Blacktail Deer Plateau soft words don't

Grayday heard the other approach, and one ear flicked back to mark his progress while the other remained pricked toward the bottleneck, where he imagined he could hear the machinations of the dark Mayfair wolf. If he was a relation of Deirdre, Grayday was interested to take note of the startling differences in demeanor between them. Still, there was no arguing that they both seemed to be made to lead.

His attention turned fully toward Aditya as they came to stand side-by-side. Grayday greeted the other with a friendly grunt, the ear closest to the other male swivelling in thought as he listened to the words of thanks. "You don't have to thank me," said Grayday. "When wolves come together, it benefits all involved."

"I was born into the winter," he went on, not giving Aditya a chance to refute these words, "in the far north. This one will be my fifth. After my first winter, I traveled from home, and before my fourth, I came to these lands, and found a pack before the snow. They're better weathered together."

He looked curiously at Aditya, finding it hard to believe they were so close in age. For some reason, he'd expected the male to be much younger. "What's your story?" he asked.