Northstar Vale and all the pieces matter

Saleem had taken to prowling around the borders of Epoch in the weeks since his injury. It now set him further apart from his twin physically, though he still felt as though they would not—could not—truly ever be different. And he was okay with that. Preferred it, honestly. He had told @Sylianos the tale of what had happened immediately, and he had retold it dozens of times whether his brother had requested it or not. It was his story, and he wanted his brother to help him avenge the injustice that had been brought upon them. He hadn't asked directly, but the implication was always there. If Saleem ever spotted that creature again, he would kill it.

He skulked around behind some trees now, blue eyes keen for anything that might be moving nearby.

Alek saw the boy he knew to be one of the sons of the 2 leaders of Epoch. He wasn't quite sure of his name though, but the boy seemed to be alone, and not much more than just a boy himself, Alek didn't like seeing others alone. So he approached tentatively. "Hey. Up to anything?" He asked

Saleem's eyes narrowed on the approaching wolf. He didn't know his name, but he had seen him in Epoch, and he was not prey. He didn't smell of blood, but he also didn't smell of anybody Saleem knew very well—like his parents, brother, or Reyson. He was small and lanky, but something about his overall vibe didn't scream "child" to Saleem. Something was off, but since he couldn't pinpoint it exactly, the blue-eyed boy simply remained aloof.

Hunting, he said. Gonna find the thing that did this—Saleem lifted his chin up to reveal the gnarled scar—and kill it.

"I can help with that!" Alek said, his whole body flooding with adrenaline and excitement at the idea of a chase. "You lead and I'll follow." He said, allowing the younger boy to still be in charge as this was his idea and his revenge.

"That is, if you want me to help." He then added, realization kicking in that maybe the blue-eyed boy didn't want his help.

Saleem nodded, then gestured for the other wolf to follow him. What's your name? he asked as he continued to patrol the outer rim of their home. The leaves on the trees had begun to change colors, though only a few here and there. Saleem didn't know what it meant, exactly, and he'd never really found things "beautiful," so he wondered if it had any other significance to it. Maybe the trees were shedding their summer coats for a thicker, warmer winter coat. Already, Saleem had noticed his own coat starting to get bulkier over the past week or so.

"I'm Alek. And I know you're one of the alphas boys but I dont know which. So are you Saleem or Sylianos?" He asked, while following the boy out. He too noticed the cooler weather, but he liked it. Summer was too hot. The wind made his pelt brustle and he liked that.

Sylianos, he replied without missing a beat. Have you ever had prey that fought back? he asked. That's the kind I want to find. One of them—Saleem paused, checking around to see if his parents, Reyson, or Meadow were around—fucked up my neck. He had never used a curse word out loud before, at least not with anyone besides his twin, and something told him it wasn't a good thing to do. But this was a stranger, and maybe he could be cool about it. It wasn't like Saleem had any friends outside of his family.

"Yeah I have, well, not really prey, I don't think, but I was in a fight with a bobcat over a piece of prey, so sort of?" Alek said. "And I know about deer and stuff with their antlers fighting back and piercing skin. What did that to you?" he asked, not flinching at the boys language or caring much.

Alek didn't seem to bat an eye at either the lie or the curse word said aloud, which earned him a few extra points in Saleem's book. Not only was he gullible, but he also didn't seem the type to tattle on him for saying a bad word. Not that Saleem thought anybody would believe Alek if he had said anything. Guy didn't seem that important like Arsenio and Tamar or even Reyson and Meadow.

Saleem hadn't really even considered that deer could use their antlers as weapons, though it made sense. He had only watched big game hunts from afar, not quite ready to join in on that action just yet. A bobcat wasn't something he'd ever seen before either, though he knew they had teeth and claws. He didn't really know what had done this to him. I don't know, he said. It was already hurt when I found it, covered in blood. I was hungry, so I went to go eat it, and that's when it started fighting back.

"Ok, well, lets try to find a deer then. There should be a lot around here and even though it may not have been what you found, we can get some anger out with killing the deer. That sound good? Or do you want to fight something more aggressive, like a bobcat or something. They aren't very good to eat but can be a thrilling chase." Alek told the younger boy.