Blinded Rejection

Morgan didn't understand what Ayame was telling her. How could one see if they were blind? She didn't respond to the statement. As far as she was concerned, anything that allowed the woman to see the world around her would be a blessing. It would mean she wasn't quite so unaware, and would be able to adapt better to the skills needed to live out here. Her wolf was also pleased with this information, but like her, had no real understanding of what Ayame trying to explain. Rather than dwell on it, Morgan simply shook her head, and left well enough alone. She would find out as soon as they got some of the young woman's injuries healed up. Morgan made a mental note to keep an eye out for plants that may help ease pain while out hunting tomorrow.

Her attention was drawn back to Ayame when she spoke. Her eyes narrowed when the girl confessed to being used to the cold. Just because you were used to it didn't mean you had to endure it more than necessary. Still, it was her choice. "If you change your mind, I will be here," Morgan replied. "Try building up the needles a little and make a nest of sorts. Being off the ground even a few inches will keep you warmer." With that said, Morgan closed her eyes and reached for the wolf, allowing the familiar feel of the animal to take her. Once more on four paws, Morgan rose from where she had been siting and adjusted her pile of pine needles a bit more before curling up with her tail over her nose. She heaved a comfortable sigh and allowed her eyes to close. Years of being alone had taught her to sleep light. Any noise out of the ordinary would wake her.

Having Ayame nearby was bound to have her waking multiple time throughout the night, but Morgan was ready to deal with that. The girl didn't want to be a burden, and planned to work hard, but for now, Morgan knew she needed care. She considered the possibilities while she listen to Ayame settle in for the night. They could stay here while the girl recovered, but they didn't have any real shelter form the elements. If it rained, or started thundering, there could be a problem. The delicate woman beside her had never really been exposed to the weather and sickness could become an issue. That meant moving on until they found somewhere more stable for the time being. If she had to guess, the girl's injuries would need time to heal and moving her around could do more harm than good.

Pondering her options, Morgan finally settled on just seeing how things went tomorrow. She would hunt for them both, and see to their needs as best as she could. That meant leaving the blind woman alone for a while. While she didn't doubt Ayame would want to learn to hunt, until she could see in her own way, she would make to much noise for pray to be easy to catch. It hit her then. She was no longer alone. Opening her eyes, Morgan peered at her new pack mate. The mere thought of having someone else there and no longer being alone brought an unfamiliar warmth to her. It made her want to prance and yip, inviting others to share in that joy. Joy. How long had it been since she had felt anything like that? There was pleasure in catching up with her pray, but not like this. This went deeper, and connected with a part of her soul that had long been neglected. With a deep breath, Morgan shifted to make herself more comfortable and let sleep claim her. Tomorrows problems would still be there in the morning, and she had a new pack mate to face them with.
 
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Ayame nodded and listened as she assumed the woman shifted again. She waited for a few moments listening to Morgan shuffle around till she was comfortable in her wolf form laying down. Reaching her hands out around her she started pushing the pine needles into a pile, she knew the woman was probably concerned for her. But, Ayame thought that she should at least not cause so much trouble. Her chest felt warm, but not from the pain, it was warm from the happiness she felt. Regardless of them being in the wilderness, she had a home of sorts, her first home since her parents died. After a few more moments of shuffling the pine needles together, she felt around the pile to even them out before laying down. She let out a small yawn and closed her eyes curling into a small ball. She didn't fall asleep instantly, the cold air clung to her wet sweater so she laid very still in order to adjust. Ayame couldn't help but fear sleep, dreams were a terrible thing for her. It was only darkness with a mixture of voices and a reminder of pain.

She did know sleep would help her heal at least a little, and maybe just maybe she would be able to reach out to her wolf. Ayame closed her eyes and let the gentle sound of nature lull her to sleep. Ayame slept quietly most of the night until the terrors set in her dreams. She gave a small whimper and sweat headed her forehead, the feeling of hands grabbing her hitting her. Voices so many voices, and the burning pain of rejection. Her body curled further into a ball and her hands moved in her sleep to clench themselves over her ears. She didn't cry or yell, just small murmurs and whimpers in her sleep to stop. The terrors had haunted her every night since her birthday, prior to that she only lulled herself to a dreamless sleep until someone woke her up with a punch or a yell.
 
Morgan cracked one eye open when she heard Ayame starting to fidget. Her wolf grumbled unhappily about being woken up, and although Morgan agreed with it, she was less inclined to snap at the woman for being restless. For a moment, she just watched, unsure if the woman was awake or having bad dreams. After what she had learned, Morgan wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Ayame had nightmares. Time had blunted most of the rough edges of Morgan's own dreams, but Ayame's were far fresher than her own. The longer she watched, the more agitated Morgan felt. So much so, that she found herself with her lips drawn back and showing far to many teeth. Ayame's pack had done this to her, had caused he fear and pain she couldn't escape even in sleep. For a moment, Morgan debated going back and trying to kill the lot of them on her own.

