Phoenix Maplewood just dance

tags for reference - set about an hour after this thread

even after departing @Ying's side out of hurt and frustration, astaroth had stuck near. she needed time to herself and quite frankly, after everything that'd just happened, so did he. he took a walk to cool his head and wipe away the tears, though the lingering pain he'd felt emotionally was far from healed.

what he needed now was a distraction.

her paw had looked pretty beaten up, and he assumed she wouldn't be able to hunt anytime soon. so, to kill two birds with one stone, he set off in search of something for her to eat. given that she'd thrown up the remaining contents of her stomach, he imagined it wouldn't be long till she grew hungry. he tossed his head up and let out a call for her - i'll be here if you need me - and with that he set off for the nearest woodland in sight.

things were good. the warm welcome he'd received from the wolves of whitebark stream helped him to forget (at least most of the time) how homesick he was. after all, how could he be homesick if this was now his home? the pack had made that clear; he was one of them, now. and settling in just fine.

he followed the meandering stream into the maplewood, where he caught wind of another nearby. a dark shadow among the trees. it wasn't kavik nor anyone else from his pack—the smell was off. his ears came forward, intrigued. . .and wary.

surya didn't know how artyom and dawn felt about strangers nearby. it wasn't officially their territory, but the forest did provide plenty of opportunity for hunting and shelter, opportunities they seized quite frequently. he didn't have much of a territorial streak in him (yet) but on behalf of his betters, he began to make his way toward the other wolf, looking inquisitive.

it wouldn't hurt to say hello, right? get some information out of the man. and if he was a threat, surya would have to do his best to ward him off. his stomach clenched at the thought.

he stopped for a moment to consider turning around and heading back to check on her. he'd just left her there after all, and not exactly while she was at her best physically or mentally. but his feet continued forward and he let his focus shift to hunting rather than the one he was hunting for.

his movements remained steady as he weaved his way through shrubbery and trees, nose low to the ground as he tracked the faint scent of a raccoon. the wind betrayed him, and where the stranger found himself approaching the inky ghoul, astaroth remained oblivious to the unexpected company. it was only once within his line of sight did the hunter catch a glimpse of the other. he paused in his pursuit of the prey while turning to face the agouti man head-on. a swish of his tail signal no ill intent, but he left it up to the stranger to decide if they wanted to approach.

the mood seemed to have no great tension. surya's nostrils flared and found a tinge of the sea upon the man; he knew the coast well enough to ascertain that scent. he was far inland, then. why had he chosen to hunt here, so close to not one but two packs? was he lost?

hello, he said casually enough, dipping his head, which then tilted slightly in inquiry. i have not seen your face before—are you a traveler? well, surya knew that already (or at least thought he did), but he wanted to see what the other had to say.

waiting for the response, he sized the man up. dark and thin, cloaked in a stormcloud pelt. by his looks, he could be a threat, but the stranger had indicated nothing of the sort in body language. still, surya kept his guard up.

it appeared the man was no threat after some more questioning. the yearling departed, feeling proud of himself for helping to defend his new home.