There were enough knights observing the threat ahead, so Eirwen shifted her focus to their surroundings. Red had mentioned that Frost Giants oft used scouts, and sure enough, there they were. On their left, significantly outside her passive sensing range, a Frost Giant was hidden. Looking down the hillside, he had a great view of where his compatriots laid in ambush.
On their right, the scout was closer but harder to detect. A solitary Dire Wolf, trying to hide itself from magical perception. Though it was like a newborn compared to Red's sneakiness. Eirwen moved her physical senses, using her right eye to look at it directly. A scrawny but reasonably fed specimen, most likely the runt of its litter. It paled in comparison to the beautiful pack they had seen earlier that day.
Of all the creatures capable of wielding mana, Dire Wolves are by far the most common. This is in part because they're smart enough to not seek conflict, avoiding people under most circumstances. They're also a species of beasts that roams in packs, so less lives are lost to conflict than other mana beasts, who oft are solitary and frequently in lethal territorial disputes.
Their magical talents lie in heightened senses, making them great scouts. They even seem to be able to sense mana, as claimed by some that have managed to magically communicate with the creatures. The beasts also can hide from physical and even magical senses, making them extremely dangerous to encounter in a fight.
Fortunately, they normally live in more abandoned regions, ruling territories that rarely have them cross the path of people. Asides from folks hunting them for their furs, they face no real opposition to their existence. And in turn, they see little reason to seek out conflict with people. Even those who live near villages and towns, tend to keep to themselves.
However, at the size they stand at, their shoulders as tall as people's heads or even larger, their food supply poses a real problem for them. As such, packs hold no mercy to those who can't hold their own. Those who cannot contribute, or step out of line, are exiled. Said exile often results in death, as the creatures stand far less chance by themselves. Desperate individuals may become a problem due to their starvation causing them to go after people.
Within the cold Flameheart mountains, Dire Wolves grow even larger, requiring even more prey to sustain themselves. This makes their packs smaller and sometimes more ravenous, but also more likely to exile the weak. Some of their outcasts end up teaming up with Frost Giants. This cooperation is a boon to both sides, as the wolf is more secure at camp, while the giant benefits from having a hound at hand during a hunt. But while the outcast benefits, it still won't grow as tall and strong as members of its original pack.
In other territories, some exiles have ended up tamed by nobles, though with differing success. They cost a lot to maintain, and at their higher intelligence and mana ability, they take being starved or mistreated less willingly than normal hounds. But even with proper treatment, they are and always will be wild creatures, so there always is a chance of biting the hand that feeds.
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