Kazmei

Kazmei had waited until the cover of night to actually get near the city, and even then the cloak of darkness didn't ease her instinctive fear of being around the two-leggers. The umber wolf didn't readily show her trepidation though, and frequently looked back to make sure Mystic was near at paw before carrying on.

A shrub-choked ditch made for a decent route to follow, and Kazmei used this to remain in hiding as she pushed her way into the edge of the city's western side. The road was quiet this evening, but even so, Kazmei froze and hunkered down whenever a car passed, and at one point watched with mild fascination as a trio of cyclist, with flashing lights at their back, and bright, curiously reflective clothing, pedaled by. So far though, no scent or sight of their lost leader.

Kazmei eventually came to a halt when the shrubs that concealed them came to an abrupt end, and gave way to open ground where neatly maintained grass was just starting to green up for the coming spring. To continue forward, they'd either have to travel in the open along the road, or start slinking around the buildings. "Okay Mystic, I need your help here. What do you know about humans that could aid us? They have poor vision at night, that much I've been told."

Mystic

Wherever the umber colored wolf stepped, the smaller pure white shadow was only a tail-length behind her. Although she was more nervous the closer they got to the human town, Mystic couldn't help but let her innate curiosity get a hold of her at times. She would find herself pausing at intriguing sounds, even if only for a few seconds before either Kazmei coaxed her back towards her, or she noticed the other femme slipping to far.

Everything still felt so new to her, even if she had some encounters with two-leggers in the past. It was still mostly time spent locked in a cage, being poked and prodded at. So when Kazmei stopped near the end of their cover and asked her for information on the humans, she couldn't help but freeze up. "U-Um..." It took her a second to swallow her fear and think on what she knew. "W-Well, they're not very f-fast on their own... not without o-one of those metal th-things. I-I think they can t-talk long distances w-without making noise. So if they see us, w-we might run into the b-bad humans."

She remembered an encounter after she had escaped, a frantic two-legger seemingly talking into their paw as they chased her away from their well stocked den. And she swore, everytime something like that occurred, the humans with the nets would arrive in that same area within minutes. It's what made her run away from the settlement and try to survive in the wilds. She could never of relaxed while she was wandering the city...

Kazmei

"Talk long distances without being heard?" Kazmei mused over this bit of information, skepticism initially playing on her words. Then another car whizzed by, and she wrinkled her nose at the heavy odor of exhaust that wafted past their faces. The wolf's brows clinched and she gave a snort, her mind settling on a possible explanation for what her friend had said, "I wonder if they can communicate like the bees and hornets, then. Either way, lets stay sharp - we don't want to run into one of those bad two-leggers. But at least we'll be able to outrun them."

When there was a break between the rumble of vehicles and their blinding lights, Kazmei picked a new road, this one a quiet residential stretch, and darted across the dark pavement. She paused briefly on the other side and tossed a familiar glance back to make sure her alabaster shadow had followed. Somewhere a few houses down, the chattering of a dog could be heard, and past that, a dark tabby was making her way beneath a shrub along someone's driveway. So far, no humans in sight - but darkness had only just fallen, and Kazmei had no idea that these human dens were full of occupants.

"I smell plenty of canine, but no wolves. We should try questioning some of the locals." With no real understanding of how the humans worked, Kazmei nonetheless began to cross through the lawns, keeping towards dense landscape as she followed parallel to the road.

Mystic

"Bees and hornets?" She tilted her head and stared off as she tried to think how they were similar. Well, the bees and hornets didn't usually make much sound, and they always knew where each one was. Maybe that was why they were similar? Either way, she was sure she could trust Kazmei. Mystic nodded with the order of staying sharp, bringing herself lower to the ground as they started to move towards the large human dens.

With the darkness settling over the land, the large steel towers framing the roadway started to light up, bringing a dull yellow tinge to the environment. When Kazmei started moving across the pristine grass in front of the dens, Mystic thought it was a good idea. They should keep away from the pathway where the light were shining. But the aspect of being so close to the dens also made her nervous. Weren't they usually in there? Hopefully the darkness kept them inside if they were.

"The l-locals? Like the c-cats and dogs? O-okay, but I-I don't know if they'd t-talk to wolves like us...." Ducking between a den and a bush lined against it, she looked around for any animals that didn't have the tell tale collar of a human pack mate. "A-Although I guess w-wild ones might be more l-likely..." Spotting a quadrupled moving across the paved street, Mystic lifted a paw in their direction. "K-Kazmei, over there." She waited for the larger wolf's move. "H-How do we a-aproach them?"

Kazmei

Something about Mystic's quivering speech sparked a powerful mix of defensiveness and irritation in the she-wolf, though she didn't let on to her latter feelings right now. They were, after all, in a very dangerous location, and Kazmei herself couldn't control the rapid drumming of her own heart. To the defensive end, the muddle-coated wolf stood nearly fur-to-fur with Mystic when the smaller wolf paused to peek out from the shrub.

"They will talk to us." She had murmured with confidence, ready to use intimidation or force if needed to get the answers they were looking for, not yet knowing that their missing leader had already been found not far from their home. Kazmei dropped her head, finding a break between the shrub's evergreen branches to peer through, and follow Mystic's indicating paw. "Good eye, Mystic. Follow my lead."

Kazmei stepped from cover with her dial lifted and her ruff ever so subtly expanded to increase her size. She didn't dare step upon the pavement, where she saw those terrible thunderbugs roaring around on, nor where there was so much light spilling down from the streetlamps above. Instead she stayed in the yard, a few paces from the cover of the landscaping, and gave a low bark, "Stranger! Can I have a word?"

