his dreams had been vivid last night, bright of color and suffused with hope. loved ones all around, their pelts of all conceivable shades, their eyes glowing many different hues. and above it all, a song, lilting and plaintive--and they danced. oh, how they did dance!

aditya awoke, stretching languorously, and rose to his feet, shaking the sleep from his pelt. the air was sweet but crisp, and belied the arrival of a late shower of snow. frowning slightly at the prospect, adi stalked toward the southern border of the maplewood, hoping to mark a corner he hadn't quite gotten to the other day.

for once, he was in an excellent mood. not to say aditya had been moping around, these past moons, but it had been a tough winter, and his usually chipper outlook on life had been buried under the stresses and responsibilities of being part of a family for the first time. but now things were starting to look up, spring was around the corner, and his dreams had shifted from nightmares back to fantasies.

the burly agouti male lifted his leg with a contented sigh, marking a patch of bush at the edge of the forest. he looked to the east, where the rise of the moraine shielded the plains from view. perhaps tomorrow he'd pay catori a visit, bring her some food and talk with her about the impending litter.

today, though, he was satisfied with pacing along the border, alone with his thoughts, humming to the melody of a dream.

a howl rang out across the open land to the south, and his ears pricked, hawkish gaze trying to pinpoint where it'd come from. finally, his eyes lit upon the woman from the other day, alone this time. she was a respectful distance from the border, and he nodded, pleased with that notion. aditya wasn't too terribly belligerent about territory--not unless the intruder came looking for a fight, like those two rogues from a few moons back.

with a short wag of his banner tail, adi trotted out of the forest, coming to a stop a few paces away from her, a small smile of welcome set on his face. "welcome back," he rumbled, raising his eyebrows in silent inquiry. "i didn't catch your name the other day."

his voice was kind but firm, words casual but probing. he didn't know this woman from any other; who knew who or what she might be? she carried a pack-scent he wasn't familiar with, with smells of individuals he hadn't met. but clearly, the maplewood held some sort of importance to her, if she was back so soon after they'd crossed paths the first time.

she returned his smile and offered an apology, to which he gently shook his head. maybe one day it would be his downfall, but aditya was ultimately forgiving--of most--and this woman had made no threats and had stepped away when asked. besides, there was clearly something she wanted, to be back so soon.

"it's all right," adi assured her. "we've not been here for very long; our claim is not the strongest it could be. my name is aditya." he dipped his muzzle to the west. "my pack lives on the plains, but a few of us claim the woods for our own, as well."

he took this opportunity to look her over, something he'd not had the chance to do the other day. she was relatively young, perhaps a half a dozen seasons his junior or so, and pretty, with intelligent eyes. he still could not place her pack-scent, though it couldn't be far from here, he thought.

might as well come out and ask. "which pack are you from?" he inquired softly.

he shook his head, not familiar with the place. he knew it was a shortcoming, as a scout, not to be completely up-to-date with the land around his home--but the truth was in discovery, and discovery often meant asking questions, no matter how clueless one might sound. "is that to the south?" he asked, noting that she'd come from that general direction. "anywhere near easthollow?"

his head-shake also worked for her question, for truly, he hadn't considered that this place had a proper name. there were wolf-scents here, true, but only scattered; any abundance had faded over time. it had been some seasons since a pack had called these woods their own.

"we've just been calling it the maplewood," aditya explained, eyes straying back to the edge of the trees. his gaze snapped back to hers with sudden realization, and a half-smile curved his lips as he finally understood. "but you know its name. you've been here before. is that why you've come back?"

aditya nodded, intrigued. for easthollow to be so close to this woman's pack meant there must be a sort of alliance between the two. and if easthollow was morningside's ally. . .aditya would have to pay a visit to this valley, soon. as she gave the true name of the forest, a smile bloomed once more on his face. a beautiful name for a beautiful piece of land.

"ah, you were born here," adi repeated, finally understanding her connection to the place. he understood. he hadn't seen his birthplace in many seasons, but he longed for it in dreams quite often. perhaps one day, he'd make the trek to pay it a visit, just as indra had done.

he glanced away, feeling a bit sheepish. "no hard feelings about the place being occupied?" he asked tentatively, mouth growing taut. his golden eyes swept over her face, looking for any signs of distress. "it's been some time since anyone has lived here. several seasons."

he was relieved, and let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. not that he'd stand idly by as this woman reclaimed her birthplace--no, he'd grown too attached to the maplewood for that. he couldn't even empathize with the idea of doing something like that; he barely remembered the place he'd been born, and held no great fondness for it. why would he want it back?

but he knew it was important to others, and her admission was a small weight off his shoulders.

"ah. well, that's quite all right," adi remarked, giving her a kind look. "is he from the bearclaw valley pack, too? i have to admit; i've not heard of your group. pardon my ignorance. like i said, we've just moved." he really would need to see this valley for himself. he wondered if it was the odd-looking bit of land he'd seen in the distance when he'd visited swiftcurrent creek.

he couldn't argue with her logic. though he was a friendly person, and morningside was a friendly pack, they had kept safe by virtue of staying out of the conflict in the valley. offering any olive branches to the parties involved would have dragged them in. . .and who knew what that could have brought to their borders. a wise decision, then, by bearclaw valley's leader.

aditya shook his head, smiling. "no, we're actually just called morningside," he clarified. "it's named for. . .well, i'm not sure. i think some lands to the. . .east of here? anyway," he said in dismissal, "that's our pack name."

he gave her a contemplative look. "perhaps, though, if i start a family of my own and settle here, we'll be phoenix maplewood," adi mused. "you're lucky to have a family legacy. . .at least that name carries it on. not many get that chance." he thought, with some distaste, of his own absent father and dead mother, who'd left him with nothing, not even a surname.

he had said something wrong--a shadow fell over her face, and she struggled for words. his ears folded back in silent alarm, but before he could apologize, she cut in again, explaining that she had to return home to her sister. unsettled, he nodded, the smile fading slowly as she spoke.

"yes, it was a pleasure to meet you as well. safe travels home." his voice was pleasant if monotonous, but before she could turn and leave, he added, "indra? i'm sorry if. . .well, if i've said something to offend you. i didn't mean to presume."

not all stories were the same. some who had a family hated it; some who didn't were perfectly happy without. he hadn't considered the possibility that perhaps indra had wanted more than a legacy from her parents, or perhaps she was not satisfied with the one they'd left behind. he longed for it so much from his own absent family that it clouded his judgment, his good sense.

"you're welcome to visit again, if you want," adi said, extending an olive branch her way.