Dawn was cooler than usual this morning; no doubt a cold spell had chased these formidable clouds into Relic’s summer sky. A chilly wind whipped though Naia’s tawny fur, and the delicately-built lady shivered despite the season. As a result of her size she was more susceptible to cold than most. She increased her speed, her paws beating an accelerated cadence against the pine needles cushioning the floor of the Cedarwood Forest. She only had a few more miles until she finished her border patrol; perhaps she could make it back to the pack den before the storm. Lightning and thunder usually riled up the new cubs, and surely they would be looking for someone to play with to ease the tension.

Naia felt the first raindrops splash against her pelt, and she growled to herself about the uncooperative weather. She had been wary of storms since she found herself caught in that blizzard last winter—thank the gods Maksim had heard her calling. The small wolf lost heat and energy quickly, and she had a harder time than most battling the gusting wind.. better to simply take shelter for the time being. With a sigh, she made for the boulders at the edge of the River. The rocks were piled in such a way that they created little caves along the beaches of Cut Rock River, her pack’s namesake. Naia flopped on her belly in the sand, scooting into the shelter so quickly that she hardly had time to smell the other wolf before she found herself bumping into the boy.

”Ooof!” she expelled, her voice muffled as her maw collided with the stranger’s shoulder. She backed up immediately, exposing the back half of her body to the rain in order to salvage some fragment of the stranger’s personal space. While her nose was buried ungracefully in the boy’s pelt, she noticed Maksim’s fresh scent as well as the mixed smells of a traveler from outside the Lore. ”My apologies,” she said cheerfully. ”A new recruit?” Even when half of her was getting soaked, Naia was always happy meeting a new face. She didn’t wait for his response—the question had been rhetorical after all. ”I’m Naia,” she chirped, introducing herself with her trademark grin. ”A scout and second to the Baranskis.” Now that Kisla had taken Maksim’s name, Naia was sworn to her as well. And her pups.

Naia’s muscles tensed at the stranger’s defensive display, but after backing out of the space she held her ground calmly, waiting for him to settle. This time last year she might have cowered, tucking her tail and skittering away from the cave out into the rain. She had been so meek, and she told herself she was a pacifist, not a weakling. Not anymore, Naia thought to herself, the proud Second of Cut Rock River. Joining the River wolves had been the best decision of her life; her new family-- especially Maksim-- had supported and encouraged her, molding her into a productive pack wolf eventually a confident leader. That was what great leaders did; they created more leaders, not followers.

As he considered her she retained her cheery attitude, wagging her slightly damp tail when she saw his expression soften. His eyes were like molten gold; though Naia felt certain that if he was ever crossed they would turn cold and metallic. He tumbled uncertainly over his greeting, clearly still recovering from the surprise. At least he was laughing a bit—that was good- even if it was more like a nervous chuckle. He certainly seemed on edge for such a large man. Sometimes Naia thought that if only she had been born big, there would be nothing in this world for her to fear. He edged over for her, and Naia drew herself in out of the rain. ”You’ve stumbled on my favorite little hiding spot from the elements,” she informed him. This particular cave was the largest she had found so far, and certainly the only cave that was capable of sheltering two wolves at once. ”Lucky for you, I’m willing to share.” She flashed her usual easy grin at her small joke.. obviously it was he who was actually doing the sharing.

”What brings you to these parts, Chayton?” she asked after the new recruit revealed his moniker. She meant the question only conversationally— she had no intention of delving into personal business— it was only that the quarters here were much too close for the two of them to sit in silence. Now that she was paying attention, she thought she could detect traces of some sort of negative emotion in his affect—perhaps bitterness, or even shame. Having served most of her youth as an omega, she had extraordinary intuition for negative emotion. Had he come to this cave to escape and to hide? Was that his purpose in Relic Lore?