Only logic and the wolf's awareness that they wouldn't last long kept that impulse at bay. For now though, Morgan had to deal with this. Standing, Morgan gave herself a good shake, dislodging pine needles from her fur before she moved quietly over to where Ayame was resting. She paused and studied Ayame's face, taking in the closed eyes and the wrinkled brow of her distress. Sleeping then, Morgan decided. Cocking her head, Morgan tried to think. If she woke the woman, there was no telling what would happen. She could wake up swinging and still trapped in the nightmare. While Morgan didn't think the girl could do to much to harm her, she didn't really want to be smacked around either. That left trying to sooth her without waking her.

Without a sound, Morgan moved around the girl and settled her long furry body against her back, sharing her warmth and offering her as much comfort as she could while trying not to appear threatening. Whining softly, Morgan followed the wolf's instincts and reached across to gently lapped at Ayame's cheek. She then settled her head on the woman's shoulder, and went still. Morgan made no attempt to go back to sleep right away. Instead, she peered out into the night though the pine branches, watching a late night fog drift though the area. All of her other senses remained alert and focused on the wolf beside her, searching for signs that her presence distressed the woman so that she could move rather than make things worse. Her wolf wanted to growl, but Morgan kept a lid on it, aware that an aggressive sound might make things worse rather than better. Instead she focused on breathing deeply and evenly all the while trying to ignore Ayame's murmurs.
 
Ayame felt warmth against her in her dream, Morgan's gentle measures helped to ease her dreams. Soon enough Ayame's restlessness stilled and her murmurs quieted into even breathing. For the rest of the night, she didn't stir sleeping quietly, her mind filled with a dark comfort. Ayame had never slept as peaceful as she did that night. When she finally woke up he opened her eyes, her legs ached from the walk that they had done but Ayame welcomed the feeling as a reminder of what she had gained. She couldn't tell if the sun was up, or if it was morning at all, but she smelled the fresh dew on the pine needles.

Reaching her hands out she looked for the warmth that had welcomed her in the middle of the night. She had no idea what had made the terrors stop but she was grateful nonetheless. "M-morgan?" Her brain was still filtering out the smell of pine needles so early in the morning so she wasn't sure if she could find the woman near her. She was grateful for Morgan's help, even more, that she now had a friend to rely on. Once she felt better he would try to make herself useful. But, for now, she would do as she was told and heal her body.
 
Morgan had remained awake until the woman had settled before allowing herself to go back to sleep. Morning came soon enough, and as usual, the first shift of sound from the nightlife to the early morning birds woke Morgan. Without moving, Morgan took stalk of her surroundings using all of her senses. As always, the morning dew made the pine smell stronger. It blocked out everything else, and would until Morgan got out from under the trees. Other than all but blocking her nose, which annoyed the wolf, Morgan didn't mind that. Pine had a nice crisp fresh smell that always reminded her of home. Her ears swiveled, taking in the early morning bird calls and the occasional shift of a bush. Nothing big was around and things seemed safe enough.

Right about then, Morgan felt Ayame move beside her. Lifting her head away from the young wolf's shoulder, Morgan peered down at her. At the sound of her name, she chuffed, letting Ayame know that she had heard and was alert. Just as she did that, the injured wolf's hands made contact with her body which was still pressed up against hers. Morgan cocked her head, ears pricked forward as she watched curiously to see what the young woman would do next. She was aware that Ayame hadn't wanted to sleep next to her, but it had seemed to help once the dreams had come. While it had been unusual for her, Morgan hadn't been uncomfortable. It was almost nice to have slept with another's warmth alongside her own body. She could get used to it.
 
Ayame let out a small breath of relief that Morgan was there, feeling the soft fur made her smile. She just let her hand stay there for a moment before moving it along her coat till it reached the pine-covered floor. "Thank you. I don't know what it was but I'm sure it was your warmth that helped me sleep." She chuckled and bit and lifted her head up to feel the gentle morning breeze mixed with the feeling of the rising sun. "Is it morning? Are you going to hunt now?" Ayame tilted her head and pulled her knees up to lean her head against them. She wondered what she would do while Morgan went off, she wished she could help but even she knew until she could see she wouldn't be much of anything but a bother.

Ayame wished she had been given the tiniest bit of sight, she always wondered what the world looked like in reality. She couldn't tell colors apart from the auras and even then it fell to deaf ears. She had never seen her parents face, and now she couldn't even see her savior. Ayame had been grateful for the wolf's warmth, she only hoped that she hadn't disturbed Morgan too much while she slept. Given her fears, she was sure she had been restless.
 
