For Hati the last couple weeks had been anything but pleasant, for they had been spent doing nothing but healing. Never in his five years had the river wolf been keen on staying still in one place, always ready for the adventure that traveling promised. With the bitter cold setting in, however, he had been forced to remain under shelter to hide his open wounds from freezing, but now they had nearly closed up and the temperature was no longer as painful, and this day was not as cold as some.

The black male took the opportunity to leave the Cedarwood Forest behind and meander south, to regions he had never encountered since the beginning of his life in Relic Lore. The snow and the ice made everything spectacularly beautiful; even the scarred and ugly ex-rogue could appreciate the glistening landscape before him. His pace was easy to avoid reopening his injuries, but it still did not take long for Hati to find himself far from Cut Rock River boundaries. New scents were all around him, teasing at the curiosity that ruled him since birth. Rabbit trails, the frozen excrement of wolves and other species alike long gone. Stories were told by the snow; of an attack on a mouse by a hawk plummeting from above, a young deer struggling to find nourishment. Hati paid little attention to most of the signs told by the season but kept on in a direct line.

It was then that a familiar scent registered in the scarred subordinate's mind—that of his alpha, Astra Sellix. What was she doing out here, he wondered. He was hesitant to follow her, but after doing so for a short time and stumbling upon her trail he couldn't resist. For over half an hour he let her scent guide him through the strange territory. The way she ran did not seem to be focused on one particular destination but rather on the journey itself and the excitement of finding new places. All the wolves that had traveled from Secret Falls were likely new to this area.

The scent became stronger and Hati knew that he was very close to the lead female of Cut Rock River. His eye roved the surrounding land, searching for her creamy pelt to stand out against the bright white of the snow. He spotted her slender figure scratching at a surface of ice, searching for food or water Hati did not know. But perhaps he could lend a paw. With this in mind he trotted forward, uttering a distorted grunt to reveal his presence as he came up behind her, and then stopped at her side. His body suggested friendly submission and in no way aggression. Hati's golden eye flickered towards the ice that now had several deep scratches, hoping that the alpha female would get his meaning.