Dawn treader

Autumn's biting dawn did little to ease the alpha's nerves as Tuwawi's red locks frayed wildly across her nape. It was her responsibility to ensure the safety of her family and children and such a large outsider could not linger unchecked. Prepared to unsheathe tooth and claw, the sanguine woman waited for the man's rebuke. However, she found him to to be a composed wolf who offered a genuine gesture of deference accompanied by calm words.

'A traveler, a weary one,' he said. Tuwawi staved her fang though her posture continued to exude sovereignty. Trust was a rare commodity in the wild, and it certainty couldn't be spared on any passerby. Yet, his civility granted the ember an opportunity to closely evaluate him. The youngblood was a titan in physique, dusted with a range of monochromatic hues, but jagged scars blemished his finely cut maw and shoulder. Beryl eyes smartly evaded Tuwawi's knowing gaze as she gaze him the once over. The leader saw much of her mate, Njal, in the young man... but it was too soon to tell if he was half the wolf.

'What is this place?' the traveler queried. "Duskfire Glacier," the phoenix replied, voice still pointed, "I am the alpha." Her weight shifted as the leader took another rigid step towards him. "Weary or not, wanderers are not welcome to linger so near," she said with a narrowed and steely gaze. There was no room for small-talk, here.