He scowled into the water, ember eyes shimmering sullenly. The face that stared back at him from the pond was unfamiliar, white hairs lining his muzzle and streaks of silver shining through the black along the cheeks and forehead. He looked old! This spring had aged him, more than his previous five years it seemed, and as his long winter coat had shed, this stranger had appeared; This old man! Drestig Avalon snarled lowly and pushed a pawful of dirt into the water as he rose from his crouch at the bank. Spinning around, he looked up at the red hills to the east, eyes still narrowed in anger. He felt a fire smoldering in his chest, nostrils flaring as he sought out scents in the wind. The stench of his targets stood out clearly in his mind, he was gonna make them pay!

This spring, which should have been full of bliss and hope and new beginnings had been spoiled by these monsters encroaching on Oak Tree Bend. As the dark wolf started moving again, legs carrying him through the red ferns towards the towering Sierra Hills, he pondered, for maybe the hundredth time, on the intent of these lousy rouges; What do they possibly think they can gain? The mere numbers of the Bend should have been enough to send them running. But it hadn't, they were still lurking in the shadows; he'd smelled them. The mere thought made his blood boil, ever since Nayeli's return, his time had been stolen away by constant patrols around the Vale, fruitless hunts through the forests to try and chase away this evil.

Was he imagining the pain in his joints? The white speckled face once again stared at him in his mind's eye, accusingly. He felt so worn out, how much longer did he have? He'd hoped that this year, with Silver by his side... But those hopes had been destroyed! He snarled; And it will cost them! All of his energy was pushed into this one mission; protect his home! I'll show them the teeth of Oak Tree Bend!

Word count: 350

Thoughts ”Speech”

Normally he would have cherished the sour expression that came over her face at his provocation, but today he was in no mood for games, he was worn out. he had wanted to be alone, needed this time by himself, reliving the joy of being your own master which he was beginning to sorely miss. But Triell's faithful squire insisted on playing babysitter and he was really tired of it. When she bit out at him, he shifted his head slightly with an irritated jolt, leaving her to only graze his chin rather than get a proper grip. His tail swished agitatedly at his hocks as she began to speak, her sharp tone making his lain-back ears twitch. The words themselves did little to change his mind, or affect him in any manner, they were what he would expect from her; Little miss goody-four-paws!

When she sought to meet his eyes, the grey and ebony man looked back evenly, a small snort escaping him at the end of her dutiful little tirade. His lips parted as soon as hers met - she could glare and snap at him as much as she wanted, he was done! But before he had time to talk back, she sighed, emerald gaze leaving his for a second, and he wavered, studying her with narrowed eyes; She still hasn't answered... He didn't get to the end of the thought before she glared up at him again, snarling an excuse, blaming him! This time, her words did shake him a bit though; the sentiment, however snappily it was delivered, reaching through his fog of frustration. Coming from Jessie... Well, the word family meant a lot.

But he wanted to argue, he wanted to spit back in the face of authority and show everyone, especially himself, that he could still handle his own. So when the grey woman's face twisted into a grimace, a humorless smirk slit over his face. "Then go home!" He snarled back as soon as she finished, sure to be quick this time and not leave her room to go on; "Please don't get in trouble on my behalf, mosey on home like the good girl you are. It might be fine for you to wait around until Triell calls on you, but..." He paused, brows furrowed, face wrinkled in a frustrated expression; "Maybe I've had enough Jessie! Really it's surprising that I managed to stick it out for this long. I'm not a follower, I can't sit back and only jump when my king asks, it's not my game!" He shrugged his shoulders, ember gaze drifting away from the small woman to glare into the forest. He didn't mean it, not fully at least, but he was tired of having her hanging over his shoulder all day long, never able to wander out on his own. This whole thing had really put his devotion t the test, and he was starting to crack at the edges.

Before any of them had time to say more, a low call attracted their attention. Drestig spun to face the approaching stranger, narrowing his eyes to see her through the shadows. He could have rolled them when Jessie stepped protectively in front of him if his attention hadn't been fully focused on the possible threat. Ebony tail arched high over his back, legs spreading out to give him a broader, firmer stance and hackles and ears rose as he let Jessie do the talking and used his own time study the stranger. She was female, and pregnant! Some of his tension faded, but he remained in a defensive stance, keeping both his eyes on the woman, just in case.

Word count: 613

Thoughts ”Speech”

The stranger studied them closely, and Drestig followed her golden gaze as it moved from him and onto his smaller companion, clearly weighing them both, though not exactly in a rude way. Not nearly as rude as Jessie's greeting anyway, though the ebony man could not blame her, he was of a mind to react in the same manner. But then something changed. He saw the stranger tilt her head, a mysterious glint in her eyes. As the two women looked at each other, it was clear that there was something going on between them, but it was impossible for the male to tell what exactly, other than the fact that his pack mate was clearly relaxing, seeing no threat in the pregnant stranger; What a surprise! The pale lady's answer made him further curious, seeming to disregard Jessie's gruff tone and speaking like the two of them were old friends.

Drestig looked down at his mentor, searching for any sign of recognition on her face; and he thought he saw something, though Jessie's general stance didn't change remarkably. The tall chap wrinkled his brows, his foul mood not bettered particularly by this feeling of being left out of something. His ears twitched when the pregnant shewolf spoke again, and he turned to face her once more, ember eyes narrowed; Travelling with..? What did that mean exactly? She was standing downwind from the two Bend-wolves, her scent obscured as the wind carried it in the opposite direction, so it was impossible to tell exactly how many wolves she was travelling with, but she was pregnant, so the assumption would be that she at least had a mate; And probably a pack. Whether they had lain claim on a land or not, he would think of them as such, and the idea of another, unknown pack somewhere nearby did not ease his mind in the slightest.

Her last comment made the silver-dusted man focus on her anew, eyes widening, while his brows stayed suspiciously furrowed. His mind of course went instantly to the monsters they themselves were hunting, and it would be a great coincidence if this stranger had been warned about another group of three that just so happened to be in the same area. Jessie seemed to have resonated similarly, as her reply came swiftly, tone surprisingly placid as she inquired as to how the other had come to know of these criminals. And she mentioned her name. Drestig looked down at the smaller scout again, agitation clear on his face; So they DO know each other! Of course he could have expected Jessie to be this reticent, if he wanted any information out of her he would need to ask himself.

So, in a carefully level tone, holding no small amount of sarcastic tension, he spoke: "Perhaps an introduction is in order." He stared pointedly at the petrous woman, then raised his head and send this Iopah a slick smile; "Drestig Avalon of Oak Tree Bend, you seem to know Jessie..?" The remark landed somewhere in between a statement and a question, spoken with the hopes of getting a little further clarification on the relationship between the two. Then the aging man cleared his throat lightly, taking half a step to get clear of Jessie's protection, feeling certain now that this ivory lady was not a threat. He glanced over at the grey female, then gave an almost apologetic smile to the opposer; "As Jessie says, we are... familiar with this band of wolves, in fact we are out here searching for them at this very moment." He cocked a brow, motioning lightly with his muzzle as an invitation to answer him, hoping that Iopah might have more information about their enemies.

Word count: 624

Thoughts ”Speech”