Firestone Hot Springs bade bade deshon mein

AW. @Dawn is welcome to chase after him if she likes

his dreams lately had turned dark. he had paid a visit to the den, and saw the superficial injuries lavender had received at the border. not to mention grayday's eye, ripped from his head. now he had visions of chasing a dark shadow, missing its tails, his lips pulled back in a snarl, his jaws set wide.

to sink his teeth into the throat of the one who had threatened his family. . . adi had never been one for gratuitous violence, but by god, he wanted to do harm to this woman.

on this crisp, clear early winter morning, he woke early with blood in his eye and enraged passion in his joints. though he had gotten older and wiser over the seasons, aditya was born a wolf who thrived on impulsive decisions--and it shone through, even now, and especially today.

he rose from the den, where dawn slept close by, and padded out to the border, crossing the line with the confidence of a wolf one hundred percent sure of what he was doing. his nose inhaled deeply, picking up the various collaboration of scents that gathered here. lots of grayday, lots of dawn, lots of pema and engel and aditya himself. loners here and there. but there was one. . .

there it was. tinged with violence and sickness. it mingled heavily with grayday's strong smell and lavender's sweet, childish one. it had stayed here for a short while, then fled, heading. . .

he trotted off, nose low to the ground, trying to follow it. she seemed to have headed south, toward the mountains, toward the moonspear. he picked his way through the hot springs, enjoying the way the steam warmed his pelt in passing.

neither dawn nor her father would approve of his going out alone, and he would have to apologize for his snap decision later on.

but he would do so with her body at his feet and her blood in his mouth.

( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ

The winds swept across the plains before slipping effortlessly into the woods, slithering between the trees as they sought to envelop the aging Inuk. Torn from his slumbering state, he rose no longer than a handful of seconds after being awoken, a shiver creeping through his body. Grumbling incoherently, his front half lowered as he stretched his muscles, shaking his coat out directly after to further rid himself of sleep. As of late, he found himself waking more often to the chill in the air, as this year’s winter coat had grown in thinner than the last. It troubled him, more so than he would ever let on. No matter, he refused to admit his age, continuing on through life as if he was still the same, energetic adventurer from his youth—even though he definitely was not.

Walking through the woods, his body began to warm, the exercise helping to keep the cold at bay. Intent on continuing even beyond the borders, he slowed to a stop just beyond the wood’s grasp, turning to peer back into the darkness. Lingering there, he lifted his muzzle and let out a low howl, notifying the pack of his short journey. Normally, he would leave without notice, knowing that he wouldn’t stay away for any longer than a day or two. This time, however, he felt like mentioning his plans was necessary; although it hurt his pride to admit it, his legs had been giving him troubles as of late, joints worn with age. On the off chance that he was needed and could not make it back as easily as he once could, he wanted to ensure that someone knew he’d gone. Satisfied with his efforts, Kove turned thereafter and continued his walk across the flatlands.

It had taken longer than anticipated but, to his relief, the time spent wandering had not been futile. Crossing into the territory and passing by one of the many pools of water, he felt the difference in the air immediately, the warmth countering the cold. Despite the stench that lingered, he felt relaxed amidst the hot springs, though he dared not enter the waters; it was warm there, but a soaked coat elsewhere was sure to present any number of issues ranging from sickness to death. Settling down on his stomach, he remained at the edge of one of the pools, relieving his limbs of the weight they were forced to bear. Expecting to remain like that for a lengthy period of time, he was disappointed by the sound of nearing footfalls and the scent of a wolf in the air. With a deep sigh, Kove pushed himself back up to his feet, eyes trained on the figure in the distance. With a gruff woof, he announced his presence, uninterested in the idea of surprising the stranger.

the hot springs was not a part of morningside's territory, but it was close enough that any intruder not smelling of the plateau gave aditya the tiniest bit of alarm. here was a male, by his scent and shape aging but sturdy, and one that adi had definitely never seen before.

the stranger had audibly announced his presence, at least, and with a soft chuff in return, he made his way over to the white-pelted male, guard hairs prickling slightly in wariness.

"it's nice, isn't it?" he asked casually, hoping to break the ice. if he were to know this man, and his intentions coming here, he must start off on the right foot. "the steam. the heat."

all the while, his nose was engaged in fact-finding, nostrils flaring as he read this man from ears to tail-tip. he did not have the scent of the caldera wolves, nor the pack from moonspear, nor still the scattered denizens of northstar vale.

instead, something putrid, yet sickly-sweet, rose from him, surrounding his pelt like a dark aura. holding back the base urge to wrinkle his nose at the stench, aditya surveyed the male with a neutral expression. that smell. . .  was this a wolf from that foul pack to the south? had they come this far, without notice?

