Blackfoot Forest And continued to run recklessly

A small hunt would be nice, but doesn't have to happen. Xan can often have his attention switched to something else when strangers are involved, so anything can happen~

After his trip to the lake, the boy had spent some extra time loitering around the areas close to it. It was like he was trapped in a state of limbo, his body being pulled in several directions all at once. He didn’t know where to go next, or what to expect from whoever he might meet. Traveling was still quite new to him, and he wasn’t entirely sure how to go about doing it. He enjoyed the act of exploration, it filled him with a feeling that was otherwise unobtainable, but deciding where to go each time was an unpleasant task to complete. The lay of the land and the sights it had to offer were unknown to him, as were the dangers that lurked outside the pack’s territory—though the dangers weren’t a big issue in his mind. It left him with nowhere to start, and forced him to rely on his instincts and the scents that called to him. Too bad for the young Inuit, however, for it seemed every place imaginable had something to say to him, and their scents were usually as alluring as the voice of sleep once was. On rare occasions, the attraction was even greater, but the second he’d take a step in the direction from which it’d come, another fragrance would drift in from a different direction and assault his leathery nose. It was irritating, more often than not, but for him to give up on the idea of wandering altogether was something of a crime in his mind.

When Alexander had finally decided to take a break and return to Blackfeather, he hadn’t made it far before running into his father. As soon as he’d taken his first step over the boundary line, the ghostly figure had revealed himself, having been out on a patrol. Of course, the boy had viewed the elder’s appearance as the perfect opportunity to try and get some information out of him, seeing as the man had lived longer and seen more than himself. Things could never be simple, though, especially when the son attempted to get tips on exploring out of his father. It wasn’t uncommon for the albino to be brushed off and told to simply go see the world for himself, to let his legs carry him anywhere and everywhere. After a bit of bribery, combined with the love a parent has for their child, Kove had eventually given his clone directions, but not a name or a description to go off of. Knowing that was the best he would get, Xan had accepted the words, given a quick goodbye accompanied with something along the lines of ‘I’ll be back soon!’, and then left the pack’s land once more. Never did he feel bad for leaving, as he was still young and curious of the world around him. Besides, with Meldresi gone, that meant Burke was the solitary leader of the dark woods, and he’d already made it clear that he didn’t like the Apaata boy—nor did Xan like him. Therefore avoidance was the only logical solution, or at least the only one the child could currently come up with.

This time around, he’d needed to travel farther. Not only that, but cross through a mountain as well. It wasn’t the first time he’d done so, though, since he’d needed to cross one when he was younger in order to reach Blackfeather with Kove. In fact… the more he trekked along, the more familiar things started to look. He had only vague memories of his journey to his current home, having been younger back then and rather exhausted throughout most of the trip. Still, the memories were there, and were slowly being dragged to the surface with each step he took. Finally, he came to a stop within a wooded area, the canopy similar to his home in the sense that it allowed little light to reach all that lived beneath it, but it wasn’t nearly as effective. Despite that, he did not turn tail and head back for the forest he enjoyed, but instead pushed onward through that which he was currently within. All around him lingered a strong odor, one that he knew belonged to foxes thanks to his run-in with one some time back. That thing had been a serious jackass. So much so, that the mere thought of the vulpine had him twisting his face into a look of disgust, before the expression fell away and he was left walking through the shaded woodland with a look of resignation. He didn’t know to where he would go from there, but chose to try and enjoy his current location before continuing on to the next. Perhaps he could attempt to hunt down a fox or two—surely returning home with a couple of those bothersome beasts would put him in everyone’s good graces. With that notion in mind, his body moved forward not absentmindedly, but with his nose directed towards the ground. There was no way in hell he’d not be able to catch one of those things.