Whitefish River and the bargain must be made

Assuming he's accepted since he's sorted, but his joining thread is ongoing so I might edit this to incorporate some of the fallout if applicable.

Once the confrontation at the borders is sorted out, he heads deeper in to the territory. It has been a while since the shadow has seen other wolves in great number; his mind flashes to the island where he'd last roosted, to the battle previous to that, foggy though it had become in his memory. Firefly wonders, and he roams. It is different here - the saline smell of the beach doesn't penetrate this far inland - and for a few hours he merely slinks around, acclimatizing.

Before long he finds himself idling by the river's edge. The soil is soft beneath his feet, the air humid. There is an energy to everything here that Firefly doesn't remember from the seaside, despite the booming of the surf and screeching of the hungry gulls. It feels like there is more life here, somehow.

As if on cue, something trembles in the reeds. Firefly has already paused to gather his bearings (and test the weight of his body against the ache in his hip), but his attention locks upon the trembling grass and he stares like an expectant cat. When he grows impatient, he approaches the incline with his head mere inches from the topsoil, unaware that there is someone else lurking nearby with the same instinct. He's looming over the water's edge when he finally chuffs and gives up.