Early morning/Middle of the Night; Clear; Current Temperature: 50° F/10° C

Borden awoke with a start, immediately sitting up after stiffening his limbs, which had been flailing about as though he had been running away from something or someone. He held his breath in attempt to calm his drumming heart. Instinctively his eyes went to the den opening, straining to peer down into its depths and make sure Jaysyek and the pups had not been disturbed. For the time being, it seemed they were all right and he exhaled slowly in relief. He cast his eyes about the clearing, inspecting the rest of the pack, whoever had chosen to make a sleeping site close to the old bear den. Closing his eyes momentarily, he rose onto all fours then wearily dragged his feet toward the trees and away from the clearing.

At first his pace was leisurely, allowing himself sometime to fully awaken. Nightmares had been a near-constant in his life but for some time they had ceased. Tonight, though, they were different. Where the horrifying dream of dying under some masked wolf's silhouette should have been, a more paralyzing one had taken its place. Tonight, Borden had found himself fighting against a stranger with bright yellow eyes... His irises were so bright they seemed to glow in the dark, even as he eventually skid to a stop on the shores of the Iridescent Lagoon and stared up at the villain before everything went dark. The last thing that he could remember was the rogue whispering to him that his beloved daughters, even though all three were fully grown, were no longer safe... without their father to protect them. His left shoulder brushed against the side of a tree and he cursed under his breath. He took a second to regain his bearings and shake his head a second time.

His eyes had healed since his ambush on the reckless bobcat that had visited the territory a couple of weeks ago but the scratching of his left cornea seemed to have left him with a rather irritating blind spot. Even though it was small, it still proved to be slightly hindering; and, paired with the lingering grogginess, he had almost run into the forest giant straight-on if he hadn't been fully paid attention. Realizing he had wandered far enough from the den, he stretched out his legs and relieved himself with a tired sigh. He shook out his hind limb then scanned the forest about him. Nothing but nightfall. The sound of the slight wind in the trees and the comings and goings of the usual, unimposing, lesser nocturnal creatures.

Borden took one step forward, blinked a few times then gave into his primal side. Something within him, according to his dream, was restless again. A quick sprint through the forest ought to wear it out, or so he hoped... So deep into the Cedarwood, he ran... down one of the several memorized paths he took on a daily routine, down along the babbling creek, through the woods and past marker after marker after marker. He ran until he could no longer run and his lungs burned within his chest. Coming to a halt, he panted, yielding to the ache that gripped his arms and legs. As much as he hated to admit it, "running away" from his problems usually quelled his anxiety. To bottle up his fear and put up a brave face for all to see just... worked. There was no need for anything medicinal or talking about it, running was just as demulcent. In his mind, he figured the night terrors had returned because of the Hollow's recent trespassers. That was it. Seating himself at the base of a boulder, he took another deep breath and patiently waited for the endorphins and adrenaline to fully embrace him.