Bearclaw Valley Colours Change

The warm months he'd been born into had slowly started to drift away, opening him up to the coolness of Autumn. The season had not arrived too long ago, and yet the changes were already beginning. It'd happened gradually, and yet the boy had managed to notice it right away. For awhile, he was confused, wondering why the leaves were changing, but then something inside him had soothed any building nerves. A small voice in the back of his head had informed him that what was happening was natural. It was something that needed to happen, and would continue to happen each time the seasons changed from Summer to Fall. It was not something that could be stopped, and he was silently happy about that. For the trees that had already started to change, the green was turned into bright, warm colours. He liked to look at them, finding their shades to be visibly appealing. It was due to the changing that he'd often find himself in the maple woods, either dozing away in the remainder of the Summer's heat, or gazing at the foliage above. While he wasn't sure which he'd end up doing that day, he did know he would be heading beneath the coverage of the trees.

With all the trips he'd been making, the journey to the forest no longer tired him out as much. He was growing use to wandering over longer distances, all thanks to his want to view the natural altercations of the treetops. As Alexander entered the brightly lit woods, he immediately started towards his preferred space. During one of his first trips to the area, he'd discovered a burrow of sorts. It'd been empty, the previous owner having appeared to be long gone. He wasn't sure what had lived in the small space, but he did know that they couldn't have been too much bigger than himself. He could fit in the space comfortably, and had gradually been collecting items to store within it. It was like his own little domain, filled with items he'd viewed as interesting enough to store. Leaves that were brighter than the others, furs from any prey taken down by the pack, and so on. The items were his, and the place one of his favourites to be at. Even the trees overhead appeared nicer than the rest, though that was most likely due to his favouring of the burrow.

Having reached his special place, Xan had then continued to wander around a bit to ensure no one was watching him. He didn't want others to know about the den-like opening, especially not Desna. There were times in which he'd store voles there, when he was quick enough to catch them—which was very rarely. Most of the time when he caught them, it was only because the little creature hadn't moved quick enough, and the young albino had launched himself onto it. Not the best hunting method, but for the time being, his accidental kills were good enough. This time, he did not have any food hidden away, but he still didn't want the sister-who-wasn't-his-sister to come along. Satisfied by having not seen anyone, he started walking around the trees to look up at them, and then around himself to make sure he didn't miss anything that he'd like to add to his collection.

Edit; maybe @Europa ?

Thanks for the tag!

Europa does not expect for one of the first pack mates that she bumps into to be a pup. Perhaps she should have anticipated it; after all, Scarlett had been clear about having children, and young children were prone to being an active presence in a pack. From where she naps in the shadows, the she-wolf is easily awoken by nearby rustling. Being a light sleeper had its downsides. She has a mind to grumble and growl at being disturbed, but before she can do anything else the brown-pelted Theta manages to make out another form from amongst the leaves concealing her hiding place. It is a small, furry frame, white-pelted like the Beta. It had to be one of hers, right? She can't make out many details from the quickly retreating form of the pup; only the colour of its fur, and a quick whiff of scent. A son. Deciding to lie where she was for a few moments longer, Europa watches the retreating form leave before curiousity gets the better of her. Why not see where he was going? And this would be a good opportunity to test out her sneaking skills; if the pup detected her before she wanted to be found, she obviously wasn't up to scratch. Once only the pup's fluffy white tail is in sight, Europa quickly slips out of her make-shift napping spot and slinks after him, sticking to the shadows. It doesn't take long for her to find out what the boy was after; a small hidey hole, rather nondescript in appearance. It would seem as if the pup didn't want anyone to know about this place, and so when he starts looking around she attempts to retreat further into the shadows, being as light-footed as possible. She hopes that the dying leaves beneath the pups paws and rustling wind is enough to conceal her movement. Finding herself rather amused by the whole thing, she waits to see if the boy is sharp enough to spot her.

No problem~
Nov. 22, Edit; Since this has been collecting dust for too long, I decided to just add an ending on and leave it at that.

Each step taken gifted him with the sound of crunching leaves beneath his paws. The sound was one that he'd been surprised by back when he'd first started his little trips, but had then developed into something he liked hearing. It was nice, to an extent. Between the noise and his interest lying elsewhere, the young Inuit was left virtually oblivious to the happenings going on around him. The steps of the woman following him were light, like his father's, allowing her to move in a way he hoped to be capable of someday. The soft placement of each paw as she followed him kept the child from hearing her—which would eventually annoy him, once he figured out she was there. Xan wasn't one who particularly enjoyed the company of others. There were times in which he was fine with it, and even some where he kind of enjoyed the presence of another being, but it was not currently one of those times. He was far too busy with what he was doing to want another wolf to be around him, especially one he didn't know. Shyness was an unknown concept to him, though. He simply disliked strangers, and even some other members that he knew. Certain people didn't click right with him, and his favour was not overly easy to gain.

After a bit more walking, Alexander eventually stopped, having circled back around to the in-ground den. Slowly, a feeling started to wash over him, causing the fur along his back to bristle. It was the same feeling one got when someone a little ways off was watching them, staring them down. It was a sense he recognized, too, and one that displeased him quite a bit. Turning about, he scanned the area around him, looking for any signs of who—or what—was watching him. For his first turn, he kept his gaze low, fully expecting to find that one of his sisters had followed him. Finding no trace of any of their silvery-grey coats, he tilted his head back, sticking his nose into the air. Giving a sniff to the incoming breeze, he was both disappointed and relieved to find that the familiar scent of his family was not traveling along with it. Relieved because he hadn't wished for any of them to follow him, but then disappointed because he was left without a clue as to who was there. That disappointment was quick to warp into irritation, however, setting his mutation-riddled gaze into a glare. "I know you're there," he huffed, growing more annoyed with each passing second.

Alexander moved around a bit more, poking his nose into a bush here and there. It took him a moment, but he eventually spotted an oddity in the shadows. It was only when he grew closer, that he realized why he'd been unable to spot her sooner. While the woman's coat was not as dark as Cry's had been, the colours were still considerably darker than the other wolves in the valley. Many had either a silver, grey, or pale coat, that he'd met, with the pitch coloured male and female being the only exceptions. They'd both left to who knows where, though, so Xan no longer counted them. Keeping his gaze on the stranger, his glare only deepened. She was unknown to him, probably a new member, and he didn't yet know what to make of her. The boy was not scared, of course, fear being something he hardly ever showed, and almost never let anyone else be witness to. Instead, he was mildly interested. Was this woman smart enough to know him, or would he need to introduce himself to yet another new member? "Who are you?" he asked quickly, deciding his question needed answered before he would give an introduction of himself.

The boy awaited an answer to his query, but one never came. The female remained silent, angering the arrogant child far beyond belief. If he had his way, she'd be sent away right then and there, but he was currently not in the position to do so. Instead, he mentally added her to his list of wolves he didn't want to ever see, then turned away from her direction. "Do not follow me," he stated, voice holding an obvious command to it. With that, Xan departed from the scene, heading off to carry on with his own devices. If, by chance, the woman ever requested his audience in the future, things would not go well. He would not forget her scent, that was for sure.