it had been some days since the trio had departed from the plateau, grayday's worried gaze cast over them as they left. so far, they had visited one pack, with another one soon to come. @Dawn had thought that a third existed, south in the fen, but had returned from there with nothing; no wolves inhabited that place, now.

but they forged on, hunting as they went and roaming quickly through the valley. a sense of urgency was constant; they needed to get back to morningside before winter, both for their own well-being and for the sake of serving their pack. plus, if they away for much longer, grayday's anxiety would start to crescendo--and the older male was stressed enough as it was.

a few mornings after departing moonspear, aditya found himself on the shores of a vast, blue lake, extending almost as far as the eye could see. it was quiet and calm here; he could see fish beneath the cerulean surface, lit by the sunny late autumn sky above, and he heard the scurrying of various wildlife through the trees overhead.

for now, he relaxed, sitting on his haunches and watching the small waves lap onto the beach. so different from the tumultuous sea at the coast, smashing against the cliffs with brute force. he had lived by the ocean for the majority of his life, but he was finding inland life much more to his liking.