Bearclaw Valley ‘Arise, devour.'

More and more, he seemed to find wolves entering their valley, newly recruited. Each week came with a new face to be greeted. Toad didn't mind- it was awkward when it had felt like just him, Taylor, Evien, Merrick. A couple others he didn't know. It had made things more tense- but with strangers to greet, he could distract himself from Evien. From Taylor. From whatever lingered between them- he didn't want to think about it, and so he busied himself with patrolling and occasional cache-filling. 

Today was no different, it seemed. He stopped beside a couple of bushes to find a scent marker already in place, recent. He added his own anyway, but instead of continuing in his prior path, he followed the trail of the stranger. Soon there was a grayish smear on the landscape a few yards ahead, Toad pulled closer in a slow gait, eventually halting nearby with a casual chuff to alert the man of his presence.