Askan wouldn't admit it but he'd missed rain. Though he didn't loath winter as much as his mate did, the gentle pitter patter of rain was a welcome change. One he just realised he had sorely needed. Things had been getting...stagnant, in the Shallows, he supposed. He'd been wallowing in grief and misery-everything had seemed so grey and lifeless. But now? It wasn't so bad, at least he was trying to kick his way to the surface, to struggle his way out of the rut he'd found himself in. Some effort was better than none, right? Probably.

And so he wandered the woods, some distance away from the Shallow's borders without a real destination in mind. Several of his subordinates had expressed an interest in becoming scouts, that was good, it pleased him to know they'd taken some time to think about their place in his pack. It was leagues better than the alternative, just sitting around and licking their privates all day....Askan's nose wrinkled at the thought, gross.

Though it hadn't been raining for long, the scents of the forest were dulled to his finely tuned nose, damp and soggy, as though he was wading through a bog instead of a boreal forest. There was a little something amiss though, something he couldn't quite put his paw on. His bright yellow eyes scanned the forest , roamed over the clusters of ferns and piles of fallen branches. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, the woods were as thick and as dense as ever but...

Whatever, Askan shrugged his shoulders, flicked his tail dismissively and strode on, continuing down the well worn path that weaved through the woods.

Hey, cabrón!

Askan rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. He paused and turned just so, his tail flicking from side to side in a lazy, if not earnest greeting, as he regarded his mate with a dry stare. A perfect contrast to the drizzly weather. He looked fine, he always did- but he didn't look exactly pleased by the rain. Moody git. But he was Askan's moody git, so it was fine.

"It's just rain. It's not even that heavy, I'm not going to drown Gabi." He rumbled, inching closer to graze his mate's nose with his teeth. Gently, he was only teasing.

He just happened to pull back in time for everything to seem normal when Hawthorne appeared on the scene, just as loud and as curious as ever. What a pest. But again, she was his pest. The weirdness was soon forgotten as Askan rolled his eyes once more, what was with them? Had they never stood out in the rain before? Spring showers were refreshing, a sign of better things to come and yet here they were, flapping their jaws as though Askan was standing directly beneath a waterfall.

"Is this why you two followed me, to complain? Sheeesh." Out of spite-and because he too was a pest- Askan shook out his fur. A grin forming on his lips as he wriggled and shimmied, it didn't amount to much as they were already wet but it felt good and that was enough for him.

"Anyway," he began once he'd settled, his posture sliding back into it's usual casual, if not proud stance. "I was just stretching my legs a little." And then he pursed his lips as a thought reoccurred to him. He glanced around once more, his bright gaze shifting from shadow to shadow."The forest seem a bit off to you?"

Perhaps in his moping he'd forgotten what it was really like, or that the transition from winter to spring had shaken things up a little. After all, he'd only ever been here in late autumn and winter, he wasn't familiar with this land in the warmer seasons. Perhaps thos was how it was meant to be, a little off.

Askan sniffed the air again for good measure. Personally, he hadn't seen or smelled anything amiss, but he wasn't inclined to believe that he was making shit up. His senses were as sharp as his mind, if something seemed off then it probably was. But what? If it wasn't something blatant and obvious then perhaps it was a little more subtle, able to blend into the background, out of sight and out of mind. Scarce prey was never a good thing, animals didn't just vanish at first sign of rain. Perhaps if it was a torrential downpour then maybe but this? Nah, the more Askan thought about it the stronger his convictions grew.

"Hmm, lets head back." He suggested, pretending as though Reyes hadn't mentioned that prior. "If this...whatever continues we'll send some scouts out. Figure out what the hell is wrong."

If anything was, that is.

Askan had no interest in sitting idle and letting trouble drift their way, if it was possible then he'd do whatever he could to nip it in the bud. He was putting his paw down, they were going to figure out this shit one way or another. Still, like Hawthorne he didn't like the idea of a lot of loners roaming the Falls as though it was some highway. Whilst his pack couldn't claim ownership over the whole territory that didn't mean others were welcome to amble about as they pleased, if they were about Askan wanted to know about it. Good thing he had so many pairs of eyes and ears, it was high time he put them to work.

He glanced to his mate, idly wondering if he would appose his notion before he looked to Hawthorne.

"Don't roam so far from the Shallows, if you do bring someone with you." He assumed Sachiel wouldn't protest, if he did have any complaints then he was welcome to bring them to the leading pair. Bowing down into a stretch, Askan let out a huff then rightened himself. If he whacked Reyes with his tail then it was an accident, truly."Any questions?" He asked with a quirk of his brow. He doubted it, but clarity was always welcomed.

Askan's lips ticked up into a smug little smile at the sound of his mate's rumbly growl. If anyone else had done that to him the Selwyn would have returned it in kind, flashed his teeth as he spat some rather distasteful words. But Reyes? It was fine, Askan half expected such a response and in all honesty he couldn't blame the man. He would have likely done the same, or just rolled his eyes again. He was sure Reyes would warm up to him soon enough, after all it was as though he couldn't stay away. Damn sap.

Falling into step beside his mate, Askan watched Hawthorne trot ahead. Jeeze, he still couldn't get over how much she'd shot up. If they stood side by side he was pretty sure she'd be a smidge taller than him...which was totally unfair. Whoever her sire had been he must've been a giant, because her mother was certainly not.

Whatever. The rain continued to fall as the trio headed east, moving ever closer to the sanctuary of the Shallows. If something was amiss out here then it was more vital than ever to ensure their borders were well maintained. It was their first line of defence, so if something was wrong then it could prove to be invaluable over the coming weeks.

"Maybe I'm a little cagey." He admitted, his tone low and his voice quiet. His concerns were for his mate's ears only. "After all the shit that went down in the Field...I want to be safe rather than sorry." Inaction would not be the Edge's downfall, of that the Selwyn was certain.

That being said, he didn't want to make a mountain out of a molehill (though he tended to go ahead and do that anyway). What if it was nothing? He trusted Reyes senses and he didn't seem to think anything was wrong, maybe Askan was thinking about this too much. Wouldn't be the first time he got all puffed up over nothing.