It's okay, mate! No worries. ^_^ wc:326

Ehno was certainly one who knew about how harsh life could be. Fate had not been kind to the Dreamers with the development of the war against AniWaya. Members were lost, family hurt, and relations between the western packs were tense as ever, despite the end of the fighting. But things had cooled down enough in the last month that travelling outside of Crimson Dreams lands no longer put him on edge as much as it used to. No longer did he carry his wooden spear with him as he traveled. The fact that his wounded ribs were beginning to feel more fully healed contributed to that as well; it gave him better mobility, and he felt more confident that he could defend himself should the need arise.

He certainly hoped that wouldn’t be necessary today. The Marino was on an idle trip through the woods, testing the waters outside of the packlands. He hadn’t left Crimson Dreams very much since returning from the raid from AniWaya, and he was still hesitant to go out too far. But he didn’t see the harm in traveling out a bit, to see what was going on outside of their lands. The forest was quiet that day, and somewhat cool. Winter would be coming very soon, bringing with it plenty of snows and dismal temperatures. Always a summer wolf at heart, Ehno was not looking forward to it.

As he traveled, he caught wind of another canine’s scent, one that was incredibly fresh. Someone was nearby. A mix of curiosity and caution spurred the Italian man forward, followed the scent trail through the forest. Before long, amber eyes caught sight of the owner of the scent, a rather tall male with a curiously-shaded pelt. He could just as easily let the man continue on his way, but Ehno was feeling his old, out-going self once again. “Ciao, stranger,” he called in greeting, eyeing the tall stranger as he approached.

Ohh, sorry for the delay! And what is Izzy? ^__^;;

To his relief, the stranger returned his greeting with a friendly response. The Marino hadn’t realized how tense he was, despite the nature of their meeting. Even now, the lasting effects of the last few months’ struggles still had a hold on him it seemed. But the friendly response had him relaxing quickly and falling into his old behavior. He came to a halt a short distance away. He offered a nod of greeting and listened as the stranger introduced himself.

“Cercatori d’Arte,” he echoed, enjoying the way the familiar language felt on his lips. Yes, now that he thought about it, he did indeed recognize the name and the scent. When he had first met Krystalle in these very woods, she had been a part of the d’Arte pack. It had been ages since then, however, and Krystalle and her small family had since relocated to the land of Dreamers as well. He hadn’t met anyone else from the neighboring pack since then, and thought that this was a pleasant surprise. “Piacere, Shawchert. It is nice to meet you. I’m Ehno Marino, from Crimson Dreams.” The Dreamer offered a smile of his own. “I was just out for a bit of a walk. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.” As pleasant as it was to strike up conversations with friendly faces, Ehno never wanted to impede. If this Shawchert had business to attend to, he would gladly let him be on his way.