Serach's nose was buried into the tip of his tail, the protective hairs shielding his face from the brunt of the wind. It was chilly, and the sun was taking its sweet time rising. It would rise less and less as fall transitioned into winter, and Serach wasn't quite ready to face that. So that morning he hadn't, and instead had curled deeper into his tail while the rest of the world began to wake. But his senses would not truly let him slumber, and so even though his eyes remained closed, he was registering at least vaguely the comings and goings of his packmates. His children, always eager to face a new day and push the boundaries set by their mother, were beginning to venture out from their heap. Reginald seemed to be up and moving too, although Serach couldn't recall if the new Bend member had ever actually gone back to the den the night before.

The small white wolf was nearby, his scent on the wind a little more forceful in Serach's nose. Cracking his eyes open, he squinted against the morning's light for a few moments as his eyes adjusted. Lifting his head, he looked around, blinking slowly as he tried to wake up. Reginald was beyond his field of vision, but now fully awake the Bend leader decided to commit to it and so he followed the scent. Chuffing in greeting as the pale form came into view, he began to walk up towards him from behind when his nose twitched at the familiar metallic scent of blood. "Morning Reginald," he said, looking to the crimson pool at the other man's paws. "Everything okay?"

Serach's approach was met with a worried gaze, which frankly was not a good sign that the answer to his question was going to be a reassuring one. The blood was pooled at Reginald's paws, but the man's muzzle or coat was clear of any signs of it, which meant he was not responsible for it. The leader's anxiety only grew at Reginald's broken response and question.

His own frown grew and he silently shook his head from side-to-side to indiciate that no, he was just as confused as the subordinate was. "Afraid not...but perhaps we can figure it out. Maybe a coyote found a meal?" His nose twitched and he lowered his head to sniff around the ground to test his theory, but he came up empty. The only thing he could smell were the regular coming and goes of his packmates.