The nights grew longer, though the daytimes still warmed hot and humid like summertime some days, and he was unable to ignore the subtle shifts nature was making around him even beyond that. The autumn approached, with time ticking immeasurably forward, him and his home within it.
Since he did not often take changes with grace, even these gentle ones inspired restlessness to buzz in the back of his mind. It was small still, so he could reign it constructively into tracking prey in the lowlands, but even that motive trickled off into a broader scheme when drizzles kept threatening his trails, anyway. He was soon covering the valley some, then on to more by the next hour. Eventually the tangles of the Weald shadowed his path, and a strange call from within drew him in when no longer did pack boundaries deny him here either. Instead, petrichor, and wet plants.. which was fine by him, so he went onward.
Though his route could not cut clean to the source, he found his way, and delved deeper quietly. Maybe he was getting closer--so he hoped, as he listened for more.
Since he tried to travel on the closest route to least resistance, he zigged and zagged enough, ears tilting carefully and the rest of him adapting to the prowl needed. And, while he had come with the sense that he wouldn't be alone for long, a greeting like that was not what he was prepared to arrive into.
She appeared, bounding, and this motion aiming for him was enough to stance him up--something about to turn defensive, if she went offensive, but not quite yet, as that was not the direction that approach took at all. Her whines? The dark Ostrega felt a little startled about their message, honestly, and though her tail waved like she was seeing a friend, nothing about it sparked familiarity in him quite so loudly. His paws stopped hard and fast, and his eyes were wide.
Doubts, incensed by spotting her green eyes--should he know her?--didn't get to take full form before she backpedaled with some realization to almost. But she was so near, he had tensed up himself, half turned away to evade, and now went awkwardly after some recovery. He stepped forward, just enough to ground himself and ease in somewhat, then side-stepped further for more distance. Faced with a stranger, he still.. felt watched.
Now that he remembered to breath again, attempts to smooth himself could better follow. Ah, I'm guessing I wasn't quite what you were expecting?
he said, ears splaying out and steadying his feet. Not like that. He dropped his his neck with a soft chuff, following his best attempt at an apologetic tail wag after feeling so startled just before, thanks to her even. Best to ignore that whiplash, probably, but it wasn't going away fast enough.