Northstar Vale tastes just like cherry cola

@Aditya and @Pema

The Vale was empty; the scents fading fast and few and far between. After a moment's hesitation, she led her companions across the scent line, deeper into the territory. She hadn't known much about the Vale, but the fact that they had quite suddenly lost one of their neighbours was concerning. She paused; twisting to glance at her companions. "what do you think happened?" Had they moved as Morningside had? Or had they simply disbanded, or been forced to leave? Perhaps the trespasser had crossed a pack not quite as lenient as Morningside, and now they paid the price.

It seemed like only awhile ago Pema was at the Vale's door step with Grayday and Catori. But now there was no sign of a vale wolf in sight, and even the scent of the pack was fading rather rapidly. She went around and searched around. She could tell now what the pack's over all scent was and their wasn't another scent that would suggest that another pack came in here to disrupt them. 

Maybe the pack had moved, but with the scents venturing off in multiple ways, it seemed almost unlikely that they all would have gone seperate ways to end up in the same destination. The leadership of the pack had been a bit iffy. At least from Pema's perspective when she last visited. Maybe the pack had disbanded because of poor leadership. But over all none of them would know unless told by one of the (former) members. 

"I't doesn't seem like another pack has anything to do with their absence. They could have moved but it seems unlikely with all these different scents branching off around the same time. They could have just disbanded, but I don't know what for."

he had been told a pack lived here, but there seemed to be no sign of activity as they gazed down into the vale. scents went to and fro at different times, scattering like autumn leaves to the wind. what once might have been a formidable group had vanished.

"pema's right," he said finally, his breath making little clouds in the cool air. "they just left, each of them probably solo. could be a weak leader, or disease. . ." his voice trailed off as worry struck him. if it had been an illness, was morningside too close for comfort? was the security of their pack at risk?

he frowned, looking at dawn and pema. "we should be on the lookout for any of these wolves when we get back to the plateau, just in case. get their story." he knew that pema and grayday had visited the vale at one point; surely they knew some of its members.

She supposed her companions were right, the scents did seem to gradually fade instead of simply vanish. It was Aditya's comment on disease, however, that had her glance at him, brows raised in concern. "I agree. if it is disease, we should know about it." She surveyed the empty vale once more, a prickle going down her spine. A packland empty seemed wrong, and she added a moment later, "there's nothing more for us here. we should get back." She would be eager to get home after all they had learned, and the threats that their journey had suddenly brought to light.

When Adi brought up the idea of disease it made Pema worry. Usually if it was bad enough diseased could be smelled. But there were all kinds of illnesses and even though Pema had just learned some new things about being a medic she wasn't an expert yet, and so she wouldn't dismiss the possibility. When Adi purposed finding out the answer from one of the former members, Pema nodded and agreed along with Dawn. "Hopefully it's nothing that serious, but we shouldn't dismiss the thought. We can ask one of the members along the way it we meet up with any of them, but for now home should be our goal." she suggested and continued on the path home. 

home. it had not been long since they had left the plateau, but with the journey and what dawn had told him about the evil pack to the south, he was eager to get back to grayday and others. whatever had happened to the vale was of no concern to them, at least for now.

aditya nodded at the women's words, turning his eyes northward. "let's go home," he said out loud, mostly to himself, and trotted after pema, pelt rippling in the winter wind.

She surveyed the empty packland once more, catching not even a glimmer of movement. She was still only a moment longer, before turning on her heel and following her packmates from the vacant territory, more eager than ever to get home.