Rihla was pretty sure that if she got caught, she would be in big trouble. Like bigger trouble than anything her brothers had yet to do. Like bigger trouble than her young mind could really contemplate. She doubted her mother or father would make her leave Spirane...but she was pretty sure that she would definitely be under more watchful eyes and definitely be tattled on by brothers that just wanted to look good for their parents. She rolled her eyes at that thought. Cream colored legs take her down the mountain side, being careful not to be seen (or at least as sneaky as she could manage) and keeping as quiet as her paws would allow. She could do nothing about the tracks the snow forced her to leave, or the scent that would be mixed into the steps. She had already tried dusting them away, walking in odd patterns and following other wolf tracks...but no matter what she did, her scent remained. It was a problem she would have to work out later on when she was in trouble and unable to have freedoms such as this!

Her large, radar like ears twitched to and fro and when she was certain the coast was clear, she moved past the borders of Spirane and into the woods surrounding the Aplos river. Exuberant that so far her escape had been successful she took off running. Legs stretched and still developing muscles contracted as she ran full speed towards the river. A baby howl echoed out between the conifers in joyous celebration! Ah to explore! Rihla could hardly contain herself.

After what seemed to be only a short while, Rihla slowed down, and her dusty brown head watched the area with great interest. She noticed that the pine needles and conifers allowed the ground to have less snow. Nose went to the forest floor and found all sorts of interesting smells. Here was a deer path that was recently used! Here was a badger den! Here was where a squirrel had buried some nuts, undoubtedly awaiting for a dire need to dig them back up! How exciting! Her fluffy tail wagged back and forth furiously! This was living! Her nose stopped though, when it reached a wolf scent. Fresh from what she could tell...and male. She paused, weighing her options. She supposed the safe thing to do would be to move in the opposite direction if she could decipher from his scent which way that would be. Her nose went to work, with her tail a stagnant banner that showed her anxiety over the situation. She thought that the scent was maybe a little staler towards the left and decided to go that way. However, Rihla soon discovered that her tracking skills needed a lot of work.

The black rimmed emerald eyes now beheld a large male, with a black head and white body. Rihla couldn't be sure, but it looked like his muzzle and feet were stained from the blood of a new kill. She crouched down, her ears back and mouth open panting in anxiety of the situation. The dusty head looked around at her options and she was about to slink off back towards Spirane, when her foot stepped on a fallen branch, snapping it. It felt like a cannon blast and she darted towards the left, while her eyes stay trained on Krampus. Her tail tucked and ears back, with her ruff involuntarily raised to make she look at least somewhat bigger. Rihla had lost her confidence and knew she had been spotted and thus she waited to see what this other wolf would do, frozen mostly in fear but with a small flash of curiosity.