Over the mountains he roved, retreating back for a moment to the den he had shared for some time with Mira, pulling only the scent of dead leaves and old carcasses from the area. He had hoped perhaps one of them might have wandered back to their birthplace; he left his scent as a calling card- so they might know someone was still looking for them if they happened to wander that way. 

The weather was fair; and aside from the mist, he had few complaints as he traversed the mountain range until he could see a valley in the distance- one that looked like a lush meadow, albeit covered in snow. Safer pastures might have been alluring to a gaggle of wandering children and in turn, their mother who searched for them. Ksura had not yet given up on his pledge to protect the family, no matter where it went. 

He explored the foothills near the spire, searching for the scent of wolves in the area, wandering through the thickening haze of fog.

She had gained two opportunities for pups and the woman hoped that one had stuck, now she wanted to hunt once more. The rabbit she had the other day wasn’t enough for the dark woman. She found herself wandering the mountains perhaps she’d come across a goat or something. She knew that was an animal she’d have no problem taking down herself.

The cold air sifted through her dark fur as it blew and it sent a smell her way, another wolf as well as the animal she sought out. It was hard to see though however and her eyesight as good as it used to be but the woman trekked on and the wolf came into her view she let out a small chuff and hoped the wolf wasn’t unfriendly. She had bad luck with wolves near the mountains and she didn’t have the energy to deal with it.

The wind shifted and brought with it a bouquet of scents. He'd noticed tracks left behind by a couple of foxes earlier, and their musk lingered yet on the air. He'd roved too far into the foothills to smell the mountain goats now, though they had left droppings in the area that were about a week old. He licked his lips and wetted his nose, bristling and lifting his head when another scent came to him. It stirred a familiar, growing sensation of desire, and he drew toward it, navigating his way downhill until he caught sight of the dark wolf in the distance. 

There was some slight silvering about her lips which was indicative of her age, but it did little to lessen her allure; her eyes gembright and her demeanour welcoming, he returned her greeting with a friendly invitation of his own, ears pricked forward and tail waving.

The male seemed friendly enough but of course given her current state perhaps he was thinking the same thing as she was. Nevertheless she would not jump to conclusions, she’d heard of wolves who preferred other company and she would not want to offend and she walked forward tail swaying as she did so. The male looked younger than she was and she gave a soft smile. “Hello, what ya doing?” She questioned. As she drew closer he smelled of a pack. Many different scents intertwined with his. She hadn’t smelt any packs territories so it sparked her curiosity.

With each step she took, she became more and more alluring, and he felt drawn to her as if by magnet; a sensation which intensified with each step. He noted the light limp, the scarring on her face- but saw past them to the softness of her dark coat, the slender line of her jaw, the attractive dip at her waist. She greeted him with a question and he moved forward to allow her to trade scents with him, pushing his whiskers forward as he sniffed for her breath, for her aura. 

"I smelled you nearby," He said. "You're all I can think about," He admitted. The others who had crossed his path in this state had not turned him away- he hoped she might be just as receptive of his presence and his intentions.

Of course it was the heat talking and she wasn’t shy about it either the dark woman knew exactly what she wanted and it seemed the male did as well. She looked him over and he was indeed a beautifully colored male and would make very pretty children for her which was her goal. Everything the woman did to this point was to achieve it and by his body language it seemed as though he wouldn’t refuse however she would take her time and see.

She walked forward slowly with her tail swaying behind her as she did so and she was in a playful mood today. “Is that so?” She questioned as She swished her tail gently under his chin trying to be seductive if it worked only time would tell truth be told her writer had no clue what she was doing. Moonshadow lowered her body in a playful bow.

He nearly choked on her playful retort. It took every ounce of his strength to restrain himself, though his efforts were beginning to flag especially when she threw her booty up in the air. "Oh, ffff-" He cut himself off so that he could keep his profanity to himself and besides, it was necessary for him to hold his breath for a moment so that he didn't just give in to his instincts. He shook his head and exhaled, as if that might help. 

He moved forward, pressing his shoulder against her hip, lowering his head so he could nibble at the fur of her ruff, tugging gently as if to cue her to rise.

She felt electricity like sensations run through her body and her tail wagged slowly. She got up from her position. Seems he didn’t want to play not that she minded, she wasn’t a naive young she wolf and she knew what he wanted and of course the woman wanted it to. She turned herself and gave a gentle lick under the man’s muzzle with approval.

Once permitted, the eager young man wasted no time. His youth left him with little to no restraint, and while he attempted to court her and season her with kisses, her earlier display left him struggling to maintain control of himself; while passionate, his flirtation was short-lived and he drew her into his embrace with deft urgence. 

In his riled state, the whole affair wouldn't last very long, and left him smiling, but with a hint of embarrassment. His brevity was something he was well aware of. It felt even worse, considering that he was out of breath. "Well, that-" He said, tilting his head and nodding. "I, uh- I hope that was alright- for you, I mean, I, uh-" He laughed and shrugged. "I...Whooh!" He exhaled. Life didn't get much better than this, for him.

The deed was done rather quickly and not that the woman minded that at all. She wasn’t really doing this for the pleasure anyway. The shadowy woman had one goal and one goal only and she was sure that it was achieved.

