Silver Moraine Trouble keepin' up communication

Taikon nodded once. Nova Peak, he said. It was possible that the Redtail ridges had recovered enough to sustain a pack of wolves, but he doubted it. The last time he had been over that way it was still a bit of a mess. No other mountains he could think of were in the area. The prince hadn't visited the peak since he'd met Easy, the coywolf who had been so disinterested in him that she had managed to turn him off.
Takiyok unexpectedly returned his declaration. Like a mother concerned for a child, she pointed her finger and demanded more. He hadn't been sleeping well. Things were bad. He figured this could potentially be his last winter if it was a bad one, but he felt apathetic to this impending doom. Still, as she asked when he had last eaten properly, his nose twitched.
Yes, I've been on my own, he said calmly. It was his default. He didn't like it. He felt a bit of angry heat in his ears and a tightness in his chest, but walked on. The faeries at Seelie Court offered me a place, but it just wasn't the right move for me, he said, remembering how offended Caw had been when he had openly rejected the offer. He was no faerie.
He didn't bother answering when he'd last eaten, as he could imagine that was obvious from his physical condition. He wasn't even sure how bad he looked.