Things had been going okay for Vaken. Being around the pack border was mentally exhausting. Despite the security, Vaken wasn’t truly pack and that made it difficult. He was safe from coyotes, but only to a fault. It was a temporary solution. He had too many mental barriers to request to join. He wasn’t quite ready for that level of responsibility, it frankly scared him. 


He knew it wasn’t permanent. He was only going to stay as long as it took for his wounds to heal, but still, loitering outside Charred Ash Draw territory was uneventful. Sure, he had met a few wolves, but it was always tense. They were there on border patrol. They weren’t there to make friends.

He craved the freedom that came along with travelling. That’s why he was in the wildwood, positioned between two trees. He sat in peaceful silence, checking his healing scars. The coyotes hadn’t hurt him too bad. He was relatively in healthy condition, thanks to @Sahalie and @Kino. The pair had helped him a lot, and he wanted to repay them. He wasn’t quite sure how. Scrunching his nose, he continued to think. He could bring them flowers?

Ridiculous. Shaking his head, the small wolf was embarrassed for even considering it. He wasn’t the flowers type. Dropping his head, Vaken sniffed the air timidly, checking for coyotes. It seemed safe so far.

“They don’t need an invite around here,” Vaken mumbled, his body turning a bit rigid. He lowered his head and stretched it out towards the uninvited guests, letting out a deep growl. There were three of them, and three of the strangers now. It seemed like pretty fair odds, but Vaken couldn’t guarantee that either of the loners would choose to fight. He wasn’t about to barge into a battle if he didn’t have backup.

He looked at the newest member, the wolf with lighter fur and green eyes, and lifted his tail. He stopped growling when he looked at the stranger, clearly not trying to target any aggression at him and nodded. “It’s a bit dangerous here lately,” he continued, returning his eyes to the vermin. “They don’t take no for an answer.”

Stepping towards them, Vaken snapped his jaws and tried to intimidate them, hoping to keep them back. He hated the damn coyotes. He looked at Ferreiran unsurely, almost inquiring with his eyes if the male was willing to fight. If he had both wolves on his side, he was confident in their ability to scare off the coyotes. If not, they better start running.

It felt good to have wolves on his side. Letting out one final warning bark, Vaken took the first thrust forward. He trusted Ferreiran. This other wolf- not so much, but it didn’t matter. As long as he could hold his own. Vaken wanted to fight.

He closed the space between him and the three coyotes. Using his sharp fangs, he grabbed the first creature by the side and tossed him. Vaken wasn’t incredibly strong, but he was quick. The coyote had not expected the sudden attack and was knocked off balance a few feet, losing his footing and slamming into the ground. The small victory made Vaken howl in delight and step back.

He knew Ferreiran wasn’t very big either, but he knew the wolf was clever. He had experience the black wolf’s skills first-hand. The stranger was more of a wildcard to Vaken. He was large, sure. Not the biggest wolf he had bumped into along his travels, but strong nevertheless. Strength only meant so much to the yearling though. What matter was if the wolf was smart.

He bared his fangs and lashed out at second coyote. He lowered his chin to cover his neck and danced to the side, avoiding an attack. Out of the corner of his eye, the young wolf checked on his buddy and the stranger.