It was almost a relief to have it settled, even if it wasn't the outcome that Wolfram was expecting. Then again, it was a hard situation to anticipate. A rival wolf coming to challenge him for the right to live there was something he could have expected, but not a decidedly non-threatening wolf asking to join him. Of course she hadn't actually joined him. They were merely sharing a territory for now, and sharing was probably too strong a word. He was tolerating her.
She would recover from her exile and move on to join a pack somewhere else once she felt strong enough to leave. That was for the best, really. Wolfram was just one wolf and Vivien was obviously used to being with an entire pack. Breaking from a community or family to being more or less alone wasn't easy. He should know.
Wolfram waited until she was out of his sight before heading back inside the forge, firing everything up so that he could get at least some work done today after the delay. It was hard to find his rhythm, with his routine being thrown off by Vivien's arrival. Somehow he highly doubted that he would 'hardly notice her' as she'd promised. Just knowing the she-wolf was out there was something of a distraction, and that didn't even touch on the fact that every once in a while he'd suddenly find his nose huffing with the scent of her.
She was the first wolf he'd seen in five years, the first wolf he'd seen ever that he was not related to. Wolfram found it hard to just ignore her presence. Agreeing to let her stay had been out of pity or sympathy, at least he thought that was most of the reason. As he worked it became less clear.
Had he been too cold in his reception? Probably, but his social skills were decidedly rusty. So many years alone had obviously had an effect on him. This was a tremendous opportunity for him and he was practically throwing it away. When his father had forced his older brothers and him to leave home, this wasn't what his family had expected, for any of them to spend their lives alone. They'd thought they would find packs with room to take them, or form new packs – together or individually.
Wolfram wasn't about to leave his territory to try to find any of his brothers, and he didn't think he could simply start another pack just like that, but he could try to be a little nicer to the first wolf he'd seen in five years. No matter how often or how fiercely he denied it to himself, his life was very lonely. Wolves weren't meant to live alone, not for extended periods of time.
His mind was completely unfocused on work. With an agitated sigh Wolfram decided that today was pointless in the forge. Nothing would get done properly with him so wound up over the she-wolf. He didn't even know her name, for pity's sake. Not her fault, he'd been so gruff it was no wonder she'd hurried away from him without even exchanging names. He wouldn't have wanted to be around a grumpy wolf like him either.
So much for first impressions, she probably wasn't interested in being on more friendly terms than simple tolerance after that. Well, all he could do was extend the olive branch, as it were. They were going to be living in relative close proximity, might as well make it as pleasant as possible.
Wolfram didn't really think about it when he closed the forge and headed into the forest, swiftly taking to his wolf. She hadn't gone very far, he found her belongings easily, but she wasn't there. Well, he had told her to find something to eat, maybe she was hunting. He could have followed her trail, but just the thought of hunting had put him in the mood to do just that himself. Meals of bread and dried meat were alright, but hardly satisfying to a wolf.
Knowing the deer trails, knowing where they grazed and where they slept, gave him a decided edge over his much less intelligent prey. It took very little time for him to find a young doe and dispatch it. Still not thinking about it Wolfram dragged his kill back to where the she-wolf had settled herself. There was enough meat for both wolves to have a good meal, but he suddenly realized that she might consider his gesture insulting. After all, he had seen the way she glared at him when he'd suggested that she might not be able to catch her own food.
So Wolfram simply stood there indecisively, doe still hanging from his jaws by its throat.