Phoenix Maplewood so, what are you gonna do?

it takes vex a while to realize that, as he’s tracking the rabbit — not that he’s hungry; he figures if he gives a valid reason to sneak out contributing to the betterment of the pack might help curb his mother’s ire — he’s being tracked, in a manner of speaking. something gives the other’s presence away; perhaps a rustle of underbrush or the snap of a twig. in truth, vex isn’t interested in sussing out specifics; only zeroing in on the revelation as he turns and scans the green and brown landscape, albeit snowdusted as it is, and his gaze falls upon an ivory pelaged phantom. at first, with distance and hope that it’s haunt, he mistakes the other wolf as his sister.

hau—, her name cuts off with a low noise of annoyance as he realizes he’s subconsciously drifted closer and realized it was not, in fact, haunt. and not a stranger; at least, not a total stranger. he recognizes the face, at least. you’re …whatsyourname. snarks vex, not-so-cleverly trying to cover up the fact that he doesn’t know or remember. a tartok. that much, at least, he could recall.

he’d proven a dead end to the siblings when trying to navigate the bite of their mother’s wrath and continuously stubborn refusal to let them find kaertok. what’re you doin’ here? vex demands, feeling that the maplewood was plenty close enough to the bypass for him to act territorial.