Thistle and Weeds

The young male was on a search, however, not a traditional one. He was not looking for prey or herbs for healing, he was looking for scents. Any strong one will do, wild garlic or lavender preferably. He hated the way some canines could tell everything about another person just by the way they smell. One of his packmates could even tell what he ate the day before if he got a good whiff. So many secrets would be obsolete if another wolf got to close, but if his scent was hidden, he could focus on other ways of protecting such secrets.

He sniffed the air and the strong scent of lavender hit his nose. Perfect. He followed the sweet fragrance to its source, a few large clusters of the purple plant, and promptly fell within them. He rolled and rubbed his face against the stalks, making sure to get every inch he could. Fall was rolling in and soon the plants he used to hide his scent would all die out. He to find a way to mask his odor over the winter. Rolling in snow might work but being cold and covered in snow the entire winter would not be pleasant nor safe.

He paused before getting up and sniffing himself. He found as his natural scent was still there, though suffocated under the smell of lavender. Though most would be satisfied, he was not and started to roll back into the lavender. He wanted his scent gone, not hidden.