Laurel had said his goodbyes. He had enjoyed his day with @Adeltra and his lessons with @Ravenna, but as Adeltra had so plainly said it: he had places to be and wolves to see. He had wanted to stay, desperately, but there was a niggling in the back of his mind. It was a strange one, one that said Sorry Laurel I already made some future-dated threads for you so you can't ruin your own timeline. Except he couldn't put the feeling into words and could only follow the urge to leave. He had tried to devour the rabbit that Ade had gifted him, but still had most of it left. The half-eaten carcass hung from his jaws as he walked away from the wolves of Willow Ridge. When he reached the borders he looked back, lifted his head, and howled. He'd be back. Laurel had made a silent vow to return the kindness that Willow Ridge had gifted him; now with peace of mind, rest, and a new friend, he felt confident to continue on his journey.
The grass crunched beneath his paws as he walked in the darkness of the night. Even though it was considerably cooler with the lack of light in the sky, the air was still warm. Beyond the Ridge's borders, the earth smelled thickly of coyote. He had never found them to be more or less active in the day or night, but he had seen them snoozing in the heat of the day. This wasn't unlike himself, because until the air stopped feeling so thick with hot, Laurel was inclined to do the same. Traveling under the cool blanket of a night sky took a lot less out of him than struggling through air that was so hot, it could melt his insides.
Crunch, crunch, crunch, the sound of his pawsteps on the grass. He was alone again and although he missed his new friend, he couldn't help but feel a weight lifted from his shoulders. Why was he so much more confident here, outside of a pack's borders? He didn't have time to consider this as his tattered ears swiveled to catch the sounds around him. Laurel paused and glanced behind him, giving a quiet, warning boof into the darkness. Was he being followed?