Northstar Vale Dammit Tubbs, not again

Having decided to remain in the Vale for a while longer, Tryphon had backtracked from the cavern route he had discovered in the hopes of reuniting with @Saghani - but having not yet found her, he was amiss. The time came where his hunger was a glowing ember in the pit of his belly; scavenging from the earlier kill made by the shadow and the stranger she had found was not an option, lest he wished to waste more energy hiking up the mountainside. It wasn't a good plan, and so Tryphon dropped that line of thought and focused on something else: hunting. It wasn't his forte, but he'd need to learn and adapt if he was to survive. Having spent weeks on his own already (months really, but he has lost his sense of time), the boy could handle himself around smaller game even if it wasn't as satisfying.

It was this that led him to the heart of the Vale, back among the strange trees and their barren, snowless roots. The canopy above was peppered with snow and dusted with frost, but very little reached the floor of the dark forest. There were hints of life throughout the area, but nothing to suggest a great herd or anything larger than a rabbit or a pheasant. Even the mountain sheep seemed to have fled the area - perhaps because of the increase in wolf activity through the winter.

Tryphon noticed a small pit among some frozen reeds, and upon investigating it, figured it must have been some kind of den or hollow. There was nothing there now - but it held his attention. He thought to trace its subterranean route somehow; but before he could think on that, a shadow crept through his vision. The sounds of the stranger moving were hidden among the shifting of the boughs, but upon noticing the movement Tryphon's head shot up. He watched them in silence - tail wagging slightly, nervously, as he tried to determine what it was. Or rather, who. He had the distinct thought that it was Saghani reuniting with him, but... The stranger's gait was different. More predatory, perhaps. The wolf in question was built a little differently from what he could tell. Tryphon's glee faded and he licked his lips, simultaneously nervous and curious of this new face.