Sleeping Dragon transitory sacrifices of crisis

The ground beneath his feet is warm and though his lower half remains wet, he feels the heat rise in his body. He knows to find a dryer place in the field to clean himself and let his fur dry before he takes on the rest of the world in avoidance of freezing everything together. The summer had been brutal, hotter than he's used to, and now as winter comes upon them, he finds himself wishing for warmer days. While home had been cold most of the time, and he is used to far colder territories, the warmth had been nice and welcoming.

As he steps closer to the lagoon, away from the geysers, the grass and ground are soft and dry enough that he can settle. However, before he's able to make himself comfortable, he sees a dilute toned wolf ahead and at first his fur bristles. Standing in the back of the geyser field and a wolf he doesn't recognize (at first) puts him instantly on edge. His ears cup forward and he takes a breath, but the closer he gets he realizes who he is looking at. He'd caught wind of Tanja being here and he can't help a stupid smile that plastered on his features as he moves forward with a little excitement in his steps.

"Brother," he calls out to his friend, tail wagging back and forth to greet the old sight-for-sore-eyes.