It wasn’t that Ruiko was afraid of another drought, but it was becoming quite a habit for the regal male to be traipsing about the banks of water, whether it was Swift River, the creek, or even the falls. Never before had the stoical male bothered to take in the beauty of such simplicity, but as he arrived at the edge of the Creek his russet ears preened forward, reveling in the song of the flowing waters while his bright eyes drank in the sight. It seemed impossible that only a month or so before the creek had been barren of its majestic resource.


With a swish of his tail, Ruiko began to prowl the edges of the water, his eyes affixed upon the waters as he searched for a meal. Fish were rarer during these times, but the waters had not frozen so the tawny male knew it was not impossible. A startled figure was caught in the tawny wolf’s peripheral vision though, and jerking his muzzle back up sharply, Ruiko’s lips curled back in a silent snarl at the initial disruption. Blinking, the wolf watched the female recoil from the water, her muzzle open wide in what he could only assume was shock or pain. Unmoving, the Swift River leader waited to see if his presence would be noticed.

She had caught him off-guard, and as his eyes remained riveted upon her pale cream and silver figure, he felt a flash of annoyance and intrigue as the she-wolf mirrored his threat, her own fangs bared in vicious warning. He ignored the delicate cant of her features, as if questioning him to what he would do now and instead acted upon his instincts. A low growl seeped past his lips as he shot forward to the girl, the muscles in his large body taut with annoyance as his muzzle lifted regally; he was the dominant wolf in this scenario and he would make sure the girl would realize that.


As he neared her, his russet brown ears remained smooth against his skull as he strode forward, his chest and body pushed up and out to his full height while his tail arched higher. His hackles bristled as he began to circle the female, not speaking. Despite these antics to prove himself above her, the River wolf could already feel a burning curiosity for the she-wolf before him. Never before had a lone wolf challenged him so, and his intrigue went beyond this reasoning to notice the gentle blend of her fur and how beautiful she actually was.


However, there came a moment's pause. Disinterest suddenly flashed in his eyes, and as the she-wolf kept her defensive stance, the regal wolf erupted a low snarl before snapping his jaws in her direction. With that, Ruiko turned, his large figure stalking away from the she-wolf who had interrupted his potential meal, and back to his pack lands. The brief interlude made little sense to where the initial challenge had come from, but it was not the first time Ruiko had a rougher meeting with a wolf outside of his pack.