There were a few places Derek found himself most at ease. Among them was the forest, regardless of whether it was his own or one even the slightest bit unfamiliar. It was easy to let his senses feel the world around him, to let the sights, sounds and scents paint a picture of the world surrounding him among the thick trees that lined the world as far as the sharp vision could see. Most of the things his senses would find were familiar in some way, easy to identify and while others could be more difficult, he always found he could place them with some thought.

The sounds of twigs snapping and rustle of leaves were all things he was used to hearing in more ways than one, but it was the smell that filled his lungs that caught his attention. In an instant, his head snapped up and towards the sounds and smell, brows furrowing. He was still for a moment before finally moving, realizing the sound was coming towards him. There was no smell of gunpowder or the metallic scent of other common weapons to make him worry he might have attracted unwanted attention and that in itself kept his approach distant and quiet for a few moments.

Once the blond finally came into view, he kept himself carefully tucked away as he attempted to search his memory for some form of recognition. When none came, he stepped out from where he had been hidden away, purposefully stirring up the leaves around his feet to gain her attention.

“What are you doing out here?”