Deepwood Weald I hopelessly, helplessly, wonder why

Anybody! Referencing the Nerds. :)

Crushing anxiety drove him away from the sights and smells of Neverwinter Forest across the fields and into the Deepwood. It wasn't the first time he'd come here to escape, but the weather was significantly more foul than before. Ice coated the ground in places where the canopy broke, and the ferns looked to be made of glass. He slipped through the trees and into the darkened wood without even a whisper of noise. Rian was becoming quite familiar with the territories bordering Neverwinter and could easily recall various pathways and places of interest in the blink of an eye. The Scout trade was well-within his grasp, but he simply hadn't the ambition to pursue it—his mind relentlessly dogged by negativity. 

The O'Malley boy caught wind of an unfamiliar musk and changed course to intercept it. Ahead, nestled in a thick copse of pines, was a few circles of melted snow. He circled once, ears swiveling to anticipate any would-be assailants, while catching sight of a few pale tufts of fur snagged in the rough bark of the tree. Rian approached and nosed the fur, inhaling the wolfscent and frowning. There were multiple individuals in this group and he wondered why they would be traveling in the dead of winter, especially with the weather as bad as it had been. Next to one of the beds was the stripped carcass of a small rabbit. 

He frowned, not liking the idea of such a large group so close to his family's territory.