Phoenix Maplewood the old wolf remembers

All welcome, especially @Reek.

As the sun rose on the sparsely-wooded land to the east of the Maplewood, two young wolves stood sentinel outside an ancient tree hollow. “How much longer is she going to be”, grumbled Boris to his companion. “Probably only a few more minutes — pretty sure I heard her waking up”, replied Firtha. “No, I mean how much longer is it going to take for her to choose a pack? We’ve been with her, what, five months now? Escorting her from pack border to pack border, listening to her picky reasons for denying each one. We can’t keep doing this forever.” “Well, we might have to”, countered Firtha with a shrug. “She is our Alpha.” “Was our Alpha”, corrected Boris sternly. “The Oak Streams have two new Alphas now. This quest is completely arbitrary. I swear, if she doesn’t settle on a pack soon I’m gonna…”

Gonna what? came an ancient, whistley voice. Shreya, a long grey wolf, emerged creakily from the tree hollow. Pop me in the river and leave the escorting to the fishes? Fine by me — it’d certainly be faster going than the current arrangement, which apparently involves you two standing around blathering when we could be on the move. Leaving Boris with his jaw dropped in indignation, and Firtha smiling with amusement, Shreya walked on ahead of the two muscly youngsters, her blue-brown eyes on the looming treetops ahead — a great forest of beeches and maples. Besides... my nostrils tell me this next pack is the one. Boris and Firtha followed. “That’s what she said last time”, muttered Boris. “And the time before that. And the time before that…”