Bristol was thankful for winter. He didn’t have to stop every few feet to bite, scratch, or rub his body against a rough looking tree for relief. It was there, the itch, but it was minimal; or tolerable, to say the least. Spring was right around the corner and the full blast would come. The idiot wolf that held the medic position didn’t know what he was doing and he couldn’t eat another disgusting plant that may or may not work for his symptoms. He had never bothered to learn or remember what his sister had done for him because he had expected her to be around forever but the night she departed their home, his entire world stopped for a while.
     It was only a few weeks he remained. His ties were minimal; he would miss London, of course. Ginny would have nothing to do with him and he rarely saw Fitz anyway. Bristol had simply been out of place the last few months and he couldn’t shake the feeling.
     He left Watchtower Coast with the intention of following his sister. He did not rush; he didn’t want to deter or upset her. A week into his travels he thought it might be a bad idea to just surprise her but by that point he’d started to lose her trace and finding it sporadically between home and the last few days. Where he stood, he could smell her, but he could also acknowledge it was not free territory. When he tried to follow his trace in any direction, he ran into some sort of marking that he could not make himself cross. It was not his land to traipse along.
     He kept his distance for a while, angling his head up the incline of the territory. He thought about going elsewhere for a while, back to the coast where he could relax with familiar territory, but his lanky legs did not take him anywhere and so caught in a battle of decisions, he lingered just out of reach.

     His patience was wearing thin but only with himself. He dropped his head, chewing at the knuckles of his paws in the meantime, and it offered a little relief. It was something that plagued him since he was about six months old and it wasn’t until the pack had a skilled medic that he was able to treat his symptoms. When his sister took to learning, his care continued up until she left home. His stash of herbs dwindled and the wolf that took over a few weeks ago didn’t really know how to help.
     Bristol’s head shot up when another approach and his dark eyes quickly took in her posture. His ears and tails drooped and his head dropped several inches. His shoulders relaxed and he shifted to face her. Her smell resembled the scents mixed in to their surrounding and he hoped to assume correctly she was from the area.
     “Maybe,” he told her with a silvery voice. “I am looking for my sister. She looks a little like me but more of a… seal point, less staining, and shorter. Good with medicines. Her name is Dublin Redwood.”

     His new companion was quick to respond and he was thankful to have found someone that had information about his sister. He had no reason to distrust her. She held herself well and so far seemed pleased with his display. The tip of his tail waved back and forth against his legs, pleased with his own success, and nodded his head.
     Pied.
     “If you’d like,” he told her with a nod of his head. “She doesn’t exactly know I followed her but she shouldn’t be upset I did. We always got along so I don’t bring any disruption to your home. I came to be with her.”
     He hoped his information wasn’t bizarre or suspicious. Calling his sister would hopefully settle any skepticism. Of course, meeting his sister for the first time in weeks when she had no idea he was coming? Bristol couldn’t predict how she would react to his presence, even if they got along well enough at home.
     “My name is Bristol Redwood. It’s lovely to meet you, Pied.”

     “I am,” he nodded.
     Wanting to leave Watchtower Coast had been an easy decision but physically leaving had taken a bit more of a push. Dublin’s absence aided it and going more than a week without seeing his son or ex-mate solidified that he wasn’t needed in their lives. His ability to fit in wasn’t questioned, molding himself to new scenery and structures; he’d never joined another pack but he didn’t expect it to be much different than his former home.
     Bristol’s ears twitched forward as Pied called for his sister. He listened to the song carefully, familiarizing himself with the tone and voice of the woman. To hear it for his sister made his heart jump a little with anxiety. What if she really didn’t want him here? If she reacted negatively? He supposed he could go somewhere else. He knew he wouldn’t go back to Watchtower, which was out of the question, but his next destination was an entire mystery all of a sudden. They always got along, though, he couldn’t think of anything that might cause such.
     When he was spoken to again, he turned his head to face her.
     “She’s my only sister,” Bristol told Pied. “When she left, I started to miss her. I didn’t have any extensive ties. And she’s the only one that has been able to help with the itching.”
     His words sunk in and he felt his body flare up with the urge. He hadn’t thought about it in the last several minutes and taking about it set him aflame. He ground his teeth together in order to fight it off, casting a glance in the opposite direction should Dublin should up quicker than anticipated.

     Bristol couldn’t stop the smile forming on his features as Pied questioned him. The itch? It sounded like a disease or a plague. His eyes brightened as he turned his direction back to her and away from the pack territory. His family, pack, and he were used to it by now that it wasn’t often questioned.
     “The itch, yes,” he repeated with a smirk. “I have terrible allergies. They are worse in spring and fall when things change. Winter when things have died down, it’s much more tolerable. There are herbs and remedies I can use either topically—a salve—to apply to really bad spots or something I eat. I chew my fur out sometimes because it gets bad. It’s kind of like having really bad fleas, I guess.”
     He rolled his shoulder, mimicking a shrug, hoping it was enough to make it sound like he wasn’t diseased or contagious.
     “It can’t be transferred like fleas can or else my siblings would be as miserable as I am. The wolf that I had to see when Dublin left home… didn’t really know what he was doing and trying new stuff and even in this season I couldn’t get enough relief. He’s young. I unfortunately didn’t make an effort to remember what to do to help myself. That’s not the only reason I left, either, or the only reason I want to be with my sister. I’m pretty good at a lot of things.”
     He trailed off when he realized he was talking a lot, trying to fill the space, and he wished for his sister to show soon.
     “What is the leader like? If you don’t mind my asking, of course. And your position here?” he asked with a smile and wag of his tail, trying to pass the time and hoping he wasn’t pushing for too much information.