It did not take the slender male long to return back to the rocky terrain he where he had encountered the russet-coloured loner. The stone terrain reminded him of the Ridge, and although his dark pelt made it difficult to blend in, he felt at home among the rocks. He moved effortlessly over the rocks, his body moving almost snake-like as he slithered forward. This time, there was no stranger to follow – he had to make his own adventure.

His usual grimace fell onto his slim maw as he continued forward, stone-coloured pools surveying his surroundings for signs of another. Although stalking others was kind of fun, Greer still preferred to be on his own. He craved solitude and isolation, especially since his brother Deacon had left the Ridge and Castiel was MIA. The Archer-Lyall boys seemed to have troubles staying within the back boundaries – they had all taken their turns disappearing from the safety of the Willows. The thought left a sour taste in his mouth. He, too, had thought of leaving his mother’s pack to search for his own calling, but he was conflicted. As much as he wanted to follow Deacon and search for something else, he also wanted to stay with his family and help Willow Ridge flourish. He was an introvert; he was not fond on making friends, or conversing with others.

Due to Greer’s lack of conversation, his speech was broken and often extremely blunt and straight-forward. It made him incredibly self-conscious, which was part of the reason why he rarely spoke. Greer did not like “small talk” and avoided it as much as possible – mainly because he did not know how to engage in small talk.

As he continued forward Greer noticed a large hole in the ground; puzzled, he stepped forward with cautious steps. As he neared the unexpected hole, he discovered that there was a turquoise-coloured lake down below. Excitement fueled his steps as he searched for a path down, his silver orbs dancing around the area. The deer-legged boy hopped forward once he found the path, his movements uncharacteristically chipper as he began his descent down below. As he stepped toward the edge of the lake Greer could not help but wish that this was his home – it possessed a serene atmosphere that Willow Ridge could never obtain. Lowering himself into a sitting position Greer settled his gaze on the smooth surface of the lake as he contemplated going for a swim. 

 The world was muted down by the lake – it offered a strange comfort, one that the Ridge could never offer. There was always so much happening; whether it was patrols coming and going, or strangers stopping at the border, there was always something going on. Greer preferred to remain in the shadows; he would observe, hidden behind a boulder or a shrub, but never would he engage. The slender prince was trying to figure out his place within the pack. He wasn’t particularly good at anything, nor did he want to do something that required him being social. An irritated sigh exhaled loudly from his nostrils, breaking the silence that had blanketed him. As much as being an introvert frustrated him, it was how he preferred it. Greer could not stand being surrounded by other wolves or spitting out meaningless words. He craved solitude; he chased it. It was only when he was alone that the deer-legged prince felt truly at peace.

His silver orbs did not waver from the water’s smooth surface. As much as he desperately wanted to sink his body into the water, Greer remained where he was. For now, he was content just observing the water; he would take a dip later. If only he could just stay here… the lake was secluded, tucked away from the rest of the Lore. It was the perfect hideaway, a place he could venture to whenever he wanted to disappear for a few hours.

His peace was soon disturbed. The scent of another reached his nostrils and instantly an irritated grimace made its way onto his slender maw. It was a young female, roughly around the same age as him, and carried a scent that was intertwined with the scents of others – a pack wolf. It was not the same pack that belonged to Narime – this was one that made their home in the mountains. Curious, his ear twitched toward the unfamiliar scent as the female crept down toward where he was seated. He did not offer a greeting or acknowledge her presence; instead, he remained where he was, with his stone-coloured eyes still focused on the water. 

It was strange to actually be alone after pursuing solitude for so long. He still had his parents, but with the absence of both of his littermates Greer was feeling uncharacteristically lonely. He did not like this strange feeling; it felt as though there was a large, empty pit in his stomach. Greer was desperate to know what became of his brothers – what had they found in the world outside of Willow Ridge? They had both begun to forge their own path in the Lore, and the little smudge was left feeling stuck. He loved his parents dearly, but he, too, wanted to see if there was something else for him. Was his birth pack really where he belonged?

Plagued by unfamiliar emotions, Greer cast them to the side as the stranger entered the darkness that he had found solace in. At first, he was irritated that she had taken it upon herself to join him – was it not apparent that he wanted to be alone, consumed by his thoughts? Then, as his initial thoughts simmered, he realized that she was doing no harm by being curious. As much as he liked being alone, he would have done something similar if he was in her paws. Greer just hoped that she was at least somewhat normal; he was not in the mood to amuse. Her voice broke the silence that had enveloped him, causing one of his silver orbs to twitch instinctively. He did not move, nor did his gaze waver; instead, he quietly woofed a response to let her know that he had heard her. Conversation was not his strong suit, and speaking was something he liked to avoid all together. 

She seemed irritated by his lack of response to her arrival and made it apparent by the question that spat off her tongue. His lips tightened as she continued without giving him a chance to answer (not that he would’ve anyway). As she spoke, her tone only increasing in distain as the words dripped from her lips, Greer listened patiently with an uninterested expression. The pale girl spoke too much. She was asking far too many questions; questions that he did not want to answer. A laugh almost escaped him at her comment about coming here to kill him – as threatening as she was attempting to be, the Ridge prince knew that she would not be able to muster the courage to kill him.

Why? Her final question hung in the air, swallowed by the silence that the smudge had sought out. Through a narrowed gaze, he observed her now that she had finally fallen silent. An unknown pack scent hugged her pelt, one that he had smelt on his way to the hidden lake. Unlike him, she had not strayed too far from home… she was being cautious, why? Perplexed, he remained silent for a few moments longer – he needed to savour the still air before she erupted once more, bombarding him with questions he did not want to answer.

“Not afraid,” he responded after he felt a necessary amount of time passed, his silver orbs glued to her pale figure. She was pretty, but she would be prettier if she did not ramble so much. Interacting with others was never his strong suit; conversation was something foreign to him and something he preferred to avoid all together. “I am stranger,” he pointed out with a soft roll of his shoulders before he added: “Girl not afraid?” 

If the female before him had been older, and far more threatening in appearance, Greer would have been cautious of her presence. However, despite her ‘tough girl’ act, the silver-eyed prince was not frightened by her. Rather, he was amused by her demeanor and the way she spoke. It was apparent that the pale, yellow-eyed girl thought of herself as some sort of royalty – Alpha’s daughter, he thought absently to himself – and was not used to someone not answering her. He continued to observe her, his pale orbs never wavering from her slender figure, as she lowered her hindquarters to the ground.

The words that came next from the pretty girl were peculiar to the smudge – why had caused her to think that way? His brows narrowed as the girl’s gaze shifted to the water behind him. She was strange; Greer was not sure what to think of her yet as his initial thoughts had shifted since her last words were spoken. The Ridge prince was not one to wear his emotions, or even acknowledge them, but it was bizarre for him to encounter another who thought the same. At first he had been annoyed by her chatter and the array of questions that spewed from her maw, but now he wasn’t sure what to think.

“You sure?” He asked absently before he could stop himself, a soft frown creasing his dark lips as watched her. He mentally braced himself for her reaction, his grip tightening against the cold ground as he prepared to lunge out of the way if needed.