(Character)

This was hard.  Her life had been so certain.  Her handler had given her everything she needed, had doted upon her even, she had been admired by everyone for the way she looked.  Yet something inside of her burned and smoldered. She was powerful, she was independent, she had a drive to hunt and explore she was good at it, it was what she was meant to do, but that...wasn't what she was meant to do.  The handler she had loved so much, quietly and in her own way, grew tired of her. They wanted her to be dainty, be quiet, be demur as she pranced around a show ring like a horse. They wanted her to be adorned in strange ribbons and tack of multiple colors, they wanted her to LOOK like a prehistoric beast and act like a kitten.  Brida tried to show them, snuck away from her stable and hunted bringing back deer, coyote, and even a caribou. Horror painted her handler's face when she returned with them, and she could see disappointment and bitterness grow each time she tried her best to make them happy.

 

Then, she was loaded up in a trailer without a word and they went on a drive.  Her handler said nothing to her, but looked...was that relief, happiness? Suddenly Brida felt like maybe things were getting better, maybe her handler understood her at last and they would be going on an excursion together.  Feeling her heart soar with hope Brida settled in for the ride watching from the floor of the trailer on a bed of straw as the clouds and tree tops rolled by. After nearly three hours of driving long after the tree line had disappeared and the chill of the mountains overtook her the truck rumbled to a hault.  

 

Long minutes stretched as the truck sat silent, the sound of boots scraping on the gravel could be heard just barely.  The scent that came through the trailer was what really surprised Brida. Tokota. Not the same as the Tokota that surrounded her at the Shows she had been entered into, the scent was...heavier...it smelled like dirt and animals mixed in with the heavy scent of Tokota that were clean and well kept but...she tried to put her nose on it and failed.  Something about the scent was wild reminding her of the wilderness she dreamed of exploring. Where was she?

 

Abruptly the door flung open revealing a pair of strangers.  Both were tall, the man taller by a few inches, and the woman being thin as a beanpole.  Both wore heavier clothes than her handler had which she assumed was due to the temperature with a pair of leather gloves, and solid leather work boots.  They both stared at her in what she easily recognized as open admiration.

 

"Sweet Aippaq, Cheyenne, she is stunning," the male spoke to the female-Cheyenne-in an awestruck tone.  Brida realized the man was practically shivering with delight his eyes wide with wonder as he gazed upon her.  The look startled, Brida. Sure, people fawned over her but this man...it was like he was looking at his wildest dreams coming true.  He was a lot.

 

"Dune, I think we should get her out before you scare her," Cheyenne replied watching Brida closely.  While Dune looked stunned, Cheyenne gazed at Brida with clear admiration, but with concern and a warmth that Brida wasn't used to.  

 

Dune gave a curt nod and the pair eased slowly into the trailer before crouching down.  They maintained their distance and kept their eyes cast just to the side or down so they never met Brida's gaze.  Brida carefully extended her neck forward so her nose could catch their scents better. She was confused. Where was her handler, and who were these people?  She slowly stood, not sure what was happening, and moved back towards the back of the trailer glaring at the pair and ready to wait obediently for her handler to arrive and summon her out.  The young woman blinked in puzzlement for a moment, nodded to herself almost imperceptibly, then turned to her companion.

"Dune, would you do me a favor, would you go find Kaia and bring her here for me?"  Cheyenne's voice was quiet and warm. "I think we are going to need her help." 

Timeline