Half asleep beneath a tree, the yearling jolted awake at the sound of approaching steps. He was suspicious, but did not stir right away. Instead, the petite male kept himself incredibly quiet, barely breathing, and remained motionless. Was this a late night border patrol? He did not know much about the Draw, but he knew that this was the first time he had been awaken so late at night. Were they raising security because of the coyotes? Lowering his head to the ground, keeping his ears perked, the small boy tried his best to stay hidden. He knew he was not trespassing, and the pack knew of him, but something felt off. He glanced around the area, trying to find the source of movement, but failed.

When he heard his name be called, Vaken slowly rose and drew his attention to the familiar form- Garmir. He had not been expecting guests. Offering a quiet yip of acknowledgment, Vaken drew attention to himself and came forward. He knew things were suspicious, that the other wolf would not appear at him at night for any old reason, but that was okay. Vaken was very familiar with flying under the radar and bad business. 


He moved softly, barely rustling any leaves on the ground, and stood still a foot away from his companion. “Miss me already?”

“You flatter me,” Vaken said sceptically, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He had followed the male trustingly, and now rested beside him on the floor. It felt good to lay down and relax during the sunrise, but Vaken’s attention was focused carefully on the male’s words. There was something important going on, and he couldn’t put his paw on it. He was fairly tense emotionally, though he kept his composure and maintained a nonchalant position. He was too curious to be patient, but he didn’t dare rush Garmir.

Instead, the small boy tucked his tail around him and nuzzled into the dirt. Did Vaken really think of himself as special? Not really. He wasn’t incredibly smart, or fast, or strong. He was young, and dirty, and struggling to survive on his own. Special wasn’t the word he’d use, but he didn’t try and change his companion’s mind. He knew of his good qualities and modesty was not one of them. Clearly amused with Garmir’s words, the speckled boy licked at a spot on his paw with a faint smirk. “Is that why you invited me on this romantic stroll? Just to butter me up?”

A quizzical and intrigued expression played along Vaken’s facial features. He was a wolf of means. Garmir’s words were true, the young wolf did like to travel. He had explored a lot of relic lore. He had met many pack leaders in the area, and a great deal more lone wolves. He was sure his information could be helpful to someone like the scarred wolf, someone who valued this type of knowledge. It was clearly very important to Garmir if he was willing to hide it from his own pack. This Garmir- the wolf that held the Leigh name so high, was willing to keep something from them? The yearling felt a warm feeling in his stomach.

It was not love, but a smug, conniving fire. Vaken loved secrets. As for keeping them, the yearling grinned. He was sure he could keep a secret. If the price was right, he would. He wanted to know what the wolf had to say, so he kept his voice quiet and nodded. “I am open to a deal.”

Vaken licked his lips, deep in thought. Garmir just wanted to know about his travels? Interesting. Vaken did not value that type of secrecy. He would have told anyone about his experiences if they had asked properly. Was it even secrecy for him? He had been around the block once or twice, but didn’t take part in anything he’d consider important. He was just a lone wolf. He didn’t know about the politics between the packs. It meant nothing to him, so of course he nodded. “Sure.”

It seemed like a fitting deal for the young wolf. He wanted to stick around the border for Sahalie and Kino, and if Garmir could make it easier- then perfect. From his perspective, it wasn’t spying, but if it was to someone else- he didn’t care. He would be open with his stories, unless a better deal came along or unless something was standing in his way. While Vaken didn’t value secrecy, he valued loyalty even less. This deal meant very little to him, but he didn’t show it in his body language. Instead, he kept himself composed and silent. 


“Is there something in specific you are interested about?” He glanced at his paws in thought. Vaken wasn’t sure if Garmir was being honest with him. It seemed like an odd deal to make: stories in exchange for protection? “I have only met two packs in large quantites. The Draw,” he gestured with his nose over his shoulder where the border was. “Obviously. Then one high in the north, located by rye fields. There were about five or so grown adults. They protect their borders well.” He racked his brain. He had met a few alphas elsewhere, but not enough to state their weakness if that was what Garmir had wanted. As for the coyotes and loners? He squinted. “I will answer any questions you have, but I have met far too many loners and coyotes to remember.”

The wolf’s attention was starting to wane, but he focused on the names and descriptions with a nod of his head. His eyes were growing heavy, and truthfully he was a little bored. It all meant very little to him, but he tried to concentrate on the important stuff. Vaken was not a responsible wolf, but he was going to try. In this situation, he seemed to be getting the good end of the stick. “Kerberos and Triell. Got it.” He pressed his lips together and mentally scanned through the wolves he had met along his travels. None of them fit those descriptions, but that didn’t mean they weren’t out there. 


Vaken had a lot more exploring to do. They very well could be at his next destination. If Vaken stumbled along into them, fine, but the young boy wasn’t going to search anyone out. That wasn’t the deal. He didn’t have the motivation or loyalty to do something so selfless. He would let Garmir know what was going on outside pack borders if it suited him. As long as he was getting something in exchange, Vaken would be compliant. He was not afraid of pack wolves by many means, which may have been foolish. Regardless, he didn’t see the danger in his actions at all. He was confident and insolent and young. “Sure, sure,” he said dismissively, giving a large yawn. 
 “It’s way past my bedtime,” he added, glancing at the sky with dreary eyes. “Let me sleep now.”