Great Bear Wilderness at the edge of the future

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Ostregas were many things. Chief among those things, they were creatures of habit. Mordecai knew his brother well; despite the many seasons that had passed since their initial separation from one another, he knew that all he had to do was choose a strategic position and wait. Sooner or later, Verrine would turn up. The same could likely be said of the situation in reverse, were Verrine to pay a visit to his brother at the Spine. Mordecai had to wait a lengthy while, but eventually, his patience paid off. Late in the afternoon, as gravid rain clouds dumped their load over the mountains to the east and the sun neared the toothy peaks to the west, Verrine finally turned up.

He was hunting, of course, as the elder Ostrega had predicted. With his litter due any day now, Verrine threw himself into providing for his pack and his mate with vigor, doing his best to keep Julooke well-fed and cared for so that she wouldn't have to exert herself. There were times when it was vexing to be around her, as the hormones of pregnancy drove her into moods that were sometimes difficult to deal with. So Verrine loved her when he could, and hunted or patrolled when he couldn't.

He was following some fairly recent deer trails when a soft touch of breeze brought a familiar scent to him. His head jerked upright immediately and he began to scan his surroundings for his brother's familiar face. It only took him a few seconds; a ray of sunlight, gilded with the golden light of the late hour, broke from behind a cloud and illuminated the richly tawny figure of his brother relaxed some few dozen yards away. Catching his eye, Verrine grin and waved his tail, pleased to see him. It had been too long.