Grezig was oblivious to the beauty of the surrounding area. She was here because she was once again feeling stuck in place. Creating this pack was taking far too long for her liking, although she knew that such a feeling was unfair. Creating a pack took time—of course it did. Time and effort and skill, and a little luck. Still. Grezig was a creature of habit, just like all others, and up until recently she had been following the habits of pack life. She still had some. She still did patrols, still hunted, still interacted with her group-mates. But without a true place to call home, all of these actions felt… a little worthless. A little pointless.

Up ahead, she scented another wolf and brought herself out of her thoughts. The pale coat stood out in the moonlight. Grezig chuffed and did not come closer, wanting to make it clear that she meant no harm. She stood and waited. Recently, she’d begun to see every unfamiliar wolf as a potential recruit. She supposed that could turn into a bad habit, but she couldn’t help it. Attempting to recruit others to the cause, even if she failed, at least gave her something to do and made the future pack seem more real. But ever since she’d brought Thorleif into the fold, she’d been a bit more cautious when seeking others. She had to make sure they weren’t insane like that stupid male.

Grezig gazed at the male in silence for a moment after he asked his question. It was a question she often asked of others when they came to call on her. So many wanted to talk to her and she was a woman of few words who preferred companionable silence most of the time. She noted that his question was asked without any sort of inflection, as if he did not really care about her, or her answer. “I want nothing,” she replied, finally. “You were in my path so I called out to let you know I was here. Better to speak up from afar rather than startling someone by approaching without notice.”

She fell silent again, assessing him, and then turned her face away as if to ignore him. She had no business here, other than an attempt at countering boredom. He did not seem overly eager to speak with her, so she let him be, beginning to make a wide berth around him so that she could continue on her way without bothering him further. She was still close, however, so that if he chose to speak, she would hear him.

’It is better, you are right,’ the male replied.

Grezig grunted in response and kept walking, having nothing to add to that.

’Startle the wrong wolf and one might find teeth sinking into their throat.’

Grezig stopped short, but did not look at him yet. Was that a threat? She longed to turn and stare the male down, demanding to know why he would say such a thing. But she knew better. Maybe he was just talking to fill the air between them. He might not have meant anything at all by a comment like that. And if had, she would not rise to take the bait. Not out here, by herself, when she had a commitment to the group back in Emberwood. It would not do to return to them bleeding and battered, or worse, to not return at all. She thought of her promises to Kavik and Liri, and she thought of the boy, @Illidan, whom she still worried about. No. She would not fight out here. A friendly spar was one thing, but those words about teeth in one’s throat… those did not sound like friendly words.

“It is a good thing I did not startle you, then,” she said, finally, trying to keep her voice light. She turned to glance at the male, forcing her tail to wag, showing she was friendly and not here to challenge or threaten or fight anyone. Thinking, perhaps, that their encounter was over then, she began to walk away.

He asked about others, saying that she smelled of them. He asked why she was here, and not there. He talked too much for her liking. The threat in his voice earlier had destroyed whatever acquaintanceship she might have had with him. “I am taking a walk,” she replied, her voice even and light. “They are not far,” she added. She almost said that they could come if she called them, as a way to neutralize whatever threat he supposed he held over here, but that sort of comment could be just as bad as straight-up challenging him to a fight. So she said nothing more, kept her distance, and began to make her way back towards the forest.