Morgan chuffed again and rose to her feet. Once more she shook the pine needles free, deliberately remaining close to Ayame so that there was a chance that they pelted her. Free of debris, she leaned forward and ran her face along Ayame's cheek in greeting. It was morning, but it was still early enough that the wold was more grey than anything else. A good time to hunt, and she intended to do just that. Lifting one of her massive paws, Morgan gently let it fall on Ayame's shoulder in a silent command to stay. She was aware that she could shift to talk and reassure the girl of her intent, but that would waste time that would be better spent on the prowl. Still, she made a mental note to spend some time as a human once she was back so that they could talk. In a silent reminder to keep her fear at bay, Morgan touched her nose to the girl's forehead before she turned and pushed herself out of their hiding place.

Free of the pine tree, Morgan glanced around before picking a direction at random and setting off at a trot. As she moved, Morgan felt the wolf take over again and, with her nose low to the ground, it processed the scents and sounds far faster than her human mind would've. Morgan ignored the rabbits, squirrels, and other small critters. While one, or multiple of them would've fed her, she, and the wolf, were aware that they were no longer alone. It took her some time, but eventually Morgan stumbled onto the trail of a deer. The heavy musk and the depth of the prints indicated it was a large buck. Morgan felt her stomach rumble at the thought of a solid breakfast of deer and shifted her course to track it. Judging by the how fresh the scent was, she knew the animal was close. For that reason, Morgan moved slowly and carefully, aware that even the slightest of twigs snapping could send the beast off at a fast pace.

The smell got stronger, making Morgan pause and assess her surroundings. Using her fur and the leaves on the bushes as a guide, she moved around until she was downwind of the animal. Now it's scent blew toward her rather than her scent going toward it. Morgan felt her human side slip further back as the wolf went low, stalking the deer they could just on the other side of the bushes. Aware that they would be dragging the animal back to the den, the wolf didn't want a long chase. It needed to end quickly. Freezing beneath a blackberry bush, the wolf eyed the deer, noting the full antler rack and the strength of it's body as it grazed. Hunting was a game of slow movements and patients. With painful slowness, Morgan crept closer on silent paws until the animal was almost within pouncing distance.

Right about then, the wind shifted and the deer's head came up. Morgan took her chance and dove for the animal's exposed throat. The buck screamed in pain as her teeth dug in, but it wasn't giving up just yet. It reared and flailed it's head wildly while it's hooves struck out in an effort to knock her lose. Morgan snarled and clamped her teeth down on her prize. Aware of the flashing hooves, but unable to do anything about it aside from pray that they missed her head, Morgan let the rest of her body go limp so that her weight dragged the animal back down toward the ground. It fell with a heavy crash where it proceeded to snort and fight until it finally breathed it's last. Panting, Morgan released her grip and assessed the damage. She had been kicked twice by the deer, leaving one nasty cut along her shoulder that throbbed, and what would turn into a spectacular bruise later dead center on her chest.

Still, Morgan and her wolf were pleased. They had won this time. Looking down, Morgan pondered the animal. It was fairly large. Were she alone that wouldn't be a bad thing. She would've just tore into the hot fresh kill where it lay, but she was no longer alone. Ayame would be hungry, which meant Morgan had to get the food to her. Eyeing the body, Morgan realized that while she could drag it back in her current form, it would be tedious and likely far more difficult than if she just switched to her human one. The wolf agreed with the assessment. It would leave her more vulnerable to be sure, but she wouldn't be out of breath and tired if she had to fight something off. Switching forms took her a few minutes. Once that was done, Morgan stood and hauled the dead animal up onto her shoulders. She took a moment to settle it as comfortable as she could before starting back to the temporary den.

By the time she made it back, the sun was well and truly up. Aware that just appearing near the camp might startle a blind woman, Morgan deliberately slid through a bush that she might've otherwise gone around and kicked a few branches. Quiet subtle sounds that wouldn't draw to much attention to those outside the area. Dropping the deer, Morgan breathed deeply and rolled her neck and shoulders, easing the tension that had been caused by carrying the animal all this way. Her cut shoulder throbbed unhappily, but it could've been worse had she not found some of the plants that helped ease the pain along the way back. She had a few of them still sticking out of her mouth. With her hands occupied, it had been easier to carry the plants by the stem between her teeth rather than in her hands. Reaching up, Morgan removed the plants from where she held them and set them carefully near the deer. "Ayame," she called softly, eyes scanning the area for any sign of the woman.
 
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Ayame smiled as the greeting and nodded at her command to stay. She was happy she now understood why Morgan stayed in her wolf form, it kept her from guessing. Ayame didn't mind which form she took, she was just happy to have a friend. Ayame listened to Morgan walks off and thought to herself. What would she occupy her time with while Morgan left? There wasn't much she could do but she supposed while she waited she could make a bigger place for them to sleep. She reached her hands out moving to her hands and knees searching for stray pine needles to build a small bed for them, Ayame wasn't sure how long they'd be staying in this part of the wilderness let alone where they were going so this seemed like a good thing to start with.

