Grouse Thicket there and back again

Asa took a moment to shake some of the fluffy white snow from his shoulders, feeling some of the tension easing with it. He had not realized how much of it he had been carrying with him. He had been so focused on his prowling - and, naturally, fell in to the serious-business vibe that had kept him alive for so long. He needed the winter to end already; or maybe another roll in the hay, but it wasn't like he could petition the spirits for a good lay. With that in mind his thoughts drifted to the warmth of Niamh and their shared experience.

That was when a familiar scent drifted his way - it was washed-out, but held the sweetness of the woman that filled his mind. He turned around and began to tread back through the trees, gloriously hopeful that he would see the golden woman. Instead he was met with a masculine voice barking through the trees, a dark shape, and two copper eyes watching him. The stranger was well built (if a little small compared to himself) and obviously male - so why the scent? Asa halted his approach and took a moment to size up the stranger, sweeping his gaze over what he could make out of the other's swarthy complexion, and then it hit him: Niamh's scent, although not exactly fresh, clung to this man.

It should not have had any effect on Asa. They had shared something lovely but brief, no strings attached. Had she gone and found someone else to share that experience with? The man couldn't help looking a touch defeated by the thought, but he quickly recovered, hiding his emotions behind his typical mask of stoicism.

Hello there, he called to the other wolf, dipping his head slightly; except, unlike when he met the boy at the copse, Asa was a little bit less deferential.