Wandering again. He easily fell into the rhythm, an old familiarity making him feel almost at peace. Although, over the last year, he hadn't longed to travel the way he had previously. In fact now, even as he cherished the freedom of the open land, the thing he longed for the most, was a new place to settle, somewhere to make himself a new home. But it would need to be just the right one, he wouldn't take anything less than perfect. Besides, it would take at least a couple more wolves to start a pack. The silver dusted man sighed heavily, he had hoped that it would go easier, that the family he had found in Oak Tree Bend would have reacted better to his suggestion. Still he hadn't lost his resolve, it was as he had told Spieden; I have to try!
So he travelled. And eventually his paws brought him across the mountain, north of the Lost Lake and Fallen Tree Cove, neither of which he was interested in coming across. Instead he found a shallow stream of water, trickling down from higher ground. He followed it down the western slope, as it slowly grew larger, fed by several similar streams, leading melt water down from the mountains; Spring indeed. Ever since the day he had left Oak Tree Bend, he had felt it in the air. Even though it was still cold, especially atop the pass, his body told him clearly that the season was changing. He wondered if, perhaps, it had had a part in what happened at the dreaded pack meeting. He knew, from personal experience, how the start of spring could set a wolf ablaze, natural urges pushing them towards, what only few where privileged enough to attain. He wasn't stupid enough to give it all the blame though, he himself had made his decision long before spring could even hope to arrive. He shook his head, like all the other times these thoughts had snuck up on him, it was no use, what was done was done.
The waterway, now more of a river, let him continuously down, until the land suddenly started to flatten out. Drestig continued, puzzled, snowy rock still all there was under his feet. Only a few trees popped up here and there, and his sense of distance told him he was still a good ways above the mountains root. Soon he got his answer, as he reached the cliffs edge, large masses of water rushing over the edge of a broad outcrop. His river joined a couple others as they cascaded into a huge waterfall, roaring loudly in his ears. Well, no way of getting down from here… He grumbled lightly, turning to find a way around the falls and down into the valley. Then his eyes fell on a cluster of rocks, grouped around one of the smaller waterways that joined the falls. Curiosity got the better of him, and he headed towards them, noting that, while the roar of the large falls grew dimmer, a smaller, similar sound grew slowly more apparent. He rounded the first stones to find a shallow, clear pool of water, formed by the little river as it dropped from higher up, its own, miniature version of the Bramble Falls, hidden away behind the sheltering boulders. He was not alone in his discovery though, another wolf had already made it into the protected nook, her silvery form all too familiar. Ember eyes widened in surprise; "A-Aponi?!"
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