Firefly Glen where what's to be, they say will be

for my note, i'm backdating before recent bigger/fight-y threads for too many reasons i don't want to vague about. so probably like 3/17. tags for refs <3

Recent news had tensions rising, patrols increasing, and Moonspear abuzz. Spring was likely going to continue to be eventful, as it seemed like the pack hit the ground running well enough after wintertime turned. Now, it was up to them to keep the momentum alive, and honed into something good for all of their sake.

So while he had stayed busy on the guard, which soothed him off an anxious edge after talking through some of it all with Hydra, and given much to think about with that. Plus, he had needed some time to pass, to decompress, and figure some matters out. Most of all, he had stayed close to their elevations, letting the others range below and beyond until today when he rallied the young @Antares and @Vega for a patrol of the Glen. He was especially careful of a watchful eye on them, but they were well trained by now, so spelled out the easy rules of no nonsense out here in light of their brother's attack--plus maybe if they were lucky, vengeance might be theirs if their ranging really paid off like that--not that they needed any help motivating.

Together they canvassed the area for all signs, heading northward through the Glen as the late morning turned to a partly cloudy afternoon. He was just glad not to see rain, and any peek of sun was good for him. They were left to continue uninterrupted, covering a few popular thoroughfares as well as a few more remote stretches. 

He hadn't forgotten about @Clover's call that he had not answered before, even if time had passed and very well, she had moved on well beyond the reach of this valley by now. He didn't know anymore, but he felt about it still, distantly--since he had refused to answer at all with Hydra's warnings (and comparisons) fresh in his ears then. But, now that it had passed, it was somewhere in the back of his thoughts as he scanned the horizon where the Glen began to fade off to beyond.

she had ordained to return to her mountain dish in the hinterlands, but harrowing was in no rush to reach it. now that the she-wolf could maintain a full belly again, she was eager to stretch her long traveler's legs and do a bit of scouting. she thought very highly of her chosen domain, but could imagine that there was better out there -- if not only more.

the gray specter looked towards the hilly impasse in the far-off distance, wondering how far south she should continue before looping back north towards the sea. she might have thought to keep trotting for another day or so, but the scent of several packwolves drew her buoyant gait to a sharp stall. ears cupped forward, she scanned the dense thicket for a sight of them, and was able to pick out one dark figure among the barely budding branches of the glen.

she lifted her nose to learn what she could of the wolf's health and sex, though dared not venture any closer for lack of eyes upon it's allies. the deviljho remained quite still and appropriately cautious, waiting for an opportunity to either engage or pass through unnoticed.

Breathing deep to better acquaint with the scene, he soon started to slow himself up and sounded off a low chuff for the juveniles to keep going as they were. He could catch up in no time if he really needed to, but as always came the warning to not get too far. He wanted to be a touch more thorough here and they could keep covering some ground ahead--assuming it all stayed close enough for him to keep a vague eye on that as well.

Which, with the young duo sent from his immediate reach, he swiveled his ears back, then forward again, listening to the thickets and its shadows. Maybe it was nothing but an overactive suspicion, but he decided he could stand to investigate it a little further and wondered who else, exactly, could be here too. He proceeded on slower now, not ready to discredit the inkling he had. Idly, he wondered if he could test their curiosity a bit--if he really had company, would they bother to track after him any, or come any nearer to him first? Especially if he made for an easy, unassuming enough target who appeared to be in no big hurry. He lingered extra, still taking it slow, an ear tilted back and an eye sharp as he picked along.

the she-wolf's wooded gaze lingered long enough to identify two additional bodies in proximity to the first. they were adolescents, but big enough to cause her quite a bit of a strife should the three of them prove unfriendly. leading harrowing to wisely keep back; standing desperately still and waiting for them to move on. though her eyes never left them, she was slightly taken aback (and her curiosity piqued) when the pair of youngsters rather suddenly began loping ahead, leaving the older male to hang back.

her ears twitched and her head tilted. he seemed to be taking his sweet time, looking for...

a beat later the young widow realized that she was being lured in. or rather, she suspected it, being the highly suspicious animal that she was. it was something she would've done, given the chance, and the thought that he might be trying to coax her out of hiding amused the brassy she-wolf to no end. it occurred to her that she could be mistaken, but she figured that this was a theory best tested by attempting to spring the trap, rather than avoid it.

she crept forward, keeping her belly low to the crisp earth, and readily exposed herself in the thicket clearing -- taking up the mantle of sphinx as she waited raptly for his attention. her tail wagged haltingly, sliding back and forth against the ground as she tried to ascertain his temperament at a distance. she woofed softly, and her ears pressed forward eagerly in an expression that bade him to come closer.

With a twitch of an ear, Jarilo suspected his glance might soon be rewarded.. and with a little patience, she did come forward enough to show herself. This made him arc towards her, tail swung with an upward curve, but he didn't exaggerate the gesture. Most of all, he was light on his feet and confident of where he was, given his own circumstance of home and camaraderie just to begin. But, he turned with a curious eye, quick to size her up as well as he could for as much as she would give him. It was early yet, though, so he was exuding his careful neutrality that toed the line for more, only hard to say which direction this might go with a practiced grace.

So he did chance a step, then two closer, nose first and sniffing plainly in her direction while waiting to see if that would spur a reaction in her. Her depiction did not immediately match of the recent offenders to Moonspear's sanctity, he thought there. She only smelled like the wilds at large, and her features were long, all in ashy sorts of grayscale. He certainly didn't ping as familiar to him, but he was prepared for this and unwilling to write her off so soon. Stranger, he greeted, dipping his nose sharply in her direction, keeping his slew of questions quiet for now at least--though his intent posture might've alluded to a few of them.