She hadn't anticipated stumbling upon a third pack, and certainly hadn't meant to get so close, but the landscape had drawn her in. The sight would surely be more tantalizing in the warm months, but even now she couldn't take her eyes from it. She'd grown up amongst the destruction of a forest, redwoods toppled by a flood long past. This had a similar feel, but clearly was caused by a different kind of power. The trees were a deep black, like the shadows of a moonless night, and their texture was brittle. Already she'd been marked by them, her pale hairs coated with the charcoal from brushing against one of the trunks. It was wonderful.
It was almost a battle to divide her attention between her admiration for this place and the acknowledgment that she was approaching another pack's home. She would need to remain respectful, careful of where she placed her paws and how close she drew to them. Certainly she didn't want to misrepresent the bend by angering a neighbor, no matter the mountain that stood between them. She wanted to do @Serach and @Aponi proud. And hey, if someone caught her, well, she could get some information on these guys, right? Her leaders hadn't given her the heads up about them, so maybe that meant they weren't aware they existed?
Or they had just anticipated Ember to take one route to and from the Notch, and one route alone. Ah well. She would hopefully find out.