The Wildwood making the night mine

All welcome, but special mention for @Zerxes. Backdated to 2/14, on the return leg of Ember's scouting trip and after this thread.

Well, that had certainly been a nice little addition to her trip. Not only had it prolonged her return home, but she'd gotten some information that would hopefully be helpful to @Serach and @Aponi if not the Bend as a whole. Now, however, it was time to scale the mountain once more in order to drop off the other side back into the familiar. The mundane. Ah well, like everything else that had come her way, she would make the best of it. Spring was coming, and with it would hopefully bring new life. Ember had not yet gotten the chance to care for a new generation, and she was rather excited about the prospect.

Her sweeping tail waved around behind her as she trotted about through the snow, skull tipped backward while her pale eyes surveyed the sloping mountainside. She was attempting to determine the best place to start the climb. The sun was inching toward its setting, but if she got started soon enough she'd be able to stop somewhere secluded and up top rather than hiding out down here. Definitely preferable, but...

A small frown curved her lips downward and a soft huff pushed out from her lungs. Nothing looked good as far as she could see. She would have to travel a little farther south first.

The male was just starting to fill out some. Being with a pack had certainly been a good life decision. Zerxes realized he may have not survived the winter alone in the condition he had been in when @Treyah first found him. His ribs were not so apparent now that meals were coming consistently and hunting was far easier. In fact, he was on the trail of prey now when a tailwind carried with it the scent of a stranger. Female, he realized, and his tail wagged with pleasure. Stuck with the same wolves for such a prolonged period was a drag and he was hungering for a new face, though not quite in a mood to chew one off.

Turning around, Zerxes stalked through the Wildwood to hunt down the stranger. She had a pretty cream coat, though it looked like it had seen some wear from travel. Green eyes lit with automatic interest and he hailed out a greeting with a bark from behind. "Ho, traveler. Care to take a load off and rest a while?" he asked with a friendly smile. In his time at Charred Ash Draw, Z had perfected the friendly demeanor of a fool around all but @Kerberos. The male set his teeth on edge every time and made him want to shred into him as soon as looking at him.

Z took the opportunity to get closer and trotted until he was uncomfortably close with his nose nearly touching hers. His tail wagged quickly as if the very prospect of her existence in these trees was perhaps the most exciting thing to have happened ever in his life. "Zerxes Zamora of Charred Ash Draw," he greeted, lips pulled back into a welcoming smile.