Hollow often found himself trekking farther off the borders these days, since, the births in the pack he had kept to the same patrol route, yet instead of tracing it back on pack lands the young male would run through the fields just to expand the range of his patrol, and to catch any potential trespassers and point them in another direction before they got close enough to cause confrontation. He would much rather make a friendly approach and let strangers know the pack was nearby before they made the mistake of treading too closely to it. After all the very last thing that the Secret Woodlands needed was for Hollow to go around picking unnecessary fights and causing trouble for a pack with newborn pups.
Nina would have his tail for the pups to play with if he caused any sort of trouble that wasn't absolutely necessary.

So today there he was halfway through his route, mind not on any particular encounter other than the last few times he had been into the fields. He always seemed to meet some really strange wolves in the blackberry fields, Jessie, Teketa, and that female who just looked at him as if he was something unpleasant she had stepped in. Very strange creatures all of them had been, and Hollow was still convinced that wolves whom wanted to constantly be in the open must be a little strange regardless. However it was quiet so far and Hollow had no such luck for a time until prey scent came to him. The dark male moved into position, and tried three separate times to pinpoint a rabbit and failed each time in his leap, to gain any food for the cache. Fine you stupid cotton tail, I didn't want you anyways, I bet you're stringy.

He gave up his chase and turned to go back towards the border when a sudden shift in wind brought a wolf scent to the male. It was unfamiliar and judging by the lack of any uniformity he was a loner. Hollow swung towards the scent and made his way toward the strange male. After some a few moments at a steady lope the male rounded a clump of some strong smelling herb and caught sight of the stranger. "Hello there, my name is Hollow Nite, might I ask if you're looking for anyone out here?" After he had spoken, Hollow noticed upon a closer inspection of the white wolf before him, a strange marking inside of his ear, "XIX". I wonder what that's for?

The younger male seemed afraid of Hollow, he very quickly averted his eyes. For a few moments Hollow had to fight the urge to raise his tail and claim dominance over the conversation, it had become natural for him when he was on patrol, to show dominance over the wolves outside the border. The Woodlands male fought down his urge and merely smiled while letting his tail hang limp and his head lower a fraction of an inch. It was not in Hollow's nature to be cruel or mean so boy before him had nothing to be afraid of. Yet the second did not know anything of Nineteen's past, or of his disposition on pack wolves, his past experiences must not have been pleasant from what Hollow could see.

Briefly the male was carried back in time to when a black yearling no older than Nineteen had found his way into a charred section of forest and met a horrible she wolf, whom was cruel and spoke of death if he did not hold his story inside himself. The she wolf had awakened the yearling unknowingly, and shown him that moping would never change anything, sadness could not help a situation become better, it would merely get you scoffed at and ridiculed. That yearling had grown into the wolf who stood now, head and tail lowered in a caring gesture to another yearling, Probably afraid that he would be attacked by Hollow at any moment, the same way Hollow had been afraid of Djinn. The soon to be guardian was not going to give Nineteen the same treatment he had gotten, even if it wasn't his first encounter with a pack wolf that Hollow knew of. With that in mind Hollow said in a soft voice, "Mine is, I am second of Secret Woodlands, we are held in the heart of the Thickets just on the edge of these fields." Hopefully this yearling would understand that the darker male meant him no harm at all.

The inquiry from Nineteen was a simple one, Hollow had never asked, he had just known that he was meant to be in this pack. Though of course not all wolves could hear their hearts speak as clearly as Hollow had heard his. It was not always an instantaneous response, and not always a sure one at that. Some wolves had to search, some had to {I}know[/] what was in store. Hollow had just trusted his heart. Now looking at Nineteen Hollow was again reminded of himself, just looking for a home, though he was lost and alone, fighting for himself, trying to pull himself away from the sadness that had circled him before he had found this place. The dark male knew very well some of the things that could be going through Nineteens head at the moment.

A few moments passed as Hollow decided what to say to the yearling, it was the same as it had been with Jessie, he wanted to satisfy the boy but at the same time, he did not want to divulge too much about his pack to Nineteen. There was but one thing Hollow felt was a substantial truth, it did not divulge information about it's members, merely the type of pack that he belong to. "We are not a pack, Nineteen, we are a family, from the helpless pup to the frail elder we treat each other with respect and care." It was a fairly simple statement leaving out the facts of the den location, and the exact amount of foliage the territory held as that was not necessary for an outsider to know. Hollow lowered his rear to the ground and settled assuming this would be a fairly long conversation. "There's no chance of any less than desirable wolves following you is there?"

His description of his home seemed to excite Nineteen, which was certainly positive. If the boy's friend had been along as well Hollow might have a better idea of exactly who might potentially want to join the pack. Of course Hollow also did not expect an immediate oath to pledged to Secret Woodlands, and the Reiners on the spot. After all, Nineteen hadn't even met Nina, or Koda, let alone this friend of his. But from the expression in his face, Hollow began to feel a slight bit of confidence that he may in fact see the young male calling from the border, friend in tow, to request entry to the pack. Even if it was in the future, at least the young wolf would know there were friendly faces in the lore. Not everyone was out to get you.

It would seem Hollow's question startled the lad and his pear colored eyes began to dart around as if he expected a wild rouge to leap out at him and try clawing him to pieces. A touch of a smile came to the dark males maw. "There was recent trouble with a sickness pressing at our borders. I ask only so that I may reassure everyone at home that it is gone, though I myself know it to be. Just as well any information about rouges in the area that are up to no good only helps me better protect the pack." The short speech served two purposes, first was to maybe jar any memories from the young male so that he may gain useful information, second it served as a warning to the boy, to be on the lookout. Hollow could be sure at least one wolf who had been infected with the walking death was gone, a brave male had given his life to be sure of it. But as for the female that had come to their border seeking sanctuary, Hollow had no idea where she may be.

Hollow's stare became a little more intense than it had been before, it was not that he meant to, but more so that he had to know if any of the lone wolves in the area knew of the sickness returning. The bringers of the disease had been dispatched with ferocity yet just because they were dead did not mean the disease was as well. It could never be so simple, so a watchful eye had to be kept on every piece of prey, every loner at the border, and every trip onto the fields. So without a word Hollow hung on to every word that left Nineteen's muzzle. Whether stuttering or not, he was a wolf the same, and had senses the same, plus he was no more educated in the land than Hollow himself had been.

The dark male's head cocked to one side with a thoughtful look playing across the dark face. After a few moments of black paws shuffling and a few shakes of a tail Hollow answered. "Good, hopefully the sickness is gone for good. From my knowledge there are no packs here that are feared. I would say that if you merely respect their borders and cause no trouble you will not come to harm." Truthfully, Hollow only knew of the other packs by word of mouth before the great meeting before they had gone to purge the evil from Relic Lore. Even afterwards he had no noteworthy knowledge of where anything was besides the radius he stayed in to keep proximity to Secret Woodlands.He knew every leaf here, but Hollow trod elsewhere he was as good as lost.