It was days like these that made Naniko grateful for her white pelt.
Two hind paws took the tall luperci toward her destination, the underground cave system that the majority of the pack lived in. They had a few shepherds that spent a lot of their time above in the valleys, caring for their small herds, but for the most part the pack lived underground. It wasn’t a mandatory living situation, and she was willing to show packmembers toward other areas in which they could choose to make a den for themselves, but so far there hadn’t been very many wolves who had rejected the great mountain Halcyon and all that it had to offer.
The dark caves offered a retreat from even the worst mid-day heat, some tunnels going deep into the heart of the mountain. They also offered protection from the elements and a flood-free environment; water that entered the cave dripped down to the underground spring that her pack had found during the snowstorm that had ravaged the lands. It also gave them protection from any intruders that sought them harm; the cave system would be fairly difficult for an outsider to maneuver around and find their way through.
It was the chilled rocks and the lukewarm water of the springs that Naniko sought on this day. She didn’t often overheat, but she’d been out patrolling the border for most of the morning beneath the sun. The trek back up toward the cave entrance was enough to make her crave her cool, damp, mossy home. She wasn’t paying much attention to anything but the path beneath her paws as she walked in her Optime form, arms swinging idly at her sides, long braided mane swaying along behind her.
She had nearly passed Lola by the time that she realized that there was someone else there, in fact. The female had an odd scent about her, but a scent that was not altogether foreign. Jade eyes looked at her new packmate with curiosity as she came closer to her sleeping form; Lola smelled enough like Anathema to satisfy Naniko. Another wolf must have accepted her into the pack. The tall female leaned over the other, unsure if she ought to wake her or let her continue her slumber in peace.
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