Sawtooth Spire From the dusty mesa, her looming shadow grows

The domain the Spire held was large and giving. It was only fair that the leaders seek that their entrance be as impenetrable as possible. Should any be seen here not of their scent were to be chased off... and Iluq shared their mindset, if only because she had seen on the opposite side what could happen were one wolf to gain interest in another's lands. Iluq had aided in her cousins usurping of such a place... he had not been stopped in his tracks during his investigation. Met with kindness, even. 

Their mistake. 

So to hear that this branch was wise to this? It came as no surprise. It was a relief, really... and Iluq's ambitions were so far-reaching that she might consider usurping the place herself, were the leadership incompetent. That was not her expectation, ever; their family was not groomed in such a way. If anything, their family had grown into a genetic-predisposition to be overly aggressive, possessive, and the like over what they deemed as theirs. Creatures of instinct, and strength. Whose line had become far-reaching. When one disputed a claim of theirs, their failure meant the termination of their life. 

And so it was. And so it would be. 

Iluq shook out her ruff as she paused in her step, squatting to mark the edges of the territory as though it were their own. Better to have the others warned that attempting to even skirt along this area was not a wise idea. Not only would ones unpracticed paws bleed for it (or should their leg catch between stone, an ankle break), but so too would the rest of them. Iluq did so enjoy violence. She simply wondered if ever a day would come that this claim, grandiose indeed, would be contested.

Mongfionn is a NPC raven, by the way.

With winter creeping at the doorway of Teekon Wilds, Potema dashed out from Blackfeather's comforting embrace for one last taste of freedom before the snows blocked her path. She travelled east past the swamps and once again faced the mountains. She had never gone beyond the range, save for Bearclaw Valley, but there was a mountain in the distance that had intrigued her for moons. It's rocky, tooth-like spires were a sight of awe for her, and she gazed at them whenever she could. She wondered what it was like to be under the shadows of such magnificent heights. It was this urge that sent her, and her trusted travelling companion Mongfionn towards the mountains for a short expedition, only a few lengths away from home.

Potema and Mongfionn followed the river that fed into the underground ones at home, noticing for the first time where they originated: these very mountains. Wanting to further her Naturalist trade, Potema turned her attention to the source of the Creek, tucked inside the mountains, stepping closer and closer to the mountains and watching it dominate her limited view, then pausing in her tracks when she smelled something in the air. Wolves. A lot of them. And strong. "Damn." She swore, close to one of these markers. This mountain must be claimed. And what a spot, too! Potema glared furiously at the mountain, wishing she had known some kind of curse that she could use to expel its inhabitants just long enough for her to visit the source, only being aware of the nearby wolf when Mongfionn cawed softly to alert her.

Welp. -tosses her here-

The Spire was as well protected as ever. This much was obvious as the bear of a wolf caught wind of an outsider as she made her rounds, trailing the path that Iluq herself took. The outsider, a whelp by her scent, was much too close for comfort and was essentially throwing her life away by making such foolish choices. Even pups were not safe to come this close. Her wayward wandering would be put to a stop here and now, a terrible snarl presenting the bearish Beta as she barreled onto the scene. She had no doubt that the other female of the Spire would come running upon hearing such racket, however necessary the sounds were.

Her fur was on end, teeth bared in unabashed threat as she snarled a warning to the pale bitch. It was the only warning she would get. Even then, Nanuk gave her little time to react, teeth snapping forward. Their aim was not to hit (and she made sure that they did not) but to punctuate the statement she made by standing here with an obvious air of violence around her. Aforementioned statement was pure and simple: Leave now or die. If the child did not follow direction, she would face the consequences, however dire they might be.

Tonravik had been close enough to catch the sounds of her Beta echoing across the rocky expanse. The scent of a new subordinate–Iluq–was noted as the alpha female began her own sprint downward. She contrasted her Beta in that her approach was silent, but her lobes thrust over her brow foretold her intent. 

Her own tail was lifted to its summit, an eerie calm settled upon her scarred visage. She was not far behind, but when she caught up to her stationary Beta and Iluq, violence was a guarantee; this was the pale whelps only time to run. Tonravik would ensure the entirety of the Spire was untouched by others, and if the scarred cub loitered longer than the time she was given (little though it was), she would be made an example of.

