Edited this because I was under the impression I needed a joining thread... hurrah! Anyone is still welcome. :)
When Viinturuth left his Southern birthplace, he had no idea what to expect as he traveled further away. Winters in Samarkand had always been comfortably warm and, with temperatures being so high, his coat had never needed to thicken. As a youngster he'd hugely underestimated his mother's tales of where she's come from, and when the first bitter cold of the harsh season gripped the land he'd found himself in, Viin found himself wishing he listened more carefully to what Nita told him.
Truthfully, he was lucky to have survived. The family who'd saved him from the cold had taught him much about living as a loner, but his time with them had taught Viinturuth that he belonged in a pack environment. And so he left with the intentions of finding one, in the direction his companions had sent him in- a place called the Teekon Wilds.
Viin spent several days exploring the land, seeking pack boundaries but being careful to steer clear. He discovered three different groups, but it was the vast Wintry woodland that drew him in. And over the few short days he had lived there, the raven Frostfur knew he had made the right decision. He had no regrets of joining Chakra's Neverwinter Forest, and knew he would soon come to love is as he had loved Susa.
He'd spent most of his time resting, still being somewhat fragile from his malnutrition in the early Winter months, but he felt stronger by the day. That evening he head off from his densite undercover of night with the intention of tracking down any available prey, and crept between the dense trees with his pale eyes scouring the fresh snow before him in search of new tracks.
Khotan had spent much of his time since arriving in the Wilds amongst the trees of Neverwinter, guarding the lands from potential intruders; a silent, white sentinel. His white-and-silver coat made the winter his season, for it camouflaged him from prey and wolves alike. In the snow and freezing cold, the white beast could move like a ghost. Thus far, the territory had been as quiet as the frozen earth. Chakra remained at the heart of the forest, though he knew she patrolled the borders occasionally to intercept those that would seek haven between the dark pines. Their number was small, but they were enough to survive the cold, for Khotan had survived the fierce tundra of the North with much less aid. Even better, the deer seemed to be confounded by the deep snow levels—it was not uncommon for one to get stuck, and make themselves an easy meal for their predators.
But it seemed that with the deepening chill, more and more wolves entered the Wilds to seek out the stability of a pack. Neverwinter's borders grew thicker with the scent of claim, and Khotan could feel a fierce pride burn in his chest. He did not rule here, but he was part of the great kingdom. It was good to see the pack strengthen. The wolves of Neverwinter Forest would reign here for many years to come; he could feel it in his bones, more and more each day that passed.
Now that their numbers had swelled, it was less pertinent to guard the edges of the territories; he could sneak away for a time, and foster the fire that would bond them all together. Khotan navigated through the trees, following the winding pathways of scent left behind by his brethren. It was not long before he came upon a dark beast, half hidden in the dark shadows cast by the tall pines. That he could scarcely make out the wolf's scent over the pines told Khotan that this other creature was pack, and so his posture was more welcoming than it would have been towards a trespasser as he approached.
Picking upon the fresh scent of a small mammal near the base of a tree, Viin paused briefly to scan his surroundings for signs of it having passed through recently. In the moonlight the snow's surface shimmered, clear and untouched, and he saw no tracks of another animal before him. But he could smell this creature and, when he held his breath, he swore he could hear it scuffling around somewhere. He carefully crept forward again, pausing every few seconds to listen quietly for any further sounds, but found silence enveloped the forest. If there had been an animal in the area, it was gone now.
Lifting his head, he tested the air for any other scents, but found nothing among that of pine. What did capture his attention, however, was the sound of approaching paws and the crunch of snow. Looking over a silvery shoulder, Viinturuth observed the approach of a pallid figure he at once thought might be Chakra, but as it drew nearer he realised that this wolf was far more masculine. Lowering his ears, crown and tail considerably in appropriate submission, the sable Frostfur turned to greet his pack-mate with a polite dip of his muzzle. "Good evening," he said, smiling faintly, and gave a friendly sweep of his heavy tail.
Khotan didn't believe himself particularly high in rank, nor particularly notable amongst Neverwinter's wolves; there hadn't been enough of them previously to truly establish a hierarchy beyond the fact that Chakra was their leader. Still, he had lived here for longer than most, so when the stranger submitted to him without prompting the white beast was pleasantly surprised. The other's greeting was accented with both a smile and a sweep of the tail, so the bearlike male settled down to sit nearby. "I hope it finds you well," he rumbled in return, his voice deep and warm.
It was clear the other was searching for something—prey most like, though it was rare for anything larger than a rabbit to make its home in the forest, so thick with the smell of wolf that it was. His ears moved slightly to catch any sound that might betray the movement of some creature, but the bulk of his attention remained with the dark wolf before him. "I am Khotan. What is it that you seek?" he spoke eventually, intending to clarify the other's purpose. There were caches nearby, if he were hungry—and if it were something else, Khotan was still more than willing to assist a pack mate.
Sorry for delay, I've been working stupidly long shifts. Bleeeeegh!
When the other male lowered his haunches and spoke warmly to him, Viinturuth let himself relax. His muscles slackened and, although his eyes remained averted from his pack-mates, he lifted his bowed head. Carefully he sank his own hindquarters to the snow, where he curled his feathery tail about a seated haunch. "And you, too," the dark wolf offered politely, and pricked his ears to catch his companion's name. Khotan. He was unsure of its origin, but Viin repeated in in his mind so that he may store it away for future reference.
"Nothing important. I thought I smelt a mouse or something," he rolled a heavy shoulder in a lazy shrug. He had smelt out caches on his wanderings, but being so new he did not feel it fair to take his fill from them without contributing something first. Besides, fresh meat always tasted better to him than that which had been frozen. "I am Viinturuth. Did you found the pack with Chakra?"
The two males further discussed the birth and growth of their pack, before passing ways to resume their duties.