The Inuk’s being there was not outright declared as an issue, the notice of his presence being met with words. He was not against speaking—socialising—having ventured over great masses of land in his youth, meeting many in the process. Throughout his years of being involved, he’d come to learn the signs of nearly every emotion; should someone intend to attack him, he would know right away, his perception of the world around him having yet to falter. He knew the male to be inspecting him whilst his words tried to distract him, striking up a conversation. Kove was not bothered by this, having learned to expect it. “It is,” he agreed, glancing back towards the pool before him. “It’s good for the body, especially during this time of year.” Especially for him. Even though he’d sat up, essentially removing himself from the space immediately next to the water, he could still feel the overall warmth of the territory soothing his body.

Returning his gaze to the stranger, he caught a glimpse of something but looked no further into it; he didn’t feel threatened, so there was no point. Rolling a shoulder to loosen up his muscles, he asked, “What’s your name?” The array of scents that adorned his coat told of his place within a pack, though none of the smells were familiar to him. Such a great deal of time had passed since he’d last chosen to travel that he knew little of the packs that existed anymore. To be in the dark like that didn’t sit well with him but, he reminded himself, there was little he could do. His body was no longer equipped to go on long journeys away from home, and the thought of getting himself stuck somewhere was rather loathsome.

his voice, at least, dispelled the idea that this man was an immediate danger to morningside: it was calm and measured, almost friendly. this male was--probably--just here for a dip in the hot springs. after all, he clearly had a few years on aditya, and the springs were excellent for joint aches and pains associated with aging.

but morningside's scout could not shake the idea that something about his scent, his affiliation, was sinister, and so he responded, without hesitation, "vishal." it was his uncle's name, used as an alias several times in the past. he saved it only for times when wariness won out over friendliness. . .which was rare, for adi.

"what about you? where do you come from?" his voice was flat, businesslike. at a moment's notice, he could howl for backup; they were close enough to the plateau that a cry of urgency could summon several wolves within minutes.

just in case.

Though his body was wearing down, his mind and senses were still youthful. He paid careful attention to the male, listening to his words and the way the pitch of his voice changed—lie. It was not something so easily hidden, as one’s reaction to their own lies were unconscious things; not even Kove could fully rid his voice of the universal tell. And although he knew that the name did not truly belong to the other, he made no comments and his expression remained neutral, the knowledge kept to himself. Instead, he settled on saying, “What a unique name.” Then again, to him, most were. Despite having spent several years away from the north and within the wilds, he was still surprised by just how many names existed that he’d never heard before. “My name’s Kove,” he added. Usually, this would be the part where he said it’s a pleasure to meet you, but he’d yet to decide on whether it was or not.

The tone of their conversation was switched, dropping the previously casual feel that it had in favour of a more professional approach—and with the change came questions, of course. “I was born in the north, far from here,” he answered truthfully, his words chosen carefully. “As for where I’ve been living—since I’m sure that’s what you mean—you shouldn’t ask questions that you don’t actually want the answer to.” Blackfeather had fallen from the heights that it’d once reached under Meldresi’s reign, he’d thought that for a while now, but it was still a name not easily forgotten. He had no doubt that the wolf—this Vishal fellow—knew of the woods, and had likely picked up on its scent.

Moving on, he asked, “What’s the name of your pack? I don’t believe I’ve met any of your members before now.” And if he had, he couldn’t remember, or perhaps names had never been exchanged.

alarm bells went off in aditya's head as the white wolf dodged his question, although he did give his name, at least. that sort of mysterious non-answer was the last thing he had wanted, though he tried not to show it on his face, giving the man a bland smile instead.

"it's in my nature to ask questions. always have been a curious one." he paused to think on the man's query for him. to outright lie at this point would be a mistake, but surely this kove wouldn't take a dance around the question amiss. they were, after all, interrogating each other. it was quite clear to both of them.

"my pack lives on a nearby plateau. we keep mostly to the area," aditya responded. it was true--although dawn and her father had the spirit of adventure in them, it was winter, the pack newly relocated, and there was plenty of game to be found at home.

he stopped then, turning his golden gaze directly toward the man. "i'm looking for someone." he waited for his reaction.

Curiosity was a dangerous thing to have at times. Whilst Kove was in no way looking for trouble—he never was, unable to find what the point of causing unnecessary drama was—that wouldn’t prompt him to give too many answers. If there was one thing that he took seriously above all else, it was the agreed silence towards matters concerning the Brotherhood; even though not all of the members of the pack made up the Brotherhood, the woods and the organisation still went hand-in-hand. Little information regarding the woods—this included his confirmed affiliation with them—would leave his mouth. Years ago, he had been more lenient with what he would and would not say but, recently, he’d become more strict.

