Emberwood The enemy never sleeps.

Maybe @Kavik, @Sarah or @Reiko? Otherwise AW.    :)

With Whitebark's numbers having dwindled over the weeks, Artyom felt driven to scout the nearby areas for any suggestion of where they might have gone. He supposed it could be that his comrades had simply taken their leave of the territory to hunt; perhaps the males had been drawn in by the scent of nearby she-wolves in heat. Regardless, he hoped they would return - or that the pack could recruit newcomers to support their Springtime litters.

He was grateful for the bitter temperatures, which rendered the marshland frozen. It meant he could go through instead of around, though the ranger was careful with each stride. Some ice cracked beneath his weight though, fortunately, he made it to the other side in one piece.

Artyom had not expected to be met with the borders of an unfamiliar pack, so paused to sniff at the invisible boundary. The markers there were fresh, and he could decipher from them that their leader was male. He lifted his head and peered beyond into the frosted trees, tongue snaking between lips to lick them in contemplation.