Blacktail Deer Plateau soft words don't

days of physical and mental rest had put aditya in even better spirits than he was usually, and so, on this cool autumn evening, he decided to venture out from the den, meander around the plateau. dawn had offered him a tour, and he would definitely take her up on that offer eventually, but for now, he wanted to see things for himself.

they were vast, these teekon wilds. for all his life, aditya had been south, always only a few days removed from humans. but during his travels here, he had not encountered man nor civilization, merely wolves and other wild flora and fauna. it was a relief to not feel as if he were constantly being hunted or tracked down by those who sought to harm or trap him.

lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice grayday's presence until he was nearly upon him. the alpha male was looking over the tangled forest to the west, surveying the lands beyond his claim.

"i traveled through there on my way over here," aditya said as he pulled alongside grayday, nodding to the darkness beyond. "this place is a lot more beautiful--and easier to navigate, too."

he gave the leader a look full of kindness. "i can't thank you enough for letting me stay here. i wasn't looking forward to spending another winter alone. it'll be my fourth, this year." looking back out, he sighed. if you pricked your ears, you could almost hear the faint murmur of the sea from whence he'd came. "i'm a child of the summer, at heart. not looking forward to the snow. but at least i'll be among friends this time."