Ayame continued this for a short while, she ended up with pine needles stuck to her sweater and somehow tangled in her short hair. She held her side, it still ached. Taking a deep breath she smelled a sweet scent she had never smelled before, it was light and comforting. She crawled around until the scent got stronger, reaching out her hands she pulled something from the ground. Lifting the object in her hand she placed it under her nose. The thing itself had a strange soft texture and felt fragile but wet when she tightened the grip between her fingers. Closing her eyes she felt like she had smelled this scent somewhere before but couldn't remember.

The smell of her parent's blood filled her senses, she dropped the flower and scrambled away from the area causing herself to stumble over a loose log and fall on her face. She hissed in pain and rubbed her probably now bruised chin. "ow." She mumbled in response to the pain and sighed, what was that? A memory perhaps of her parent's death. something she'd rather forget. She reached out her hands again feeling the ground to see if she ould find something to place where she had fallen. When she found the patch of pine needles again she gave a small sigh of relief and moved to sit on top of them.

Ayame didn't know how to cope with her past, she had grown to blame herself for her parent's deaths like everyone else in the pack so she deliberately pushed the memory from her mind. Her brothers did a good job of keeping it fresh in her mind that it was her fault. It seemed like she had done nothing but been a bother to them, she couldn't remember a time they had been nice to her. She pulled her knees to her chest and leaned her head between her arms. Everything's okay now, they couldn't find her here. Right? The thought of them dragging her back to the pack made her shiver in fear. The memories flooded her senses and she felt like she could curl up and disappear, tears sprung in her eyes as she silently cried.

It wasn't long after she heard Morgan announce her presence she peeked her head up and wiped her face before Morgan could get closer hoping she wouldn't notice. "I-i'm still here." She whispered back quietly. Ayame had said she would try to be stronger, and even Morgan had reassured her she was safe but the fear was there, and the pain was still all too fresh. Ayame smiled, but it fell just as fast as it graced her face. She smelled blood, "Are you injured? I-i smell blood." She looked in a general area concerned.
 
Morgan grunted at Ayame's concern and eyed her shoulder, aware that it was the source of the blood she smelled. Stepping closer to where Ayame was huddled, she knelt and brought the girl's hand up to where the injury resided, allowing her to feel with her fingers what she couldn't see with her eyes. This action bothered her wolf immensely. It didn't like her showing the injury to another. Wounds were to be hidden, not shown for the target that they were. "Hunting can be dangerous," Morgan explained. "The deer fought back and kicked me a few times." Morgan gave her a second to explore that, but her own eyes didn't miss the extra moisture and the new bruise on her chin. She considered asking about what had happened, but decided to let it be. If Ayame wanted her to know about it, she would tell her. If it was more serious in nature, then Morgan would've pried, but not for something like this.

Instead, Morgan pulled away, moving back toward the animal she had left out in the open as well as the plants. "Here, follow my voice. I brought back food, and something to help with the pain." Scooping up the plants, Morgan waited for Ayame to reach her before running the leaves of the plants against her fingers so that she could become familiar with the texture. "I use these when I am hurt. Chew on the leaves and keep it in your cheek. It will dull the throb from your wounds. I'll leave them on the ground, to your right," Morgan explained. Leaving Ayame to sort herself out, Morgan knelt near the deer's body. The pelt was of little use to her, and she didn't have a knife, so Morgan used her teeth and hands to bite though and tear the flesh away, leaving the red bloody meat beneath exposed. The scent of blood filled the air, making Morgan's stomach growl loudly. Squirrels and mice could only hold a wolf for so long.

Wishing she had longer teeth to do the job, Morgan tore into the guts of the animal, and up into the rib cage to get at the organs. The liver, heart, and kidneys were all prized possessions and high in nutrition. Her own wold sat up and took notice when her hand closed around each one. By the time she had them torn out, Morgan's naked body was smeared with blood. Paying that no mind, Morgan carefully set the prized pats down on a part of the hide and pushed them toward Ayame. "You need these more than I do." It occurred to her then that Ayame wore clothing. A ridiculous human notion as far as she was concerned since they often inhibited the change by tangling a wolf up. Still, she was aware enough to consider than they probably meant something to the woman. "Be careful about what you touch. There is blood everywhere from the deer." Without another word, Morgan ripped off a healthy chunk of meat and began to eat, making low satisfied growling sounds as she did so.
 
Ayame listened as she heard Mogan step closer and allowed her to take her hand. Ayame ran her hand over the wound and frowned. "It looks like it hurts..." Ayame didn't know if she should express her concern, given her own state she didn't think she had a place to tell Morgan to be careful. That may be overstepping her boundaries after all they had just met. Ayame ran her hand over the wound for a while longer before removing her hand from the wolf's body as she pulled away. Could she even advise someone else to be careful while she herself was a walking hazard, the thought was amusing?

