Dawnlark Plains You can hold my hand if no ones home

"Maybe this wasn't....a good idea?"  the sire mumbled to himself whilst taking a look around at the unfamiliar scape, anxiety forming a ball that he couldn't quite swallow, and dark eyes grimaced in uncertainty. It was separation anxiety for sure making him act like this, otherwise wandering in a field with no apparent danger wouldn't have been such a big deal in the first place.

A reminder that he had rarely left the shores he called home -- where he'd tend to pregnant mothers and patch up injured warriors coming home from war. He'd organize the caches within his den with herbs he'd gather, and socialize happily with his patients -- that was the life Mateo had lived until now.

Up until his affairs were found out, and the very wolves who had welcomed him home during every trip he'd taken were quick to cast him out once he'd been deemed too disgusting to be around.

"Disgusting", they called him. The physician knew it shouldn't have hurt him that much, but it was a word he wouldn't be able to laugh off like the others.

Disgusting.

Paw pads crunched against the lightly frosted grass, and a muzzle lifted off into the sky as if the heavens would've given the medic the answer he needed. Lost without a purpose. Lost without a place to call home....

*Keeping the date a bit vague if that's ok with you. Cal likely still smells like a member of Rivenwood, but at this time would no longer be a member*

---

He wasn't sure where to go. Other than following behind the paw prints of his late mother to new pack territories he had not explored the Wilds around him. Everything seemed new despite several things being familiar. It wasn't as though the ground beneath him could differ greatly, yet to feel the welcoming chill of the frosted grass beneath his paws during the season of heat was a new experience for him.

The heat incubated in his coat and perhaps naturally he had been drawn northward. Following the chill in the air more accommodating to his size and build. He walked around without intent, lugging his weight around, at a leisurely pace. He had nowhere to be and nowhere to go. Although never forced towards anything in his life this sense of freedom was new and daunting. To take it in short bursts was his mind's way of handling it all.

Then the wind brought something new. The smell of an individual not hailing from Rivenwood. There had been visitors and newcomers to the pack before that Cal had interacted with, but always within the borders where the territorial scent was always present. He turned his head to better align his nostrils and identified it to be another male. The open plains left little to the imagination as he caught sight of the light-coated male from afar. 

Never having been overly warry of others in the past Calcifer thought it would be a good chance to meet someone new. Perhaps someone that could give him an idea of what the area had in store. With subtle intrigue, he strolled in the direction of the male.

That's cool with me! ^-^

The physician felt over exposed in his new environment -- as if it might've been easy for him to be targeted at this rate. What are the chances that someone might sneak up from behind and attack him, or a nearby pack running him off as a stray that decided to travel too close for comfort? His mind raced, albeit with every over exaggeration in the book, of what could possibly go wrong.

Even though he was doing nothing but standing in the fields. With tensed legs and glances over his shoulder every five seconds.

The sound of heavy footsteps were unfortunate enough to reach his ears and caused Mateo to freeze on the spot. His warm gaze trailed hesitantly towards the noise's source, and when the sight of a large, burly figure came into view, he panicked. His legs didn't allow him to run at that moment -- a tail was tucked between his haunches as he lowered his body and rolled onto his back to expose his stomach, turning his head away with eyes widened in fear.

The mystery male did nothing as Calcifer approached. He did not appear to be on his way to someplace or in the middle of something. He simply stood there and his head occasionally moved one way to another.

Then Calcifer caught a glimpse of the male's eyes as he walked closer. The moment he did the male became even tenser than before and frantically fell to the ground and rolled over almost like a comical opossum pretending to be dead.

This caused Calcifer to hesitate before moving forward. He kept a constant leisurely pace and stopped a few paced from the upturned male. "Are you alright?" Calcifer asked in his deep smooth voice.

The physician flinched and closed is eyes in assumption that the male had been moving closer, but the thumping of pawprints against the ground came to a mysterious halt. Did his display of submission work afterall?

He was hesitant to look at first, but curiosity got the better of Mateo and caused the painted man's dark eyes to peer from those pale lashes. Large paws and equally dark nails were the first to come into place, and eyes trailed along the male's legs to see their face again. There voice was calm and soothing, but this eye contact still hit his nerves.

"I...I'm fine, sorry..."

The light male opened his eyes and looked Calcifer up and down before responding. He said that he was fine and proceeded to apologize, which only made Calcifer doubt what the male said. Though Cal's experience of life outside of Rivenwood was limited he felt strongly that presenting ones self in such a submissive manner so quickly was not normal. Perhaps he had thought Calcifer a threat, but he had done nothing other than walk toward the male.

"It's ok. Are you certain you are alright? I know we just meet, so excuse my boldness, but you seem to be acting strangely." Cal stated openly and honestly. This unique encounter intrigued him and he wanted to learn more.