Jade Fern Grove feet don't fail me now

WOTD challenge: word is bolded and italicized below. for @Pheiros

surya traveled through the maplewood, and then he went further. he was restless since returning from the coast. he still grappled with aphrodite's admission of love, and what that meant for his own feelings. he still thought every day of the young mother and her babes, tucked away in that cave. and he thought of satya, come so far. 

things seemed okay between the two of them. . .but was there lingering resentment for his abandonment? was his brother still ashamed of him?

the yearling entered the grove, giving a medium-sized log the necessary stiction to roll it out of his way and down the fern-strewn path. he leapt over it eventually, nose high as he scented for game. that huntress from the cuesta. . .her pack's scent seemed fairly heavy here. he knew they resided close by. 

surya wondered if he would see her again. their mission had been incredibly useful, not only for bringing food back to the stream but for sharpening his own skills. if she were a whitebark wolf, he thought, he wouldn't hesitate to seek her out as a mentor. 

for now, he searched. nothing so large nearby, according to smell, but squirrels were always a given in the forest—and maybe, just maybe, something would surprise him.

She was far from the Valley, farther than she had been in a while. The feeling of unfamiliar ground underneath her paws felt comforting. She felt a sense of relief wash over her as she no longer smelled her pack's scent on the land. The unknown, to her, was more comforting than the known.

She found that she did know this place, but the briefness of her last visit meant that the land's contours were not etched into her mind as they were in the Valley. She didn't have much time to explore the place before when she met the little, nervous boy. She rectified it now, no longer intent on finding another, but on relegating new features to memory.

Her head shot up as she heard something wooden fall on the ground. A tree? There were no tell-tale splinters of a tree breaking and falling. She kept staring in the direction of the noise, wondering what would come of it.

soon, something larger than a squirrel did emerge. . .though nothing he was keen on hunting. a she-wolf, aged several seasons, her agouti fur (much like his) blending into the earthy tones of the forest. he gave her a chuff, hoping that she had caught sight and scent of him as well, so as not to startle her.

was she hunting, too? of course, she must be. everyone had to be; the game was good, the weather even better. a cool spring was turning to summer as the days grew longer. surya couldn't be happier with the warmer temperatures, though he knew his thicker-furred friends were shedding and miserable.

Yet another wolf she encountered in these woods. She wasn't looking for company this time around, but she accepted it, a wry smile crossing her face as she locked eyes with the foreigner. Hey, she drawled, her voice low.

hi, surya replied with a wag of his tail, glad that she came into the encounter with at least some semblance of friendliness. he knew not every meeting of wolves—especially those in the midst of a hunt—started (or ended) with smiles. looking for food?

her scent gave away nothing of great interest, just that she was a member of a pack he was not familiar with. so no one he could convince to come back with him to whitebark stream. . . ah, well. they needed hunters, yes, but they weren't so badly off that surya would beat himself up over any failed recruitment.

he lifted his chin in invitation. hunt with me? he asked lightly, smiling.

The wolf was friendly at least, which was better than most encounters she had had over her lifetime. She returned the gesture, her body calm and welcoming. Not necessarily, but I'll join ye, she said, her voice earnest.

great, he responded with a smile, moving up alongside her. he pointed his muzzle down the trail, glancing over at the woman. i can lead the way. after any response given, he set off into the woods, nostrils flared and searching for game.

and at the end of the day, only their skill—and more than a little luck—would determine if they would be successful.