A meal had done Vaken some good. While he was bulking up for the winter, he was still thin. His fur was thicker, and his ribs weren’t showing- but he was still small. He was always going to be a petite. He had a tiny bone structure. Eating was doing him some good though. The summer had been harsh, but he was fleshing out well for the fall. Particularly today, bloated from gorging himself on dinner. He had been lucky enough to bump into the female and fawn. Things had come together marvellously.

He groomed his front paws, licking the blood between his toes. He was happy. It was clear from his body language that the meal had put him in good spirits. “That was good,” he purred, dropping his foot back on the ground. He ran his tongue over his shoulder, grooming down a matted pat, and sighed. “There hasn’t been much to eat this summer, with the coyotes, but it looks like that is changing. He sniffed the air timidly, afraid on what he’d find. There was nothing. Prey animals, plants, some dirt, a bit of stale coyote on the breeze. Where did they all go? He was glad they were gone, but it seemed odd. They had appeared so abruptly, and left the same way. He couldn’t remember the last time he bumped into one. He shrugged his shoulders, than glanced over at the silver female. He had been mindlessly ramblingly. Had she even been listening? He couldn't tell. He normally didn't talk so much, but the food had made him giddy with pleasure.

The boy shook his head in disbelief. How bad could they be? His face cringed in sour distaste, the words echoing in his mind. The coyotes had destroyed him. They had been around every corner, every territory. They stole his food, chased him around the lore, woke him up. Their company had been impossible to miss during the summer, ruining his physical and mental health. He let out a shaggy, wary sigh. “Bad.”

He had no other words to describe it. He couldn’t tell her enough of how brave these coyotes had become, how little food had existed around the lore- especially for lone wolves. He sniffed the air and let out a thankful chuckle. “There’s elk on the breeze, even now.” He had not hunted so well all summer. Prey animals were regrowing in numbers, there was no denying that. He wasn’t hungry, or too passionate about the idea of hunting, but the scent was there. It was like heaven to the yearling.

He stood up and shook out his fur, sniffing around for other scents. A few weeks ago, all he would have been able to smell was yotes. The world was different now. He could relax. He moved closer to the silver female and playfully rolled a rock in her direction. “These weren’t regular coyotes."

Where to begin. The cold worded demand of the female didn’t sit easy on the yearling’s shoulders, it sounded like a challenge. Explain. He resented the casualness of her tone, rolling his eyes. Was she questioning his honesty? He watched the way she lazily spoke, almost disinterested. He didn’t demand a lot of attention, but it still filled him with sour grapes. “They created packs, grew bolder, hungrier. You couldn’t travel without seeing them."

He gaze grew cloudy remembering the terror they instilled in him. He had learned quickly, but it had been a tough lesson. It had done him a lot of good in the long run. He was stronger now because of it, more experienced in battle. Of course, they were smaller foe- but he had grown strategically advanced to take on more than one enemy, he learned to dodge and escape. How could he explain that to someone who had not experienced it? He looked at her dryly, emotionless. He sniffed the air, a way to say forget about it and then curled up on the floor as well. His body was stuffed, he needed to digest.

If Vaken could have led the coyotes he would have. He craved the power and the numbers. Leading a pack was far beyond his skill level, but the idea of an army was tempting. If the creatures could understand each other, maybe he could have joined them. He listened to her with wistful appreciation, giving a rebellious grin. “I wish.” The coyotes weren’t like that. Even with his manipulation and smooth-talking skills, the boy wasn’t that good.

He watched her stand, realizing their time together was coming to a close. He was still digesting their meal, his belly protruding. He wouldn’t need to hunt again for a while. Their was no reason for them to stay together, but part of him was disappointed. “You looking to join a pack?”

For a lone wolf, he had a lot of pack information. He could share it with her, help her make a decision. If she wasn’t, even better. He knew the land pretty well. She seemed like the kind of wolf that would like the east.

Ahhhh, how refreshing. A loner who planned on staying a loner, just how he liked it. His pleasure with her response was apparent on his face, exposing his distaste for pack wolves instantly. Her question was a breath of fresh air. He was more than willing to share the information he had, it was for a good cause. Anything to help a fellow traveler stay independent. “Not many packs in the west. Up here there is a ton of ‘em, but keeping travelling down and stay to the far west if you want to be alone. The east has a few too in the dense forest, and all along the mountain.” His aunt’s pack was there, pretty rocky terrain but otherwise nice. He racked his brain for a few minutes, visualizing the area. Things were pretty crowded in the center of the lore.

He shook out his fur and glanced over his shoulder. Hopefully that was a broad enough layout for her to follow. He didn’t know everything about the area, just enough to give a broad description. “Maybe I’ll see you around,” he added, tipping his muzzle down in a goodbye.