Not often did she venture away from the children, even rarer was it that she actually left the borders. There was not a complaint in her mind though; it was a privilege to be able to soak up the beginning of their little ones lives; it would never happen again. Just being there was so very important at this stage. They needed so much guidance, so much protection. Leaving them was always hard, and there was not a moment she didn't worry at least a little bit. Being alone with her mate, however, was still a welcome change. What used to be so common was now almost rare. That too, was just fine with her, for they had nothing to hide from their brood; nothing they would keep secret. Still, this was refreshing. It was like it used to be, before the Notch and before the kids. 

Gent was so much lighter than he had been before. Their existence was not stress free, but so much better. Food had not been too difficult to find this summer in their new home, and while the pack was small it had met the challenges presented to it thus far. Times would get harder, she knew, but for now it was a welcome shift away from the death and desertion of the Crest. 

If they were to sustain their pleasant existence, the establishment of a quick route to and from the plains of the north was essential. Big prey roamed in abundance there, and if their group was going to get bigger, they would need more food. The fields and woods to the southwest had sustained them just fine, but it was foolish to pin their livelihood on one or two areas only. Things would change as they always did, and so she was as relieved as the King was when the river and the pass came into view. "Let's hope it goes all the way," she added, drawing up beside him and then continuing forward with a grin. 

Fortunately the route seemed to pan out exactly as they'd hoped. After a long while of following the shallowed river, the vastness of the plains slowly teased into view. Some traveling through the woods later and it was spread out before them; bountiful and breathtaking as it had always been. For a moment as the lead pair lingered, surveying the landscape further, she was reminded of her multiple excursions to these lowlands, back when the Crest was thriving. When she and Cessair had fought those coyotes... and when she had first led a hunt as an Alpha. There was a sickness that followed those memories, a sickness that latched on to the many associated faces that were no longer with them. 

She was pulled from that particular pit of nostalgia by her mate's voice. Raela's sunshine eyes flickered up to find his; her black nose immediately beginning its work before the question and its implications had fully registered in her mind. The air drifted toward them again, filling her mind with the slow realization. Not one, not two, but several scents came to them; overlapping each other and mixing with the fragrance of the fields and the warm air. They were much worthier of attention than those other things, though. 

Looking back to Gent, it was obvious that he was anxious with this revelation. “Drestig” was a wolf she had of course been told about, after her husband's meeting with the older man back towards the Downs' old territory. His scent though was entirely foreign and unknown to her, and it took a moment for her mind to recall his significance in this area. Her partner had sensed him before, and now his perfume was not the only one. The pieces began to fall into place, and Raela turned to stare back.   

"There's a few of them," she replied, guessing that he could tell that already but feeling it relevant anyway. "You think they're staying somewhere nearby?" Her eyes shifted toward the wind as she spoke, as if there would be some visual cue or answer all of a sudden.