He took another look at the leopardess. She looked pretty sick all right, and barely seemed lucid of her surroundings. The wolf felt empathy for their plight, but it did not show on his face, eyebrows creased slightly in a hard expression. Regardless of the reason, trespassing is trespassing, and he had to make it clear that people can't just waltz in here just because.
He huffs with slight annoyance, vexed at the transgression, before an idea came to him. Just then, Linnaeus arrives,
"speech."
Larkspur drew their wings up to defend their face from the explosion of warm mist that burst from the ground as the water spout dancing in the air settled back down. As spring had come into full force, herbs had been far easier to come by and so had a true abundance of prey. And so Larkspur had returned to their wandering ways, sniffing along the ground until they came to the decision that they wanted to follow one of the river-ways. There were so many strange and unusual creatures in these lands they'd been washed into - various felids they had never seen before and even stranger creatures that resembled and called themselves wolves but weren't. They were all too content to continue exploring, learning more, picking up more information to better unravel the magic of this world.
Their nose twitched lightly as the scent of the nearby pack border was wafted toward them on a gentle breeze, reassuring them that they weren't yet trespassing and dutifully reminding them to be careful where they stepped. The scent was faint, making them wonder honestly if there was some form of power struggle happening within the borders that prevented them from being more heavily marked but that wasn't their concern. At least whatever was happening within the borders would lessen the chances of someone truly problematic attempting to stir up trouble with them.
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Text. Speech.Thoughts.
The longer they raced through the water, the more Saira adapted to the sensation - swimming was a lot like flying really with its 3-dimensions of movement and freedom for rolls and twists. River Delta was startlingly quick, clearly better built for this underwater expanse than she was and he moved with the freedom of a bird in the sky as she peered over her shoulder. The small school of fish that were disturbed by their games distracted her, the curious glinting of their little scales in the fleeting sunlight drawing her gaze away from the aquatic being.
So it was with a squeal of surprise that the tigeress jerked forward, watching River Delta float loosely through the air before she laughed and swam near again. Sure, she could've taken the opportunity to flee and place further distance between them but where was the fun in that? Tag was only enjoyable with two-players if both players were willing to make some concessions.
And so it was that she did the underwater eqvuilant of jumping over the other felid, tail-fins flaring out cheekily as she darted back the way they came.
She stared at the misty water trying to decide where she would head from here. Her magic wasn't pulling her one way of the other to guide her out so perhaps she was supposed to stay here for now. Or, perhaps there was no place that she was needed and for once in the longest time her path was hers to set. That idea was something that seemed strange and exhilarating at that same time.
"Hello? Wolf?"
The words broke the silence and Ixora's head snapped in the direction of the sound. Her ears strained to listen for any sign of the being that had spoken while blue eyes searched the mist. There was nothing. Not a thing except a wall of pale fogginess and the dark forms of rocks and trees. A spirit maybe? Ixora's tail flicked idly behind her as she continued to eye her surroundings. It wouldn't be the first time that she had dealt with a spirit before, normally they were trying to attack her though.
Of course it could be someone messing around with her but Ixora decided to go with the safer option. Better to have someone get their laughs than a pissed off spirit trying to run her into reptile filled waters. She could and would fight a lot but it was harder to sink your teeth into something without form.
“Yes? Can I help you?” She called back, still searching for some form or shape to identify who or what was talking to her.
Larkspur’s ear twitched at the quick consumption of the bug, though they offered no opinions of their own about it. Who were they to judge what others chose to eat? They were walking around with a python wrapped around their shoulders and being harassed by pollinators under the impression that they were merely a strange looking and oddly mobile flower.
At the levied question, Larkspur immediately reached for a gently plucked a sharp petaled, thick stemmed pale pink flower with a yellow’d center and turned toward the hyena for inspection.
”Coneflowers have many uses and though they insist on growing in many non-optimal places, it’s never wrong to have extra on paw,” they explained, shaking off yet another attempt to burrow into their ear. They turned back toward the garden, gesturing with their paws toward the white-petaled, delicate forms of the pearly-everlasting blowing delicately in the wind. "Everlast is a bit harder to come by and it would be good to take a bit of this as well - handles muscle cramps and coughs which will be good for when spring truly hits its stride."
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Patlin was tickled by the wolf's generosity. There was something so delicious about showing up and being invited to take. They trotted happily down a furrow in the foliage that may have once been a winding path, pausing here and there to sniff the garden's offerings. Duskorna had many things, accomplished herbalists among them, but Patlin would be the first to admit that they didn't have much variety in the way of gardens.
A small black beetle trundled across their path. With a few quick, gauging glances between the gardener and the insect, they ducked to snap it up, momentarily adding a chorus of crunches to their stroll.
"I'll confess," Patlin said, delicately flipping a leaf with the back of one paw to inspect the underside, "I'm not much of a...connoisseur when it comes to, ah, vegetation." They looked up at the wolf. "If I were to take one thing from here, what would you recommend?"
Quietly he slipped beneath the ice, sleek body parting the few schools of minnows sluggish from the winter chill as he fought his way up against the current. His explorations had led him to many strange waters, but it was only his most recent which seemed to promise more than just the prospect of fresh fish. Just the entrance to the underwater caverns he’d found were enough to send him darting back into the shallows, but despite his terror, he'd found himself returning. Again and again. Gazing into its inky depths reminded the little cat of distant tales his mother had once told him, of brave adventurers who'd braved Tsillah's trials and dove even deeper. To what they'd found varied on the day she told the tales, but she always said that it was something wonderful.
