Slowly but surely, Atreyu was exploring further and further from the safety of Stavanger Bay. Away from the ocean he uncharacteristically tread, towards the heart of the Wilds (though that was unknown to him; he hadn't a clue how large the lands actually were). The scents were strange here in the inland, pine and grass were almost dominating along with hints of small prey animals who were certainly present but hidden among the shrubbery. Atreyu could feel them watching him as he strode through the forest he had visited earlier, unafraid of the mist that swirled around the tree trunks. Although he didn't mind the forest — the shade it provided was a great relief from the summer heat — he quickly made his way through it, determined to reach the other side.
The boy had left the Bay early that morning, only to arrive at his current destination many hours later, the sun high in the sky framed by fluffy, white clouds. No, they weren't clouds. Eyes alight with curiosity, Atreyu padded towards a dip in the landscape as he emerged from the forest, the grass becoming stiff underfoot and strangely warm. The temperature seemed to rise itself and the boy flicked his ears back warily. Was there some sort of fire? He considered going back to the Bay and warning the pack but instead pressed onwards; he didn't want to cause unnecessary concern.
Standing over a rocky ridge, the sight made Atreyu audibly give a gasp of both surprise and awe. Tiny ponds dotted the area, steam rising from them as well as small cracks in the ground. He had never seen anything like it! The heat, combined with the sun beating down on his back, was tolerable but he could already feel the tips of his fur soaking in the moisture, making him appear scruffier than usual. With an excited bark, he leapt off the ledge, stumbling onto the stony ground and running towards one of the ponds, leaning in as close as he could stand and examining it with a feverish intensity.
Even so, Ragnar, after his patrols had finished, sought out his wives separately and informed them that he intended to go on an Outrider mission, unable to give them specifics if only because he didn't have any specifics, telling him that he would be back before the fall of night. He told his children that he would be back in time to tell them a bed time story, whilst throwing in to listen to their mother and step-mother before he departed, slipping out of Stavanger Bay's territory. Instead of exploring the vast unknowns of the territories near Stavanger Bay he stuck to parts of the Teekon Wilds that he knew so that he would keep his promise to his children. It was the unknown that he desired to explore but he was grateful for the chance to just stretch his legs. It was as he was 'exploring' familiar territories that he had stumbled across Atreyu's scent and while part of him felt bad about it — after all his subordinates were free to come and go as they pleased and he stayed out of their personal affairs so long as they didn't come to him for advice or as long as it did not put the pack as a whole in any sort of danger he could not help his curiosity.
He altered his course and followed the teenager's scent trail, near enough to him to hear his excited bark and the scramble of his claws against the granitic ground. They were at the hot springs, he had been here several times before himself, but the moisture that hung heavily in the air, causing his platinum silver fur to curl with it at the nape where the tendrils of fur were longer, was evidence enough. Casually, the scarred Jarl followed the youth, stepping down to where the boy was staring intently at the nearest pool of steaming water. A soft chuckle escaped Ragnar's parted lips as he let out a heavy pant, the heat oppressive to him. hverinn...hot springs...they are called Firestone Hot Springs, I believe, Ragnar told Atreyu, remembering that it was what Dagrun had called them when he had met his half brother here to hear what the bastard son had had to say about the state of the Cove.