Finbar and his family enjoyed their day and their meal a little while longer, taking in their surroundings. They were truly blessed to live in this mountain forest that was so safe from the reaches of humanity. In peace the family bonded closely, lovingly supporting one another. More questions came from Ashen and Moonlily, and their parents answered carefully; the most uncomfortable bits were now out of the way, which made the process of giving information so much easier on them.

There came a voice from the treeline. “Hey.”

Finbar’s sensitive ears perked up to take in the sound, and he saw the owner of it standing in plain view. Willow growled, an unwelcoming rumble deep in her throat, her lips curled back.

It was a red furred wolf with green eyes.

The white wolf-dog peeled back his maw to reveal his intimidating fangs. He may be a wolf, but some of his ancestry could be traced back to the Japanese akita which was a fearsome bear hunting dog; if Finbar was confident in anything, it was his ability to fight if need be. Especially now, after his training for a while.

“Children,” he said firmly, coming to a standing position, “ get behind us. Now.”

The pups obeyed, sensing the atmospheric change in demeanor. The strange wolf that had appeared also scared them. They assumed he was part of their pack but he was too far away to smell, and they had never seen him before either.

“Jargoth?” Bruno whispered to himself, raising a brow. The confusion was warranted, for he should not have been there.

“What do you want, Jargoth?” The question was emitted through Finbar's teeth, a serious edge to it that seemed to visibly cause the red wolf to shrink back a little. It was a change from the last time the two had met or spoken.

To his surprise, Jargoth gave a soft look and let off a relaxed vibe. “Relax,” he said carefully, “I am not here to give you or your family trouble.”

“Then what do you want?” Finbar growled. “I have trouble believing that it’s anything good, knowing you.”

“I know,” the red wolf lowered his ears submissively, causing Finbar to shut his mouth. “I do not expect you to trust me immediately. I am here to ask for your forgiveness.”

“Mom, why is Jargoth acting weird?” Moonlily whined, snuggling close to Willow for comfort. She knew who he was, for they all still lived together in the same pack; everyone knew everyone.

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Ashen stood behind the sturdy front legs of his father, peering out at the red warrior. Sugarloaf hid with him, feeling safe with her brother.

“Your father and him are just talking, man to man. It's alright, my sweet berry,” Willow cooed.

The white wolf-dog flattened his ears. “That is a big ask. I do forgive you, but how can I forget that you wanted to duel me till death? The trust that should come with forgiveness just won't be there, not for a long while.”

Jargoth shook his head. “I was emotionally charged, I am sorry. I… had just lost Willow. I think I am doing better now, and I also see just how happy she is with you and the children you two have.”

Finbar thought for a moment. “I'm grateful for you saying these things, Jargoth. It takes honor. I will believe you.”

Jargoth’s eyes lit up, a form of nervousness to them. “Really? That is good, then. It is just a shame we had to have such a bad start. You are my pack mate, a fellow brother in wolf tradition. I am wanting to know if there is an acceptable way to make it up to you.”

“I would say that you should just give us the space and respect we kindly ask for,” Finbar dipped his head, giving a light smile.

Willow was a bit on the quiet side, unsure of what to say; it was relatively awkward witnessing her current mate and her old one interacting with one another, especially since the serious issues being discussed were something that she had set off herself. The light brown furred wolf-dog did not know what to say, but she was definitely pleased with her ex choosing to man up.

“That I can do,” Jargoth bowed, avoiding eye contact with the father of his former mate’s children. This was a sign of submission, an appropriate behavior for the occasion. “I do not wish to disturb you all any further, I shall let you get on with your outing. However, I do have a question for you, Finbar; it is actually more of an offer, if you will consider it.”

“Thank you. Go on,” Finbar listened carefully, ears perked, tail held outward. He was still very unsure of the situation but he was convinced that it would be in everyone's interest to entertain the red wolf.

Jargoth raised his head a little more boldly, green eyes sparkling with a twinge of unreadable emotion, one that seemed positive. “Is there anything you would like to learn? I can offer my knowledge to you.”

“I'd need to think about that one.”

“Take your time. It would be my pleasure to help you.”

“Yea. I will let you know.”

As the air grew slightly awkward with the silent lull that fell, Jargoth seemed to jolt. “Oh, have you been taught about our border with humans?” He asked.

“To some degree, yes.”

“Have you been there yet?”

“Not yet.”

“I could show you. There is much to know about that place. Navigating the Highway is an invaluable skill.”

“It might be a good idea. After today is done, I'll talk to you about it,” Finbar smiled, then dipped his head.

Ashen leaned into Jargoth’s direction. “What's the Highway?” He asked, his curiosity burning.

The red wolf looked out at the mountains adjacent to their right. “Beyond the ridge, a long stretch of flat, black rock forms a path for human travel. They ride within metal beasts, often gray, white and black, but sometimes red, blue and other colors. Some of the beasts are the length of about twenty wolves.”

“Wow…” Ashen's mouth was left agape by the descriptions of such grandeur to his little ears.

“That sounds stupid,” Moonlily judged, her voice a hostile spitting toward Jargoth.