Whitebark Stream Fate's Calling (Leila, Slade, Cry)

“This is Spring, shouldn’t this blasted cold be gone by now…” Gripped the proud and tall wolf of red. It was just one of the many things he had to complain about today. A wolf as white as the snow that birthed this frosty chill in the air had found company with the vagabond though her duties had pulled her away. He’d found himself missing that brief companionship, despite the dangers they’d faced, and he began traveling south. Her scent was easy for him to track but now he found himself in the woods of a sprawling growth of white barked aspens with a winding river of icy water with the occasional shattered remnant of a glacial ice patch. The last elements of winter before the summer blasted this place with its rainy season.

However, this was only the beginning of his woes. For the last two days he’d found a strange scent on the wind that was mixed with the fae of winter. This scent was a smell that Redmoon hadn’t caught before and it carried the weight of a vicious predator. To be fair, at first he stopped and turned away, for moving towards this great danger was extremely foolish and frankly, he’d had enough of finding his way into trouble lately. 

But it was the nagging feeling at his conscience that told him - if he could smell the winds, those in front of him could not. Leila likely had no idea that something was behind her just as the mysterious predator held no knowledge of Redmoon tracking it. Reluctantly he found himself on the trail and sprint as he may he could not catch up soon enough. 

Night had fallen now and Redmoon’s exhausted feet were nearly throbbing. He found himself a spot to flop down beneath a tree and he set himself down. Traveling at night was suicidal. What he couldn’t see is what would get him and he wouldn’t be taken off guard so foolishly. So with effort, he managed to doze off into a half eased sleep. A sleep that was broken by strange sounds and unfamiliar scents. He was in a strange place, seeking a wolf he’d formed a bond with while tracking some beast in the wilderness - to do what with!? He awoke at the thought and looked around, a key part of this quandary was what on earth was he going to do with some predator that was lurking after another predator. It wasn’t a comforting feeling. 

He began to grumble again when he stopped fast - he could no longer smell the faint trace of Leila nor the questioned predator. Lifting his head inquisitively to the air he sniffed a moment. Then it hit him. “You have got to be kidding me.” He hissed, rising up to his feet. “That’s just typical, I should have known this was going to happen.” 

The winds had changed and were now blowing the other way. Whatever predator he was tracking would surely catch his scent. With the element of surprise over - he turned away from his direction of travel and began racing through the night - away from the near borders of Noctisardor Bypass. If that beast was going to hunt a wolf, and if that wolf was Redmoon, then he wasn’t about to find his way into some thing’s gullet without a fight and naturally he didn’t care to fight lest it be on his terms. He would race on till he found suitable ground - thought first and foremost he would make an effort to evade this curious scent. 

Better to avoid it entirely than to find himself outmatched.