Phoenix Maplewood Opened the door,

Grief weighed heavily on Artyom, who'd faced many losses during his time at Whitebark Stream. The latest blow came with his discovery of Dawn's wayward brother who took his own life in the Western plains, and his return to grim news of Aphrodite's fate. 

While he had not yet approached Dawn with the idea of regrouping their wolves and relocating in time for Fall's approach, the gilded Alpha was eager to seek a fresh start elsewhere. The pale forest by the river had served them well enough, but it pained him to think of recent times there. A new land with fresh resources would be good for them, so he slipped away to consider his options with a wander through the nearby maplewood.

He would take some of the cubs along for a trip to scout the Taiga to the North in the near future, to allow his mate an opportunity to mourn without the added strain if worrying for their rogue offspring.

On picking up the trail of a stranger, Artyom felt his guard hairs prick. With so many incidents having occurred far too close to home, he was eager to intercept what could potentially be their latest threat. The creature he found seemed far from intimidating. She was a young thing, lithe and sharp-featured, and the ranger let his muscles slacken. For the time being he simply watched, and waited for her to notice him.