The Advisor of Nomads Pass prowled leisurely along his usual patrol trails. His queen had sent him away; and, instead of standing guard outside her den, he was ordered to check both his and her markers and mark them again. Her changing scent and edgier moods had readily clued him in as to why her request was to be done immediately without question. In her current state, she required additional protection and his utmost level of awareness about everything that went on within her lands.

He managed to reach the first of his checkpoints in record time, but rather than staying in the shadow of a crooked tree, he carried on. He had barely scaled the path that led to his second landmark when the scent of something familiar wafted his way. He breathed out to push the air completely from his lungs before drawing in another breath. His memory offered up the image of Tenzin's face and, lo and behold, the ex-Second's howl pierced the air. Mapplethorpe frowned, his auburn ears turning forward as he deciphered his monarch's name from the song's beckoning notes.

Instinctively his spiky-tail rose, curling up and slightly over the small of his back. When he came upon the sight of Tenzin Laylani he squared his shoulders from a distance, staring for a moment before seizing the opportunity to approach. Down from his lofty perch he snaked over the piled boulders and gravelly slopes, his filled out frame only partially striking until he held still and puffed up his chest. The younger man stood up straight, tall despite his physical condition but neutral above all else. The Advisor's lips pursed, the corners of his mouth evening out into a straight line all around his muzzle until he verbally addressed the male.

"Well, well, well... What have we here?" he questioned in a slick tone, a smug smile manifesting on his masked features. His bright yellow eyes critically eyed Tenzin up and down, narrowing as his nose picked up the reek of old blood amidst the potpourri of wilderness and dirt. The dirt, actually, he didn't mind - even he had been in such a filthy, almost sickly state when Rhysis had initially come upon him - but the possibility that he had been injured raised many a red flag. "If you want to speak to them, you will have to answer to me first..."