The grassy plain seemed to roll on for ages. It was relatively sparse with wildlife and landforms, though it very well could have been the territory’s only saving grace. Without proper foliage, the locusts would have almost bypassed the grassland altogether. Still, stalking through the landscape, Gluska had found a few of the plague bugs’ bodies resting atop the earth. Crinkling his nose and snorting at the large insect, the coywolf kicked up his pace and set out across the terrain with a steady lope.
 
Perhaps Caiaphas was the intelligent one of the three. She had taken her land beside the sea. Locusts could not delve into the depths of the waters to destroy the habitat there. The dark-masked woman would have been able to collect fish and other creatures to feed her pack.
 
Sharp yellow eyes suddenly snapped to a small lump that was attempting to burrow its way into the earth. The vole was not plump, nor was it large in size, but it was alive and unaware of Gluskap’s figure. Dropping his wiry frame towards the earth, the coywolf closed in on the prey animal with frantic movements from his long, thin legs.

As the vole scuttled away from him, the coywolf remained in hot pursuit. Just as he thought the small creature would slip from his paws, the skeletal figure sprung upward and arched his back before landing on top of the prey animal with light paws. His eyes flashed hungrily at the sight of the creature between his feet, and he bent down to sink his teeth into its neck to assure that it would not be scuttling any further. Just as he did this, his citrine gaze caught sight of an inky figure and he furrowed his brows for a moment, wondering if the woman was there for his food. She did not look hostile to Gluska; her tail had flagged a moment before and her eyes seemed to bore into him with curiosity.
 
Flicking his tail upward, the coywolf drew his tongue across his lips and muzzle before housing it. Not certain that he should speak to his onlooker, the ochre-tinged male simply watched her with a strange sense of bemusement. Should she try to take his food from him, he was certain that he could pluck it from the earth and dart away in enough time… but she had yet to make her move. So he gazed on at her with a curious expression.

The dark-coated woman closed the distance in a few careful steps, and Glu watched her with a wary expression. He had known what famine would do to others; seemingly kind wolves would turn vile in an attempt to quell the hunger that ached in their guts. The inky woman did not seem to have ill intentions, however, and she demonstrated so by offering a sweet wag of her tassel and speaking to him in words that would calm the ruffled fur along his neck and spine. The coywolf bobbed his head to her graciously and allowed the muscles in his thin figure to ease as she drew nearer. His sharp canary gaze scoured her figure and he noted that she did not appear too ravaged by the lack of prey in the wilds. This was a good thing… for the she-wolf.
 
“You do not belong to a pack,” he observed in a quiet tenor. His narrow muzzle was extended so that he could draw in her scent. The female smelled only of the aroma of the land around them. Gluskap was not sure that he would have survived through the starvation without the assistance of the dragons. Though he was a quiet and self-serving individual, he was grateful he had swallowed his reticence for a home.

The stranger brings herself closer – close enough for conversation but still allowing the coywolf his space to flee if he felt the need – and arranges herself in a sitting position. Glu allowed himself to lower his own rear to the earth to be seated with her. He was strange and oftentimes abrasive, but he was not altogether impossible to converse with. Though the little witch doctor had not found many companions who could endure his personality for extended periods of time, he imagined it would happen eventually.
 
Once the woman had made herself comfortable, she took into account his few words and the cadaverous male watched as a solemn expression crossed her dark features. He was not certain he wanted to pry about her previous pack life, though he knew the pains of wandering for a year. He had spent just over that in an attempt to locate his sister outside of the wilds and had not managed to find anything. “I am,” he confirmed with a swift bob of his head and a small curling grin that revealed pointed canines from under his lips. “I belong to the Sleeping Dragons.” Beyond this, he did not imagine she would be curious.
 
The inky stranger then went on to inquire to him if he knew of someone specifically. His lengthy ears swiveled on his crown and he frowned at the question presented. Perhaps she had scented this woman on his coat and that was where her inquiry stemmed. Alas, the coywolf could only shake his head in response. “No. Are you certain she’s here? The famine drove many away,” he spoke.

“So you’re related,” he observed further and with a short flick of his tail. It was interesting to think that this woman would have avoided that information when explaining the other girl. Gluskap then wondered if she was leaving it out on purpose, or if she was simply gauging him to see if he was worth telling. The thought brought back images of Kaliska, and he found himself missing the dark-coated temptress. Her tricks had always been above and beyond his caliber for trouble, but he had always been quick to follow suite. Glu often wondered where his slate-eyed sibling had vanished to, and if she fared well. Perhaps this dark woman was only doing the same, though he did not know her relation to the aforementioned Spring.
 
Something of a thoughtful expression made its way to his features and he looked to her with a frown. “There are many packs that have been established here. You may have your work cut out for you,” he warned her with a short shrug of his shoulders. As if apologetic to this, his ears swiveled around on the top of his head and he glanced towards the food at his feet.

It had slipped his mind to introduce himself to the dark-cloaked woman. It had not been intentional of him to simply decline the sharing of his name; after all, she had offered her own with an openness that he did not seem to possess. “Well I belong to the Sleeping Dragons, but I will say this… if I come across your Spring, I will tell her… that… Amber was looking for her,” he finally remarked with a swift nod of his slender skull. Glu held an expression on his face as if the female should have been pleased he’d retained any of the information she’d given him. While he was something of an oddball, the coywolf was even more self-centered, and it was a rare occurrence to have the troubles of others remain in his mind.
 
Almost as if the thought had come in, last moment, striking the skeletal little figure, he looked to her with bright eyes and flicked the tip of his tail. “I’m Gluskap,” he introduced in a sweet voice. But the dark female seemed as though she had found greater interest in the surroundings beyond him. Curiously, he flicked a single ear to the side.