Otter Creek get ready to roll
and soon the sea shall give up her dead
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#1
Por Nanuk ♥


Water, once more, rustled beneath the feet of the lanky wolf. Shadows swathed a sopping face of melancholy. Intense stare of fire lay rested on a shadow beneath mirror-like surface, nearly trembling from the anticipation required to corner such quarry. All morning had been spent battling the otters that dotted the surface of the water, thrusting face into the mouth of dens in poor luck. The expenditure of energy was a risk. There would either be success or failure and as the sun rose higher into the pale sky it appeared as though the efforts had been for not. 

A flit of a spider-legged insect darted across the surface, triggering a movement of the trout that prompted an immediate response. Haunches launched forward like the coil of a gun, forelegs tucking to chest before sweeping forward to pounce. The ripple of water alerted the prey item which easily darted under an overhang of overgrowth half submerged into the cool creek. Jaws met nothing, airways taking on water that erupted back out with a coughed snarl. 

Body temperature prevented the predator from continuing and, with defeat, the black mess left the banks of the water source to glean some sun within the sparse trees just beyond the clearing.
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please excuse my horrid posting. I'm sick and I feel very blah

Things had been quiet since they had driven the bear off. The pups were growing and yet Nanuk did not find herself among them very often; she was not a wolf who enjoyed children, whether they were the future of the Spire or not. Perhaps when they were a bit older but for now, she left it to those that enjoyed being around them. Instead, she patrolled and protected, as she always did. 

Today, her patrols led her closer to the creek, which she would have passed and moved away from had she not heard the splashes of a larger creature. Turning her body, the pale tank walked the banks of the running water until she spotted the dark mass of the male, now coming out of the water. The presence of a loner so close to the Spire made her hackles bristle, even with how far removed they were from the borders.

She watched him moved and followed, watching with cold, metallic eyes as he found a spot in the sun. For now, she was silent, her fur standing slightly. Her aggressive ways not yet fully revealed, there was no telling how this crossing of paths would go.
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and soon the sea shall give up her dead
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Pffft. ♥

Shafts of golden light did little to warm the damp, sooty coat of the drifter despite tongue glancing across the tippy-tops of guard hairs covering appendages. So serene was the objective that little attention was given to the intrusion of another canid not far off — perhaps, in part, to the shift of scent away from the frigid shores of the creek and lack of bird noise. It wasn't until ember-like eyes sliced towards the horizon, catching the tumble of a small songbird as it flitted back towards a small thatch of undergrowth, that attention was piqued. The panic of wings prompted a lift of head, just barely catching the stark figure of another. 

Ears slammed forward, stare going hard in an earnest attempt to distinguish the individual from a rolodex of known acquaintances. Uninhibited by the silence, the wolf took a moment to observe his fellow, sweeping a cunning expression along the length of scarred body and back again. "Yes?" was all that was managed, a flippant tone carried just above the pitch of the bubbling brook over rocks. It wasn't intended as accusatory or demanding, as ears swayed back against skull set and nose lifted in a somewhat curious expression. 

She held a set of golden eyes, their emotionless stare hard and icy despite the undertones of earth within their depths. Her size was considerably larger with just enough femininity to give her the appearance of a rather large bear mother. She was rugged and dangerous, a boulder amidst soft grasses portraying something of a shield and defender without having to say a word.
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Silence hung heavily between them until it was shattered with a simple word. How to answer? He had done nothing wrong and was a sufficient distance from their borders for a normal pack; the Spire was not a normal pack, as they would eliminate any competition around them. The question was, was he competition? He was thin, the tell tale sign of a lone, but he was also alive and that meant he was competent enough to catch a meal at least every once in a while. Could he be of use or was he a threat? She wasn't sure yet.

"New here?" She queried, voice gruff. If he was looking for a pack, she might try and recruit him, but if he pledged himself elsewhere then he was useless to her and her own. He would then be warned away from here, if he wanted to keep surviving like he had so far.
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and soon the sea shall give up her dead
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She stood picturesque and still. A ghostly silhouette against a plush field of green and gold. When her answer broke the silence, the tone was gravely and poignant. The tone cut like a knife, leaving no room for folly or exploitation. In a sense, the wolf rather appreciated the succinct response. Too easy, at times, was it to manipulate and puppet his company. 

