Perhaps he was a fool or, perhaps, he just didn't care. Either way, the russet wolf ignored the sharp scent of wolf piss that marked the borders of Asteraia as he made his way into his ancestral homeland. The sun was setting over the western horizon, fading into the distance sea to rest for the night. The sky had erupted into an array of fiery reds, oranges, and yellows as the softer tons of blue and purple slowly stretched out to claim the heavens. Already the brightest stars were twinkling as they heralded the coming moon. The world was falling asleep, but Halcyon was wide awake.
It had only been two weeks since his fight with Blackthorne, the various cuts and bites still red and sore upon his flesh. The bite he had received from the mysterious white wolf with jade eyes had healed enough that Halcyon could walk again, though there was still a slight limp in his step that he hoped would eventually fade. The was no rest for him as he began his personal task of learning about the new alphas of Moladion and their followers.
The first was the queen Aster had warned him about. Her name was unpronounceable on his tongue, but he knew a little about her. She had been dwelling in the plains during Tick Tock's reign and had been part of the exodus of wolves when he had claimed the throne. Rumor had it she was allied with Blackthorne, which made Halcyon's trespassing all the more dangerous. Not that it had stopped him. Before he did any scouting, however, he made a beeline for her den. The distance from her had eased the longing he constantly felt deep within his soul, but now it was screaming for her and it would not be denied.
Staying along the outer reaches of the plains, he trotted along until he found her den. Already he knew she would not be there, but his paws dragged him forward until his nose was sniffing the entrance. Solstice's scent was very faint, telling him she hasn't been here in a very long time. Halcyon felt a mixture of relief and dread. He didn't think she'd stay under the rule of such a wicked wolfess. But now he was clueless as to where she had gone. 'That is another thought for another day,' he thought as he pushed his imprint to the back of his mind with great effort. He needed to focus on the here and now.
Leaving her den behind him, the interloper made his way further into the pack. What he was planning to see, he wasn't sure but he wasn't about to leave empty handed. There were secrets here and he was going to find them, regardless of the consequences.
Ten - Loves Aster - Protects Solstice - Freelander
Father of Aspis, Idrisa, Archana, and Perun