Jade Fern Grove instinct is something you polish

@Vidar

The quiet sound of chirping had pulled him away from Journey’s side for a moment and set his course through the wood and into a richly green grove. He moved slowly through the foliage, stopping to sniff where he would catch the stray scent of a woodchuck that had scurried away moments before his passing. If he had been hungrier, Brave might have risked the opportunity to chase the animal. He drank in the flavors of the thicket for several long seconds before his limber frame moved through the nearest patch of vibrant green ferns and into a low clearing.
 
In the center of the clearing there was a small patch of flowers that appeared to be spirited into life by the stream of sunlight that was breaking through the thick overhead foliage. The petals were vibrant orange and deep sultry purple. The patch appeared to be almost circular in shape, though some of the flowers had started to spread into the shade, sprouting up in small green clumps. Brave lowered his head and sniffed them, catching the distinct fragrance of other wolves nearby.

tagging for reference & thank you for starting!

He returned to this place, not entirely sure what to expect. Perhaps he'd snag more moss for @Pheiros to practice with. Maybe he could find something hidden in the ferns that might be useful. Except through the earth scent he caught something livelier. He'd follow it until he found the sight...

A tall and lean man. A rich toned shadow with his nose shoved into a patch of color. Handsome men haunted these woods and he was cursed to keep running into them it seemed.

What have you found? Asked softly as he tilted his head in hopes to catch a better look at it all.

A voice pulled him from his colorful discovery.
 
Brave turned – ears cupped forward curiously – to find a dark stranger he had almost thought to have been Journey. In that moment, he caught the scent of the nameless shadow and his features split into a toothy grin. Little did the fellow know, he had been the unfamiliar wolf scent that had been mingled so delicately with the flower patch. The jade eyes of the voyager gleamed with delight at this premise. The soft query from the other male had been heartwarming in itself.
 
“Why, I believe it’s you I’ve found,” Brave answered in a voice that was smoky with youth. After a moment, he stepped aside and motioned with a swing of his muzzle toward the floret patch; it was truly a bright contrast from the deep greens and dark earthy browns that surrounded it. “I was really only looking at this. It’s forging its own path, you see,” the swarthy boy remarked, pointing with his nose toward the divergent buds that were growing into the shade.
 
“Your scent was in the earth. Serendipitous that we should bump into each other.”

He felt called out in a way. The man telling him his scent was in the earth. All he could do was offer a sheepish smile. His gaze drifting away from the man towards the wandering trail of flowers. A lovely concoction of color. Something he hadn't managed to find in his travels yesterday.

It's a rather good place to bump into each other. He hummed softly, admiring the clash of colors from the man's eyes to his coat. Sea meeting earth. Are you interested in the flowers or were you following my trail? He wasn't sure how much he appreciated the idea of being hunted. Even if it should inspire some sense of being desired in one way or another. As prey or company.

“A bit of both, perhaps,” Brave responded easily to the question that had been presented.
 
The scent of the other wolf had been what had initially drawn him into the grove. Curiosity had led him down the path that he had followed and to where he had stumbled upon the very presence that he had absently been chasing. This concept seemed a titch difficult to describe to someone that Brave had only just met. He did not want to paint himself out as being someone who prowled through the thicket with havoc in his mind.
 
A gentle sway of his dark tail was made in hopes that he might ease their discovery of each other, only just so. “My sister and I have been wandering in search of family in this area, so I’ve been keeping my nose to the earth hoping to find someone familiar,” the explanation came with a soft and smoky tone. His posture was easygoing but not lacking reverence.

All of it seemed so genuinely honest. Something he took comfort in as he eyed the stranger some more. He looked familiar in the way most did. Nothing seemed so wildly out of place as to stick him apart from everyone else. He hadn't seen anything unique enough in this stranger and another to make him think of possible family around here. Unless...he meant something closer to a family away from blood.

What's your family like? Any sort of trail on where they might be in the area? He wondered just how helpful he might be in a search for someone close to this man.

The stranger seemed willing to assist, even without knowing much about the dark yearling. This struck Brave as being quite generous. His head bowed slightly as the fellow across from him inquired about details that might help in locating the members of his family that he sought. With a fluttering of his heart, the swarthy young wolf offered a gentle smile to the beast across from him.
 
“Before any of that, how about some introductions eh?”
 
Taking a single step closer to the other wolf, Brave lowered his haunches to the earth and settled into a seated position. His tail moved to wrap around his side neatly, tapping against the ground two times before holding still. The jade color of his eyes searched the features of the shadowed wolf.
 
“My name is Brave. To answer your questions, there was a pack here called Morningside. It’s disbanded now, but some of the members might still remain,” the yearling offered in a warm tone. He hoped that this information would be enough to help, though he would not hold it against the other if he knew nothing about the pack that had been.