Naia knew the Cedarwoods like the back of her paw, but as Cut Rock River’s head scout she occasionally liked to wander in territories she didn’t know so well. Since Cut Rock River began actively recruiting she had been exploring the surrounding lands more often than usual, hoping to find a stray wolf or two that might be interested in settling down before winter set in. Naia shivered as she thought of last winter; so bitterly cold that no prey survived to nourish the wolves of Relic. Cut Rock River had barely eked through thanks to their food caches, but other packs hadn’t been so lucky. Naia doubted there was a pack in Relic that hadn’t lost a few good wolves to either hunger, sickness, or cold.

The agouti woman blinked her honey eyes, scanning the trees for the loner she had just detected in the wind. Her gaze settled on a white blur moving through the marsh. The woman appeared to be on a mission of some sort, but not in any dire hurry. Naia barked a friendly greeting to her from a distance, then began picking her way through the marshy undergrowth toward the stranger. The woman was always a little wary when dealing with strangers, but she knew her pack wolf scent would protect her from a single loner. All lone wolves knew to treat a pack wolf with respect, lest they provoke the anger of the entire family. ”Hello,” she called once she was in speaking range, ”A lovely morning for rabbit hunting.” Naia had smelled the trail herself once she neared the lone female. Hopefully she wouldn’t be too annoyed at the interruption—lone wolves had to spend far more time hunting than pack wolves.

Naia’s usual easygoing grin spread across her maw as the arctic stranger agreed with her. So few strangers were friendly in Relic— Naia had begun to think of this land as a magnet for recluses and outcasts.. So many of Relic’s wolves had such troubled pasts. For a fleeting moment Naia wondered what this stranger’s tragedy might be. The woman introduced herself as Opella, a wolf far from home, and at once she apologized to the River scout though Naia had done nothing to accuse her. Naia’s grin turned down in a wry fashion at the apology. ”You haven’t trespassed— my pack’s territory is begins at the river north of here.” It wasn’t easy for a wolf to simply stumble into Cut Rock River from the south when you had to swim to do it.

”Naia Aegina,” she gave her name in return. “Scout and Second in Cut Rock River.” Noticing that Opella had relaxed, Naia moved a little closer so that she could speak without raising her voice. Her tail swung back and forth in a lazy way. Smiling like she was and standing a head shorter than her ivory counterpart, there was nothing even remotely threatening about the River lady’s appearance. "What brings you so many suns from home, Opella?” The newcomer was clearly native to the icy desert in the North, a place little Naia never hoped to experience. She was hardly built to endure the harsh temperatures of the North, but it said something about Opella that she had grown up in such an inhospitable place.

Naia cocked her head in an encouraging manner as her new companion told her story. Perhaps Opella was a little more forthcoming than most, but she appreciated a wolf who wore her heart on her sleeve—Naia had no patience for cryptic divulgence or deception. She was an honest wolf herself and expected the same of others. The agouti lady’s tail flicked in an anxious gesture as Opella described her packmates falling away one by one... it was an all too familiar story for the ex-Pitch Pine Trail woman. She nodded sympathetically; it was a guilty and powerless feeling to see your pack collapse around you and have no clue what to do about it.

The air grew tense once more as the ivory woman fell silent, and Naia had no doubt that Opella was waiting to be judged by her. The River scout offered her a warm, reassuring smile. ”Your story is heartbreaking, but you are not alone in your grief. A few of the River wolves are refugees from a pack that met a similar fate. Myself included.” Even though Pitch Pine Trail collapsed over a year ago, the memory was still difficult to bear. If Opella was anything like Naia, it would take her a long time to heal—longer if she lacked the support of a new family. Naia’s pain was visible in her honey eyes for a fleeting moment, only to disappear with a blink. Her tail wagged as she stepped forward, lowering her voice to convey the importance of what she was about to say.

”I think my alphas would be very interested to hear your story, Opella.” Cut Rock River was a pack that valued loyalty and duty above all other virtues. The leaders—Maksim especially—were always interested in wolves that exhibited those qualities. The fact that Opella had clung to her former alpha and served her pack right up until the bitter end would not escape her superiors, Naia was certain. ”If you are ready to shed your old life.. your old pain.. We can give you a home with others like yourself; loyal and loving. Cut Rock River is more than a pack. We're family.” Naia let the words hang in the air between them, hoping Opella would like what she heard. She would understand if the woman needed some time to think about the offer, but something behind Opella’s eyes told the perceptive scout that she was ready to begin again.

