliage of the forest, Janna caught on to what she was supposed to do.

Ally meant for her to give chase.

It had been understood by both her mother and brother that Janna was weak and sickly almost from the moment of her birth so neither had really made an attempt to teach her how to survive on her own. Their intentions had been pure, both only wanting to protect and care for her, but at the same time this neglect in her education had left the gray she-wolf virtually incapable of surviving on her own. A likely death sentence in the event that something were to ever happen to Mikae.

[/b“Maybe I need this,”] she mused silently to herself, sniffing the air and pricking her ears so that she could keep track of where Ally had gone. It didn’t take the she-wolf long to pick out the direction that Ally had traveled, her senses being even more heightened than others of her breed. Those who found themselves constantly on the defensive tended to need to develop these skills more than those who always chose the offensive stance after all.

Catching the scent Janna gave a musical howl of triumph before moving to give chase. Tucking her hind legs beneath her Jannali propelled herself forward and dashed into the forest, the rays of the sun illuminating patches of her fur where it poked between the branches of the trees. These fleeting rays of sunshine that managed to fight their way into the forest caused the wolfess’ coat to positively shine, a testament to the fact that she was relatively healthy despite her handicap. Unfortunately as always her handicap found a way to the forefront almost immediately. She had only been loping along through the cushiony underbrush for a short time when her tongue peaked out of the corner of her mouth. Janna was finding it a bit harder than normal to breathe but the she-wolf pushed past this little dilemma and pressed onward. Her delay in giving chase had caused her to lose sight of Ally but the scent that hung in the air allowed her to track where she had retreated to.

Breaking through dead foliage that had obviously been disturbed before Janna came to a halt at the top of the ravine. Her smoky eyes scanned the terrain before coming to rest on the mare who was standing in a small stream below, the water flowing peacefully around her ankles. Yipping slightly, Janna slid down the embankment before trotting toward the spot where Ally was standing. Her muscles were protesting this sudden burst of activity and her lungs were burning slightly due to the exertion and yet Janna had to admit that she actually felt slightly exhilarated. Not that she had came even remotely close to catching the mare but at least she had managed to arrive at the same location.

And not to far behind her mock prey.

Stretching her forelegs ahead of her Janna sank into a bow, showing her teeth in a mock snarl and yet at the same time counteracting this seemingly hostile gesture with a slight wag of her tail. She had fully grasped the game and was more than willing to play along.

[!DETOXi]

JUST as Ally had expected, Janna didn't keep pace with her. Most wolves would have easily been able to lope after a cantering horse, at least over a relatively open terrain. Some might have even overtaken her if they had gone at an all out run. Standing in the creek, Ally took a moment to drink but otherwise felt unaffected by her run since it was short compared to most of her wanderings. It was true that she didn't often gallop, but every horse had to know how to maintain stamina. From the moment they could stand, all foals had to move to stay alive. Even in the stables, humans expected a foal to stand quickly or they would take it away because it was unhealthy. It was the same principle in the wild, just like the humans took a foal, a wolf or wildcat would easily do the same to a foal that would not or could not stand. It was a cruel reality, one that Ally tended to ignore simply because she did not have foals to worry about. That, apparently was Janna's problem however. She had never learned to run. If wolves learned on instinct, or expected their pups to know things automatically like Ally was beginning to suspect, it was a wonder the foolish canines had survive so many thousands of years. Horses learned by doing and thus far, it seemed so much more effective.

BROUGHT from her musings by the sound of moving undergrowth, Ally looked up. To herself she thought that she would have plenty of time to flee if she was a deer Janna was hunting, but did not voice that as the panting silver wolfess came over the lip of the ravine. In her mind, Ally hoped that someday such a short jog would not only have Janna not panting at the end of it, but have her perhaps keeping pace with Ally or at least stalking her prey a bit more quietly. Oh well, there was plenty of time for such things. In all honesty though, if someone had told Ally that she'd someday be reteaching an adult wolf to hunt she would have said they were more unusual than she was or overestimated her insanity. Standing in the creek actually doing it though, it seemed completely natural and normal to make friends with a creature so like her.

WHISKING her tail and snorting in greeting when Janna slid into the creek, Ally eyed her unusual bowing posture. What did this mean? Her tail was wagging so it lacked the aggression her snarl would have suggested. The light in her eyes gave Janna away. It was to play. She had picked up on Ally's game.

SNORTING at the she-wolf, Ally whisked her tail high and tossed her head three times. Raising her front hoof, she pawed at the water. Wheeling away, Ally kicked up her back legs as if bucking a rider, spraying water at Janna with a playful high pitched squealing neigh. Lunging at the side of the ravine, Ally's muscles bunched and flexed hard as she hauled herself up the steep incline, as if trying to flee the huntress. At the top she stomped her hooves and jogged off into the forest again with a neigh over her shoulder to Janna. This time, she ran in a more haphazard way similar to a fleeing rabbit, zig-zagging rather than running in a straight line. Her run still wasn't quite as fast as a normal fleeing horse would or could run, but it was brisk enough that Janna would probably have to push herself a bit to find her. Catching sight of a large growth of oak trees, Ally made her way into the thicket. Strong smelling herbs grew around the trees' trunks and here, concealed by the wide oak trunks, the mare stopped and hid, again waiting for Janna to find her. It didn't quite go beyond Ally's notice that there was a rabbit den about fifty yards from her hiding place in the roots of a maple tree.

