The fresh scent of a field of dandelions causes me to pause for a moment, nose lifted into the air and eyes closing. It isn't seemly for a man to be caught doing so but the scent brings back memories. A childhood frolicking with my brothers and sister in Asteraia where dandelions grew rampant in spring. It was before catastrophe had brought our family low. The death of an uncle, the loss of a home, the unsteadiness of a family displaced and tired. There was a simplicity in the happiness of such a life and while it is not something that I desired on most days I find an ache in my chest at the memory, so vivid in my mind. Now we were scattered to the wind, each of us in all packs save for the very pack we had once began. I wasn't sure about my youngest sisters, having barely spent much time with them, and I felt a moment of regret at having been so aloof.
The fields have rebounded from this winters icy grip, flourishing with thicker grasses and more vibrant flowerings. It is a lovely place, even to one as stoic as I am, and as I pad across it at a slow pace I find myself soothed by the open sky. I am almost given to running, much like my fiery sister loved to do, but it has never been a crucial desire of mine. I tended to be more remote and quiet, much like my father had been but one might notice the look of solemn contentment across my face if they were keen.
The ground slopes upwards gently and I follow it, pausing at the precipice as I gaze down and sight a female. She is a pale auburn with white splotches. It is reminiscent of me, I think, with the exception that my color does not weave in and out. It is a steady lightening and then a white blaze down my back, conforming to my own strict standards of procedure. I was not exotic nor especially handsome, but I was fine with myself. That is all one needed to be in life.
I haven't a clue what she is doing - whether it be hunting, traveling, or merely standing for the sake of standing - and I almost turn and ignore her, save for the fact that she might be one I could persuade to come to Spirane. I already had my member that was required but it could never hurt to get another, right? Still, my almost white eyes assess her. She is larger than me and built broad, even if she retains her feminine figure. She would make a fine warrior or hunter.
Deciding that I was not going to just ignore her existence I begin to walk down the hill, head tucked between my shoulders in an indifferent posture, but I make it clear that I am aiming my direction towards her. If she doesn't want me around she has the chance to turn and run off. I had had my fill of chasing wolves around to last many seasons. Yet once I am within talking distance I find myself annoyed at my lack of decorum, uncertain what to say for a few brief moments. Instead I settle for a curt,