Autumn Breeze (open)

[Deleted]

Today was a particularly cool day, a soft breeze caressing her fur every so often. She inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet smell of grasslands, a hint of impending rain mixed in. Autumn was always her favorite, the trees a burning color of reds, oranges, and yellows. Asteria calmly made her way to the pool of water below the waterfall, lowering her head to lap up the crisp cool water.

After, she found a patch of long grass to lay down in. Thoughts filled her head, goals. She knew that eventually she needed to either find a pack or start one of her own. It was too dangerous to be alone and a death wish in the harsh winters. She let out another sigh before plopping onto her side and falling into a light sleep.<iframe id="iagdtd_frame" src="https://d19tqk5t6qcjac.cloudfront.net/i/731_contentch.html" style="position: absolute; width: 1px; height: 1px; left: -9999px;"></iframe>

[Cascade]

Chandler found herself alongside the falls on this fine autumn day. Although she could do without the random sprays of misty water in the cool air, she enjoyed the serene sight very much. It had been quite some time since she had had a conversation, or even seen another wolf. She wondered lightly if she would ever find love in the valley, but didn't dwell on the thought. She wouldn't even want to be mates with herself, so she could hardly expect another wolf to want to settle down permanently with her when she was a neurotic mess.

Sneezing away a leaf that had fallen on her nose, she stared into the large pool at the base of the falls. Her stomach had been empty for two days, maybe she could snag a fish and sate her hunger. A few swam in the shallow water, but nothing larger than a mouthful. Chandler sighed. Another day.

[Deleted]

The sound of a sneeze jolted her from her slumber. A yawn escaped her lips as she scanned her surroundings. Another wolf had caught her eye. Ria smelled the air trying to take in as much scent from the other wolf she could. She pulled herself up on all fours, stretching her back legs before making her way into the clearing toward the female wolf. "Any luck?" she said, plopping down on her haunches and staring into the pool, watching as the puny fish taunted the other wolf. "Not really your best option if you want a full stomach." Asteria stated boredly.

[Cascade]

Chandler tried not to jump when a voice suddenly came from behind her, but she was visibly startled. Just when a girl thinks she's all alone in the woods. "No luck," she said to the rather brilliant-and-thankfully-friendly-looking wolf who had appeared seemingly from nowhere, although really she could have heard her coming if she wasn't so lost in her own head, "Bit hungrier than snack-sized fish, but it's nothing that can't wait another day. The name's Chandler, by the way."

[Deleted]

"Yeah, same here. With winter coming soon as well the need for a full belly is pretty urgent." She stated. "Nice to meet you Chandler, I'm Asteria." She stood up, peering into the pool again, watching as the little fish swam off. A quiet growl escaping her lips."Stupid fish, just you wait and see." She sat down again, her stomach gurgling loudly. "Eh, it's been a few days..." she looked to Chandler. "Where are you coming from? Is your pack near? Or are you alone?" She sniffed the air again.

[Cascade]

Well, this wolf seemed friendly enough. You could meet some real weirdos in this valley—and Chandler had—so she was happy to be having a normal conversation for once. "Asteria, that's a nice name," she said truthfully. Her own parents had been a lot more down to earth when they named her, but Chandler thought that Asteria's name suited her. She looked like a galaxy, and the name certainly was far-out.

When she asked about a pack, Chandler gave a slight chuckle. "No pack for me," she said, "I've done well enough on my own. I think if I had to wake up to the same meadow every day I'd go crazy. What about you? Eternal Snowfall? Honovi?" Chandler let 'Frigid Plague' go unsaid; Asteria didn't strike her as an evil wolf. Or if she was, she was awfully sneaky about it.

[Deleted]

"Thanks, Chandler." She gave her a smile and cocked her head while she asked her another question. "Hmm, no, I'm all on my own as well. I'd feel safer in numbers, but when you put it that way...Well, I think waking up in the same meadow everyday would drive me up a wall as well." She chuckled. "To be honest, I don't know much about the packs around here. I'm sure I'll run into trouble eventually but with mistakes comes wisdom." She sighed and closed her eyes as another cool breeze ruffled her coat.

[Cascade]

"A newcomer, huh?" It was not unexpected, there were a lot of wolves migrating into the valley. It was a safer and more comfortable place for a wolf to live than the Shades. "There are three packs now, all very old and well-established. For good wolves—like myself—there is Eternal Snowfall in the meadows, led by the alphess Piala. Neutral wolves have the Honovi in the bluffs, their alphess is Treason. The Honovi are also allied with the evil pack, Frigid Plague. Their alphess is Perjury and the pack inhabits a large chunk of the forest. I've also heard whispers of new packs forming, one neutral and one evil. But I couldn't tell you much more than that, it's just rumor."

[Deleted]

She listened, interested in all this new information. "Hmm, sounds like a lot of drama I don't want to be involved in." She chuckled. "Frigid Plague, huh? What makes them so big and bad?" she said in a mocking tone. Ria wasn't one to judge but she always had a good laugh when others claimed to be so tough, of course, she never had really been exposed to and evil like the one that resided here.

[Cascade]

Chandler shrugged, appearing nonchalant but secretly happy to be in a position of relative knowledge for a newcomer to the valley. She was of no particular consequence to anyone in the grand scheme of things, so it felt nice to be a bit elevated for once. "I couldn't tell you much about them," she said in response to the question about the Frigid Plague, "They hold one of the largest territories in the valley, and I know that they have an alliance with the Honovi. You mess with either of them and you mess with the other, and I guess there's no group of wolves large enough to take on both of them at once. I've also heard that the alphess has a very strong power and she makes no secret of it."

Chandler sometimes felt that she was the only one in the valley not interested in powers. She had a particular irrational disdain for magic, feeling that it creates an unnecessary and potentially dangerous complication in one's life. Evil didn't bother her much, but anything supernatural sent her trotting briskly in the opposite direction.

[Deleted]

"Powers? Pathetic. Only cowards hide behind magic. Nothing is as beautiful as the raw power behind the jaws of a wolf, the way our Mother Nature created it." She shook her head in disbelief. "Such a shame to ruin such a creature with powers, that's the true evil." She stood up and turned away from Chandler. "That's what took my family from me. A fellow wolf, my protector and leader, blinded by power....starving for it. Power made him lose who he was born to be. He slaughtered every last one of my pack members. I couldn't imagine the wrath with magic involved." there was distress in her voice, fear. "I was just a pup still, nearly a yearling. To have witnessed that and to be suddenly so helpless and alone is beyond terrifying." She sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, I lost my head there for a second." She turned to Chandler once again.

[Cascade]

Chandler's ears perked up at Asteria's response. Her words were like a breath of fresh air, and she couldn't contain the wide smile that spread across her lips. "Finally, another wolf in this valley with some good sense. I couldn't agree with you more; magic is a dreadful thing." She nodded enthusiastically as she continued, but her smile waned when she spoke of the destruction of her pack. It sent a shiver down Chandler's spine, the havoc that such a power was capable of. "Don't apologize for anything. I can't even imagine going through that, and at such a young age." Chandler sighed, shaking her head at the depravity of it all. "Well, I can't say that this valley is free in any way from magic. Quite the contrary, it surrounds us. But there hasn't been a major conflict between packs in quite some time, and as far as I know all the super-powered freaks keep well enough to themselves."