Big Salmon Lake Even if it's a lie, say it will be alright, and I shall believe

could.not.help.myself.
wc:415

Having been informed where the wolves of Ursus lived, Bronco had harboured some underlying curiosity about them, wondering to himself exactly how close they were- or if they were far away enough that they wouldn't be a problem as he travelled back and forth to the Caldera to visit his family. He'd headed East from the Glen without even realized that those questions had been waiting at the back of his mind, unanswered. He'd been given a rough description of the pack's whereabouts, and with the understanding that those wolves were still beyond the mountain range to the North, he had absolutely no intention of going that far- but still...Having never been very far East of the Glen, he saw fit to investigate the area a bit, passing his trip off as a scouting and hunting expedition. He just wanted to see if there were any herds nearby, perhaps. Maybe he was on the way to visit his family at the Caldera. He'd do anything to give his morbid curiosity a different name.

There was a cool prickle in the air as he approached the lake, intending to get a drink, though with the ice lining the shores in thin, shiny sheets, he knew it'd be a better decision to break through it near the shore rather than testing its thickness with his weight. He roved along the banks, looking for an open place to drink, knowing that along the North edge of the lake where the river fed into it, there'd likely be a better place for him to find an open spot. He'd wandered for a bit, eyes gazing across the surface of the water until he caught sight of movement in his peripheral vision. A dark-furred wolf, still quite far away from him and not much more than a shadow against the backdrop, had raised its head. He flicked his ears forward.

He didn't recognize him- but he was also too far away to really pick up on any discerning features such as eye colour, or scars. But when he sniffed the air, he caught the male's scent and something in his memory was triggered. He couldn't place it, exactly- but something made the fur along the nape of his neck bristle. This reaction startled him, and he found his curiosity piqued yet again, by something that for some reason, he feared. So he approached, his gaze calm but focused- hoping he might recognize the male's face once he got close enough.