Rumors of immense creatures that stalked the freelands in the dead of night, terrorizing the wolves who wandered Moladion, had put me on high alert. For as long as I had been alive, we had always peaceably shared the mountain with a resident cougar or two (with a scuffle had here and there when prey was scarce), but bears had never been a problem for us. But the fast-spreading tales of monstrous beasts haunting the night made me even more aware of our balance with Moladion's other predators. I had spent time reinforcing my scent marks around the borders of Spirane, making additional marks that clearly stated, 'these lands are taken, to trespass here will only mean your doom.' That added with the combination of many other wolves scents would serve as a deterrent to any colossal beast who thought Spirane's wolves might be an easy target. Thus far, it seemed to be effective against the creatures, for none had dared to cross into our realm.

Still, I found myself vigilant in the night hours, sleeping more frequently during the day so that I could defend my pack if the need arose in the night. More often than not, I could be found basking in the moonlight upon an outcropping of rock that gave me a decent vantage point to view a large percentage of the eastern borders of my home. It was such a night as this that I was dozing lightly - resting, but aware of my surroundings - when I heard the rushed pawsteps of a wolf racing up the trails that led to the outcropping. My head shot up, instantly awake as mahogany eyes flashed back and forth in the darkness. Ears thrust forward, listening carefully to identify the movement. Was someone being pursued? No - only one set of paws sprinted up the path. Even so, I felt on edge, my gut telling me something was amiss. Rising to my paws, hackles bristling slightly, I moved forward quietly to investigate.

The red shewolf flashed past me as I stood veiled in foliage and shadow, the path she followed a short distance away from me. Brows rose in surprise. "Gaia?" I whispered softly, more to myself than her. I had not seen the shewolf in many years. She had been a quiet presence within the pack before the usurpation, but when I had taken the pack back she had taken her leave of the mountains. I'd never really understood why she'd gone - perhaps the many shifts and changes over the course of that year had unsettled her. In any case, she was here now, and something felt amiss in her sprinting gait. I looked back in the direction she'd come from, but still hearing no sign of pursuit, I turned to lope after her.

"Gaia?" This time I called out her name, hoping to catch her attention and slow her flight. As luck would have it, she had already slowed her pace, her head turned back down the trail just as I came into view. Alertness was evident in my body language - semi-stiff legs, tail half raised, ears pricked forward and head lifted just above the line of my back. "Are you alright?"