Halcyon laid on a patch of wet grass he had cleared of snow and sighed deeply as the warm sun casts its glow in his russet pelt. It felt good to finally be home again. Though he had learned so much in his travels, nothing quite felt as good as laying in the comfort and safety of a pack. Cat napping in the middle of the day had only become a luxury when Aithne had brought him to Iromar, literally kicking and screaming in protest. So much had changed for him in that time. For one, he was no longer a raggedy, half-starved brat. Muscles had replaced what little baby fat he had had and he now resembled Iblis in his lean form. Though he would always be one of the smallest pups born of the royal pair, he would never let that get him down. Even now, he was very close to obtaining one of the highest ranks within the pack. He was not even considered an adult and yet he had achieved so much in the last year. Yes, life was going well for him and he sighed again as a small smile spread across his face.

That smile faded when he caught a scent on the wind that made him sit up. Nose high in the air, the wolf sniffed quickly as he tried to pinpoint where the smell had come from. It was familiar and for some reason, Halcyon didn’t feel threatened by it. It was more curious than dangerous, which is why he stood up and moved across the snow towards the scent. He found his tail wagging behind him aimlessly as he trudged through the marshes. Now was probably the safest time of the year for the wolves of Iromar. The dragons who lived in the waters and the deadly snakes avoided the cold and buried themselves deep within the earth and avoided the snow. This is why he was able to move so casually around a large pond, gazing at his reflection as he did so.

The wind shifted and the scent came to him stronger and with it came a sudden realization who it belonged to. With a happy bark, Halcyon took off at a gallop, dodging between trees and bushes, until he found what he had been looking for at long last. The larger, white wolf stood out and alone in the marshes. His scent was thick with the scent of Diveen but none of that mattered. To the russet boy, he was no intruder nor a diplomatic guest. He was simply his brother. ”Viserys!” he called out, skidding to a halt in front of the white boy and spraying snow everywhere. ”It’s great to see you! What are you doing here?” Tail wagging and panting playfully, Halcyon didn’t look like an Elite Guard nor a vicious swamp wolf. He simply looked like a younger brother happy to see his sibling again.