Despite the plethora of prey that roamed through the mountain, I sometimes enjoyed descending from the heights of my home to get my teeth into something different. Earlier that day, I had prowled the expansive fields that stretched between Taviora and the newest pack – Asteraia. A little bit of speed and luck had found me fortunate enough to grab a pheasant with an injured tail feather. Now I jogged back towards my home with the remainder of the bird dangling in my jaws. I had already snacked on the innards of the bird, but saved the majority of the meat to cache for a later time.

As I approached the northeastern border of my pack, I picked up a foreign scent that reached me through the heavy scent of the carcass that I carried. I paused, setting down the bird for a moment to give a clear paw print in the dirt a quick sniff. Then I picked the remains back up and continued on my way, following the traces that the wolf had left behind, curious if they were headed in the same direction as I was. It seemed that was indeed the case.

His dark form stood upon the border, dome lifted slightly to take in the full height of the towering mountains. Around the clasp I held on the bird, my lips lifted in a smile. Clearly this was the first time he had come so close to the majesty of the mountains. Even though I had looked upon the peaks of Spirane from every angle imaginable, from the highest peaks and the lowest valleys, I still held a deep appreciation for their beauty. And that was something I knew I would never lose.

I made no attempt to veil my approach; unable to call out a greeting I merely let my footfalls herald my approach instead. My stride was graceful, but not silent. As I came up next to him, I halted and lowered my head, dropping the bird and glancing over at him. “Hello there,” I said cheerfully. My ears pushed forward and my tail lifted, swaying back and forth happily. Surely it would be apparent by my scent that I belonged to this pack, and my stature spoke of my position within it. But I remained where I was on the outside of the pack boundaries, glad to greet this newcomer, and curious of his purpose.