Once more, Deneb found himself trudging through frozen snow and naked trees. The Cygni was leaving the borders of Magnolia Glen behind him for the time being, fading away into the hinterlands. He planned to return, now that he knew where his brother was laying low, but not just yet. Deneb wanted to give Albireo a little time, a little space to breath and get comfortable and complacent once more. I found him. I have him! The thoughts rang in his head like a victory chant. After searching for so long, he'd finally found his brother.

Perhaps I can find some food and celebrate, he thought with a tinge of sarcasm. Finding food was hardly a light matter, or an easy task these days. It was far more likely he would end he day hungrier than he had started, but Deneb was not the sort to give up. He had tracked Albireo this far, against all odds, had he not? He planned to survive long enough to make good on certain promises. And so, he hunter. His eyes and ears scanned the landscape as he traveled for any sign of life, his sharp black nose tested the breeze. For the moment, he seemed utterly alone in the world, with only the silent, brooding forms of the trees for company.

His thoughts had been wandering again, even as he wandered through the naked forest. Deneb felt almost giddy, could not stop replaying his reunion with Albireo in his mind. It had been wonderful to see the confusion on his brother's features, would be even more wonderful still when... then something new distracted him from his thoughts, his idle hunting. A scent that demanded his attention.

Even as Deneb had closed in his brother in the last few months, the seasons had turned, the world changing around him. Breeding season had come, but it was the farthest thing from his mind, until the moment a certain scent struck his nostrils. Aromatic and feminine, it drifted on the cold breeze like the first tangible sign of far-away spring. A gruff snort emanated from the beast, his ears flicking back against his skull in an instant of internal conflict. He had no need of such distractions. All it did was bring back bitter memories - the beautiful features of his Taro, empty, the light gone from her eyes. The dead, broken forms of his children. He had no desire to feel such feral stirrings as he did now, no wish to embark upon a road that would only open him up to more pain. Love and lust were nothing but a communicable disease.

"And what do you want?" the grey lady threw her words at him, teeth glinting in the light. Deneb noticed how her hears pressed flat, and took a step back. Blinking, he let a placating expression overtake his features as the ice of her words hit him. He hadn't meant to startle or disturb her so. Of course he could have announced himself from further away, but he hadn't wanted to risk that she might disappear rather than answer. His own ears tipped forward as he prepared to answer, but before he could speak, she did. Deneb was glad to see that some of the vitriol was gone, even if the lady retained her cool aura.

Something else seemed to have caught her attention, and his own thoughts broke away to follow her. She was moving toward the icy little stream, jumping atop a fallen tree - the silver glint of the fish caught his eye at last. Padding forward on heavy paws, he gave a small snort at the way she both gave him permission to hunt for himself, and offhandedly mentioned his obviously inferior state. Deep down, that did chafe him a bit, but Den was hardly going to let her words get him off balance - her attitude didn't really matter to him, as long as she was in the mood to talk.

Standing at the stream's edge, he focused on a likely looking fish and lifted a paw - waited a breath as he aimed his strike - and swept his forepaw down, batting the fish onto the bank. Pressing both feet down on the struggling creature, he bit at its head until it was motionless.

"I apologize for startling you. I just wanted to talk to you for a moment," he said toward her, before taking a moment to fill his mouth with fresh fish. Allowing himself to savor it, his tail swept back and forth behind him, but he forced it to remain low and unassuming. "I'm Deneb... and you're from Magnolia Glen, if I might venture to guess?,"

Deneb shook the myriad of cold droplets from his pelt as best he could before stretching languidly and settling himself down to savor the rest of his meal. One of these rather small fish would not be enough to satisfy his hunger, but every bite counted for something at a time like this. Besides, there were more of the creatures here, trapped and writhing but left with no where to go. The silvered woman seemed to be giving him a speculative look, although what her speculations entailed he could not say. As polite and casual as he tried to act, there was no hiding the insatiable curiosity glinting in his eyes. Stubbornness flickered there too, and at the moment there was perhaps an iota or two of amusement as well as Deneb gazed at the she-wolf eating upon her perch.

At least his words seemed to have caught her attention. There was a skeptical glint in her sapphirine gaze as she replied, answering his query with two terse words. She swiftly followed with questions of her own. A lady after my own heart, he thought dryly. Finishing off the last couple choicest bites of fish, he licked his jaws clean and gave her an acquiescing smile.

Golden eyes glinted cold and metallic as Deneb watched the she-wolf rise and move toward the water again. He noted the cat-like curve of her spine as she stretched and moved. He could appreciate a thing of beauty, even if he had no desires to act upon the instinctive drives of the season, or any particular liking for this woman at all so far. Her manner seemed both cold and distant, as if she were watching him from some far off mountaintop. Of course this conversation was still going better than when he'd met that raving lunatic a few weeks ago in the forest. At least he could learn a thing or two from her as long as she was willing to talk, but it was still a bit tiresome all the same.

He was pleased to see the little smirk as it crossed her features, and he did not fail to note the hint of pride ringing in her voice. So, there was something in the world that this lady cared about. That was always a useful thing to know.