Blacktail Deer Plateau you ain’t no messiah with your fancy friends

Sneaks in here...

The adults had gathered along one edge of the plateau earlier on, but Reyes could not see what they were doing or figure out why they were doing it. He was kept away for the majority of the event, herded back by one large body or another, eager to push his luck and get a look at whatever was so important. Maybe that wasn't the right word — important — because by the time they did part from the side of the plateau, there was nothing there but old blood and a dusty wolfish smell. Perhaps the pack had found a vagrant, or a pest? But then, they would have filled a cache with the remains. It was a mystery.

On Reyes chose to ignore, for now, and not try to solve. At the very least he took comfort in the assumption that it had been a stranger, or a creature, which had died. If it had been a member of the pack then they would be further gripped by loss; they had lost too much already, he thought. He went on his way. The boy patrolled through segments of narrow trees and tried to find the easiest path along the edge of the raised earth, knowing it was dangerous but being foolhardy and young, when he noticed the dark shape of Raleska.

She was distracted by something; her path swept up with the scent of another wolf, one he had not met yet, and so Reyes began to stalk after her, at least to keep himself occupied. A trail was becoming quickly apparent. He remained as silent as he could be as he followed after her, hanging back in case she did not want company.