[Nic]

Janna shook her head as the spray of water kicked up by Ally’s antics splashed across her face. The water that fell upon her fur was blessedly cool and did it’s part to at least partially revive the winded she-wolf. Issuing a series of high pitched yips Janna danced away from the bucking mare, acting more like a young pup than a mature wolf. Such behavior would of course be frowned upon by other wolves as completely unbecoming to a lupine of her age but Janna was having too much fun to care. Sure her lungs were still aching slightly but she had pulled her tongue back into her mouth where it belonged and was ready to continue with this game/training that Ally had initiated.

Janna was slightly disheartened as she watched Ally make her way back up the incline that led out of the ravine that was cut by the shallow stream that the pair had been splashing in. This was pretty much the last thing that she’d wanted to see but by the same token Janna knew that there was no way for improvement if she didn’t push herself beyond her normal limitations. Her muscles would be repaying her for this exertion for the next several days, she was sure, but Janna was determined to do just that. Taking a deep breath she rushed toward the embankment, struggling slightly as she hauled herself back to the higher ground.

In the time that it took her to make this rather laborious climb Ally had managed to once again vanish, seeming almost like some kind of spirit in that regard. Raising her muzzle the she-wolf sniffed the air and quickly caught the scent of her ‘prey’. It seemed to her that this time around Ally had chosen a more roundabout escape route which was no doubt meant to throw her off the trail. Shifting her gaze in the direction that she now knew the mare had taken Janna raised her muzzle and howled long and mournfully before putting paws to the ground and once again giving chase.

The scent trail was easy enough to follow for awhile, aided by the underbrush that had obviously been disturbed by Ally’s escape, but Janna was forced to draw up short as an unusual scent filled her nostrils. Snorting in distaste at the strong scent of some plants that were growing nearby the she-wolf took a moment to catch her breath and get her bearings together. A by now familiar scent was just barely discernable beneath the strong scent of the herbs and Janna rushed forward, quickly ducking around some large trees and pouncing at Ally. Her intent was not to harm and she neither bared her fangs nor aimed her claws at the mare.

“Found you,” the wolfess whined, out of breath but obviously pleased with herself.

Janna beamed for a moment before a second, equally familiar, scent reached her keen nose. Placing her muzzle closer to the ground and inhaling deeply she discerned that there was a rabbit den somewhere in the near vicinity.

[!DETOXi]

IT took Janna longer to find Ally this time but the mare was content to wait. Sheltered in her grove, the grey horse browsed the local vegitation in an unhurried manner, nibbling here or there. Herbs weren't part of her normal diet but select ones were considered healthy to consume and some older healers would encourage regular consumption of them so, once she picked these varieties out she nibbled a few leaves before digging some grass out from under the dying leaves. This time, when Janna did find her, Ally had been distracted with her grass munching and thus surprised by the she-wolf's appearance. When Janna sprang into the thicket, Ally let out a short snort and tossed her head high, nearly rising up on two legs before she realized it was Janna and settled though her eyes rolled at least once enough to see an outline of white around the brown. Snorting and shifting her weight on her hooves, Ally ambled over to the panting huntress. Lowering her muzzle, Ally blew out a soft breath near the femme's head, hesitating a moment before touching Janna's head between her ears with her soft grey muzzle.

"YES, you found me," Ally chuckled, stepping back from the she-wolf and bobbing her head in an approving fashion. Janna's ears perked and Ally saw her nose twitched. She had scented the rabbits.

AMBLING over to the other side of the little oak grove, Ally pawed at the ground once a few times, tossing about a few dead leaves until she was satisfied. Folding her long grey limbs, Ally settled herself on the forest floor not a yard away from a fully grown wolf. The day could get no stranger. Still, Ally didn't view Janna as a threat. They were cast from the same mold, if in different bodies. There was an understanding between them and that was enough to make Ally feel secure. Also, even if Janna did turn on her and chose to attack, Ally knew she was winded enough and tired enough that beating her down would be easy enough. Not many horses would lay down within a mile of a wolf and here she was, doing it with ease within a few feet. Arching her neck a little, Ally nibbled some nearby grass and then looked at the femme for a long moment before looking in the direction of the rabbit den.

THE message was unspoken but clear.

ALLY wasn't disgusted by the wolf's need to consume red meat. She didn't like it and would probably go no where near Janna until she didn't smell like blood anymore, but she couldn't condemn her on it. Wolves had always eaten meat until a select few chose to feed from the hands of humans. But in that, they had stopped being wolves. Janna, though weak and frowned upon by her own kind, was still a wolf and if Ally couldn't respect that, then whatever friendship they had built in those short few hours was for nothing.

FLICKING her tail so it fell over her hind hoof, Ally looked away and chose to instead skim the surroundings in the opposite direction. She may be content around Janna but there were other dangers and though she was whimiscal of mind, she had to remember she was laying down and vulnerable. If a lynx or other wolf in the area so chose to go through Janna (which would be easy) Ally would make a tempting meal and no matter her state of madness, she was not so keen as to give death an invitation to take her. It may have seemed that way, when she let Janna approach her, but all animals could tell when a wolf was hungry and at that time, Janna had not been hungry. Other creatures, however, might be.