Ever since his odd experience with the scrying mirror, he'd felt just a tad off. Like something in his brain was just nagging him, tugging at the far corners of his brain like a bird on a worm. Pulling and pulling and pulling but he had no idea why - his thoughts were fuzzy then, and even fuzzier since returning from the stone steppes where that strange festival took place. The koi wolf swore he wouldn't partake in something like that in the near future, believing it best to keep to himself if he didn't wish to have anymore strange doubts woven into the very fiber of his being as it had been done now. How utterly strange, and to be quite frank..he couldn't say he cared much for scrying at all.

Shaking his head of the thoughts, as if to clear them in lieu of a blank slate, the warrior silently wove through the bamboo maze, knowing each path and trail and where they led to. Hell, he could practically wander the maze with his eyes closed if he so wished. Mossy eyes tracked towards the earth, his posture relaxed, head lowered, yet his non-flopped ear remained alert, swiveling softly at each crack and shuffle in the midst of the bamboo stalks. Even his double-bladed sword remained in its place, slung across his back in its crisp leather sheath. A warrior never let down his guard completely.

Speech

wishing there was something left to lose

this could be the day i die for you—

He stared at the crossroad before him, brows furrowed and lips pursed tightly. He wasn't lost. He wasn't, but for the life of him he couldn't remember if the way back to the pack den was a left or right turn. Previous experience getting lost within the maze prompted him to pause and think rather than blindly picking a direction. If he took the wrong turn who knew where he'd end up, and he had been here long enough that having to call out for help would result in a damaging hit to his pride. Perhaps another wolf would say he was still quite new, but Hage was usually an independent wolf, so even asking for help in the first place was a struggle for him. His rump landed heavily upon the ground behind him, a loud sigh leaving his lips. He had no idea which path to take, not even after what felt like an age of thinking it through. Hage knew the vague direction he needed to go, but the maze was so twisty and convoluted that it wasn't so simple in practice. He rumbled softly to himself in annoyance, tail lashing out behind him as he squinted back and forth between his two options. Maybe if he sat here long enough someone would show up and he could just tag along with them?

”Dens are to the right, if you’re looking for them.” Usagi wasn’t what you’d call the master of mind-reading, nor did he really care if this very small man was wanting to find his way back to said dens. But assuming the short koi was frustrated, sitting on his rump and clearly puzzled about where to go next, he didn’t really need any indication verbally - nor to see the new man’s face - that he was lost. The bamboo maze was a complicated spot of terrain; it took one quite a while to get used to, himself included when he first arrived here all those seasons ago. Usagi had approached the man from behind, only having seen his goldenrod-charcoal splotched pelt from a short distance away. He was one of their own - and smelled like Tojo, too. If he hadn’t, Usagi would’ve cjased him off in a heartbeat. But he didn’t. He was kin, blood related or not - but where were they coming from? It seemed like more koi wolves were spawning in the maze every month. He didn’t wait for the man to turn back and say anything before he added flatly, ”I am Usagi, by the way. A hohei.” If the other male wished to introduce himself, he had the opportunity. Or not, the flop-eared warrior didn’t really care to engage in small talk nor would he initiate it. He had the chance to turn right towards the dens if he wished, too. ”Speech”  ’Thought’