”Fantastic!” the little scout breathed, ”Let’s not be strangers then.. let’s call each other ‘friend’.” She closed the distance between herself and the ivory lady, giving her a friendly nudge against her shoulder to both encourage her to follow and mark her with the scent of a River wolf. Of course, only the scent of an alpha would truly label her as one of theirs, but should they be separated for any reason Naia’s scent on the loner’s pelt would serve as her endorsement. She took the lead, turning their path northward. The rabbit scent faded as the two of them walked, and Naia hoped that Opella wasn’t too disappointed about missing out on the hunt. Perhaps Naia would show her to one of the food caches once they were finished speaking to an alpha. As they walked Naia spoke, orienting her newest recruit to life with Cut Rock River.

”Our home is just north of a mighty river,” she reminded her, ”..At the heart of a forest of Cedar trees, so we are protected in summer and winter. It smells delightful, and it’s not quite so wet as this..” As she spoke, Naia felt a paw sink into the mud as she trod on a particularly marshy area. The marsh squelched at her as she reclaimed her filthy paw. She was looking forward to the swim across the River to wash the sharp smell of marsh mud out of her pelt.

”Farther north still lies our sister pack, Black Thorn Downs. We have only enemies to the south.” Naia silently thanked the gods (not for the first time) for the river that created a natural defense on their southern border. ”The Willow wolves are not our enemies truly,” she amended, ”..but neither are they our friends.. it will be best to allow them a fair bit of distance.” As an official representative of Cut Rock River, Naia couldn’t act openly hostile toward Willow Ridge.. but as an ex-member of Pitch Pine Trail, she hated the Ridge wolves for what they had done to Shade Slayer. If they hadn’t murdered Shade, her leader, Pitch Pine Trail would have lived on as well. ”However, if you cross a wolf that smells of cave mud.. beware. Whisper Caverns has reason to wish us harm.” If Opella was a curious wolf she would likely inquire for the full story, and Naia would be happy to oblige, but she paused in her speech just in case Opella had other questions for her.

Naia gave a half nod as her companion urged her to continue. ”We were once allies with Whisper Caverns, back when Minka led the pack,” Naia began, still maintaining a steady pace toward the Riverlands. ”I’m not positive about all the politics within Whisper Caverns at that point, but it so happened that a new woman stepped up to lead, and Minka gave her the leadership of the Caverns.” Naia had never thought to ask Inali about the whole situation with Minka and Narime, but Naia had the feeling that Minka’s leadership was intended to be interim to begin with. Naia had met Minka, and she didn’t seem to be the type to give up without a fight. ”However.. Minka and a few of the others didn’t agree with some of the choices the new leader made, and in the end Minka and several others broke away from the Caverns to seek their own home.” It was a fairly common thing to happen; many packs split over disagreements and such.

”Afraid that they would be pursued and punished by the others, Minka and her followers showed up on our doorstep seeking temporary shelter. Maksim—that’s our leader—had to choose whether our alliance was truly with Whisper Caverns, or if it was with Minka herself.” Naia’s lover Inali had been one of those wolves to show up with Minka that night, weary and terrified.. but even if Inali hadn’t been in the equation, Naia still felt that Maksim had made the right choice. ”Opella, Cut Rock River is a fiercely loyal pack, but we recognize that relationships—friendship, family, love—come before all other things. Remember that, should you someday find yourself torn between someone you love and your oath to the River. Maksim is an understanding man; all you need to do is ask, if it is truly in your heart to leave us, and we will bless your journey.” Naia’s story had gotten sidetracked somewhat, but she felt it was important for Opella to understand the River’s principles.

”Maksim honored his friendship with Minka that night by sheltering her and her followers, but in that act our pact with Whisper Caverns was broken. Minka and her followers went on to establish Black Thorn Downs,” she finished her story, glancing back at Opella for her reaction.” As of yet there has been no violence between us and the Caverns, save a few snarls and nasty words, but as you can see we are certainly caught in the middle of some very bad blood between the Caverns and the Downs.” The pungency of the marsh had noticeably lessened, and the pair was beginning to pass the first Cedar trees that had sprouted up along the border of the marsh. They were getting closer to home, and there was still so much to share. ”Forgive me, as a scout my mind naturally lingers on intra-pack affairs. I’m sure you have questions about the River itself?” Naia opened the floor to Opella, feeling that she had talked quite enough for the moment. Some questions she would have to put off answering until Opella was officially a River wolf, but she also didn’t want Opella going into her new home totally blind either.