Thunder Dome And I sunned it with smiles

@Rannoch forgive this garbage, I haven't had my nap today Dx

Despite his newfound attachment to the girl-by-the-sea, Kavos had become obsessively consumed by memories and thoughts he didn't think should have existed. He could remember these places, the territories his mother had dragged him through, and he traveled unwittingly in the direction of the place he had been born. Everything had looked different here all those months ago. Scarier. Doused in snow and thoroughly unpleasant for the sullen child dragged along by his— but he was almost an adult now, and such things as treacherous terrain no longer daunted him.

Not that the Thunder Dome was particularly intimidating this time of year. He felt that he couldn't possibly remember this place, having never seen it in the summer, but at a distance the mountains had struck him as too familiar to pass, and so he found himself in the midst of them, searching for a place he had not thought of for what seemed like an eternity. In the high noon sun, the slinking young wolf hunted mindlessly for the willows.

If that was garbage then this is total garbage. :P
Also, sry, Rannoch is a creepy stalker.

Amongst the gathering of mountains stood the Dome. To Rannoch's knowledge, whenever he happened to glance in the direction of the dormant peak, it always appeared as though some great weather spectacle was occurring. There never seemed to be a safe time to explore the wild territory and Rannoch, being the careful man that he was, never dared to take on the dome during one of these events. 

On this particular day, as Rannoch had woken just before the sun had, when he glanced over towards the looming volcano, it appeared as though nothing threatened the steep incline of the territory. Only the pale clouds that always accompanied the resting peak were in sight. Taking advantage of the good weather, Rannoch rose promptly and decided the course of his day: to climb the Dome and touch the clouds that hung overhead. 

Of course, when he reached the base of the summit, Rannoch's intentions quickly changed as he realized how difficult it would be to achieve his goal. 

For now, he climbed with the intent of exploring. For a good portion of this search, the Alpha found himself alone with his thoughts. But, as the sun began to rise, Rannoch found himself falling in line with a trail of another wolf, and he followed it with curiosity. He figured that this wolf might know more about the territory than he did.

When Kavos came into sight, Rannoch called out to the other with a gentle chuff while putting forth a friendly demeanor. He meant not harm, nor did he was to encroach too close to the other, and with these intentions, he kept his distance as he waited for the other to respond.

Chanson is incapable of creating garbage, I say!

Kavos had learned back on Moonspear how capable he was on a mountainside. He had not been born to any peaks, but instead seemed as if he had been bred for them. In truth, he was made to survive any terrain. He had inherited such a physical constitution from the rangy, stalwart father he'd never met but fortunately (for the company he was about meet) he had not yet earned that same man's viciousness. His sociability had come from what Amara's personality had been prior to the birth of him and his siblings, though he didn't know this; and a deep-seeded hatred for his single, unreliable parent would have made him deny it even if he did.

He froze at a sound meant to catch his attention, and turned sharply towards the source. His ears twitched as he locked gazes with a thickset, sterling male he had never met before. Kavos canted his head curiously, passing a wary eye over the stranger's friendly posture, before deciding he should approach. The pale wolf crept closer, tentatively wagging his tail as he inched closer and closer, instinctively wishing to investigate him further. He had no reason to fear the male— as he feared no wolf— having never experienced the true effects of pain, but he sized him up just the same. The young alpha was certainly heavier than Kavos, but the white-washed loner might have been taller if not for his perpetually feline slouch.

He wondered at how close he'd be allowed before he was admonished for his forwardness.

<3 <3 <3

Curiosity gripped Kavos, redirecting his attention from the path ahead towards the swarthy Alpha. Rannoch was pleased that he had been able to grab the other's attention while being able to get a first impression of the wolf that had always been just out of reach. This impression was favorable, as the other prowled forward with caution, yet Rannoch sensed something far more powerful beneath his timid facade. Having not been exposed to the lone wolf for more than a brief moment, Rannoch could not yet pinpoint what inclined him to come to this conclusion. 

Like Kavos, Rannoch wished to investigate the other before they got the formalities. He was doing what he could from a distance, such as sampling the wild scent that hung heavily to his pale coat, but Rannoch knew that there was much more investigation to do up close and personally. When the other wolf hesitated, Rannoch pressed forward a step cautiously to let out a low woof to urge him closer.

As he seemed to pause, the stranger came closer, and made a soft noise meant to beckon him. Kavos' expression perked again, ears flicking before deciding finally to close the space. Just before reaching him, however, the boy was hit with a wall of other scents that had sunken deep into the sterling male's fur— the tell-tale smell of a pack. Instinct dictated that he react to this, either by fleeing or submitting, as he knew he could not overwhelm more than one wolf on his own; something he had learned at his first trespass on Moonspear.

Kavos chose the latter. His ears fell against his crown as he ducked his head slightly and turned his long, powerful body sideways so that the other might have free range to explore him as he was is want.

In Kavos' approach and the actions that followed suit, an opportunity to investigate the stranger presented itself and Rannoch seized the opportunity. With his ears pushed forward, the lumbering Alpha leaned in towards the wayward stranger and sampled the odor that he emulated. 

