Firefly Glen [phe] shikariyaan

there was nothing he could do about the missing brave one. a sad occurrence, to be sure, but aditya couldn't bring himself to do more searching. he'd been gone long enough.

with the rest of moontide at the hunt ceremony, he decided to join them, leaving the too-quiet, windswept plateau to forge deeper inland. the sounds and smells of many wolves grew stronger along the way, and once he reached the edge of the glen, it was clear a great gathering was at hand.

when was the last time he had seen something like this? his time with extended family, perhaps, the cousins of bharat joining together as one under the summer solstice sky.

now, autumn chill whistled through the trees, their leaves curling, coloring, cascading to the ground with every breath of wind. it wasn't as cold as it could be this time of year, and with spirits climbing higher, he meandered down the main path, nostrils flared as he sought simbelmyne's scent.

dutch might still be gone, but his grandchildren were here—and they'd be a sight for sore eyes.

if you were hoping for family i can delete this or make it a cameo <33

everywhere that petal walked followed a sound. the deep rattle of bones clinking against one another. in a small fur she had managed to gather the seal foot bones that she had traded. now she refused to ever let them be away from her.

which meant most of the time her presence was given away before she announced herself.

yet she found that maybe it would be okay to be noticed first by a moontide wolf. after all, it had been one of them that had traded her the seal foot bones. so she allowed there to be a certain lightness to her features now. not so stoic or thoughtful. her youth shined through and she had no fear of this older, moontide stranger.

*grabby paws*

indeed, he heard the girl before he saw her, a percussive click-click-click with each step. soon, she appeared from around the bend and he gave her a hearty smile, glancing at the sack before meeting her eyes.

hello, sunehri, he greeted. she was a pup of this year, though perhaps a few moons older than his grandchildren. friendly, too; her bold nature did not go unnoticed.

what've you got there? adi asked, tilting his head in query.

he was so very nice and it was like seeing the sun again after a long night. she allowed herself to approach, to set down the bundle that carried her bones. to display them was something personal, but he was moontide. which meant he must be friend in some way.

seal paw bones. her nose hovered over them for a moment before she looked up at him. i traded for them with a man from moontide.

a little ushering for him, if he wished to examine them too.

is that so? adi remarked, grinning. he folded himself down to examine the contents, marveling at the delicate intricacies of each bone. well, i'm a man from moontide, too, ladki.

he wondered who had given her this treasure. rodyn, perhaps, or chakliux. those were the leading men of the plateau since dutch had disappeared.

against his volition, his face fell at the thought of his wayward son, though he tried his best to brighten it once he realized.

i'm aditya, he introduced himself. what's your name? and what pack is yours?