Redhawk Caldera Hope that tomorrow brings us our butterfly wings

I had used this as a thread starter but decided to recycle it here. Hope that's cool. :)

He plodded around the borders, sweeping his surroundings with his one good eye. It was a cold, gray day and the air was still and quiet. The world felt strangely motionless. Peregrine suddenly found himself imagining that he was the last living creature left on earth. Better yet, he was walking alone on the moon. He wasn't a particularly imaginative sort, though he got caught up in the strange daydream, finding it much more interesting than this routine patrol.

Suddenly the wind picked up a bit and the Alpha wolf snapped out of it, instinctively tipping his muzzle to catch the scents it blew past him. Strangely, he detected almost nothing on the crisp, biting breeze. He blinked slowly, wondering if the cold had rendered his nose numb. He lifted a paw, rubbing at it as if that would do anything. He then hoisted his peppered snout into the air again, nostrils flaring as he drew in a deep breath. He picked up some traces, though nothing of particular interest.

He exhaled and turned, heading back to the rendezvous site. It was time to return to Fox's (back)side again. The muscles in Peregrine's abdomen tightened in expectation as he made the climb. Only as he reached the farthest fringe of the open clearing did her perfume strike him. Was it fading? Frowning thoughtfully, he hastened to join her, eager to wring out every delicious moment of her cycle before it ended and their minds and bodies moved onto other things.

But before he could take more than three steps, a whine somewhere off to his right drew his attention. He halted in his tracks, jade eyes narrowing and ears pricking as he tried to pinpoint the source. It came again, though this time it was more of a strangled cry. It immediately tripped an alarm in his head. Peregrine pivoted and began running toward the sound, wondering if one of his pack mates was hurt. He tipped his muzzle into the air, yet he didn't smell blood. He didn't smell anything.

But he found her, with his one good eye. "Somnia?" Peregrine shouted as he rushed down the slope, digging in his heels to avoid skidding. "Are you okay?" he barked. Before she could even answer him properly, he was upon her, thrusting his nose toward her scruff and trying to sniff out injuries. Again, he smelled nothing. The Alpha's brow furrowed quizzically.