[aaa]

Per.

   Another day's wandering was coming close to an end.

    Per was not tired yet, and he was only looking for a comfortable place to stop out of a sense of obligation to routine. The sun was just dipping below the horizon, and the temperature was going down with it. The season was barely changing into spring, so most of the cold of the earlier winter nights was gone, but it was still enough to chill the tips of your ears. The wind whipped through the trees, filling the air with whistling sounds. It smelled like it might rain, but the sky was barely cloudy. That wasn't enough of an indicator to get rid of his caution, though.

   His amber eyes skimmed the dense hardwood forest for any sign of life or shelter. His mind was on the latter more than the former, but he wouldn't mind a quick meal, if it was easy. Prey animals were the only things he was expecting to see, as he hadn't noticed any signs of pack markings in this area. And what was the chance of encountering another wanderer? Slim to none, probably.

   Something in the corner of his eye made him snap his head to the right, ears perked. Bird, he thought swiftly. Just bird. But still, he felt a need to check it out. Bird or not, it wasn't like the land ahead was any more promising than the land off to the side. Per loped towards the noise with no concern of the noise he made, his large paws crunching through the leaves and underbrush. The noise was almost as unnerving for anyone who saw him as he was - a big, unkempt wolf with a cold focus in his eyes.