Canis lupus ligoni

𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘𖤣.°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･.𖥧.𖡼.⚘𖤣.𖥧°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘𖤣.𖥧.°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘

Spring here in the mountains comes in lazy waves. It never quite reaches this high, though, and as you scramble over titanic boulders and crags, part of you wonders how anything lives up here year-round. The wind shifts, bringing the scent of rains far away. The warm, damp breeze also tells you that somewhere nearby, somebody is having something to eat. Your stomach protests, reminding you it's been a day or two since you've been lucky enough to have anything bigger than a snowy ptarmigan or a stoat. Taking the path that leads along a tall ridge, you skirt the icy stones carefully. Rounding the corner and descending a few steps, you pause to shake a pebble from between your paw pads. As you come over a hill, you see tiny leaves peeking through some parts of the snow. Little fingers reaching for the sun, you sniff the delicate buds to see if it's anything interesting. That delicious fresh-kill scent wafts across your snout instead, and your stomach gurgles aggressively.

Suddenly, you feel a presence not too far away and raise your head to see a small group of wolves looking back at you. Startled, you wonder why you hadn't heard them, but as you take in their appearance you realize these aren't the wolves you're used to. The silvery wolf in the front looks the oldest, chips missing from his ears and a few nicks in his muzzle, but you see his thick coat is uninterrupted otherwise. The wolf to his right is younger, and you can see his coat is thinner. His paws aren't as puffy and insulated either, it seems, because he shifts from paw to paw in a way that suggests he's cold, not nervous, although his peach-and-white coat seems thinner than the others. The other two wolves hang back but curiously lean around the lead silver wolf to look at you. All four of them have soft paws, perfect for hunting in noisy crunchy snow. One has a lilac hue to her coat while the other sports three fascinating eyes. The wolf beside the party leader is peachy and seems to look at you cautiously, shoulder to shoulder with the older wolf.

"Hello..?" You try, lowering your body language appropriately. This isn't a fight you could win even in peak condition. Even thinned by winter's savage temper, these wolves are bigger than you.

The silver wolf comes forward and blinks understandingly at you. "Good morning," He answers. You watch the wolves behind him (and beside) relax a bit. Their expressions change, becoming more open and friendly, and you see the two back-most wolves exchange excited whispers. You come forward a bit, and watch as they make room for you, respectfully fanning out around the silver wolf in a way that welcomes you closer (while also being appropriately defensive). The younger wolf beside the leader looks at you warily, however, and leaves his superior's side to stand beside his other companions. An apprentice newly graduated, perhaps? You notice this silvery wolf has bits of plants woven into his fur, and realize this must be a herbalist of some kind.

"I am Slatefoot, and these are my apprentices." The wolf, Slatefoot, explains. "We don't have visitors until long after the snows have melted in the lower plateaus. Are you lost?"

You shake your head, and he seems to understand. Lost, no, but then again it's hard to be lost when you didn't belong to something in the first place. His face changes, and you watch him glance to the wolf closest to him, the patchy understudy tilting his head: it's up to you.

"Well.. alright. Follow us. I'm sure my students would like to return early anyway, yes?" Slatefoot addresses his small company, and the young wolves agree enthusiastically. The female with the extra eye walks farthest behind, her head on a swivel as you all make your way back. Slatefoot brings everybody to a small, unremarkable cave entrance and all three of his apprentices go ahead of you. Over, under, over, under and over again, you make your way through a path carved by an ancient stream, one you wouldn't have explored on your own, that's for sure. You try not to dawdle but can't help gazing at your goofy expression, watching the icy walls warp your legs and body into interesting shapes. When you come out, the five of you blinking to adjust to the light, you find yourselves on the flat of a long plateau. A stream runs through, pooling off to the side, but that isn't what draws your eye. In the distance a great peak rises to kiss the sky, and it's sweeping base meets the plateau in a great curved overhang, a stone wave frozen just before it crashed down. The formation casts a shadow on the ground, but you can still see the well-sized wolf pack milling around beneath it. Some disappear into caves dotting the underside of the overhang, most of them coming in and out of the largest cave nearest to the ground. Motion to your side warns you before Slatefoot puts his head back and lets out a long, sweet howl. His students, now closer to the pack than to you, echo it. The pack answers, and Slatefoot looks back at you excitedly, one ear still oriented toward his pack.

"We have the go-ahead!" He barks, picking up the pace with a happy curl to his tail.

So you follow after him, unsure of what to do with yourself. Pupsitters keep the youngest of the pack at bay, although you spot a few yearlings in the bunch, their puffy coats telling you they aren't quite ready to be functioning members yet, eager as they are. One wolf, heavy with pups, lays closest to the large cave mouth, and Slatefoot bids you a pleasant goodbye before he pads off to join her, the two of them speaking in hushed but excited tones. You don't have much time to wonder if this wolf is his patient or otherwise, though. Somebody bumps into you, dense fur tickling your shoulder, and you jump a bit. A great black and white wolf stands beside you, as though she had been there the entire time. Not far from her, a gaggle of four pups tumble over themselves- tiny copies of the wolf beside you. Her spring litter, then. You don't need to look at her belly to know she is heavy with milk- you can smell it as soon as you concentrate.

"You may stay with us as long as you need." Her voice stirs something in your memories, something old and forgotten you can't place, as though this wolf speaks from a different time. Her sage and smoke scent drifts across you like a soothing balm, and you inhale gently, hoping she means what she says. "I am Cherryheart, and I lead this pack."

She nudges you with her snout, chilly nose pressing into your shoulder. "The largest cave holds our food, and houses most everything else. Partake, if you wish, but know that you may act at your leisure here. I only ask that you aid where you can, while you are here." You are nudged again, until you give her one last thankful look and begin to pad toward the large cave, confident now that you've been given the okay. You only glance back once, and you're glad you did. The great wolf pounces on her pups, their excited squeals reaching your ears as she lovingly rolls and nudges them around, and something in you decides this might be a good place to stay after all...

𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘𖤣.°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･.𖥧.𖡼.⚘𖤣.𖥧°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘𖤣.𖥧.°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