He was being careful now when he left the comfort of the Ridge. The snow was not nearly as bad as it once was, and he made sure he was able to navigate his way back to pack territory when he went exploring. The slender pup had remained within Ridge borders for far too long – he had begun to develop cabin fever as he reluctantly avoided his adventures. However, today that was changing. He needed to get out – he needed to see more of Relic Lore. Not wanting to worry his mother, he remained close, only venturing out to the meadow south of his pack’s borders. Greer was not sure what lingered further south, but he was desperate to find out. Deacon had left the Ridge in order to make a life of his own, and Greer found himself wondering if he, too, should do the same.

Guilt consumed him as thoughts of leaving filled his mind; he had just returned recently from being lost and had left his entire pack in a state of worry. And now, with Deacon’s departure, he wondered how his parents would react. His mother always encouraged her children to be independent, but the long-legged boy was not sure if it was the right time for him to leave. Like Dee, Greer wanted to explore the world of Relic Lore and see if there was somewhere else for him to call home, but being an extremely anti-social wolf made that difficult. Nine times out of ten he refused to speak to others, and if there were words spoken they could usually be counted on two paws. A disgruntled frown appeared on his slim maw as he trudged forward, his long legs carrying him quickly over the snow-dusted ground.

The sun hung low in the sky as it begun its rise from the horizon line. He shivered against the cold; his body was still quite lean from his time away from the Ridge, as he had only just begun to put the weight back on that he had lost. Until he fully recovered from his unexpected trip away from his pack, Greer could not think about leaving – he needed his health to return before he tried being on his own again.

Even from when he was a small bundle of ebony fur the slender boy knew he was far different than his siblings and other family members. He preferred to lurk the shadows and kept to himself; the sound of his own voice not only startled those within the Ridge, but himself, as it was barely used. This was mainly due to the fact that Greer was comfortable communicating through physical cues, but he also did not like the sound of his own voice. It was just as quiet and meek as his personality came across; it did not match the darkness that engulfed his fur or the cold, stone-coloured orbs that were perched neatly in his skull. His voice was just as willowy as his physique, almost poetic the way it dripped off his tongue – except his words were far from poetic. Due to his lack of a voice, his speech was often broken and blunt. He liked to get his point across in as few words as possible; therefore, he often sounded underdeveloped and much dumber than he actually was.

It did not take long for another to cross paths with the silent smudge; however, this time it was a wolf that did not belong to the Ridge. Although his features would not spoil what he felt inside, Greer could not deny he was excited to meet someone other than a pack member. He had always been curious what it was like for wolves in other packs, and if they were just as close as the tight-knit group that made up Willow Ridge. His silver stones blinked slowly as he absorbed the feminine scent – she radiated with a strength and power that reminded him instantly of his mother, so despite his withdrawn personality Greer decided that he instantly liked her. Her voice mirrored the strength that she gave off – she spoke of Mother! His brows lifted at the mention of Elettra’s name as he shifted his attention to her agouti-coloured body, averting his eyes immediately like Mother had instructed when meeting strangers. If his intuition was right, this female held the same position as his mother, so he did not want to test his luck with her. He also did not know if the pack she belonged to and the Ridge were on reasonable terms .

“Scenery change,” he voiced as a response with a soft roll of his shoulders and a subtle twitch of his lips. Since his disappearance he had been cooped up in the Ridge for too long; he needed to stretch his legs and explore again. But this time, return home swiftly and not half-dead.

 

While the boy typically did not like chatty wolves, he found himself enjoying listening to the silvery Alpha as she answered his question. As much as he missed his brother and wished that he had not left him (and his family) Greer was glad to hear that he was flourishing in his new home. He could not help but wonder if his mother had found out where Deacon had ended up; regardless, Greer could not wait to tell the good news. D had made himself a home – whether or not he planned on staying permanently – and was figuring out who he was.

The shadow prince was envious of his brother’s ambitious behaviour – the thought of hurting his mother plagued his mind too often, and prevented the long-legged yearling from seeking out a new home. It was not that he did not enjoy Willow Ridge – he just wanted to see more; see what else was out there for him. “Deacon very loyal,” he commented in response to the female’s final comment in a feeble attempt to reassure her. “Greer also want to wander. Not sure when.” He was not sure why words had escaped him once more, or why he decided to share that bit of information with the silver leader, but it was too late to take it back. “Want to find place for Greer,” he added in a soft voice, his silver eyes falling away from the female as he stared sheepishly at his forepaws.