Emberflame Ridge The music of the moment.

Maybe someone from Elysium?

From riverside to wetland, to woods, to here — he probably had stuggled through some of it, but as he came upon the ridge with its trees aflame with gold and red, he had no memory of the time between. Even though it was spring there was a vibrancy to the trees; intriguing him, calling for him, something familiar in those shades — he didn't think, and merely closed the distance as best he could. The ground was rocky and loose with shale in many places, or sheer and steep in others. Eventually he was surrounded by the trees; romping between them and trying to bite at the branches, eager to cause the leaves to scatter with the wind. He was, in a way, playing a game with himself. Midway through the wolf lost track of himself though — and like his previous instances of sudden mental vacancy, he was left standing in the middle of nowhere, in awe of his surroundings.

he caught sight of the yellow-eyed man from a distance, mainly because of that gaze—like binary suns. cortez was intrigued by those who strayed close to the willows, anyway, but this man had even more of his attention. he looked abstracted, somehow, lost. and the shakti knew intimately the feeling.

oh, if only he knew.

ain't it pretty, here? he remarked, loping slowly over to the other wolf. he paused a bit, upon stopping; the stranger was strikingly handsome, and cortez couldn't resist sweeping his gaze over the dusky gray coat, the neat build. he hoped the other wouldn't mind his staring. maybe he'd bask in the attention.

His gaze swept one way, then the other, and each time he changed direction it was like seeing the world for the first time. The ridge was burning with reds and golds, apparently free of any autumnal shift; but it made him think that more time had passed, and that he'd been wandering these woods for months — the scent of spring was all around him, but not the sight.  Eventually he began to feel dizzy and took a moment to let that feeling settle; unfortunately, it never really stopped. 

Ain't it pretty, here? A voice rang out from further along the ridge, to the north. The man turned and found himself spotlighted by a stranger, and they looked at one another for a moment; Yellowbelly being oblivious to the way the other wolf looked him up-and-down. Its very pretty! Do you live here — ah, do I? That would be pretty cool!

excitement to see a newcomer faded quickly into puzzlement as the man asked him—well, cortez was tempted to shake out any water that might be in his ears from his recent bath. he'd heard the other correctly, right? he was asking if he lived here? well, he supposed he could chalk it up to bizarre behavior, but perhaps there was actually something wrong. wolves didn't just ask that. that wasn't a thing that happened too often.

uh, i dunno, cortez offered, feeling more shy than before. his brows knitted together, staring at the man. i don't think i've seen you before; what's your name?

though he wasn't feeling great about receiving any sort of straight answer, but the man could surprise him—right?