When Morgan told her to follow her voice Ayame nodded and waited a moment to pinpoint the location before following. When she heard Morgan stop moving she stopped as well just before the feeling of rigid leaves hit her fingers. Ayame lifted her head at the woman spoke and nodded slowly moving her hand to the right and picking up the rigid leaves placing them in her cheek before chewing slowly. The must be some type of leaves used for anesthetic, she thought. Ayame chewed slowly, the leaves were bitter and caused her to scrunch her nose. Morgan hadn't lied the throbbing in her body had numbed a little after she started chewing. Ayame considered it like magic, usually, she would just man out the pain. But, she was happy to have someone to take care of her.

The sound of Morgan ripping the flesh of the animal she had brought apart made Ayame wince only slightly, though she knew it was necessary it sounded horrific without seeing what damage had been done. The scent of blood filling the air made her stomach churn with a hunger only, a loud rumble followed and if Ayame had the color in her face she would ave flushed. Had she been starved that long? She didn't find herself hungry, but maybe because she was so used to being hungry it didn't phase her much. She sat a patiently waited she assume Morgan was preparing the food for them, she had never been given her own meal before so once again when morgan pushed food towards her Ayame was a bit surprised. "Are we not sharing?" She tilted her head as she reached out and grabbed the pelt, pulling it closer she nodded when the woman spoke and grabbed a deer liver. "I don't mind the mess." She held the meat in her hands and carefully lifted it until it touched her lips, once it did she took a satisfying chunk and chewed quietly.
 
Morgan grunted when Ayame asked if they where sharing. Swallowing the mouth full she was currently chewing, Morgan answered her. "You are welcome to any part of the deer you want. Those are the organs. They are the best, or so my wolf tells me." The wolf was also very unhappy that they had given away what it considered the prizes of their hunt. They had done the work after all, why should they not gain the reward? Morgan silently reminded it that while they were in good health, the woman was not. Ayame needed the strength good food and rest would provide her so that they could move quickly if they had to. That settled the wolf down, allowing Morgan to unwind her shoulders which had tensed up during her inner argument. "If you don't want them, I'll eat them. Don't waste."

Those last two words made Morgan pause. Her mother used to say that to her during their meals when Morgan would make faces at something she didn't like. Usually it was vegetables. That was a memory she hadn't thought about in a long time. It brought a sad smile to her lips. Shaking the thought away, Morgan tore off another chunk of meat and began to eat. Her manners were atrocious after all this time, and she was a bit clumsy with her hands, mostly with the use of her fingers, but she doubted Ayame would care if she even noticed. "We will make our way back to the water once your done to rinse the blood off. The smell of it will bring out scavengers." Morgan also made a mental note to remove whatever they didn't eat from the area and to be alert should other creatures start nosing around.

With a full stomach, Morgan sat back and studied Ayame. Her new bruise in particular. It bothered her that the girl was so helpless. Something needed to be done about that, but what could she do? Morgan absently played with a piece of grass he had ripped up as she thought. Ayame needed to learn how to function in the wild. She needed to become aware of what could signal danger, and what was normal. Nature was a living and breathing thing. It was loud, and often confusing unless you knew what to look for. Silence was a big one. If the small creatures went quiet, something dangerous was nearby. Then there were the sounds the animals made themselves. She had to learn what made what sound, what was good and easy pray and what might fight back. So many little things, but where did she start? Even thinking about it gave Morgan a migraine.
 
Ayame frowned slightly when Morgan said they were the best, of course, she was also hungry but she felt terrible if she took all the best items for herself. Ayame heard her speak again and nodded continuing to eat the liver she had grabbed. She wouldn't waste, but whatever she didn't eat she would give to Morgan. She knew for a fact she refused to keep all of the good stuff for herself. Morgan sounded like a mom to Ayame, the thought nearly made her chuckle but she decided against it. Ayame's eating was clumsy and often times she missed her mouth. It took her a while to eat the liver and once she had finished she definitely knew she couldn't eat anymore. Her body still wasn't used to full course meals and trying to eat anymore she knew would only backfire.

"I-I can't eat anymore. I'm full so here." She gently moved her hands until she felt the pelt and pushed it to Morgan, Ayame had managed to cover her hands and cheeks in blood. Not that she minded or noticed. When Morgan said they would head towards water Ayame nodded. "Okay...I can find water. M-my hearing is really good." Even though she couldn't see anything her hearing was indeed exceptional. And as long as she focused she could sense her surroundings like echolocation.

Ayame bit her lip, for the moment until her eye healed she was directionless unless she focused, she felt bad for Morgan who was so used to being alone being stuck with these troubles. "W-when my eyes heal, I won't be as much trouble I promise." Ayame couldn't help her words, she felt helpless. She wanted to learn but didn't know-how. Without eyes, a small part of her felt like she was better off dead.
 
