Spectral Woods nothingness

OOC: poor lil Vaken went 2 see Aponi and her pack just to be disappointed

early morning
light snow
28.4 ° F, -2 ° C

we appreciate power

He didn't know what he had been expecting when he traveled deep into spectral woods- but this wasn't it. The scent of wolves was stale and lost, lingering like a distant memory. He narrowed his eyes and sniffed more, waiting for a gust of wind to prove him wrong. There was nothing. He had wandered into the deepest parts of the woods, his nose in the air searching for the border. It was frozen to a crisp, just like the rest of him. There was no recent scent markings. Aponi, her pack- gone? He stomped a cold wet foot into the snow in defeat. If you had asked him why he visited, he'd lie and say it was chance. That fate had brought him here- but he had come here knowingly. Since partnering up with Circe, he always kept close to her side. It wasn't often that he drifted off into the snow. Today had been different, he had wanted to see Aponi. He was humoring joining a pack more and more with each day that went by. He knew the draw would open their doors to him, but he wanted to see Aponi first. He wanted to speak with her, see what her pack could offer him. He suspected he had his answer: "Nothing," he grunted. He stood still against the cold wind, snowflakes beating against him in denial.

He didn't need to sniff around their abandoned den to get the idea. This had been his final option. He was not going to join a pack. His paws were cold in the snow, his ears flattened against his head for warmth. He couldn't believe it. What had happened to them? Maybe the winter had been to harsh, maybe they had moved their family elsewhere. Whatever the answer, Vaken knew they were gone.

After his scathing rejection at the hands of Askan - which was really a gross exaggeration, as he really shouldn’t have expected the alpha to want to share a den with him in the first place - the shadow had simply returned to his work. He was working now - traveling down to Spectral Woods in search of chaga mushrooms, as his stock was low.

He didn’t think he would find any other wolves down there. The Bend had been driven out by the fire months ago, so Pete was surprised to catch wind of a wolf’s scent at all.

The ink-black wolf followed the smell, ears angling forward in search of the source. It ended up being a wolf around his own size - surprising - with muddled fur and warmly colored eyes. Kinda scruffy and young - lanky and awkward.

“You alright?” he asked, trying to get a gauge on how healthy the younger wolf was.

we appreciate power

Not exactly the wolf he had come to see, but it was something. What else had Vaken wanted? If Aponi and her pack were gone, maybe this man knew about it. The yearling couldn't be mad at the fates for offering him a replacement. The stranger appeared from the misty woods like a dark omen, his black fur contrasting against the white snow. He could have been mistaken for Ferreiran, except the heavy scent of others on his pelt. He was not a loner. He was healthy, despite the harsh winter. Jealousy rippled through his veins, warming up his body just a little. It was a familiar feeling. "You know about the pack that was here?"

It wasn't an aggressive comment, but straight to the point. The boy only had one thing on his mind. He used his tail to gesture towards the territory, where scent markers would usually be and sighed. His breath froze in the air, creating a little cloud of warmth before vanishing. "Aponi, her family, you know?" He narrowed his eyes, trying to remember any other names. "Are they gone?"

currently travelling with Circe (she can jump in any of his threads)