Morningside Cuesta On The Edge

That's it, Grayday thought sullenly; we'll have to start marking the borders.

He'd resisted the idea, at first, but his children lived and played and slept in this land, and here there was a stranger, right in the thick of it. Grayday had no idea how long he'd been there or from whence he'd come - only that he looked comfortable enough on his ledge.

The father trotted toward the unfamiliar form, making no effort to conceal his presence. The wind was blowing in his favor - which was how he'd detected the stranger in the first place - but he made sure to approach head-on, not wanting to give the impression of sneaking up on the older wolf. And though he kept his shoulders relaxed and his hackles flat, he couldn't keep his tail from flagging in a wordless warning: You don't want to tangle with me.

But more than that, Day didn't want to tangle with him, and so he stopped a few yards away from the other wolf's ledged and looked up at him, curious and wary.

"We've got cubs in the area, so I'd appreciate it if you moved along," he said politely and without preamble, hoping that the other wouldn't be obstinate about it.

He will loosen up, probably!