Sorry for the wait. I've been having bad migraines this week. x_x
Dresden shouldn’t have been as surprised as he had been when someone stumbled into the small clearing a short while later. He knew he was close to pack lands, it being the whole reason for his detour through this part of the forest in the first place. And with the pack being new, it was likely its members would be on alert, keeping an eye on their newly claimed borders. It was what Dresden would have done, warrior’s instincts keen on him protecting what was his. But despite all of that, he was nearly startled out of his dazed prayers when another canine approached. He chose to blame the weariness of long travels on that; his pride wouldn’t stand for admitting that he’d been caught off guard.
At the sound of the stranger’s accented voice, Dresden sat bolt upright, half-lidded eyes widening and head snapping toward the other. He very nearly reached for one of the daggers sitting sheathed at his belt, but he caught himself before his hand had reached it. He tried to disguise the defensive motion by reaching down to grab the idol of Apollo instead, but it was a poor attempt at best. The man was apologizing for disturbing him, explaining that he had caught his scent on the borders. The warrior relaxed and shook his head. “Sorry,” he said as he stood up, continuing as he brushed some of the loose dirt from his legs. “I was following a trail I’ve gotten used to taking. But it turns out that the lands have been claimed in the few days since I’ve last been here. Didn’t mean to intrude.” He shrugged then, icy eyes giving the male a quick examination.