The weather was holding steady for now, but the sky remained dark and intimidating, urging the dark man to hurry on. The trek along the steep slopes of Nightingale Palisade and the fjord was trying, and his legs soon got stiff and sore from the exertion; though he did his best to hide it from the younger woman, pushing on to reach their destination as quickly as possible. He couldn’t fathom how the wolves of White Fir Notch tolerated this trip every time they went to the Lowlands to hunt, they would be exhausted even before the chase began. I ran in the mountains as a kid, a voice reminded in the back of his head, but he brushed it off; I’ve grown wiser… And older. He was very happy with his soft, rolling hills.
As the two wolves travelled, Drestig mostly kept silent, focused on the task and conserving energy, but when they paused to rest, he was his usual social self, and happy to have company for the journey. Still, it was a relief when the distant scent of wolf reached his nose, signaling that they were closing in on their first stop. The greying wolf turned to smile at his companion, tail wagging lightly as he approached the borders. This was his first visit to the Notch, and so the scents were unfamiliar, but the location matched. “Looks like we’re here,” he said, again looking over at the tawny shewolf by his side, meeting her mismatched eyes briefly. Then, coming to a halt about a length from the marked line, he tilted back his head and called for the pack leaders, politely requesting their presence.
Word count: 278
"Speech" Thoughts