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

Phantom Hallow, it was a place Redmoon hadn’t even heard of but just the name alluded to the range in which they needed to traverse to get there. It wasn’t going to be an easy journey and it would be one fraught with danger at every turn. Though, hearing that Slade would already know that they were coming was concerning - being that Redmoon appreciated a measure of anonymity, someone already knowing where and when he would be was an instant red flag. Then again, he’d already committed, there was no turning back now. 

For all the names other wolves may give to Redmoon. Secretive, brave, coward, loner, loser, brawler, and hound. He was not known as a wolf that would go back on his word. Often he wished that he could so easily discard his voice but he found himself unable to recoil once his paw had been set down. It was an adamant line in the sand and whatever blood pumped through his veins, it didn’t allow him to relinquish that line regardless of the circumstances. Call it honor or honesty, or even stupidity or stubbornness, it was the same to Redmoon - he was an upfront and determined wolf. It came from having nothing. He wasn’t that good of a fighter, he was a mediocre hunter, and he had no one clamoring to follow him. Without these things, he only had his word to guide him and keep him on the path forward. Not that he didn’t have plans to sharpen his other skills, but a wolf had to start somewhere and ole Red would ensure he was at least a reliable sort if nothing else at all. 

Cry and Leila took off into the night, Redmoon was an instant behind them but as his lead paw touched down into the moist earth, it found a swift depression. Feeling off - Redmoon stopped dead and looked down. It was a cut in the earth, he only took it at a glance but whatever it was it dwarfed his own size easily by triple and then triple that again. It was massive enough that the mere sight of it blew his mind in a way that what he stood in, didn’t register. 

He simply padded forward and leapt into a sprint to catch up, though he was sure to moderate his pace for sprinting through the unknown was dangerous and he of all wolves wasn’t about to be caught off guard. He hadn’t let Cry sneak up on him, he wasn’t about to let something else to the job. He chuckled a bit and wondered though, had Cry really tried to sneak up? Part of Redmoon suggested that both yes and no were the appropriate answers for Redmoon was blessed with extremely keen senses of smell and hearing for a wolf. But Cry seemed the sort to not play a hand right off the bat. Indeed, there was much more to this, Cry, than meets the eye. 

His hip was bumped and it stole his attention as he veered away. A grin crossed the side of his muzzle as he noticed Leila had drifted back to run with him. It was nice to have her near again and he realized how much he missed her company during his time off in the wilds. Though he didn’t want to admit it as he attempted to play the ‘tough wolf’ role, as poorly as he played it. It was a hard role to play when courting such a gentle soul such as this one, perhaps a bit of his rough heart softened in her presence but he kept his composure and ran along with her. “What can you tell me about Slade, that Cry has not?” He spoke inbetween strides for clarity, “I don’t just want to show up on his doorstep like a fool. First impressions and all.” 

Every once in a while, Redmoon would slow a bit and look over his shoulder to the rear of their progression through the woods, he would lift his nose to the air and sniff, taking in the surroundings with smell and taste - also hearing the venue around them. These were as much instinctive relations to the area as sight for the moment they’d have to backtrack, if they had to. Bringing in these sights, sounds, smells and tastes were key in remembering where one has come from and if Redmoon could appreciate anything it was the places he’d been and the lessons learned there. 

As they ran down the banks and game trails of the long and winding whitebark stream, Redmoon did his best to look back and watch the changes in terrain elevation and mapping, letting his memory take in everything so that nothing would escape his sight. He was making a strong effort to remain vigilant and aware of his surroundings. 

Preparedness is all and knowledge is power.