Meadowlark Prairie Searching For An Uncle Of A Friend

Judas headed east until hitting a lake. From there, he detoured south then onward east. He knew what was north-east. His old home. And he doubted anyone would have moved there. He remembered Charon's instructions. Head east. Look for my uncle Mordecai. Had it been someone else, Judas would have been hesitant. But since it was his alpha who asked, he had to.

He had no memory of where he was, but he was sure to imprint his path he had taken. A scent lingered nearby. Perhaps a pack that could lend some help in words or directions. He sent out a howl, asking for anyone willing to give directions to this 'Mordecai' if anyone knew where they were.

Maybe someone from Blackfeather?

*furiously wiggles eyebrows* (maybe @Seff can tag along?)

Between them and the Caldera was a prarie which Potema frequented often. It, when the green returned to Teekon Wilds, was a grocery store for the white witch. She wandered through its foliage, picking from this plant and that, wrapping them all in a fern. She absorbed the atmosphere; it was much more cheerful than her home, where dark crows and ravens cawed hoarsely. Here, the birds twittered and sang happily on the bows of wild grain and grasses, the land bright and open around her. It wasn't a welcome change (she much preferred darkness, to be quite honest), but she supposed it was pleasant enough.

Her shopping stopped in a halt as an unfamiliar howl rang out through the prarie, disturbing her and the birds around her. Her ears flattened, annoyed at the distruption, but she turned towards the call. She walked towards the howler, dropping the bundle as a brown form entered her vision. Do you have a good reason for loudly declaring your position to everyone?

The boy had grown.
And thus, changed.
A couple weeks shy of four months old, he had grown quickly, standing at a taller height with a thicker, adult-like coat. His tail was no longer the little worm it had been, now plush and feather. His gaze remained a sapphire hue, unknowingly the same as his long-dead father. He was a well-built boy, from his constant exploring and the challenges he had set for himself. He had changed too, from the bright, open, overly-friendly boy. He was still the model of a polite child, yet more reserved and wary than he had been. Life in the dark woods had changed him, made him more guarded. But his adventurousness, his boldness, had not changed in the slightest. 

Today, he followed the woman he still, sometimes, called moon-lady, but now knew to be Potema. He dogged in her footsteps, a mostly silent presence except for should he be needed. He had developed a great interest in her craft, of the way she fused leaves and plants that could heal, or, he was told, kill or injure. He had had no idea of this power plants had, and he wanted it too. He wanted the lady to teach him. 

But now, she halted, setting don her bundle. Seff's gaze flicked to the stranger, and he halted beside his mentor, ears up and tail raised as he stood beside moon-lady, gaze fixated on the other.

As soon as someone came, the coywolf felt relieved. Until he saw them looking rather annoyed. His eyes shot from the white wolfess to some more movement at a younger wolf by her side. He took in their scent, but did not recognize. Yet it was somewhat familiar, like a repressed memory.
 He looked back at the female, and got shot a question.

"I uhh..Yes," he paused to clear his throat, trying to remain calm, "I am looking for someone who lived at a place called Sunspire Mountains. Goes by Mordecai?" He had no idea why he was asking a complete stranger, but the only leads he had were head east and the uncle's name, Mordecai. A stroke of luck was all he could ask for. And not once did he recognize the pack scent from them

Seff remained her quiet, polite shadow even as she moved away from the Woods. Whenever she could, she named each plant that she picked and what they were used for, teaching him as much as she could. But when faced with an unfamiliar presence, all jovialness that she had reserved for the boy disappeared. Something about how the wolf loudly called for anyone nearby made her nervous; was this a trap? She gently pushed the bundle towards Seff, hoping that, if anything, he would hold the precious herbs they collected and run if need be.

But she was just paranoid.

Her mother had met Mordecai long ago; they were packmates once. But she had never met the wolf before. There is no pack on the Sunspire Mountains, It was the only information she had. She wasn't much of a mountain person, but she knew this at least. The pack had dispersed a while back, and while there was another pack on the mountain range, they weren't calling themselves after their home. And I know no one named Mordecai.

The boy watched as the woman pushed the bundle in his direction, subtle, but not unseen. Would he have to carry it back, if things went sour? He felt a little nervous, but when the other spoke, it quelled some of his nervousness. He didn't seem mean, just looking for someone. Mordecai. Seff had never heard the name, it was outside the three worlds which were Blackfeather, his pack before, and the smooth land between the two. He stayed silent, understanding that it was best to do so, though his wary gaze rested on the other as he shifted closer to the herbs, their names and appearances fresh in his mind as glanced down at them for a moment.

Judas knew that scent. From somewhere. But he didn't recognize the two wolves before him. And the female seemed to be not in the mood for small talk. Her reply made his job harder too. If there was no pack, he wouldn't be able to find this Mordecai. They could be anywhere. "All right. Thank you for your time, then." 

He started to turn to leave. But something at the back of his memory was urging him to ask. So he stopped himself. "What pack is near here?" Judas didn't add that he found it familiar, just in case. He recalled a pack being near here, the same Malice had gone to. Just didn't know if it was this pack.

She wasn't present for the feud between Moonlit Hills and Blackfeather Woods, but she knew the results. Malice had come to their land, the Hills pack had disappaited, and...the rest was history. But she only met one Moonlit Hills wolf, at least that she knew of. Blackfeather Woods, she responded, idly wondering what significance that had to the wolf.

The others spoke, and the tension seemed to diffuse somewhat. He remained silent, watching the exchange with interested eyes that soon turned to boredom when nothing of significant importance was said. He was content to be a silent shadow at the moment, watching and learning.

His inner suspicions were correct. A twitch in his eye and flick of his tail was all that was reminiscent of what he felt. After talking with Malice, she had spoken of how she escaped them. He wanted to tear into them, verbally, for whatever they did. But his survival instincts took over. Even though his other side wanted to egg him on, to push him over the edge, he wasn't stupid.

"Right. Blackfeather. I'll remember that cause, you know. Scouting and all that." Judas started off, glancing ahead of him and trying to keep his cool. Thinking over and over 'Don't look back, Don't look back'.

Thanks for the thread. Last? Unless you want to keep it going

While they were subtle, Potema saw the twitches in the wolf's fur. It pushed her back on the edge she was gently moving away from. His words, awkward and biting back something, drove her nearly over it. I hope you do, She said, barely hiding the warning behind it. He knew of what Blackfeather Woods really was, in one way or another. How he knew and why he was holding back such anger wasn't her concern at the moment; she would not goade this wolf into a fight just to get a few measly pieces of information. She needed to get Seff home.

With the wolf quickly walking away, she picked the bundle back up. Let's go, Seff, She said, walking back towards Blackfeather. He wouldn't be the first to despise Blackfeather Woods, nor would he be the last.

They would be making their leave sooner than he thought, and as his mentor swiveled, so did he, pausing to pick up a couple of stems and leaves that had fallen from the larger bundle, carefully holding them as Potema had taught him too. He was once again a shadow at her side, proudly holding aloft his own parcel of goods, however small, as they made their way back toward the Woods. The ones that were his home, but, he knew not how long. The memories and faces of those of the grotto were fading rapidly, the ones made when he was but two and a half months of age not being able to hold fast in his brain. The Woods had imprinted on him as well, and though he did feel homesick, it was not as severe as it may had been should the circumstances be different. But. for now, he was content.