Larus had once again departed the standing stones for the chance to explore, and soon enough he discovered that the area was not as alien as he initially thought. The mountains looked different from this perspective - but the more he roamed, the closer he got to the familiar valley which had served as his temporary stomping grounds; that had been months ago but, as he came along the natural path leading deeper through bear country, he caught the scent of multiple wolves.

An image of a white wolf flashed in his mind as he recalled Xan, but there were more scents here now. None of them were particularly relevant or recognizable, but he paused in his journey to investigate each of the markings; some were curious, so he bowed and rolled upon them, gathering them so that he could take them back to Easthollow. Larus was curious of these neighbors and would be sure to ask Valette (or someone else available) why such a thing had been permitted.

Once the scents were collected, he was up on his feet and roaming again. Larus traced his way along the natural boundary formed by the markings. This time he would not breach them as he had before - meeting Xan had been a fluke because the pale man had been alone, but now he had a myriad of wolves to support him and make his claim bolder. The Sveijarn was not about to trespass, but he did not wish to leave yet. Curiosity would likely get the better of him.

It wasn't the pale man that came to find him, but the opposite: a tawny coated girl. At first he almost missed her as she blend in well with the shadows, but she made herself known boldly, and carried herself in a way that made him rethink his presence. It seemed as if the man he'd encountered before had succeeded in forming himself a family. Larus couldn't help the small flare of seasonal jealousy that arose in his chest although it faded swiftly.

She watched him and crept closer, and with her greeting he whisked his tail as a friendly gesture and tried to look less intimidating. He wasn't sure if his size was what made her nervous or just his presence, but he hoped to alleviate that. Hello, he called out, I don't mean to intrude. Do you live here?

Attacked? That's awful, he assumed that's what she meant and his disappointment was genuine despite not knowing her sister, or her family. He made a mental note to keep an eye on Easthollow's borders in the future just in case, and to bring it up to Valette as long as he didn't forget.

When she introduced herself he nodded at first and then, taken by surprise by the similarity to his own name, couldn't help but smile. Funny - my name is Larus, the man bowed his head properly after he said this but a moment later, continued: I come from Easthollow. And I've been here before — in your territory, before it was your territory. Do you live with a strong looking pale fellow?

Xan. Had the white-furred man introduced himself before? Larus couldn't remember. He'd had a bad attitude, but it wasn't unwarranted since Larus had been caught loitering within the valley. At that time Xan had been alone though. Maybe he'd mellowed out since forming his little pack?

Larus did not want to overstay his welcome here, even if his company was pleasant this time around. If what Laurel said was true and her sister had been attacked, that was some important information to relay back to Easthollow; Larus wasn't going to let anything bad happen to his new family — or his new friend who lived so close. Sorry, uh, he blurted as he broke a moment of uneven silence, Can you tell me anything about what happened? With your sister I mean. Anything about the attacker I can relay back to Valette — um, my alpha.

If there was something Larus could do to keep everyone safe, he would do it. He had half a mind to inquire about forming a roaming band between the two packs - a faction of warriors perhaps - to seek and destroy the assailant. This was a foolish notion though, something he thought of on the spot that wasn't entirely appropriate.