Moonspear To infinity... and beyond

Wildfire paused in Moonspear's looming shadow and tossed her head back, eyes squeezing shut as she howled, "Pan, are you out there?" Her small voice wouldn't carry far because of the scar tissue in her throat, though it was worth a try. After issuing the call, the youngster froze and pricked her large ears, breath held as she waited hopefully for a response.

None came. She was disappointed but not surprised. She began moving again, sniffing the air and scanning her surroundings. There was a strange smell that grew stronger the closer she moved to the distant spine. It reminded her of the ashy odor of the burnt Heartwood. Then another scent wove into that one and Wildfire spotted a small, pale figure in her path: another wolf.

Rather than approach from the rear, Wildfire swung around, even moving among the crags at the foot of Moonspear, her amber eyes fixed on the stranger even as she moved in an arc to her left. June? she wondered, squinting at the figure. But the scent didn't match. Wildfire was pretty sure she didn't know this wolf.

She sprang up onto a large boulder to make herself more visible, then called out, "Hello?" in an attempt to grab the stranger's attention without startling her.