Sage had not been bothered by the news of another new pack forming to their south; in fact, she welcomed it, so long as they were friendly. But with her father's pack to the north, and Anathema and Salsola to their sides, Inferni now sat right in the midst of plenty of wolves. The Optio knew how Ezekiel felt about that; he had been especially wary lately, she had noticed. When the stranger's feminine voice called out, Sage started, sitting upright on her bed. She'd been caught up in a daydream, and shook the sleep from her head, tangled waves of hair tossing about. If she were to arrive to meet the leader before Ezekiel, maybe she could head off some unneeded aggression.
The coyote put her feet to the cool wooden floor and threw on her pack as she raced out the door and down the creaking stairs of the Mansion. Sage stood on the porch for a moment, rubbing her arms in the chilly air as she called out for her horse, golden eyes searching for him amidst the brush. She frowned when he didn't come, but knew it would be better to wait. She'd be faster that way, so she kept calling. The Optio paced around the Mansion calling out Lennon's name until he finally came, trotting up to her as if he'd never been gone. Shaking her head, she mounted swiftly and took off for the border, following the stranger's scent and sound.
It wasn't long before she recognized Ezekiel's scent mixed in with the others; and another familiar one, too. When she arrived at the border she slowed Lennon to a stop some feet away, not wanting to stir up an unpleasant dust cloud. There, she dismounted slowly, her eyes watching Zeke and his clearly displeased face. She knew the ivory boy beside him, too; Max. She remembered the young man's active imagination, and smiled in greeting to him as she approached. He looked much older now, she thought, and wondered why he was here. Sage was almost meek when she greeted their hulking wolf company, feeling small beside their height. Even their leader, a woman, was so tall. Sometimes she forgot; maybe she'd been spending too much time here after all. But Sage smiled happily and extended a hand in greeting to each, introducing herself. "Hello to you both, I'm Sage River Lykoi, Optio here," she greeted softly, and then retreated to stand beside her Aquila. If Zeke had anything to say, she would let him say it first. Nervously, she watched him, hoping that there would be no trouble.
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