Firestone Hot Springs drunk with vivid flame

FitzDutiful heard the howl, it was hard not to with the land being next door to their own. He often heard wolves come and meet acquaintances in the Hot Springs and had managed to tune out their calls from the kind that he paid attention to, the kind that came to him today. FitzDutiful smiled to hear it was Kero, turning away from the task of border patrol to head out, sending a quick nip to Zaria, Mason and June to let them know where he would be. His family. Well, almost.

He had yet to tell Mason and June of the new status that existed between himself and Zaria, he was pretty sure June wouldn't be perplexed but Mason had been odd around Zaria of late. It was almost as if he wanted the attention on himself. FitzDutiful had put it down to a fear of being replaced and was content to let him have his way, Zaria was good with him. Trusted.

As he walked down the mountainside, towards the hot springs, FitzDutiful reflected that he hadn't seen Kero since his distraught attempt at finding Raissa. How times had changed. That very experience, of losing the main provider for his children, had hardened him. It had only been increased by other wolves coming and going too freely. It had forced him to implement a two chance rule in his pack - though it was one he wouldn't force Zaria to implement too - which consisted of allowing a wolf to enter, regardless of their skills, to start with. If they left, the second time they must have something to offer - even if it was just working toward being useful. After that, well he had yet to hit a third strike with anyone.

Coming into sight, he looked to see if Kero was bathing in one of the pools, before heading over to meet him. "Nice to see you again, Kero." Kero, along with Perry, was one of the only wolves he would drop everything to meet. He liked Fox, appreciated Finley and Elwood, but had never felt the same sense of connection with any of them; not like the two other alpha males.

"What brings you this far out from the Spine?" he asked, unaware that the Spine existed no longer. They didn't have an outrider to provide that source of information and he was far too busy to deliberately drag himself to another's pack lands. He knew neither of his friends liked visitors right on the borders, anyway.