"Yes, of course," he answered simply, inhaling suddenly as though the admittance of newness somehow resonated with his failure to catch a scaled creature from the shallows. Fishing had never been the male's forte. "You're not, though." Perhaps ballsy. Perhaps the wolf should have just kept such tidbits to himself, but the tone he adhered to was not playful and coy. It was simply just a matter-of-fact observance. 

As if to punctuate his speech, eyes loomed up against the sparse trees dotting the scenery to the Spire cutting the skyline. Maybe the jut of stone and earth did not belong to the pale visitor but it seemed oddly fitting should it hold the female's icy secrets.
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He answered, simple and easy. Her ears flicked forward to cup and catch that response, and the comment afterwards. "No," She confirmed, but did not elaborate. It was obvious that the wolves of the Spire were successful in providing for themselves as her fur was flush and full, no hint of bone showing. They would bulk up, make sure they were insulated well for this Winter and that their teeth would not be dull when it came time to kill over to ensure their survival.

"Roaming or searching?" Similar words and yet there was enough difference between them for her to ask which had brought him here. She watched his eyes flicker to the mountain behind her and subtly, her posture shifted, a fierce pride in her eyes before it was hidden away again. Few could match her love of the mountainous home save for perhaps Tonravik and Echelon. Nanuk was a wolf who enjoyed the challenging terrain, though she knew some were softer than she was. She hid all that though and instead watched him further, ears rotating now to listen to the world around them.
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Rather than render flesh from bone in a charge, the statue responded in blunt crispness. The wolf was given a choice. Each, though similar, held intricate differences that made either unique. A small tug of serpentine lips pulled into a half-smile, lopsided and fond of the proposition. Hmm. What to choose.

"Searching," he answered finally, allowing the din of voice to echo into the small clearing with a touch of coolness. The inky drifter was searching but not just for anything. Not just for something. It was a very particular thing that the creature sought. Gaunt body swayed, just so, a shift of weight that hinted to future actions without verbal announcement. Very carefully features dipped into a submissive neutral, sinuous body neither skulking nor twisting in a way that outwardly dictated aggression. The advancement was a keen display of welcome, of permission, without outwardly intruding on territory or space. Just a step. One paw's length before the sharp angles of head dipped down in compliance. 

Though to most the subtle body language was lost, the wolf held some assumption that it was miles of conversation to the stout bear-wolf. 

The flicker of pride was not wholly lost on the thin wanderer. "You?" he wondered with a tilt of jawline that did not intend to feign disinterest. Quite obviously she appeared to be roaming.
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Searching. So he had a goal in mind. Some wolves did, others didn't; though she asked, it really made no difference to her, other than the fact that it might mean he was simply passing through the Wilds instead of sticking around. Another mouth less for the lands to provide for, if they provided at all this Winter. 

He moved though, and her focus sharpened, watching him as if he operated in slow motion. He fell neutral, unthreatening and dipped his head while at the same time closing the distance by but a fraction. It was a display of submission, though not an obvious one and that soothed the feral monster that lived within. She relaxed but a fraction, tail falling to a neutral position to signify her acceptance of this and, in a way, her appreciation of it. There were not many respectful loners out and about nowadays and his display would not be forgotten.

"Watching." Watching the Spire's borders, a potential thread, the level of prey in the area, him specifically... there was no telling what she was watching, only that she was. She opened the door between them slightly wider. "Winter is coming." His tongue was tight enough that the trait reminded her of none other than Tonravik. Would he fit in with them? Maybe, but she had no clue if he was even interested and there was no way to know save asking. Or... saying something obscure, in this case, to probe his thoughts.
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and soon the sea shall give up her dead
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It was a delicate dance of give and take. There was respect, foremost, to those who were rapt with a feral heartbeat. Perhaps it had always been the reason for the wolf's lack of dedication anywhere else. It was difficult to pledge fealty and loyalty to those who did not understand the path. Features, though remaining stony, did succumb to the subtle shift of the drifter's posture. Inky ears remained back, a display of respect within their quiet exchange of non-verbal language. Perhaps trust resonated from fiery stare, a shielded curiosity taking wing despite attempts to reign in wanderlust. She was pretty in the way a mountain was carved from a glacier. She had aged manners unlike so many before. She was wild like the wind had spit her from its womb.