She gave the man a reassuring smile. “That was quite alright.” She said. Wondering if it had worked like she’d hoped. “So what’s your name?” She questioned unless he didn’t wish to have a conversation though if pups did result she’d like to know who the man was.

It seemed she approved- and for someone of her age, he expected she might have had some experience. To receive a compliment from her surely meant that he hadn't been all that bad, right? He let the comment inflate his ego a little bit, and nibbled her ear appreciatively. 

When she asked for his name, he didn't think to hide it. "Ksura," He said. "What's yours?"

She had regained her breath though it wasn’t a long event so it didn’t take much effort, though that didn’t matter to her. The man gave his name and she took it to her memory for future use if pups came from this encounter. “Nice to meet you. I am Moonshadow.” She wondered if he lived close. His pelt was intertwined with other scents. “I occupy Blackfeather woods at the moment. Are you from around here?” She questioned trying to get a sense of where the male came from.

He chuffed lightly at the sound of her name. It sounded almost ironic- after all, the moon was one of the brightest bodies in the night sky, and could be seen even during the daytime. He realized at that point that he'd never wondered if the moon even cast a shadow- and wondered now what it might look like, if it did. 

He was over-thinking, of course. His brain was swimming, at the moment, with thoughts. 

"Blackfeather Woods?" He'd never heard of it before. The concept of having names for every woods, lake, and field was something he'd never really thought was very important. "Dunno where that is, sorry," He said. "I live over that way," He said, gesturing with a deft flick of his muzzle. The pack had a name, of course- but he wasn't sure if the territory was named. He also wasn't entirely sure if he should be telling her exactly where he lived anyway- not wanting to cause conflict with the leader who had also taken to him in her time of need. "Are you in a pack then?" he asked, redundantly.

She pointed in its direction with her nose and the shadow woman smiled. ”My home is over in that direction.” The woman sighed softly at his next question. “I used to be but they’ve since moved on.” Oh how she missed it but most importantly she missed Maegi as well as her own brother. But at least her brother was one she could see again. “And you?” He sure smelled like one.

He followed her gaze, but something vague about his expression might have made it fairly clear that he wasn't assuming that this was an invitation. It didn't cross his mind that she might have been hinting that he should know where it was that she lived; he wasn't terribly sensitive to gentle nudges. 

He wondered if it would make him seem like a total scumbag if he wanted to hide the location of his pack from her. Instead of taking that risk, he nodded, but decided to approach a different angle. "I do, but I'm just kind of using it as a home base while I look for a couple missing kids in the mountains," He said. By now, he was searching for both the missing children and their mother, but he didn't feel the need to elaborate. He summoned a grim, joyless smile. "No luck yet, but..." He shrugged simply, his gaze distant. 

It didn't seem like he was ever going to find them, now.

He was really vague and this man was really a complete mystery but it wasn’t like she was looking for a mate or anything so she supposed it was alright. Her goal had been reached and that was really all she wanted. 

The small talk was merely a formality so it wouldn’t be awkward but it seemed that was unavoidable. Her gaze softened at hearing about the children. “Oh no. I do hope you find them. These mountains are dangerous.” She knew that all too well. Thinking back to shadow mountain.

He squinted as he inhaled, well aware of what the reality of his search would likely be. "Yeah," He agreed, softly. Pensive, for a moment, he simply gazed out into the distance. The luxurious high from their escapade had worn off, with the conversation turning to his search. He tried to warm his gaze as he returned it to her, but found himself struggling. 

"If you're alright...I might get going, if that's, uh, okay?" There would always be time for him to search- but as she'd pointed out, the mountains were dangerous. Every moment he spent not searching was another moment the children might be alone. 

By now, it was likely already too late- but he couldn't give up yet.

She gave a small nod. She was more than alright she was happy and content knowing that babies would soon bloom in her stomach in the months to follow. “Yes I’m okay and good luck with your search.” There was still one last question on her mind but she was hesitant to ask. “If children come of this I’d assume you wouldn't want to be made aware?” Surely not since he had been so vague in where he resided.

He felt a bit less anxious as he drew to his feet, now keen to press on in his search through the mountains so that he could sleep easily, knowing he had tried. 

When her question came, he searched her features for signs that she might have a preference. He couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed; here he was, devoting all of his time searching for someone else's lost kids, while also potentially scattering his own about the wilderness. Still, he thought that regardless the circumstances of their birth, Mira had loved her children. Moonshadow would too, with or without him. 

How to answer her question was another thing. Guilt settled in, and it made him uncomfortable. Was she trying to leash him with it, or release him from it? 

He decided to be selfish, but to be as kind as he could, as well.

"They'll be better with you," He said.

She didn’t expect any of the males to stick with her since her experience with her first litter and that was quite alright with the woman. She too got up from where she was resting place. “Well if you change your mind, you know where I’ll be.” 

She was simple if he came later or not she didn’t care too much. Her babies would be well cared for and loved reguardless. “Good luck to you on your quest. “ And with that she would depart.

He felt some weight lift when she took his comment gracefully. It seemed she wanted nothing else from him, but did not ban him from seeing them, if this was the choice he made. He wasn't sure if their existence would ever bother him- but given how content she seemed with the idea of raising them on her own, he felt relieved of any duties that his genetics might have otherwise saddled him with. 

"Same to you," He said, gently, and then left back into the mountains.