Whitewater Gorge the journey of a thousand miles begins with...well, you know

his ear twitched in response, taking in the pair's words. "war waits for no wolf," he said after a beat of silence. "reasonable as grayday might be, there are those out there who are remarkably less so." his eyes raked the horizon again. "better to have allies now than to find ourselves surrounded by strangers--or enemies--later."

for a long time, he had only had to worry about himself. but it was different, now. the welfare of an entire pack was at stake, and the tactician and diplomat had begun to emerge within aditya, blossoming from a seed in his soul to fill his entire being with a newfound wisdom, and respect for the natural order of things.

he had no idea what was out there. it could very well be that these other packs were hostile, not receptive to strangers. but if they did indeed receive morningside's scouting party, bonds could be forged that could benefit them in troubled times. vital information could be gleaned.

"we can deal with the vale in time," he continued. he pointed his muzzle toward the mountains. "for now, i'm most interested in them."

I'm actually gonna fade here