Sunspire Mountains les voyages de l'âme

No need to apologize for the wait!  I'm not a very fast poster anyway lol.  <3

It seemed the stewards of these mountains kept a keen eye on their dominion, for it didn't take very long at all for a howl to answer her own.  Deep and rich, its tone and the message it contained indicated a male of some authority, so she prepared herself for whatever was to come.  Hoping for a peaceful reception -- she'd experienced her fair share of hostility in the time she'd spent on the move, after all, and had a few scars to show for it -- she pulled herself upright as she heard his footfalls drawing near.  

He emerged into her view and revealed himself to be a handsome wolf of striking contrasts.  He was the color of the mountains themselves, shades of dark, stony pewter draping his large frame and cascading down into glacial hues of mist and snow.  He regarded her with eyes the color of sunlit sea ice -- much like her own -- and the way he carried himself left no doubt about his station here:  he was alpha.  Lhotse felt herself involuntarily shrinking before him, carefully averting her gaze and diminishing her stance to acknowledge her status between the two of them.  

His greeting was not unpleasant or unwelcoming, however, which elicited a cautious wag of the end of her tail in response.  He asked what brought her to his claim and, with her eyes lingering on his forepaws, she answered honestly, "It's beautiful."  She ventured a fleeting peek at his face before glancing off toward the mountainous skyline and continuing, "I grew up in mountains much like these, and it's been a long time since I've seen a place that reminded me of home.  I was hoping to spend some time here among your peaks, but only if I am welcome."  The question was clear in her words but she fell silent then, allowing him the opportunity to answer it however he pleased.