He had gone north in search of food and his siblings. It had been weeks since he had last seen them, or caught a whiff of their scents, and he was beginning to worry. They had each other, he hoped, which eased some of his concern (but not by much). They were still unfamiliar with this feral land, just as Seven was, which meant it was likely that they had gotten turned around. What if they had not received information like he had and had gone west, down the opposite side of the mountain? He swallowed at the thought, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. It was possible, especially since their trails had skirted the woods where their uncle resided, along with the forest Seven now called home.

But he couldn’t leave the Shallows, not after Askan had graciously accepted him into his ranks. It made sense to stay in one place. If he kept moving around the Lore he doubted he would ever see his siblings again, or it would take weeks—maybe even months!—for them to reunite. If they decided not to return to the north—to the reserve.

He needed to remain positive, even though it was difficult. They would find him. They had to.

Continuing through the forest, the spider-legged yearling kept on his route north, his nose raised slightly in search of prey lurking within the trees. He was trying to make himself useful; to earn his place in the Shallows. He did not want Askan to think he was a freeloader and kick him out. The yellow-eyed Selwyn had been unaware of Seven’s existence until he showed up on his doorstep; just because they were family did not mean Askan owed him anything. Shared last names meant nothing if Seven couldn’t prove his worth.

He could see the glimmer of water in the distance through the trees, which meant fishing was a possibility. But he wanted to try to hunt something on dry land first before diving into the icy waters…

It had been months since he had been a part of a pack and even then, it wasn’t the same as it was in the Shallows. Life had been too easy in the Reserve. He had not minded, for the most part, but it wasn’t exciting. Which was why he had been so eager to see the feral world, for he had always been curious of what was beyond the silver fence. Their mother had encouraged them, as she wanted a better life for her children. She had even shown them where their uncles had escaped—one by choice and the other by force.

The wolves were forgiving in the Reserve. Mostly because there was nowhere for them to go, but there were very few disagreements among pack members. Rules were followed. Tasks carried out.

But here he could be dismissed just as easily as he had been accepted.

A flash of pale fur caught his attention, causing his dark paws to skid to a halt as he glanced around nervously. His maw fell to the side as he struggled to get a better look at the stranger, his brows pinched tight. H-hello? He called out, his voice small and strained. Meeting ferals still made the boy uncomfortable even though he now lived among them. Avoiding them, however, wouldn’t help him, even if it was what he wanted.

He was intrigued by the female in the distance, for she carried the same scent that Lachesis and Oksana had. Was this another river wolf? His nostrils twitched. Maybe she was related to him?!