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Senka was bored. Bored. Bored. Bored. And an idle storyteller was never a good thing. Particularly when the storyteller was also a silver-tongued warrior who had a taste for trouble.

It had been far too long since she had come across anyone of interest, or anyone at all, for that matter. It was getting a little lonely. Surely she was long past due for an interesting encounter? Surely there was someone out there to entertain her. Provide her with amusement and company and a good story.

As her ever-golden luck would have it, the wind carried an intriguing scent her way.

Her ears pricked forward with interest. Ah. There. Another wolf. Perhaps they would play nice with her.

As soon as she got a good look at her, Senka could practically smell the blood from whatever unfortunate victims the female had chosen. So, this one liked that sort of game, did she? A pity. Well. She had encountered others like this one and left unscathed. Senka was not too worried. Still, she would have to tread carefully.

"A fine day it is," she replied. "Though, I might argue that you will be my fun for the day." Well, as careful as she could bring herself to be, anyway. "If you are feeling amenable to it, you might give me your story. I can tell, it is one worth telling."

"I am," she affirmed, pleased that this had caught the other wolf's interest. A small grin curved her lips. "And I find that tales of blood are often the most fascinating of all."

It was true. Ulfhildr and the Reign of Terror had many interesting tales to tell her. Tales she would have heard nowhere else. And there were other tales, as well. Dark whispers. Shadowed secrets. They were even better.

"Won't you share your tale with me? I can spread your legend...or keep your secrets. Whatever you desire."

Senka cocked her head and considered the female before her. Certainly, she knew many stories of blood and death and while she would have liked to collect another, she was just as willing to share those that she already knew. After all, she was a storyteller. The sharing of tales was her primary purpose. Ah, but where to begin.

Somehow, the shadowy femme doubted that her audience would be interested in wolves long dead. No. This one would want to know about the nightmares that still stalked through the world.

“Indeed, there are fearsome wolves who exist in this world,” she agreed as she settled back on her own haunches. “I could tell you of silent assassins who strike in the night, no more substantial than air. I could tell you of a roaming madwoman, who consumes the souls of her prey. I could tell you of the Reign of Terror, who decimate other packs, spreading spread fear and death like a plague…Or perhaps you would hear of the silent terrors, little more than shadows, cannibals who steal boy-pups and devour all else.”

"Very well," she agreed. "Though I warn you. Information on this pack is notoriously difficult to come by. Most is little more than whispered rumor." She offered a sly smile, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "However, I am notoriously persistent. I have a survivor's tale to offer you."

Senka then settled into her storyteller's cant. "It was a moonless winter night and the pups were supposed to be curled up, asleep in their little den. However, one naughty little girl slipped out of the pile after her parents were abed. She wanted to explore, you see. The snow was so pretty, and she thought she had seen a stranger nearby earlier in the day, but no one believed her. There was no scent or sign to be found. But she knew he was out there. She would just have to prove it."

"Thus the pup began her search. She started by going to where she had sworn she had seen the wolf. However, the snowfall had been heavy. If there was any scrap of scent there in the first place, it had already been cleansed. If there was any scrap of fur left behind, it had already been buried.

"Frustrated with the lack of success from her vain efforts, she plopped down in an ill-tempered huff, wondering what to do next. She knew he was out there. But where? Surely he had not moved on already.

"So, she began an aimless scouring of her family's lands, growing more reckless as her search continued to prove fruitless."

Senka had to smile wryly at this female's blood-lust. She was just like a puppy, interrupting with her thoughts on what should happen. Though, she was sure that the female would not appreciate the comparison.

"At last, panting with exhaustion, the pup found herself nearly back to the den. The stranger was nowhere to be found.

"Quite suddenly, the pup heard a strange noise, felt some primal instinct telling her to run. To flee from death. However, she felt herself inexorably drawn to the den.

"When she was within sight, she glimpsed something. A living shadow ghosting inside. She froze, wondering what it could be. Perhaps the stranger? She had to know."