Duskfire Glacier One different Scent

Someone she knew? The words struck the boy with apt understanding. That would explain her differing scent. A knot untied within him, and his shoulders relaxed. So long as Scarlett respected Swiftcurrent's borders, Malachi had little qualms with her having friendships in other packs. He had been raised in a land where such was the norm, and though his father had been more restrictive than the other leaders, they had not been without the fellowship of those beyond their bounds.

So he let the issue roll from his shoulders, and Malachi prompted the woman to follow with a wave of his tail. The boy sensed some sorrow in response to his denning prompt, but he hoped she would put his suggestion to action. There was little reason, and little logic, in building a den beyond their territory, and Malachi couldn't see why she would have done so in the first place. If she called Duskfire home, it only made sense to the boy to spend most days and nights here.

Malachi did well to keep a steady pace, though his ears slicked back at the mention of Maera's siblings. Of course she wouldn't know, unless the fire-kissed girl had told Scarlett herself. He licked his lips with a nervous flash of his tongue and forced a feigned grin across his mouth to conceal his discomfort. The boy found none of her words worthy of a smile, but he found it easier to conceal the tragedy than divulge it, especially to one who seemed as sensitive as Scarlett. "No, no elderly. We're all around the same age here, except for Njal, and Maera." He paused, refusing to let indecision twitch upon his face. In his time with the pack he had not seen much of Maera, but he still felt an overshadowing concern for the girl, especially now with Danica and Arabella gone. "You could always teach her, you know. Healing, or hunting - anything, really." He cleared his throat from the tightness that had formed. "She needs a good teacher, or maybe a few."