Poison Path why do the plants smell?

Current Weather & Time: Overcast, 19.31℉, evening

It felt like Cypress had been hiking up the mountain forever! He had been traveling for three days through the ups and downs of the rocky terrain, hoping there was something worth it on the other side. He had yet to even spot a stray rabbit, only annoying birds that whistled down at him from the tree tops. His entire body ached, but he pushed forwards anyways. He was starting to get convinced that nothing lay beyond the range.

By the time he got to a decline, the sun was already making its way west. His thick coat provided warmth amidst the winter chill, but the winds he had experienced so far weren’t so forgiving. Tongue lolling, Cypress walked slowly, jumping on the various boulders that mixed themselves in with the pine trees. It wasn’t much, but it gave the young wolf something to focus on besides his aching muscles and empty stomach. Once he ran out of boulders to hop from, he began to sniff around, trying to pick out anything of interest.

As time went by, Cypress started smelling more and more of something he just couldn’t place. It certainly didn’t smell nice, but given his curiosity, he wanted to find out where and what this thing was. Venturing deeper down the mountain, he stopped and looked around. He had been so entranced with trying to search for the source of the odd smell, that he hadn’t taken into account that the land had evened out.

Not only was the stench worse here, but he was standing on some worn trail. Trails only meant that someone had lived somewhere long enough to literally leave an impression behind. It didn’t smell like anything had been around, but that gross smell was stuck in his nose, so he couldn’t really tell. Cypress howled, to let whoever might live here know of his presence. He figured it was better to acknowledge their claim than to be trespassing.

Just to be safe, Cypress followed his steps a little ways back, just off where the trail began. Laying down, he sneezed. Apparently all of the surrounding plants didn’t like being investigated.

@Leo and @Magg still hadn't returned from their scouting trip and Nash was trying very hard not to worry... but so much could have gone wrong. He knew there were avalanches in the pass and while there had been no sign of either wolf it didn't mean they weren't buried somewhere, waiting for the spring thaw to reveal the loss. Nash knew the pair were skilled and while Leo was with her, nothing would happen to Magg. He wouldn't allow it. He was dependable. So for now, Nash patrolled a wider range to make up for the loss of his guardians.

Today he journeyed to the far side of the lake, a place he no longer spent a lot of time. He knew he should come here more to look for signs of bear or cougar, but the further he was from home the longer it would take for him to get there if something happened. Apparently today was a good day for this, because he heard a call announcing a presence. His ears perked. This was the sort of thing he was used to hearing at their borders, not here. Still he turned his paws and picked up his pace until he saw the youngster waiting at the mouth of the poison path. It was a lucky thing it was winter and most of the plants were currently covered by snow. "Hello," Nash said amicably, trotting closer to the stranger. "I'm Nash, the leader of the pack across the lake. How can I help you?" Clearly he wanted something, or he wouldn't have called out.

While he was waiting for someone to come by, if there was to be anyone, he scanned the treeline. The trees themselves were pretty cool looking. He could tell that all of them were the same type because of the way they seemed to be formed, but he hadn’t really ever looked at trees before. He was lost in thought and wondered about the nature surrounding him for the time being.

Cypress snapped back to reality and straightened himself a little as he heard a voice. He looked over to the black wolf who’d addressed him, dipping his head while the brute spoke. After he was done talking, the young male offered words of his own.

“Hello, I’m Cypress. It's nice to meet you Nash. I was just investigating these weird plants because they smell kinda funny, and then I saw the trail…” He paused after realizing he may have been rambling a little. “I’ve been alone for a while, and I was hoping that I’d find a place I could stay. Maybe more than just temporarily if you’ll have me.”

Given all his nervousness, Cypress wasn’t directly looking at Nash. His ear flicked nervously. He wasn’t sure if he’d said too much or too little, but that was probably the anxiety that came with actually being confronted. He wasn’t sure that he even expected someone to come out here, but his words held true.

The boy seemed both young and nervous, so Nash sat to try and make himself less intimidating. He knew he could be, especially now that he was used to carrying himself as a leader. He smiled as Cypress introduced himself and rambled about the paths. "There's a lot of nightshade here," he explained. "It's poisonous, but a long time ago someone lived here, and their paths remain. We call the place Poison Path. My pack, Sanguine Cove, is on the opposite side of the lake."

Cypress continued on, asking for a place to stay, and Nash's ears pricked in interest. "We would be happy to have you at the Cove. We're small at the moment, but our resolve is strong and we take good care of our own. Have you lived on a mountain before?" It was an important question, he felt; there would be things to teach the boy if he hadn't lived like this in the past.

His eyes glanced back up to Nash as he spoke. Cypress’ ears perked at the word poisonous, and he tilted his head a little bit. “Oh. I didn’t know they were poisonous. I’m glad I didn’t eat any…” His words traveled off again as he thought about how he could’ve been that close to no longer being alive.

“That sounds like a good name for a place full of poisonous stuff.” He commented with a small grin. His words were about the name of the place, certainly he did find it a smart choice. His tail wagged a little bit as Nash spoke again. He was quite excited that someone, or rather someones, would be happy to have him.

He thought for a moment before shaking his head no. “I don’t think I’ve ever lived on the mountains, no. I don’t really remember too much of anything besides traveling a lot to be honest.” Again, he felt like he overshared. “But I promise I’ll do what I can to learn whatever it is you teach me.” His eyes got bright at his determination. He felt like a mere pup again right now with how bubbly he’d been.

Nash couldn't help but smile at the boy's attitude. It would be good to have someone so optimistic in their ranks. Good for Magg, when she returned. It would be good for her to have another friend, especially if they didn't find Galen. He was nervous with how long they'd been gone. Still, it was winter and the snow was deep; maybe they were just going slow to stay safe.

Everything would be fine.

He chuffed out a small laugh. "Travel can be good for the soul," he said. "It brings experience, and if you have successfully travelled far, it means you are adaptable enough to survive in the special challenges a mountain offers. We can teach you." Nash got the impression he would be an avid learner, anyway. Maybe Diantha would appreciate having someone to direct; she could use a task and mentoring another yearling would be a good place to start.