Morgan snapped back out of her thoughts when Ayame indicated that she was full. Eyeing what the girl had left uneaten, Morgan almost felt like a glutton. By comparison, she had already eaten almost double what Ayame had. Still, as she had told the other wolf, wasting good food was bad. Reaching across, she snatched up the remaining organs and ate them quickly. Now full with a contented wolf who had gotten her prize after all, Morgan stood. Grabbing what remained of the deer, she hauled it out of the small clearing which just resulted in her getting absolutely covered in blood and gore. Nose wrinkling at the stench wafting off her, Morgan made her way back to where she had left Ayame. The bath couldn't come soon enough. Human form, she concluded, led to a far larger mess than if she had just been the wolf.

Back in the camp, Morgan paused, eyeing Ayame. The girl had said that she could hear water. That was a good thing, but it wouldn't be enough. She needed to start learning how to track. A wolf's nose was a valuable piece of equipment. Everything had a scent, and the stronger it was, the more recently the creature had passed by. That gave Morgan an idea on how to help Ayame start learning. Her thoughts were interrupted again when Ayame swore she wouldn't be so much trouble once her eyes healed. She growled, showing a bit of teeth that she had no doubt went unnoticed by the blind wolf. "Don't do that to yourself," Morgan chided with more than a little growl in her voice. "You dwell to much on what you can't do. I don't. It does me, nor you any good. Focus on what you can do. Those are your strengths. You can hear. You can smell. You just never had a reason to learn how to use those to your advantage. We will change that."

Morgan moved, placing herself down wind of the girl so that her scent, which was heavily filled with blood and death right now, wouldn't confuse the issue. "Tracking is done with the nose first." Morgan's voice lost all trace of the growl as she dismissed their former topic and focused on the new one. "My nose can pick a trail a few days old so long as it hasn't rained recently. Yours should be able to locate the trail I used to guide you here last night. Follow it, and I'll follow you. I know you can hear the water, but I want you to focus on the scent trail to get to it. You know my scent, and you know your own. It should be easy enough to find." It would've been easier in wolf form since Morgan's own trail would be lower to the ground, but she wasn't going to push Ayame to change. It would just mean that this exercise would be more difficult.

"Take your time. It is better to move slowly if you are unsure of the trail then to rush in and scare off whatever you're chasing." There was more to it than that, but Morgan was aware they needed to do this in small steps. When she had first started out she had known very little and had spent many long miserable hungry nights learning. Morgan rarely thought about those nights, but in her efforts to assist Ayame, she was forced to recall what she had gone though. It helped her understand the helplessness the woman felt, and what Morgan herself needed to do to help her learn.
 
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Ayame tilted her ear as the woman left, listening to her walk away. She let out a small sigh when Morgan returned and her nose scrunched, the smell of blood and the dead animal was still fresh in the air. Mixed with the pine Ayame couldn't help but feel slightly nauseous. When Morgan growled at her she flinched and gulped, she was a lot less afraid than the first time. But, the instinctive fear crept up on her all the same. She was being scolded like a child and she fiddled her thumbs as it happened.

"O-okay. I will look at it that way from now on." Ayame nodded as if to back up her thoughts, her voice not nearly as shaky as one would have expected. Ayame turned her ear towards Morgan's voice and listened to her intently. "Okay. N-no problem!" Ayame nodded and gave an awkward smile, she wished she knew how awkward she looked. She took a deep breath and relaxed her body. She closed her eyes as though it would make a huge difference. Ayame focused her sense of smell, trying to block out everything else. Holding her hands out in front of her she placed them on the ground and started to carefully crawl so it was less likely she'd trip. She started off slowly, stopping every so often to make sure she had the right path. It was hard, she knew her own scent but she had never tried to trail herself before. So she focused on Morgan's woodsy wolf scent. SHe only hoped she was going the right way.
 
Morgan watched as Ayame picked her way along the trail. It was slow going, but she hadn't expected anything else. Morgan remained silent, allowing her to puzzle it out while she focused on staying downwind where her scent wouldn't confuse things. Even as she watched Ayame track the trail, her eyes kept scanning the shadows of the trees, and her ears remained alert to what was going on around her. It was for that reason that she heard the constant scramble of the smaller wildlife cease. She paused and tilted her head listening. A scowl found its way to her face. She hated the human form and it's vulnerabilities. Had she been the wolf, it would've been easier to pinpoint the sounds around her. Without her ears being able to swivel, she had to constantly turn her head. She froze again, head cocked as another sound caught her attention. Branches snapping and foliage being disturbed. Judging by the amount of noise, the animal was big.