Mystic

The confidence the other exuded in this strange environment helped to ease the smaller wolf's nerves. How she was able to keep her cool so well was a mystery to Mystic. She could only assume it was from being brought up in the harsh environments of the wild, unlike the twin tailed wolf that had gotten that experience stolen from her so young.

It was why she trusted Kazmei with most of her being. She was there whenever she needed her, ever since they had met on that fateful snowy day. Mystic swore she wouldn't have been able to survive that winter without her help. If the umber wolf hadn't allowed her to tag along, they wouldn't have joined the Haunters. Wouldn't have cover over their heads and would most likely be starving to death some place in the valley. All of that was only possible because she followed in Kazmei's pawsteps.

Just like now. Mystic took a deep breath as the other stepped out, shaking her coat with the exhale before she pressed onward in Kazmei's shadow. The canine's shadow she had seen before had not been small like a cat, so she hoped their larger stature wouldn't scare them off. But as they stepped closer, she saw just how unkempt they looked. Fur sticking out at weird angles while twigs and leaves hung on their ears and low hanging tail. When tired eyes looked their way, Mystic froze up, fighting the urge to lower her head.

"Wolves? Tch, you're a long way from home, aren't ya?" The voice was gruff and hollow, the sign of someone tired of doing the same thing everyday with barely any reward. "Assume you're not on the hunt, or else I'd be a bloody mess by now. You should go before the human trappers see ya." Not once did the dog leave the light of the street, even moving to stand towards the center of the one closest to him. If he was gonna go out to some wild wolves, he'd be sure the humans knew.

Kazmei

Orbs of burnt orange and chocolate roved the disheveled form of the cur in the middle of the street. She was close enough now that she could smell him, and yet he felt a million miles away, where he stood in the protective glow of the flickering yellow lights. They shown like a barrier between he and them, and the mutt was wise enough to know this. Kazmei's nose twitched, and her eyes narrowed a little. Once again, a slight pat of the tail was directed at Mystic, confirming that her shadow was near at paw.

Still feigning the confidence that helped ease some of Mystic's own trepidation, the she-wolf spoke boldly, "We've had our fill recently, and we're not out for blood on tonight's trek." She let the phrasing suggest that she and her shy friend weren't strangers to the sport of dog hunting, even if that were far from the truth. She'd never laid tooth into any of her feral cousins, though that had more to do with a lack of encounters than any potential motivation on her part.

Kazmei kept her eyes burning into the sorry mongrel, "Tonight we search for information. We're looking for leads on a missing tiger. Big cat, covered in stripes, larger than the three of us put together. Heard or seen anything?"

Mystic

Tense muscles jolted slightly at the touch against her back, before she relaxed upon the quick realization that it was Kazmei. Her tails swayed back and forth, a small smile gracing her muzzle as she glanced up at her friend before bringing her eyes back at the stray in front of them. Consciously, she stopped the wagging and raised it slightly in a copy of Kazmei's own banner. The umber wolfess spoke with clear confidence and Mystic nodded along with her, hoping the recipient didn't notice her trepidation.

The large mutt's eyes narrowed at the two wolves, his folded ears perking slightly in surprise at the words. "A tiger? Yea, right." There was a obvious roll of his eyes. His next thought would have been why wolves were searching for a giant feline, but that was quickly dismissed in his mind as he remember hearing about some strange packs that had the larger canines and felines of the valley working together. He was tempted to leave before he gave a tired sigh and sat down where he was to think.

A flash of light passed behind him, one of the large mechanical beasts zooming past him before continuing on it's way. "A cat bigger then all three of us, huh? Well, I personally haven't seen anything like that in the city. And, by my knowledge, I haven't heard any of the humans going into a panic about any intruders like that." A small smirk was given at the thought of the humans capturing more of the wandering threats...like these two in front of him.

"They can be dangerous when it comes to you...wild types. I've seen them gather like ants to drive you guys out in the past. But, recently?" He started to shake his head. "It seems the others like you have gotten smarter. I haven't seen any commotions this entire year." The stray scratched at the back of his head before shaking himself out, dirt and dust releasing from his fur. "Now... If that's all, may I go? I'd prefer to find something to eat before the sun comes up."

Kazmei & Others

The flash of lights and the ominous rumble of the engine distracted the wolf and drew her gaze to the vehicle that came charging down the road. For a moment, standing exposed there in the yard, Kazmei felt the overwhelming urge to turn and bolt. To hide herself, and return to the safety of the shrubs where they couldn't see her. Her muscles went taut and her breath caught in her lungs...

...and the car drove on by, just as all the others had when they were traveling in the ditch. Kazmei slowly exhaled and felt a rush of anger work over her and tighten her already fraught muscles. This stupid cur before them hadn't even flinched at the presence of the thunderbug! And... shit, what had he said? Kazmei's lip curled back a little, exposing the ends of her canines. Though it appeared she had taken offense to his manner of speaking, it had more to do with her anger at her own fear and lack of control she had in this situation.

"No sightings?" Kazmei summed up, catching the gist of what he'd said. She refocused herself and continued, though her ivories remained on show. "For better or worse, that does give us useful information. Our friend hasn't been here - so we've no more use for you." Just as she was dismissing the dog, one umber aud tilted to the low rumble of another engine, and a second later her gaze followed suit. A large truck was heading down the road from the opposite direction, though it drove noticeably slower than the last. Kazmei froze again, squinting a little as the truck's light suddenly grew much brighter, nearly blinding the wolf...