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Backdated to October 21. And so they meet again...! 
Also, I rambled a lot, but it's difficult to sum up Slade's current thoughts (which is what the title is supposed to refer to, derp) in a single paragraph. / WC: 592
Slade's journey had been dull, to say the least. So yeah, he had met a few new faces and gotten lost in a sunflower field, and he had also had another encounter with his worst enemy, but other than that he hadn't done much exciting over the course of the month. He had managed to avoid contact with most other canines by staying away from pack borders, and thanks to a helpful black bird–a crow or a raven, he wasn't sure what–he had been led to a few carcasses and didn't have to hunt nearly as much as he thought he would.
A few days into his travels now, he came upon a peculiar area of maple trees. The early fall air was crisp and there was still a good morning chill to it. Leaves were scattered on the ground here and there but the coyote managed to walk along without rustling them too much; it was still fairly early in the season, or so he liked to think of it that way, and the dirt wasn't hidden completely just yet. Slade was thankful for the lack of extremely cold weather; he didn't feel like dealing with frostbitten paws on his way back to Cercatori d'Arte.
On this particular day he was wondering about his intentions. Sure, he planned to go back to his former pack, but then what? When he had come back over Halcyon he had had two clear goals in mind: to return to Cercatori and see Deirdre. He had accomplished neither. So far the only thing that had been familiar to him was his encounter with his old friend Valinta's son, Gunnar, and even then the pup had grown quite a bit. Nothing seemed the same anymore. It made him doubt his goals. Do you really want to go back to the pack where you never fit in? he wondered. You were considering leaving when you were there....
Thinking about his standings in the pack of creative Luperci made his mind whirl and Slade's thoughts were directed to his other goal: finding Deirdre. She was his best friend and he wanted to see her more than anyone else, but at the same time he almost felt the same way about her that he did with his pack. He was confused. What was he going to say? Obviously he would tell her why he had been gone and ask her what had happened since he'd been away, but there was something more. Thanks to a certain coyote who had parted ways with him before crossing the mountain Slade had been slapped in the face and forced to look at an aspect of his life that he'd never paid much attention to before. It made him wonder how Deirdre felt about him.
She's my best friend, I know that. But will she still feel the same way after I've been gone? Will she forgive me for leaving without notice? I hope she hasn't howled at the border for me again... I'd hate to be responsible if she's in any trouble....
He knew that he was purposely guiding his thoughts into the world of negative thoughts. He wasn't normally a dismal type of canine but now he had gotten a taste of true reality: life wasn't a story, and it didn't always have a happy ending. He wasn't sure if he was looking for a dead wolf, but it was easier than thinking that Deirdre was still alive. The confusion that would go through his head if he saw her again....