Naia lifted her nose to the blustering wind, attempting to pull even the slightest taste of home from the turbulent air. She could feel in her gut that she was close—call it a pack wolf’s internal compass-- but the wind gusting from all directions was making it nearly impossible to effectively navigate. It had been stupid to wander so far from Cut Rock River and so close to Willow Ridge, and now it seemed that the heavens were punishing her for the mistake by preventing her from reaching safety. She had weathered the worst of the last night’s snows in a makeshift den at the edge of the cedars, but in the wake of the storm came this eerie fog that blanketed the territory and hid even the most familiar landmarks from Naia. Guided by instinct more so than scent, the determined little female chose a direction and continued on toward what she hoped was home. She was a runner with a message, and her mind would refuse to let her body rest properly until the report was delivered.

A particularly violent gust of air halted Naia’s progress for a moment as she fought to stay on her paws. Sad really, how easily a zephyr could manipulate her winter-starved body. With an exasperated growl Naia crouched down on the frozen ground, and she nearly disappeared from sight as the windblown fog streamed over and around her body. A few hours of travel and she was already exhausted. She was out of options; it was time to admit defeat and call out for help. In the loudest voice she could muster, she howled for her family. As long as someone could hear her, the answering call would guide her home. In case he was close, she also called out to her Baranski leader to announce the message she carried. Though her body was ready to collapse, she knew they would need to speak before she could relax and recover from the journey.

Her howl disappeared into the screaming wind the moment it left her throat, and the slight female tucked her head back into her chest with a sinking feeling that she hadn’t been able to call loud enough. Her ears sprang to attention as they captured a few notes of her leader’s return howl that evaporated so quickly that Naia was left wondering if she had really heard them at all. The sound of the agouti alpha’s voice alone was enough to push Naia forward a few more steps through the fog , which was flowing over and around her like she was a boulder in a cascading river. She halted, realizing that she could not place the direction from which the Baranski’s call had come. With a sigh of defeat she tucked her head once more, shielding her tear-streaked face from the gale. ”If you’re ever lost, just stay put,” was the wise instruction a pack elder had given her as a pup, and the advice echoed in the delicate lady’s mind as she once again hunkered down where she stood.

As lost as she felt, she was no longer frightened. She had invested in her leader an unwavering faith, and the first note from Maksim’s call was enough to dispel her fear and replace it with a quiet, persevering patience. She knew without a doubt that her family would search all night for her if they had to. She took care of them every day as she carried out her duties, and now they would take care of her. That was just how it was done in Cut Rock River.

Naia smelled her leader’s presence a split second before she felt his massive form blocking her from the wind, and even as he touched her cheek in greeting she kept her honey eyes tightly shut. The relief of being enveloped in the Barnanki’s earthy scent was overwhelming, and she blindly leaned into his shoulder for support as she dragged herself to her feet. Her face came up to lick her leader’s chin, and her eyes cracked open just enough to convey that she heard his words. ”I have a message,” she told him weakly. After speaking even just that sentence, she felt the burden of the message lift from her shoulders, and leaning into Maksim she was able to begin moving forward. Naia let her warm, breathing bulwark guide their progress, reveling in the bond of devotion she shared with the wolf at her side. This was love at its simplest. This was family.

”Tell me of this message when we’re safe from this blasted wind,” her leader ordered, and the petite lady dropped her head in wordless assent. As she walked alongside her Baranski shield, she turned her face into his shoulder to hide it from the stinging wind. Once she felt the wind subside, she lifted her face from the agouti fur to discover that Maksim had guided her to boulder that blocked the pair from the relentless gale, for the most part at least. Placing himself beside her as an additional windblock, her leader seemed content to wait patiently as she recovered. For several long moments Naia said nothing, the silence and shelter allowing her to catch her breath and warm her bones.

”I ran into the leader of Willow Ridge while s-scouting south,” she began, a slight tremble in her voice as she spoke while shivering. ”He asked to meet with you once the s-snows thaw.. s-said he was a friend of Kade and Ava Attaya.” Her honey eyes flicked up to meet the Baranski’s emerald ones for the briefest instant, curious if the names meant anything to him. Though the entirety of the Ridge leader's message had been delivered, the tawny lady spoke again, this time to give her own opinion. ”I had the impression he was new to leadership, s-sir. It might be worth it to meet the lead female as well.” It was only a gut feeling that told Naia that the true power in Willow Ridge lay with the female lead, but she felt it was her duty to pass on all her observations-- even the subjective ones.

There was a spark of interest behind his emerald eyes as Naia mentioned the Attayas to Maksim, and Naia wondered not for the first time just who Kade and Ava were. Why did so many wanderers in this region speak of the Attaya pair? What had become of them? From what Naia had been able to glean through snatches of conversation, they simply disappeared into thin air... much like their offspring in fact; Naia hadn’t seen them around Cut Rock River in a long while. The Baranski king gave away no answers, instead asking her for the Ridge wolf’s name. The name.. what was the name? Naia thought for a moment on this.

”Lyall,” she said finally, as the name snapped in place like a puzzle piece. ”Angier Lyall, I believe.” She was confident at least about the surname. Naia nodded as Maksim verbalized his plans to meet with the neighboring pack, though she had an uncomfortable sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had already warned Maksim about the leader opposite Angier, but her feelings toward Willow Ridge went beyond simple distrust. It was probably best that Maksim was taking care of the Willow Ridge affairs on his own, because Naia wasn’t sure she had the ability to conduct herself in the unbiased manner expected of a scout and diplomat.

He went on to thank her for her service, and she smiled at the recognition. It wasn’t common to hear praise for work in Cut Rock River—diligence was simply the expectation— and it delighted Naia to be told that she had gone above and beyond what was required in such a hardworking pack. Even so, it still came as a shock when he named her Scout. It was a title she had desired for so long; the goal that she worked toward tirelessly, day in and day out. What would she do with herself now?

Be the best damn scout Cut Rock River will ever know, that’s what. Warm pride swelled in her chest as Maksim nudged her in congratulations, and she no longer felt the chill of the wind or the sting of the ice beneath her paws. She had a flame burning inside now, warming her from the core and renewing her energy. ”I- I’m honored,” she said, still trembling slightly—though certainly not from the cold, at this point.

”I’ll gladly accept! ” Her face broke into her usual wide, cheerful grin. Awarding her Cut Rock River’s first title might have brought Maksim tremendous joy, but doubtless it paled in comparison to Naia’s elation. She rose to her feet, determined that her first moments as Scout would not be spent curled up on the ground, shivering. ”We can try for the den, If you like. I’m ready.” Before the conversation ended though, she had one more topic to address. As exciting as earning a role was, it was only a momentary distraction from a matter of much greater importance: Maksim’s safety. ”..Just one last question, sir—did the others tell you about Shade? How he died?” If her Maksim already knew the circumstances, then he would of course understand her concern about having yet another leader enter Willow Ridge territory, alone and unprotected.