The type of land that his pack inhabited was mentioned, but a name never followed. Kove noticed the missing information with ease and was disinterested in dropping the topic. “And the name of your pack?” he repeated, letting it be known that his interest was not so easily squelched. Whilst the Inuk had never taken any interest in being a scout, he was attentive to the packs surrounding his home. And although it wasn’t of utmost importance, he preferred to have their names and locations, at the very least.

Kove met the young male’s gaze straight on and held it, watching and listening. And, without looking away, he asked, “Who are you looking for?” He was calm, still, and interested in hearing the answer.

he felt a flash of annoyance as kove persisted, but let it go without pursuing the feeling. grayday was quite established in the wilds; if the man didn't know the pack's name now, he certainly would soon. "morningside," he said succinctly.

"scrappy woman, no tail," he continued, anger filling him up as he thought of the woman he'd never seen yet knew so well. "she attacked my family. she might be a danger to others." like yours, he thought, though his face must convey the unspoken sentiment quite clearly.

that is, if she wasn't one of his already. eyewitnesses had sworn that she carried no pack-scent, but who knew. these southern wolves might be craftier than they could bargain for; she could have cloaked her scent in something.

A name was assigned to his pack at last, though it was not one that the Inuk recognised. No matter, he ignored that and instead put his focus into committing the name to memory, just in case he should ever need to know it; if he were to start travelling again, then it would be in his best interests to know of as many packs as he could. Whether or not he would actually pick up on the task of going out again, he’d yet to decide, but knew that he would at least be visiting the springs again. This made his remembering of the pack and their scent especially important, needing to be prepared in case he ran into another member of theirs.

If not for the wolf in question being a woman, he might have considered the thought of it being Burke; he was anything but scrappy the last time Kove had seen him but, given how long had passed since then, his weight could have easily been stolen by his age. The attacker was not a male, however, so the idea was dropped. “I don’t recall ever seeing a woman without a tail,” he said, shaking his head. “Did she attack any children?” Really, he didn’t care to be on the lookout for the woman if she was targeting adults.

All of those that he cared about were grown and living their own lives at this point, each fully capable of protecting themselves and standing up against potential assailants. Yet, if children were her preferred targets, then he had a far greater interest in hearing more about her; every detail of her appearance, a name if he had one to give, and so on. As a guardian of the woods, perhaps he should have inquired about these things either way but he didn’t much care to. Adults within Blackfeather could defend themselves, for the most part, so he was unlikely to seek out a known offender just to keep them safe.

his ears pricked slightly, intrigued at the other's query. in his experience, male wolves didn't ask about the welfare of children unless they had some running around at home to look after. if this man was a member of the southern pack, then that meant they might have babes.

and if so, it meant two things: they'd be more defensive, in a fight--and there was another generation ready to rise up if those before them fell.

"she attacked a child, yes," aditya responded, his voice flat. "without being provoked. she just did it."

aditya was ready to be done with this conversation that had done nothing but engender tension between the two of them. he pointed his muzzle in the direction of the moonspear, looking back at kove with a hawkish gaze. "she went that way. i'm heading there to see if she's taken shelter at moonspear," he explained.

he dipped his head in a respectful farewell to the older man. "safe travels home. wherever that is, for you." with a wave of his banner tail, he wheeled around and trotted off, keeping an ear out for movement behind him. it would do no good to be ambushed--not now, not ever.

A child was attacked—and without any reason, no less. His jaw clenched as the information was given, deciding that the attacker would remain within his memory. Whilst he had no young children of his own back home, the newest litter of Melonii’s roamed the woods, and he felt it his duty to protect them; despite their origins, he couldn’t help but feel the same towards them as he had—and still did—Meldresi’s first litter. They existed and he was there to protect them, watch over them, and ensure that they survived through to adulthood.

When the male pointed out the direction she’d gone, he felt better about the whole ordeal. She had not gone towards the woods, no, but towards the mountains a great distance behind them. Relief swept through him, although neither his expression or body revealed it; he would still watch out for the woman, but decided that she was less of a threat now that he knew the direction she’d escaped in. “I hope you find her,” he said anyways, his disregard of the woman set aside. He wanted to ask if the male planned to kill her if she was found, curious to learn the vengeance of his pack, but opted out of questioning him further. For now, he had that answers that he needed, no longer interested in the finer details.

“I’ll keep an eye out for the woman,” the northerner added, more so as an afterthought than anything. “Make sure you kill her if you find her.” As if he needed to say that—he did so only because his mind wondered if the other male originally intended to, and he needed to ensure that he had the thought planted in his mind if not. And as the other turned to leave, Kove watched him, though no movements were made other than a slow descent back towards the earth; he would remain there in the springs for just a little while longer before returning back to the woods, watching for a wolf that may not even be around.