Ouroboros Spine Ready, set, let's roll

As Lotan gazed out over the landscape, he was enveloped by icy silence. Though the mountain range was not particularly tall, it was still a higher elevation than he was used to; thus, he shivered at the colder temperatures. The quiet was soon broken, however, by the sound of another's exhale.

The Ostrega turned and was met with the scarred visage and red gaze of a stranger. A quick sniff revealed that this was one of his packmates, though logic had already indicated that fact -- what loner would be scaling the slopes of a pack's claimed peak? The male was approaching from below, his steps confident; it was obvious that he was accustomed to the uneven terrain.

"Hi," Lotan greeted, his tail dropping to hang between his hind legs but giving a friendly twitch. "I'm Lotan -- newly accepted," he added, shifting his gaze slightly. A loose rock slid out from beneath his forepaw, nearly unsettling him, but his muscles quickly tensed and he caught himself. He watched the small stone bounce away into oblivion, disappearing down the slope and into the heavy tree cover down below.