The year was 277, the third month of Fall.

With the last leaves struggling to hold onto their branches and the prey animals began to seek warm burrows to sleep through the winter, there were also changes within the pack's mood. Excitement for the upcoming breeding season, and fear of the next power struggle.

For once, Raksa's mother could sleep in the morning, and he was freed of his duty to be her pillar of support during the daily early morning clash. Raksa took the day off quite happily, taking a walk alone in the forest just as he always done whenever he had time.

This time, because he could start his walk earlier, he decided to be a little adventurous and took a path he had never taken before.

He was unsure if it was a mistake when he came across a mutt, the one whose scent was all over the trail. Raksa didn't mind it much. Usually dogs do not risk a confrontation with a wolf. While Raksa himself remained a juvenile wolf, he was still a force to be reckoned with, 70 pounds of muscle. Certainly a house dog would be no match for him.

"Mutt," he growled, his dark face contorted in the feral way which no dog could reproduce. "A brave one, you are. Or foolish, for following a wolf's trail. Which one are you?"

Raksa sighed at the sight of her, almost pitiful. This was supposed to be a peaceful walk. Though, he could suppose he found what he was looking for. Something new from what he usually see on his walk. "You're not even worth killing. Or do you want to die?"

His dark paws stepped closer towards her, light brown eyes demanding answer. Traces of dried blood still remained on his fur, attached to a long white and black feather of an anhinga. His musky smell mixed of death and bird. He only stopped when he was towering right in front of her.

"You have your answer already," he scoffed. This one reminded him of the mutt in the den. A dog-wolf hybrid. Innocent eyes that were almost impossible to hate. This was his first time encountering a full dog in close proximity.

Raksa turned around and began walking away. He noted this path was not a good one, and he should steer away his pack from here. A dog like that definitely had a human around, and humans are almost always bad news. He stopped briefly and turned his head back to her, taking in the rare sight one more time.

"Run along, mutt. Next time if you smell a wolf, run. Not all of us are... merciful. And you look easy to kill."

The wolf continued his walk into the forest.

It was a strange sight, that dog he encountered. She seemed very different from a wolf. Unguarded, untouched by the hard life in the forest. Even a wolf pup seemed more adept to survive in the wild. How curious.

He wondered if he comes near that path again, would he be able to see the female dog walking around? It seemed unsafe, her walking around in the woods. What if another wolf attacks her?

Perhaps he should patrol the area every morning, just to ensure she doesn't get eaten.

Raksa smelled a familiar scent. He turned his nose towards the wind and caught a whiff of Roxanne, baffled to catch the dog's scent again so soon. He had expected her to stay away after their last encounter, at least for a few days, not just a few hours.

"Do dogs also have a bad memory?" He muttered in disbelief to himself. To be fair, he remembered that even the half wolf Makali was kind of an airhead, her attention easily dispersed and information seemed to not stick on her mind too long. He quickly drew the conclusion that this shouldn't be too surprising for a full dog.

He followed the trail, ears perked up, and nose sniffing the air. He quickly spotted the dog approaching from a distance. Using his stealth skill, he went around her without getting noticed, carefully minding the way the wind blows so his scent wouldn't travel to her before he decides to reveal himself.

Raksa eventually stepped out from behind the trees, blocking Roxanne's path. His eyes fixed on Roxanne, he let out a low growl--a warning for her to keep her distance. "What are you doing here again, mutt?" he growled, his teeth bared, but his gaze curious. "You didn't learn your lesson the first time?"