The short trek beyond the Surge had satisfied the ghost’s itchy paws for the time being. He had been cooped up on the mountain forest for too long—fretting over the neighbours and the itchy, wandering paws of his children. He had needed to get out of his own head before he was devoured by his thoughts or drove his mate mad with his constant worrying (even though they were both worried). Things had been good for them after the move for Driftwood. They had found somewhere that felt like home. Their family was growing. They had loyal subordinates that remained at their side despite all the drama from their north. And they had ideal allies. The source of his fretting over the Keep wolves was the safety of his children. He did not know what they would do to the Stark youth if they were out on their own. Lachesis was a man of his word—he would not harm the Keep youth—but he did not know if the vermin to the north would honour the same code. They did not seem to respect borders or hunting ground; he did not think they would respect children.

He had been pacing the outside of the borders beneath a canopy of stars, his large paws sifting through the damp grass. The sky had just begun to clear up after an unexpected midnight rain storm, allowing a cool breathe to push through the trees. He shivered, but not from the cold. There was an uncomfortable feeling in the air, causing his pace to quicken and the fur on the back of his neck to bristle. He could not smell anything on the wind but something did not seem right. Feel right.

A sudden scream caused him to skid to an abrupt halt. His head spun around wildly as he struggled to locate where it originated from. It did not sound like any animal he had encountered before… possibly a coyote… but they had all gone… hadn’t they? His brows pinched together with concern as his upper lip curled. An intruder, perhaps? But who else could be out this late at night…?

He remained where he was, his ears swivelling atop his crown as he tried to locate where the sound at come from. It had sounded as though it was coming from everywhere, which only made Lachesis even more nervous. Was it possible that his unwanted neighbours had ventured south-west to torment the pale leader? He gave his head a quick shake at the thought. XIX needed to stop being so negative. It was probably nothing—he was just looking for something (or someone) to blame. If it was one of the wolves from the Keep then the pale leader would show them that they were messing with the wrong wolf, but it was likely that it was something else. He would hope that his northern neighbours weren’t as stupid as they looked, even though he still remained doubtful.

A familiar voice cut through the trees, earning a sigh of relief from the pale leader. He stepped forward, toward the voice, his pace brisk as he closed the distance between himself and the Driftwood’s healer. It’s just me, he greeted as he approached the younger male, his tail swaying gently behind him. I was not the one screaming but I’m glad I wasn’t the only one that heard it. Maybe he was not crazy after all.

It had been too long since he had gotten to spend some one-on-one time with the pale healer, as they were both typically wrapped up in their separate duties. The arrival of the Keep wolves had kept Lachesis busy, causing him to increase (his own) border patrols and scouting for more hunting options. He was not scared of venturing too close to the Keep, nor did he care if he upset them. The Driftwood wolves had settled in the north first and staked their claim at Turtleback. Lachesis would do whatever was necessary to keep his pack where they were and ensure that the other pack would no longer be a threat. No matter what it took. He was not going to be bullied by a group of mongrels led by a dimwitted girl.

I’m not sure, he hummed as a frown graced his features. His chartreuse gaze swept through the trees as though he intended to find something but, as expected, the alabaster duo did not have any company. You have any ideas? It was possible that the sound belonged to a rogue coyote or a stray feline, but in all his years Lachesis had never heard such a sound before. Although it appeared that they were alone Lachesis did not let his guard done—something was out there. 

He was a little unsettled by the fact that neither him or Emrys seemed to know what creature the noise belonged to, but at least they were in this together. Truthfully Lachesis was not keen on figuring out what had made the sound as long as he didn’t hear it again. However, Lachesis worried that in the silence that followed the initial scream it had moved closer… preying on the two healers and waiting for the opportune moment to strike… but that was not thinking positively. Hopefully it’ll continue to be a mystery, he hummed in amusement as he turned to his pale friend, a soft smile forming across his pale features despite the worry lines that cut into his forehead. A bird theory? He pondered the thought for a moment, his smile still present: Care to elaborate…?

The sound had not come a second time—a good sign. Maybe whatever had created the noise had already come and gone… one could only hope. Lachesis was not in the mood to chase out an intruder, even with Emrys as back up. He sought out the moonlight to embrace solitude, and serenity, not ward off those who did not belong. His ears twitched as his pale companion spoke up once more, elaborating on the bird theory he had mentioned previously. It was a better theory than he had expected, and earned a soft smile from the troubled leader. It’s definitely a possibility, he mused in response, his chartreuse gaze turning to his friend. Let’s stick with it. I prefer the noise belonging to a bird than something else. His gaze swept the trees around them once more, his expression growing stern for a moment. How are you? It’s been awhile since we’ve been able to have a few moments to ourselves. His smile returned. They had been so busy he had not gotten much time to converse with his friend.