Morgan huffed and felt the small hairs on the back of her neck go up. There was danger here and it probably smelled the dead animal on her. Sadly the animal was downwind of her so Morgan couldn't identify it by scent alone. Quickly catching up to Ayame, Morgan crouched down and put her mouth near the woman's ear. "Go still and listen. Do you hear the way the forest sounds? Something big and dangerous is moving this way. If you can, change quickly. I recommend you do so and make your way to the river. Keep the water at your back and try to look as big and dangerous as you can. If you look like to much trouble, then whatever it is may not want to mess with you." A heavy chuff got Morgan's attention, making her bare her teeth in a silent snarl. She knew that sound. "Bear," she warned.

Bears were troublesome, but not overly inclined to fight if they thought the reward was not worth the risk. Facing two full grown wolves over nothing wasn't likely to interest the animal. That would change though if the bear was female with cubs nearby. In that case, they were a threat that would need to be dealt with. "Go now," Morgan growled, already reaching for her wolf. The change felt like it took her ages, but as soon as it was done, Morgan shook herself once and placed her body between the blind woman and the source of the noise. Normally, Morgan would've just slipped away and left the bear to it's own devices, but with Ayame to look after, that wasn't a good option. So instead of that, Morgan broke her rule about the quiet. Tilting her head back, she let off a long loud howl that was designed to call to the pack. She hoped that the animal would recognize it for what it was and change it's path. Falling Silent again, Morgan turned and checked on Ayame.
 
Ayame was so focused on the sense of smell she barely noticed the sounds around her. While Morgan had froze Ayame had continued moving, luckily she was slow so it wasn't long before Morgan caught up to her. She paused when Morgan spoke to her and listened intently. Once Ayame had stilled her body she focused on the sounds around her; the bugs in the morning, the birds chirping in the distance, and then the sound of branches snapping as something approached them hit her ears. Ayame tensed but gave a small nod to Morgan, she thought it best she not speak. Ayame supposed now was as good a time as any to try to speak and connect with her wolf. She only hoped that her wolf responded this time, not only for her sake bt fro Morgan's as well.

Once Morgan stated the animal was a bear Ayame's fear kicked in, normally she would have scrambled away more than likely making a lot of noise in the process. But, she willed herself to be strong. When Morgan told her to go she nodded and quietly tried to move as quickly as possible away. Shifting would prove difficult if the bear was close, after a few moments she was sure that she had moved far enough to try to shift. Ayame focused on talking to her wolf to will her old back. Please I need your help, don't shun me like this. I know it hurts but we have Morgan now. There was a pause before Ayame felt the presence of her wolf return. Ayame smiled, the shift, however, was not as pleasant as the reunion.

Ayame had been denied her shift since she was young, the readjustment of bones hurt her already damaged body, it was exhausting. Ayame gritted her teeth a small whimper being the most that escaped her lips as her shift finished. She huffed pushing herself up on her four paws. Now that she was in wolf form her senses were a lot better. Ayame forced herself to stand without sharing and turned her head following the sound of water. Her wolf was a beautiful midnight color, with the same striking whitish-blue eyes. Her ears turned as she walked, each step she felt the vibrations in her paws that told her were each tree bush branch or animal was. She walked like this until she reached the water. Before slowly putting a paw in the water and covering her furred body with it.
 
Morgan moved swiftly to catch up with Ayame. Thankfully she didn't have to go far. By the time she found her, Ayame was in the middle of a change. Morgan winced at the small whimper that was let off and whined softly in sympathy. The change was slow, like her own, and Morgan was anxious about the girl being caught as she was. For that reason Morgan paced the area, ears peeled for the sound of bear. It had paused at her howl, but is was still moving toward her, following the scent of dead animal that clung to her like a second skin. Morgan snarled a warning at the beast and turned just in time to see the black wolf moving toward water at a far better pace than she had been before. Morgan fell into step with the other wolf easily keeping pace, but she also lingered a few steps behind, ready and willing to cover her back should the bear be bold enough to try attacking.

They made it to the water without to much of a delay. Morgan picked up her pace, skirting around Ayame and all but diving into the water. She caught her breath once, then submerged herself completely. Once under, Morgan shook her thick red pelt hard, willing the water to get into it and rinse away the smell. Only then did she resurface, eyes and ears already scanning for the bear. She saw it come into the clearing a moment later where it paused, taking in the site of them. Morgan crawled out of the water dripping wet, but showing a lot of fang. She growled continuously. It was a low nasty sound that promised violence. With her ears back, tail straight out behind her, wet fir bristling, and head lowered to protect her throat, Morgan looked like she fully intended to kill the animal that dared to step before her. She advanced on the animal, keeping herself between it and Ayame.

The bear roared and rose up onto it's paws to make itself look bigger. Morgan knew this game. It was all bluff. Both of them were predators, and neither one liked backing down. Now it was a matter of who got cold feet first. Morgan snarled back and snapped her teeth, unafraid of the animal. She had fought bears before and had the scars to prove it. The fights were nasty and often lead to some bad wounds, but if she could get behind the big lumbering animal, there wasn't much it could do. Unfortunately, the bear could also smell her wound which still bled and was running down her leg, matting the fur, so her show of ferocity was largely unheeded. The bear dropped back down on it's front feet with a crash. With another roar it charged her. Morgan's eyes flicked up, catching sight of the animal's ears. They were up. This was a bluff charge. Morgan stood her ground and waited. Sure enough, the bear slid to a stoup and retreated a few steps.

