Swiftcurrent Creek i'm not half the man i used to be

for @Alessia but AW, esp her puppies!

it couldn't be avoided anymore. her scent had been half-familiar upon arrival, and within days (hours, perhaps) of his stay in swiftcurrent creek, there was no denying it. myrren was here — but for how long? had she strayed from morningside, or scattered with the rest of them? had she been with these wolves since?

she was another weight on aditya's heart, another reminder of his failed past. out of everyone he'd wronged by leaving his post so abruptly, she might have been least affected. . .but affected, nonetheless. he wondered if she'd heard about his disastrous visit to undersea. he wondered if she thought he was a bad man.

the unmistakable odor of little ones was interwined with her smell; she must be a new mother. if he couldn't bring myrren to forgive him, at least he could ingratiate himself with her children, the future of this pack—his pups' playmates, presumably. he wandered near the rendezvous point, trying to track her down through scent alone. if push came to shove, he'd call for her.

at this point, leaving it so late, he'd rather bump into her by surprise.