there was a moon, once

set just outside the border @Romulus

Having struck north again, Cuan's paws were sore and bruised from the multitude of land he had traversed. Instead of curving northeast, however, the male had made one last stop before returning to the Sunspire. And he was taken back by the sudden change from dry forest and prairie to temperate coastal forest. The hills below him rose and fell with each line of tall pines disappearing behind each other. Cuan turned from the rocky ledge and prodded his way down the steep incline and into the body of the forest.

Streams ran here and there, and the tawny brute followed them as natural paths, using their shallow waters to seep his feet and avoid pushing through bramble. The forest was teeming with birds and rodents, but it wasn't making him alert. The smell of wolves was growing steadily stronger, and the scout's spine bristled occasionally. It would be soon before Cuan came across the border. He stepped out from the stream and lifted his head. With a quivering nose, the wolf scanned his surroundings. The forest was oddly disorienting, with the trees blurring into each other and the shadows dancing with the steady wind.