The Heartwood Starlight barking

They left behind the mountains and continued walking in a southeastern direction for a day or two. When they reached the edge of a blossoming summer woodland, they decided to camp out for a few days. Thankfully, they didn't argue much, though Turq made a point of retreating from their rendezvous point for at least a few hours at a time to give them both a break. She was beginning to think that all this time spent alone in one another's company was both a blessing and a curse. Suddenly, she took the idea of finding a pack all the more seriously.

This afternoon, she roamed deep into the forest, which reminded her of her parents' home. She felt an ache in her breast that pinched so painfully that it forced her to sit and take a deep, steadying breath. Miss you, Mam and Dad, she thought wistfully, remembering the choice she'd made when Rivet had walked back into her life with incredibly impeccable timing. She hoped that, whatever the two of them did in way of a home, that they would one day make trips back to both their birthplaces to visit their families, the Blackthorns and the DeMontes.

Absently, Turquoise wetted her nose and lifted a forepaw, which she rubbed against her cheek with a sigh before putting it down. Reluctantly, she set aside thoughts of her mother, father and tubful of siblings and turned her attention to the task at hand: finding a pack. She and Rivet had scouted quite a large chunk of the park without much success. They knew about Ookan—an ill fit, considering they were both notoriously fiery and argumentative—and they'd heard word of another pack somewhere near the flatlands.

"Well," she mumbled aloud, "there's really only one guaranteed way to gather information." Tipping her smudged muzzle upward, she saw that shadows were gathering around her as the twilit heartwood darkened. "Starlight barking," she said decisively, using her family's colloquial term for howling even as her voice poured into the darkling sky, calling for the attention of other wolves in an effort to round off her knowledge of the local packs.

*invades*

A howl! It wasn't for him, he knew that. It was a questioning voice, probing, seeking someone out there. He knew it wasn't for him. But it was a howl! How many weeks... months had passed since he'd last heard another's beautiful howl?

The traveler wanted to sing, just to use his voice, just to see if he still had it in him—but that would be useless to the original caller, and rude if this someone perhaps needed something and he was singing. And still... the wild shivers up and down his spine would not cease, and his ingrained nerves would not let this call go unanswered in some way. So with his tail ramrod straight, he tossed his head back and called to the female somewhere in the near distance.

"Hello... I'm out here," basically, since he wasn't quite sure what to say just yet. Still, he was glad to find his howl was still strong and youthful.

Goodness, Turquoise thought even as her voice shook the stars as they peeked out of the darkening sky, I sound like a man. Unsure whether to feel irritated or pleased about the deep timbre of her voice, she emptied every last drop of oxygen from her lungs. Her call faded and she sucked in a deep breath of cooling summer air, black-rimmed ears already pricking for the anticipated responses.

One came in mere seconds. Her brow furrowed at the simple and mostly useless response, then Turq laughed despite herself. Drawing in another deep breath, she responded, "Hello! I'm Turquoise and I'm seeking information on the packs around here. Can you help?" Meanwhile, she wondered if anybody else would answer her call and whether Rivet was somewhere on the other side of the forest, listening.