Delta certainly was no brave adventurer, but in that moment, a face had flashed in his memory. Loch had mentioned liking treasure; could such a thing be found here? It was certainly stranger than any other underwater caves he’d seen before—from his whiskers he’d felt the pull of currents fighting through narrow, twisting tunnels that seemed to wind endlessly amongst themselves, certainly impossible for any land creature to navigate. Delta had the advantage of gills, but certainly wasn’t brave enough to dive down to see what laid beneath the strange, sunken surface.
At least, not alone.
Maybe there was treasure, maybe there wasn’t. Delta was certainly curious of the place itself. Perhaps he moreso missed the finned wolf he’d met at the cove, and hoped that he’d find interest and wish to join him in spelunking the eerie depths. It wasn’t like there was much else to do with the surface frozen.
Alright, Delta was getting a bit stir crazy. And lonely. He hadn’t seen much of anyone this past winter, and one could only swim the same streams so many times before boredom drove you mad. Mad enough to consider diving into an underwater maze by yourself in a harebrained search for…whatever, really.
Delta tasted the water, whiskers flaring to feel the current and any minuscule changes in the sediment. The riverbed was growing muddier, a sign that he was approaching the two factions—one of which where Loch resided. The little cat gave a few experimental scratches at the ice ceiling, but it was far to thick for him to disturb. Close enough, he hoped, pinning his ears tight against his head and sucking a deep breath of cold water through his gills. The shriek he released was shrill and haunting, suited more for long distance calls across the ocean rather than rivers and lakes. It felt raspy in his throat, long disused for its proper purpose and nearly sending him into a sputtering fit by its end
He managed at least a simple message in his call, taking a moment to cough and clear his throat before repeating it again. Slowly he fell back into the familiar rhythm, broadcasting the sonar in repeating waves just in case his initial had been missed.
“LOCH. COME? TUNNELS, WATER, FOUND. DELTA.”
With his message out, the little cat lowered himself onto the riverbed and tucked his paws cozily beneath him, hoping that the wolf had heard.
Dos's paws splashed through the mud puddles tracing the river near which her family had chosen to build their den, panting lightly as she raced through the undergrowth. Her eyes were locked on the rodent in front of her, the fluffy furred gray squirrel darting back and forth trying to shake her focus in whichever way it could but Dos remained hot on its hocks. It was with one final spring, launching herself over the row of brush that she was finally close enough to finish the job. She snapped her teeth around it's midsection, quick to crunch down harshly and revel in the iron that subsequently filled her mouth. She landed roughly, her paws slipping through the mud and she squealed a little as she rolled head over flank with a rather wet 'splat!'
That was the most epic hunt I've done in forver! Dos purred to herself, sitting up. She'd managed to hold tightly to the squirrel, prevent it from becoming as mud-smeared as the vixen herself was. She giggled to herself, giving a harsh little shake to knock off the worse of it before rising to her paws. She trotted smugly through the mud, unbothered by the 'squelch squelch squelch' of her little paws through the grime and toward her little cache of food. She'd already scooped up a pair of mice and a sparrow - adding in her rather plump squirrel, she'd collected just the right amount for her little family of three.
"I am the best hunter ever," she declared, dropping the squirrel on the pile. It was now time to head home.
But first, she needed to get rid of the mud. Her mom would be very frustrated with her if she tracked it all through the den.
And the kit flinging herself joyously into the river nearby, rolling through the shallower part and giggling to herself as she splashed was an amusing sight for anyone passing by.
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The stranger seemed to oblige at first, and Gabriel walked beside him and kept him in his vision as they neared the border. That was until the lion seemed to put his hoof down, calling attention to the pink leopardess in his cart. She seemed hardly aware of her surroundings. Was she really that sick?
"speech."
Larkspur's ear twitched, the wolf shaking off the offending hummingbird determined to believe that their rounded ear was yet another flower as they inspect their haul. This had been a good set - they would absolutely be cultivating the garden further. The little mesh net around the leafy plants trying to grow outward seemed mostly unscathed, though a few of the plants themselves had passing nibble-marks - no matter, so long as they was enough to harvest that's all that mattered.
Next I think I'll plant some poppies, the wolf mused, circling their creation. And then I'll need some hollies. On the edible side, maybe blackberries and-
Their ear lifted, twisting in the direction of a voice calling out and Larkspur turned their attention. They blinked slowly, a bit taken aback by the brilliant shade of pink that crested the corner of their vision.
A hyena? Larkspur wondered, their tail swinging curiously behind them though they nodded lightly in acknowledgement all the same.
"Hello in turn," Larkspur responded politely, shooing off another hummingbird trying to rifle through their fur. The hyena smelled like one of the major pack borders - the one Larkspur hadn't really encountered often. They assumed there would be nothing wrong with their presence given the lack of scent markers or border patrols but pack-wolves can be unpredictably aggressive. "I started this garden last spring and came to collect the fruits. I'm willing to share, though I do ask that you leave enough to grow on their own."
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