With the wind in her favor, the strange scent of one who did not run with them permeated the air. The cawing raven called to her attention, and it caused her gaze to fall upon the pale wolf-cub. Of course, only the wind told her that much. The cub looked like an adult in stature, not fully developed but were it not for the wind, she would not have guessed at her age at all. The Beta came in snarling, and Iluq paused long enough to note scree clicking along the earth... Her head turned and she watched the impressive approach of the mountains Queen. Iluq wasted no more time after that. She knew the protocol. 

Iluq charged toward Potema with a snarl of her own, preparing her defenses and hungry for blood. Nanuk's own pause gave Iluq enough reason to hesitate for a minute, which would buy the stranger precious seconds.

While she often tempted fate, Potema was no fool. She was not a warrior like her brothers and was half-blind anyway. When one wolf charged towards her and snarled, Potema backed away respectfully until she felt that she was far enough, her mouth opening slightly to ask a question. When two more came, she nearly jumped. Mongfionn circled above, flying close to the wolves' head, but far enough to stay away from their claws, cawing raucously. Potema narrowly dodged the snap at her jaws and wheeled further away from the mountain, panting softly when she slowed to a halt at (what she thought was) a safe distance. Mongfionn landed on her back, indignantly cawing at them in raven's tongue. "Are wolves often this envious of your lands that you prevent them from even seeing your mountain?" She said, more to herself than to the wolves. They did not seem as interested in conversation as she. She had merely wanted a glance of the mountain; they held nothing else that she knew of that would interest her.

Consent given to post ahead of Gina!

By the time she arrived to them, the pale one was running. The trio gave chase up until the point Potema was off of the mountain and then some, when they stopped and stared into the distance. The ravens cawing was met with indifference by the leader. How many of them had she heard in her lifetime? Why should this one be treated differently than any other? They were useful in their guidance to carrion, but other than that, their life influenced her little.

What she spoke beyond went unheard as the alpha female lifted her muzzle and howled. Better all know now and be sure of it. Sawtooth Spire is ours, her powerful voice told. And there was a note in it that promised savagery to those that crossed the threshold. Her mountains carried the call, as though the stone kingdom itself agreed with the claim, echoing its sentiment, its meaning.

They chased the young female with the ferocity flowing through their veins. Snarls were loud and vicious at the girls tail, chasing her away from the mountain with intent to kill her if she stopped. Their momentum slowed a little ways past their borders, Tonravik's voice lifting to answer the girl's unheard question. Her own muzzle tipped back, voice joining with her alpha's.

Their mountain was off limits to all who did not live within their ranks, and if this was something they needed to teach the wolves of Blackfeather, they would do so by inflicting pain and drawing the blood of their enemies.

Iluq threw herself into motion when her Beta did, now resuming the chase as that was the decision made. And so the trio sprinted after the pale Blackfeather wolf, a group Iluq had been informed of but not at all in detail. Only that they were one of the packs neighboring the Spire. Perhaps the Blackfeather wolves were too close to the Spire if they thought trekking on the mountain to be a passable thing... As her leader howled to inform explicitly otherwise, Iluq joined her. 

Any that came to the Spire would die, now. Potema was truly not beyond their reach... but one always needed a messenger to inform others of their aggressive and possessive pack. In time, the rest of the pack would sing with them. Surely if the pale outsider did not leave now, she would be truly made an example of.

The wolves still lingered at their doorstep, calling to their pack and reinforcing their claim over the mountain...over a small, young wolf. Were they so insecure about their claim that they needed to crow about it every time a wolf lingered nearby? Potema scoffed, but she did not insult them further. Those three women looked vicious, and they were all larger than her. She would not dare tease them, or fight them. Why? She had no interest in the mountain other than the water; she had no want of food or territory.

She lingered no more, and turned tail, running down the slopes back into the Valley where her family, and her Woods were, away from the hostile wolves of the Mountain. She wouldn't waste her time, or risk her life, staying here any longer.