The morning was deceivingly cool and misty, but the young wolf knew that the heat would come. It was the height of summer, and even in Iromar, where the sunlight was mercifully dappled in most places by the towering swamp trees, the heat and humidity could often be oppressive. He slipped away from his den, noting as he went that the earth was somewhat spongier than it had been the day before. It must have rained at least some, which also explained the drop in temperature.
Zaqar strode along, with no real purpose except to stretch his limbs, wondering where his mother had gone this early in the morning. As if she’d heard him thinking of her, Ishtar’s call met his ears only moments later. With some of his pent-up youthful energy, the black yearling sent his russet limbs to sprinting in the direction of the howl. Though he slowed on his approach, his gait was still more of a playful prance than a walk as he came alongside Ishtar to be nudged. He returned the gesture, briefly pressing his nose into her solid shoulder, before they made off for whatever destination the alpha had in mind.
The boy asked just once where they were going; after Ishtar gave no response, he fell silent and instead watched their surroundings. They walked along a ridge at the top of a great hole in the ground, and eventually took a slope down one of the walls, finally finding themselves at a lake. The sun was now high; it glinted spectacularly off the many droplets of falling water and cast a rainbow on the faint mist that rose from the pool. He was suddenly envious of anyone who might live near here.
Behind and around the waterfall, there were many holes in the rock. Before he could wonder what may lay in the darkness, he was presented with a fish from the cool, clear lake. He looked Ishtar over, trying to detect any injuries from the scaly creatures that stalked the wolves from the water. Bemused, he looked over at the lake. There was no sign of them; it seemed that these beasts only inhabited the waters of Iromar. With a slightly concerned expression, he dipped his head to take a large bite of the fish. After he swallowed his mouthful, he spoke to his mother without looking at her. “Why can’t we live here? It seems much better than Iromar.” His formal tone had vanished, for when he was with just his mother he need not worry about impressions.
But Ishtar was preoccupied. Following her gaze, he saw what had caught her attention. The other wolf seemed to hover above them, and though he could see his mother’s tension, Zaqar was as unafraid as if the stranger was a pup. Still, he thought it was best to aid Ishtar in inspecting their surroundings, and his own eyes scanned the area. When he saw nothing, he took to lifting his nose and sniffing the breeze – nothing to smell, either. In the end, he sat next to his mother and alpha, gazing up at the other wolf. The figure was grizzled with both black and white, and Zaqar could detect at least one area of reddish fur – almost as if an Angel and Demon had united and this was the result. He wrinkled his nose at the idea, though still he felt no intimidation. It was the way of the young: they had not yet seen all the dangers of the world, and therefore felt little fear for threats that they had not experienced.