Chasing rumors of wolves was not technically part of her journey. During her years of traveling Sahara had come across a few of her own kind, mostly lone wolves or small packs not unlike the one she herself came from. Meeting other werewolves was a twofold experience, both vastly exciting and somewhat intimidating. It had been a shock to learn that not all wolves were just alike. For instance, aside from those on a journey she hadn't known wolves would live alone as a lifestyle – it was hard to imagine life without her family and her pack. Of course she was living without them now, but in her mind that was still a temporary condition, not a way of life. She also had not known that there were wolves with such impure and vile hearts.
They were a people deeply rooted in the primal and instincts of their wolf halves, but wolves were not creatures of cruelty or evil – regardless of what some humans thought. Sahara was convinced that it was this human part of werewolves that corrupted the primal purity of the wolf. Why else would a wolf kill domesticated animals and even savage an innocent young girl? Hearing about the body found had made her sick to her stomach. How could anyone do that? If the humans were right and it was a wolf behind the butchery terrorizing La'marri then there was obviously something very wrong with that creature's mind. Either way, the carnage had to stop.
She was not the strongest wolf, nor the fastest, Sahara wasn't even the best hunter or tracker, but none of that could stop her. It was just like her to put herself in danger out of concern for others. Even if they were humans, they didn't deserve what was happening. That was why her tracks had been found outside some of the homes on the outskirts of the city. She was slipping in and out of the city as she attempted to hunt down the guilty monster – wolf or otherwise.
Her search had sent her back into the woods, both to track her quarry and to put herself at ease. Niahi was not Draconi, but the forests were where a wolf would always feel most at home and at peace. It was soothing to be surrounded by the scents and sounds of the forest, but it also made her ache for home. It had been years, but still her wolf had not urged her that it was time to return to the plains of her childhood. She was still waiting for something. Sahara only wished that she knew what, exactly, that she was supposed to learn or find on her pilgrimage.
As she padded through the trees, leaves crinkling beneath her paws, a subtle shift in the wind brought very faint scents to her nose. It was enough to cause her to stop in her tracks, raising her head and sniffing the air with great interest. There were humans in the forest. Normally she would avoid them, but there was another scent. Sahara could never mistake that scent. Another werewolf was also in the woods, but it wasn't the one that had killed that girl. No, this smell was definitely a different wolf. It was confusing that his scent was coming from the same direction as the humans, though. Why would he be with them? Of course she dealt with humans frequently. They were far more appreciative of her healing skills than fellow wolves, which rarely needed a healer. It still seemed strange for a wolf to be here with humans.
Not even pausing to consider that there might be danger, Sahara turned around and went back the way she had come, following the scent. It didn't occur to her that the humans were mistakenly hunting her, thinking she was the dangerous one. Then again, why would a werewolf hunt another werewolf? All she knew was that one of her own was near enough to scent him and it felt natural and right to attempt to seek him out. He was not part of her pack or family, but it was in her nature to gravitate towards her fellow wolves. Loneliness did not suit her.
As they drew closer to one another Sahara almost threw her head back to howl a greeting, but something told her not to so blatantly announce herself. Even so, she still did not try to approach stealthily. She wasn't trying to sneak up on this unknown wolf. It would be impossible; if she could smell him then he could certainly smell her. His scent was so strong by that point she knew it was only a matter of time before she finally spotted him, and he would undoubtedly spot her too.