The Heartwood Skittle Bomb

After his unwinding trip to Arrow Lake, Jormag’s restless wanderlust drove him onwards. The world was like his playground; there was so much to do and places to see. He had an insatiable amount of curiosity now that he could freely ride on the waves of his freedom after being liberated from the perfectionism chains of his former home. The wood-like setting was a welcome break from the daring mountains that pulled in both his curiosity as well as his stupidity.

Today the wayward wanderer had taken interest in Heartwood. It was the promise of quietness and solitude that drove him onwards; but even as naïve as that thought might be, it was obvious that nothing ever appeared as it seemed. Early birds had risen early and began to chirp happily. The Heartwood was covered with a mixture of greenery and the lack of many paths explained to him that there was hardly any wolf life within these regions. How strange considering it would also serve as a feasible home for a pack.

That thought scattered quickly when a sudden pungent scent reached his nostrils. In front of him lay the traces of a bear residence. The strong scent still lingered yet Jormag was unsure if the resident was home. Suddenly the game ‘knock, knock ..who’s there?’ did not seem so funny. He was certain that turning around was the best option – yet he didn’t.

Hello! :) As this was written 19th and Artisan became Ookaan on the 22nd, I'm going to say she's on her way into Wolf and not part of the pack yet.

Artisan-Toulouse had arrived in the Great Bear Wilderness late last night and had been lucky enough to chance upon an abandoned bear den to sleep in. Although she could tell it was abandoned by the faint bear scent, Artisan was not comfortable to remain there for too long. She rose with the birds that morning, making her way into Heartwood as the thick, woody smell and chattering wildlife beckoned her interest.

Her stomach began to rumble and Artisan became distracted from the beauty of Heartwood and focused on the scents around her. She sorted flora from fauna and caught the faint scent of deer on the wind. If there was a doe small enough, Artisan would be in with a good meal for lunch. Two stronger scents cut across her, first, and Artisan became aware of another wolf in the vicinity. She was not concerned with this, however; but with the stronger, thicker scent of bear.

Artisan diverted away from the bear scent and stalked silently through the wood in a direction that she hoped would quickly lead her to the prey she was now envisaging for breakfast.