Red Water

The Beginning...

Red Water slid as she turned mid-gallop around the edge in the sheer rock wall. Her tail was tucked firmly between her hind legs as her claws scraped up the near sheer ramp formed in the narrow passage. It was hard, wolves were not built like the mountain goats' sure footing, but damn she was desperate. Below her, and coming up fast, was a very pissed off cougar. Its natural climbing abilities make the chase easier for the cat to get revenge on Red Water for accidentally getting too close to its newborn cubs.

Understandably, actually, when you think about it. Red Water couldn't help but chuckle a little internally at the thought.

Her deep blue eyes scanned ahead, looking for the next obstacle. Ahead, she could make out the lip, and she was just hitting the halfway point. A moment later, she recognizes the rock to be a kind that crumbles easily. Shale surfaces in her heartbeat later.

If I can knock some in her face, maybe she'll back off. This passage is too much for me already!

Feeling the hot breath of the cat on her hock, Red Water shoots out her white and black leg. Direct hit. Her foot connects with the cougar's nose, making it snarl in pain.

Shit... she curses inside, not able to spare the breath to speak it into the world.

Finally, she makes it to the top. With no time to spare, she begins digging at the walls. Desperation starts to fill her when she realizes there is less shale than she first thought. Glancing down, the cat was blinking and shaking the last of the shale out of its face. It was a quarter of the way up, and still locked on to Red Water.

"I said I was sorry, damn!", she cries out as she turns to look for whatever she can use. Just on the other side was a large, flat rock sticking out. It looked like she could stomp on it to loosen it. Quickly, she switched sides and started rearing up to slam her front paws down stiffly. It was moving! Again, and again, she wailed down on it. Why wasn't it going? Surely she was hitting it hard enough?

Her peripheral picked up the rising head of her terrible fate, and her body felt the icy grip of fear in a vice through her chest.

Again, her peripheral caught movement. This time it was a blur of red, black, and white as it came hurtling towards them. A deep, reverberating, growl has the cougar snapping its head away at the sound.

The cougar's ears flattened, and it ducked down back where it emerged. The presence of another wolf is too much for the cougar. After it was far below, Red Water looked up to get a closer look at her surprise savior. Her nose told her first: Male, Healthy, Adult. Then her eyes took in his presence. Orange eyes, sharp in their focus, then his face with white eyebrows, black cheeks, and smudges of red smeared like a nose had kissed under each eye fervently. His pelt started red at the top, with a bit of white on his shoulder, and black under it with his feet ending in white. If she looked hard enough, she could see a smidge of gray on his face in the fluff around his eyes and jaw.

Surprisingly, he coughed. Finally, her brain made it known he was looking at her too. He cleared his throat again, voice gruff," You're staring." His nose wiggled as he sniffed subtly.

Red Water blinked, her own blue eyes shielding to give herself a moment to process everything. She gasped quickly," Oh, yeah, uh thank you...um..for saving me." Blinking, she looks away. A breath later, she looks back with a puzzled look," Why?"

"Why? Well...I heard you," He gestures back up towards a hill with his nose," Yelling at the cougar from up there. When I got closer, I saw you were in trouble. I thought..." he trails off.

Red water perks up, ears attentive," Thought what?"

The stranger smiles sheepishly," That you were going to get hurt, and I couldn't let that happen." Orange eyes meet hers, and something flashes through them," Not to one so pleasing to meet....and see."

Red Water smirks a little, tail giving a little wag," What's your name, friend?" She says, shyly. In return, he grins, lifting his chin at her approval," Burned Leaves, and what can I call you?"

Red Water smiles back, stepping closer to her new companion," Red Water. Where are you headed?"

Summer Solace

The pair crossed up from the plains and into the mountains through the early days of summer, finding comfort in each other. Life is easier with someone else to hunt with, sleep in safety, and to lick behind the ears. They were getting comfortable with each other for sure, but Red Water was cautious to keep him at a distance. Thankfully, Burned Leaves never pressed. He only insisted on what his views of importance and care were. A nip had been earned when Red Water was pressed too far, but Burned Leaves had sense that she was just protective of her space. This was a trust issue, and he had to earn it.

The first real test was when the pair had brought down a small doe, and were eating it happily. It was their first kill in a 3 day lapse, and they had been beginning to feel truly hungry. Burned Leaves sat up sharply first, which jerked Red Water to startle upright. She watched his face, figuring out where he was looking over his shoulder. Finally, the silence is too much for her so she hisses," What are you looking at?"

"I heard something...at first I thought it was a squirrel, but it's getting louder. Then, I saw some shape move between the bushes by the tree line on the other side.", Burned Leaves whispers back, his gaze unwavering on the opposite side of the clearing. The area was mostly shrubs, rocks, and grass with few trees around. Red Water licks her muzzle in worry, standing up to look more. She watches and waits with him. After a moment, a sound on the opposite side behind them has both wolves whipping around to face the new threat.

A young, white wolf with red colors marbled through her pelt pokes her head out from some shrubbery several paces away. Blue eyes are big and wide, pleading with how open her face is. Without a word, the white wolf is slowly heading towards them. Burned Leaves acts first, standing and growling, but this doesn't seem to phase the newcomer. Red Water is about to snarl herself until she sees a shape moving in on them from across the clearing," Behind us!"

A gray and black wolf with sharp blue eyes stood a few paces behind the pair, closing them in from both sides. It was a bad situation to be in, and both red and black wolves' hackles raised. The opponents were eyeing them hungrily, heads high and tails flagging. Burned Leaves yells out, teeth flashing," Hey, ay! Back off! We weren't bothering you!"

The white wolf speaks in a light, airy voice," Give us the doe, and we won't bother you anymore." The gray she~wolf growls a low warning. Burned Leaves turns to face her, giving out his own deep growl. Red Water stares down the white she~wolf. She can't help but notice the bones jutting out along the white wolf's back, and the ribs barely hiding under soft fur. Pity wells up in her heart.
A quick decision later, Red Water calls out for their attention," Well, *sharing* this meal wouldn't bother me," she pauses, as do the enclosing wolves," if you don't mind making a trade."

The gray wolf answers quickly, in a raspy deep scratch," What do you want?" Blue eyes are narrowed in suspicion, and it laces her words under aggression. Red Water lifts her chin, in a half challenge," I want to know your names, and where you're from. Fair?"

"Hiding in Snow, and my friend is Scoria Stones.", the white wolf answers fast. Hiding in Snow's tail is already relaxing.

Poor wolf is so tired, she really didn't want that fight. Must be desperately hungry., Red Water's ears soften, as does her posture. She makes a kind face, nodding," Nice names. I'm Red Water, and this is Burned Leaves. You look hungry, come tell me why. There's some left on the ribs and front legs."
Scoria Stones is already sniffing over the shoulders, still side eyeing them all. She does seem more relaxed, though. Burned Leaves is too, looking fondly at Red Water. Something's in his eye, but Red Water can't tell what as Hiding in Snow explains they traveled far from the north tundras. They hadn't eaten in two weeks, barely filling their stomachs on little grubs under rocks. Red Water listens, and encourages them to come explore with them. They agree the goal is now to find a place for themselves. They were a pack!