Sunspire Mountains les voyages de l'âme

@Rannoch!  DURRHURR awkward joining post. :B  Anyone else is welcome, as well.  

They say some things never change, and the same was true for Lhotse.  Surrounded as she was by this vast wilderness of picturesque, sun-soaked fields and secretive, serene forests, it was the mountains, hostile and forbidding, that drew the she-wolf.  A child of the mountains was she, their savage eminence written in every facet of her life all the way down to her very name, and while she might have left behind the highlands of her birth, it would always be the high ridges and sloping icefields that called to her in lands new and unknown.

And so it was that she lingered now in the shadow of these ice-flanked peaks, whose soaring spires plunged like savage teeth into the soft underbelly of snow-laden clouds.  She eyed them covetously, admiring their beauty and, for the first time in as long as she could remember, feeling a sense of peace that she hadn't felt since home.  The scent of wolves was heavy in the air, though, so it was clear that she was not the only one with an appreciation for this place.  With that in mind, the lanky she-wolf thought it best that she announce herself so that the locals would not feel threatened by her presence.  Turning her muzzle to the overcast sky, she sang a soft, beckoning howl into the chilly air.  As her gentle tones reverberated across the silence, she scratched away a dusting of snow and lay down to rest and wait.

PSH U ARE TOTALLY FINE LOVE. <3 Sorry for the wait!

 Rannoch had succumbed to a perpetual state of preoccupancy in the time since Wraen had warned him of the potential difficulties that Sunspire could face. When not hunting or patrolling, the young Alpha was tormented by self-doubt. Lhotse's call had removed him from such an episode. 

After returning her howl with one of his own, and letting her know that he was on his way, Rannoch sprung from where he sat to meet the woman who had requested his attendance; his worries were temporarily foregone as he considered what type of situation he might be walking into. 

"Hey there," Rannoch called as he strode towards Lhotse, his posture informing the stranger of his status as Alpha. Rannoch stopped before her once he was close enough to converse, and gave her a once over, before speaking again. "What brings you to my claim?" he asked.

No need to apologize for the wait!  I'm not a very fast poster anyway lol.  <3

It seemed the stewards of these mountains kept a keen eye on their dominion, for it didn't take very long at all for a howl to answer her own.  Deep and rich, its tone and the message it contained indicated a male of some authority, so she prepared herself for whatever was to come.  Hoping for a peaceful reception -- she'd experienced her fair share of hostility in the time she'd spent on the move, after all, and had a few scars to show for it -- she pulled herself upright as she heard his footfalls drawing near.  

He emerged into her view and revealed himself to be a handsome wolf of striking contrasts.  He was the color of the mountains themselves, shades of dark, stony pewter draping his large frame and cascading down into glacial hues of mist and snow.  He regarded her with eyes the color of sunlit sea ice -- much like her own -- and the way he carried himself left no doubt about his station here:  he was alpha.  Lhotse felt herself involuntarily shrinking before him, carefully averting her gaze and diminishing her stance to acknowledge her status between the two of them.  

His greeting was not unpleasant or unwelcoming, however, which elicited a cautious wag of the end of her tail in response.  He asked what brought her to his claim and, with her eyes lingering on his forepaws, she answered honestly, "It's beautiful."  She ventured a fleeting peek at his face before glancing off toward the mountainous skyline and continuing, "I grew up in mountains much like these, and it's been a long time since I've seen a place that reminded me of home.  I was hoping to spend some time here among your peaks, but only if I am welcome."  The question was clear in her words but she fell silent then, allowing him the opportunity to answer it however he pleased.

Lhotse's intentions were evident, and Rannoch nodded as he considered what she had said. "Some time?" he repeated, his voice kind; although she seemed lovely from her first impression, Rannoch couldn't help but consider how temporary her plans translated to him. 

"I hope you are considering staying for a while," Rannoch proposed with a smile. "Any wolf that decides to live at Sunspire is like family to me," he elaborated; Rannoch hoped she understood where he was coming from.

She canted her head at his words, a little confused by them.  The only pack she'd ever known had been that of her birth, and they had been much less friendly and open toward outsiders lingering near their lands.  She gave him a wry grin and commented, "I have been on my own for a long time now.  It'd be nice to stay in one place for a change."  

A ray of sunlight beamed through a break in the clouds and gleamed on the icy slopes of a particularly tall peak, and she eyed it appreciatively.  She thought she could be happy here, if the pack were a good fit.  I'm Lhotse, by the way," she added, turning her pale gaze back to the handsome wolf before her.

Lhotse's answer sufficed, and Rannoch nodded in return. The sudden and unexpected exodus of some of Sunspire's members had unsettled him, and he wanted to ensure that she wasn't looking for somewhere to stay for the night and then be on her way. Sunspire was his family, and those who devoted themselves to the pack also joined the ranks of his extended relatives. 

"I'm Rannoch," Rannoch replied with a bob of his skull, "It's nice to meet you, Lhotse." He turned from her then and glanced at his home for a moment before continuing their conversation. "What would you be able to provide to Sunspire if you were provided a home?" 

After some deliberation, it was decided that Lhotse would think about it. The two wolves parted ways, and Rannoch wondered if he would see her again.