Watching. There were many things to watch. It did not strike as poignant to the beast within her presence. The mention of winter prompted no outward response yet insides coiled. There was a faint pride to care for oneself that went back as early as puphood. It was a primal emotion that was current in most individuals. Winter would pillage and ravage anything weaker than it and earth was particularly unwelcome to the weak. "It is," he admitted almost whimsically. The urge to adhere to others was a foreign concept but a looming cloud of necessity. "It will take me with it if I am still alone." It was a curious admittance of weakness. A weakness that seemed completely opposite the well taken care of bear-wolf. It was a known fact that solitary company would be a loner's demise. 

While it wasn't a plea to join — rather a blunt statement of fact — it had properties to open a doorway.
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There was nothing to see as she made her statement but the silence grew heavy while he weighed her words. There was much to think about, especially when you were on your own. She knew, having been alone for years. Her frame had sported the same gaunt features, the same lack of musculature, and her temper had been foul and violent. She had improved since then in everything save the last, though right now her mood was even and calm. Surprising, but maybe not so much. Iqniq had brought the same from her. Then again, perhaps the male held that similarity with her aokkatti. Neither of them were fucking morons. 

A slight smile curled the very corners of her mouth at the thought, though as he spoke it receded one more. "You have survived this long," She concluded, twisting the perspective to show that he had held on where others had not been able to. Weak could be called stubborn or tenacious. Either way, he was a survivor and only the strong survived. "You could change it." Her ears twisted back, listening, almost as if she were pointing his attention toward the Spires behind her. 

She was giving him an opportunity now, something she did not do for every wolf she crossed paths with.
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and soon the sea shall give up her dead
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It was but a fleeting expression, but the smile coiled against a set of soot-kissed lips did nothing to soften the stalwart appearance of the mountain wolf. It did, however, produce intrigue. Reading acceptance, rather than jovial happiness, it successfully opened the doorway that the inky drifter had been knocking on. A compliment. Eyes sizzled with fire at the thought, a gentle sway of dark tail signaling it had been accepted and appreciated. The bear-wolf exuded calmness and confidence, saying little but speaking much. Should she request loyalty it would be delivered in abundance and stopped only in bloodshed.

The next statement was potent. It was an invitation, somewhat, just as the drifter's statement had been just prior. "With you," he murmured matter-of-factly without arrogance or headiness of the intimate exchange thus far. It was simple enough: he would follow her. The dark drifter would follow her to that mountain, if permitted, and accommodate his oddities to their rituals. The statement had weight spliced between the words. The inky lone wolf would not follow just anything but very strictly her

It would be foolish to not to feel the intimidation of transitioning from a loner to that of a hierarchy. Though the emotions tugged at base of throat, a hefty swallow rammed the pride and fear right back into gullet. It would serve to feed the animal during the stressful step across the boarder.
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The wolves of the Spire grew one stronger. Though he was thin, hungry, time with them would fix such. "With us," She confirmed, with a hint of correction. Their unity was a strong one and the polar bear felt he would fit with them nicely, though she would still call their leaders to the borders once they came closer. "Loyalty is paramount." She had a feeling he would know but nevertheless, she would lay down the rule so that there was no question; they were not a pack to join for just the Winter.

This time, it was she that closed the distance between them, rubbing her fur up against his to exchange scents, putting the invisible mark of the Spire upon him. It was a careful movement, one that she broke once complete, not one that enjoyed contact with many. In this instance, it was simply a necessary thing and nothing more. Turning, the Beta nudged his shoulder once and moved forward with him, leading him towards home.

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