The Story of Lily & Rowen: Amarusa

Chapter VII: A Full Moon Later

Lily rested by a small stream near her home, which was quite removed from the plains and from the hill that Rowen called home. Her day had been a lonely one, and one of reflection and contemplation. It had been a month since she met Rowen. There hadn't been a day that she hadn't held him close to her heart, even if a several day absence was commonplace given their circumstances. The day at hand had been one such occurrence. It was a day like any other prior to a month before. She led a solitary existence, one of compulsive caution. Though second nature to her, Rowen's entrance into her life had permitted her to let down her guard to quite an appreciable extent. A taste of companionship was quite a teasing remedy to solitude, even if solitude itself wasn't a disagreeable existence.

Lily sighed as she extended her left paw into the stream from her prone position. The water's current splashed against the obstruction, though it didn't relent as it found an alternative path around the silky-white fur belonging to the female. She stared into the water and beheld her imperfect reflection amongst the rough terrain of the stream. A brief rustling sound in the nearby shrubbery demanded her attention as her head snapped away from the reflective water and moved to face the perceived origin of the disturbance. Her eyelids creased around her deep blue eyes as she scanned the area. She was completely motionless otherwise. After some consideration she wrote the noise off as having been caused by a small critter and therefore not of particular concern. Her attention returned to the flowing water.

Minutes passed as the female rested, her head now propped up on a smooth rock above the stream. Her eyes were roughly half-way open as she drifted into and out of a slight doze. Something in her roused her attention and she looked to the right at the grass, as though she had expected to see something there. She stared thoughtfully, in something of a trance, as she studied the emptiness next to her. Her features seemed to depress and her ears lowered themselves as she returned her head to the smooth rock and dozed off once more.

After awhile, the sun was over three-quarters through the sky and Lily woke from her nap in earnest. She seemed to force herself awake as she yawned and stretched in one concerted motion. The she-wolf slowly meandered into her den and emerged a moment later with some fish which had been covered in soil particles. Secured between her teeth, she took the motionless food to the stream and dropped it while securing it with a paw to ensure it was not carried off by the current. Cleaned of debris, Lily began to eat her meal in silence.

Though preoccupied with eating, Lily's ears detected another rustling sound as they angled toward the source. She took her paws off of the fish and turned to face the direction of origin. She quickly chewed and swallowed what remained in her mouth before quickly rising up to walk in that direction. As she approached, she sniffed the air cautiously. A look of worry replaced her previously serene disposition, as though she was distressed by an unrecognized scent.

"Show yourself." she demanded resolutely, though her expression hardly matched.

"Fair enough. There's clearly no sneaking up on a paranoid lone wolf. It just isn't possible." came a female voice.

A very large wolf with amber eyes, characteristic fangs, and a dark-purple coat accented by black at the tips of her fur, materialized from the thicket. Lily instinctively took a step away from the menacing figure. She had what appeared to be something of an accusatory smile on her muzzle.

"W-what do you want? How did you find me?" Lily demanded, though a slight tremble was evident in her tone.

"First, do you know who I am dear?" her smile maintained.

"Suppose that I do..." Lily trailed off as she look to the ground in displeasure.

"I will. I'll also suppose you know this because you were told by a member of my pack. One you happen to be courting." she raised an eyebrow and tilted her head condescendingly.