Being chased from the borders once would not be enough, not for Anselm, who had gotten the hang of dodging fangs by this point. Yes, he had a few scrapes and some close calls before - but he was careful now. He lurked in the areas just outside of the plateau boundary and only ventured closer when he could monitor the guards. Right now, there were no guards; and that made him eager to try again, to pilfer that damn rabbit from its cache once and for all, or get up to other mischief. At the same time he was quite wary. These wolves, whoever they were, knew their forest inside and out - and no manner of his lurking would permit him as much knowledge.

Food wasn't the only thing on the agenda, though it was very important. In Anselm's haste to hide away, to spy and sleuth, he had discovered some areas with heavy perfume. A strange smell - often stale, and with only a bit of an affect upon him, but still present - which lured him beyond that hidden boundary on more than one occasion. Today he was in luck, for that scent - or something like it - permeated the air, suffusing it with an allure which brought the young man out of hiding. He erred on the side of caution still, not fully open to manipulation of his senses, and remained alert among the trees.

She was a beacon among the trees, with the grays of her pelt becoming ruddy with sunlight, glowing and glimmering with subtle variation. And as soon as she saw him, the woman grew tall and mighty; her tail raised to express dominance which Anselm, still struck by her bold appearance, did not question. But she drew close - too close. An air of tension buffered her movement, and when she came to a halt Anselm felt himself shrink back a bit. His tail batted to and fro in a friendly manner, while his ears splayed lazily crossways, to either side of his head. In every aspect of his behavior he was subdued and submissive, but also somewhat friendly, in a guarded sort of way. If she struck out at him then he would likely flee, as he had on numerous other occasions, but... He really did not want to go. The allure of the lone female made him want to linger, to test the boundaries, for it was instinct which had begun to dominate him now.

Things were not going well, that was mightily obvious. And yet Anselm did not wish to give up quite yet; even as the she-wolf dove towards him with more than just anger inside of her, but lashing out in order to drive him away. He did not wish to fight her — in all honesty Anselm did not know what he wanted from her. The instinctual sensation caused by her mere presence made him want to linger, to dodge her maneuvers and get close - dangerously close. Anselm was not so foul as to take as others might.

Osprey's efforts were not in vain. As soon as she came close, Anselm ducked and wove backwards with his ears back, his tail lashing awkwardly a few times before curling along his belly. I mean no harm -- He slurred hastily, slinking with his body low towards her. Reaching with great hesitation for her, with his nose, with his tongue, utterly submissive before her.

Her behavior eased from the outright aggression, but the female remained poised with dominance, and her words were quick to point out his mistake - or rather, to tell him to leave, just as the other plateau wolf had. Except that this time, Anselm had done nothing to incite such aggression; he had not stolen anything, and had been carefully weaving back and forth upon the borders when he was discovered. Still, in the world of the wolf, that was enough for her to take offense, and he would not begrudge her that.

But he did not leave, either. His response to her statement was simple and, given the bright tone of his voice, somewhat out-of-place. You... You're just.. Very pretty. That's all. Smooth.

I mean, I was... I was just passing by and.. Something drew me here. I didn't mean any harm, He parroted the earlier sentiment and ducked his head further, looking away from Osprey as another sign of submission. Hopefully she would calm down, because he did not want anything from her - at least, nothing he was aware of. --what's your name?

His begging and his charm fell upon deaf ears. She would not listen to him - hearing, yes, but not really caring. And, having exhausted his efforts, Anselm knew there was nothing else for him to do here. He couldn't sneak by with this stranger in the way, and she wasn't about to show him any favor. With her insistence, he began to withdraw. And then when she stepped towards him, head low and body rigid with dominance, he sped up in his departure; casting a dubious glance across his shoulders as he fled.