Lake Rodney (Don't fear) the reaper

He thought he saw a glimpse of Ferret while making his rounds along the westernmost border. Peregrine bared his teeth and gave chase, though the black-footed figure soon vanished into the early morning glare refracting off the lake. The Alpha ground to a stop near the lapping shore, grimacing as he felt a headache flare. His face felt too hot and tight, particularly on his blind side. Instinctively, he moved closer to the water and took a drink, the sudden throbbing fading as quickly as it had come.

Lifting his head again, the black wolf licked his dripping wet jowls and peered across the water again, scanning for any sign of his estranged son. He saw no one and nothing. Grunting under his breath, he began to mosey slowly along the shore line. He was in no hurry to leave the area until he was sure that (possibly) Ferret did not come back.

The shade grunted as he awoke. The chill of early morning had seeped into his bones, stiffening them and locking them into place. Last fall such mornings were accompanied by old throbbing scars in protest of the cold. The year before that, nothing. He huffed, watching his hot breath mingle with the cold air. He was getting old. He stood, stiff, but not entirely painful. The man stretched out his limbs, his back, shook his pelt free of dew. 

He had been tracking a small herd of deer for a while now, eventually going into the Wilderness southeast of the Woods. At the moment, resting in the Haunted Wood seemed a good alternative to trekking all the way back to the Woods as the sun fell. The cold seeping into his bones told him otherwise.

He wanted to pick up the trail of the deer before returning to the Woods, but the sight of a grand lake stretching far in front of him distracted him for the moment. Despite the condensation in the air, Miraak was parched. He loped to the lakeside, his movements rigid as warmth flooded back into his limbs. He bent down to take his fill, his ears twitching towards the sound of moment along the shoreline. He didn't raise his head yet, but kept wary all the same.

It soon became clear that Ferret was long gone, if he had ever really been there in the first place. Peregrine slowed and stopped, peering idly into the water at his feet. He blinked down at his reflection, leaning over slightly to get a better look at it. I look old as fuck, he thought before movement caused Peregrine to whip his head upward. For a second, he thought he was still looking into some sort of mirror, except that this wolf's eyes were a stunning shade of purple.

His ears swept back slightly and his body tensed, eyes narrowing suspiciously. As his body language closed off, Peregrine offered a rather toneless, "Hello." They were far enough away from the caldera that getting all territorial would be overkill, yet still close enough that the Alpha wolf was immediately wary.

His head lifted as the sound of footsteps came close, water dripping from his maw. He lapped the droplets off casually, observing the look-alike. They were similar in age and size, though their eyes were the biggest difference between them. But so was their mannerisms. The wolf with the jade eyes seemed to be rather jaded. His body was tense, expecting something aggressive. Miraak merely dipped his head in greeting, cool and casual. Hello to you, He responded. Is there a reason why you are so tense, sir?

The other wolf replied politely and seemed to want to make conversation. Peregrine shifted his weight, glancing away from the stranger for half a beat to scan their surroundings, before his gaze swung back to his lookalike. Only he suddenly didn't look like Peregrine at all. The Alpha's eyes grew wide—the pupils suddenly blown—as he found himself staring at a much larger, blacker wolf. Even his eyes were black, albeit with very small red pupils. They were square.

An intense shudder wracked his body. Peregrine made a soft noise, blinking hard as he scooted backward. His vision cleared suddenly and he was looking at a regular old wolf, one that looked a lot like him again. Heart thudding in his chest, Peregrine stared, then caught himself and blinked at the ground before cautiously glancing upward. The stranger's face remained the same, save for possibly a questioning look.

"I think I'm seeing things," he said more to himself than in answer to the other wolf. "I need to go," he said a little more loudly and spun on his heel, swallowing his uneasiness as he cantered back in the direction of the caldera.