Morgan went for her own bluff. She lunged forward and snapped her teeth at the bears paws. Unlike her, it jerked back, giving ground which Morgan quickly claimed. The bear backed a few more paces away, and eyed her. For a moment, they stared at one another, then the bear huffed loudly and turned to lumber back into the trees. Morgan howled again, claiming the area and warning the bear to keep moving.She stayed in place a few more minutes to ensure the bear was gone, then made her way slowly to Ayame. She was panting softly from the effort, but she was feeling rather good about the experience. The bear hadn't pushed the issue. She yipped happily at Ayame and waded back into the water. Aware that Ayame may be shaken, the girl was far to timid, her wolf thought, Morgan slid her head along Ayame's shoulder and side, giving her a point of contact if she needed it.
 
Ayame heard the splash behind her and turned towards the sound, Morgan was here which meant that the bear had either left or followed them. Ayame's ears moved as they turned to tune into the sounds of the forest, she heard the bear making its way through the foliage. Her body instinctively tensed but she forced herself to hold her ground. She had no clue how to show hostility but she stood tall and unwavering. She heard Morgan drag herself out of the water as the bear's footsteps halted. She took a step back as Morgan growled. Even though it hadn't been directed at her she was scared nonetheless.

Morgan's scent filled her nostrils, Morgan was in front of her defending her even in this form Ayame felt weak. Though even if Morgan hadn't offered her defense Ayame wasn't sure she could fight a ber, let alone at all. Ayame listened to the two beasts charge with her ears lowered and were happy when the smell of the bear left the area, it didn't mean that they were totally safe. But she also hadn't lowered her defenses, she was on edge fro the consistent growling and a part of her wanted to run and hide away from the sounds. But her wolf had kept her feet planted firmly in the river water. The only sign of her fear was her lowered ears.

When Morgan yipped happily her ears perked up and she turned her head around looking for any sign of her companion. When she felt Morgan's head brush against her side she happily went to lick her. She was okay, Ayame felt relieved. Though she had hoped to be more help, she wondered if she should shift. Her body was feeling weak and she wasn't sure how much longer her wolf would be present. Her thoughts were answered when she shifted back the presence of her wolf fading into the recesses of her mind.
 
Morgan whined softly and returned the licks Ayame had given her. She was proud of how the girl had handled the situation. She hadn't run in the face of the bear's attack, nor had she whined or made any other wound that the bear might've taken as a weakness. Morgan made a mental note to tell her so the next time she had a voice to do so. For now, she settled on getting cleaner than she already was. Stepping away from Ayame, Morgan found a sandy patch of river bank and proceeded to roll herself through it. It made the water cloudy, but the sand did a fine job of scrubbing her fur clean. Another clean patch of water further out into the river rinsed what sand and dirt remained on her pelt away. While she had been doing this, Morgan had been aware of Ayame shifting back, so she wasn't overly surprised when she looked over and saw the human where the black wolf had been.

With a huff, Morgan reached for her own human half. The bear was gone, and they were doing a good job of removing the stink from their bodies that might call it back. Human again, Morgan eyed Ayame, a mischievous smile curling her lips. Without giving the girl a warning, Morgan swung and arm, launching a wave of water toward her. After chasing the bear away, she was in a playful mood. This was rare since she hadn't really ever had anyone to play with, but she had a packmate now, and her wolf and she were feeling really content with life. They had had a good hunt, survived a bear attack, protected the pack, and had a friend to share the whole experience with. In their book, it was a great day to be alive.
 
Ayame welcomed the licks and her mind was filled with her own happy laughter. Once Ayame shifted she shook herself to get the feeling back into her body. The shift from human to a wolf to human was painful but it reminded her of the freedom she had so been missing since being locked away. Her wolf was in the recesses of her mind, Ayame smiled and held her hands out as she crouched to feel the water. It was cool and refreshing. Ayame cupped her hands and slowly started cleansing the smell of raw meat off of her skin. They had survived an attack and she hadn't run. Ayame was happy with herself and grateful that they hadn't lost their lives.

Ayame listened as she heard Morgan shift back, she noted eth process was a lot quicker than her own. Probably because of the years she had spent doing so. When the water hit her, Ayame squealed and fell back into the water, Ayame turned her head to look for the "culprit" as a smile graced her face. Ayame listened until she heard the water shift from Morgan's movement and swung her arm to splash water back at Morgan. Ayame laughed and lifted herself up. She had a new friend, a new family, and she couldn't imagine a time when she had been happier.
 
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