Encounter

He was just setting the last herb from a recent foray beyond the borders into place to be sorted when the call rippled to his ears. Creed and himself. Well. He had no trouble answering. There was something familiar in the voice, in any case. Hadn’t he vaguely heard that call while he and his mother had been ill? Regulus turned on his hocks and trotted out of the main chamber of the caves that made up the dens of his family and Solveiga, trotting briskly down the ravine and breaking into an easy, energy conserving lope as he broke free of the wooded patch and into the plains.

It took him little time to reach Creed and Riv, and as he slowed to his usual stately trot, he took in the sight of the younger male. He looked a lot like cousin Arian, and took a moment to reflect out how the boy had grown. Last time he’d seen him face to face he’d been a pup. “Hello, Riv. Is everything alright?” He paused as the wind gusted, shifting briefly to bring the younger fellow’s scent straight to his face, and a grin broke out on his jaws, heavy tail waving cheerfully as he lowered his haunches to the ground.

“So you’ve a pack now. Congratulations.” The words came easily, genuine and heartfelt as his fathomless sapphire gaze twinkled.