Within moments of his sampling, Rannoch scented something familiar that was just barely woven into the foundation of Kavos' aroma. Unsure of what it was, as it had been ages since he had seen Qilaq, he disregarded it for a moment to state the obvious. "You must be a wanderer," he observed, his expression thoughtful as he pondered the possibilities of origins of Kavos' existence. For now, Rannoch would settle on the curiosity that had driven him to seek out the other: the Thunder Dome.

"Is this mountain your range?" 

Kavos nodded to the first question, keeping his gold eyes averted, but taking the space between question one and question two to turn his nose on the yearling alpha. He got a better whiff of the male's age and health, as well as the amalgamation of scents he toted like a second skin upon his back. Instinct had him yearn for pack, but he hitched a whine deep in his throat and dared not to loose it for fear of admitting his private weakness. His loneliness.

The boy's tail flicked at the second question, and he angled his head towards the grey wolf pensively. "No," he answered hesitantly; and then unbidden he added in the strange way he had of addressing himself: "Kavos looking for the trees... The trees with the long-swaying leaves." The willows.

More questions came to mind in the wake of stranger's reply. With these inquiries forcing themselves to the forefront of his mind, Rannoch took a moment to shift through his thoughts before decided on the proper question to ask. He did not want to appear too forthcoming to the individual before him that came across as timid.

"What will you find in the trees with the long-swaying leaves?" He asked, unsure of what kind of trees that Kavos was looking for.

As the question was posed to him, Kavos knew immediately that it was impossible to answer. He didn't even know where the willows were, let alone what he expected to be there. He thought very suddenly of his mother, and the memory of her put such a bad taste in his mouth that he decided then and there that the trees weren't worth his curiosity. What if she was there? He'd be walking straight into something he didn't want, and though the distant memory of Banner, Stark, and Tambourine had caused his yearning for such a place, he knew then that he wouldn't waste any more of his time seeking it.

"Kavos doesn't know anymore," he candidly admitted, having no concept real of a secret or words that might make him look unfavorable. "Has no good reason."

Though it had not been Rannoch's intention to dismantle Kavos' venture, from the response he received it appeared as though he had done just that. He frowned, unsure of what could be said to make the stranger feel better. 

"Will Kavos be okay?" Rannoch asked eventually, deciding there was nothing he could do to lift the other's spirits. His tail tipped back and forth along his hindquarters as he looked to the other with concern, wondering what this meant for the course of Kavos' travels. With the willows now out of the picture, where would he go?

Kavos wasn't a particularly emotional wolf, but at the question he found himself feeling a little snide about it. He had been taking care of himself for so long that the answer to him seemed quite obvious— though on second thought, he realized that this stranger couldn't possibly know all that he had been through in his short, unfortunate life. With a light snort, he shook out his dusty coat and gave a single, firm nod. "Kavos always be okay."

And then because he was curious, and because he assumed all wolves had one, he asked suddenly: "what's your name?"

Reassured by Kavos' words, Rannoch smiled, quickly investing trust that in the statement. At this point, given the fact that he knew very little about the stranger before him, it was all Rannoch could do. Kavos had done nothing otherwise to prove that he wouldn't be okay. 

"I'm Rannoch," he said with a wave of his tail. Like the loner before him, the Alpha was curious to learn more of this mysterious individual. As such, another question came to fruition quickly: "Now what are you going to do, Kavos?" 

"Rannoch," the boy repeated, his own tail wagging. On instinct he turned his lowered head and flipped his muzzle upwards, aiming to give the newly-badged Rannoch a friendly bump on his lifted chin. Ears flicking, he turned his long body so that he faced the young alpha directly, and he canted his head curiously at the fresh query posed to him. "What you mean?" he asked in earnest. "Going? Kavos don't know. Just going to hunt... and eat. Can Kavos hunt here?"

Little by little, Rannoch was learning more of the peculiar wolf that he had happened upon. To the inquiry, he smiled and nodded encouragingly, as he said: "You can hunt here." He wondered if this was Kavos' first time in the area and felt obligated to let him know of everything in the area. 

"The only claimed territory near here is my pack, Northstar Vale," he began as he motioned his muzzle southward towards his claim. "But, aside from that, you should be good to hunt around here." He stopped then, wondering just what kind of prey they would find up here. He had never sought prey on a mountainside and presumed that the rocky terrain made it all the harder to do so.

The pace of Kavos' tail picked up when it was confirmed that he could hunt here. He'd already learned his lesson about borders at Moonspear all that time ago, and though he was sure he hadn't crossed any on this terrain, the many scent cloaking Rannoch told him that he might have made a mistake somewhere. His worries were eased further as the sterling teen-king informed him that he did have a pack, but it was further south, down the slopes, as opposed to being right here. The jaguar let his tongue loll to express his relaxed nature; it was probably the closest thing he had to a true smile.

The boy was eager to hunt, as he always was— feeling as if this were the only thing he knew how to do right— but he was intrigued by the name Northstar Vale. "Rannoch run with Northstar Vale?" He felt an intense loneliness set upon him by the question, and his chest constricted as he realized he missed the Cerberus of Moonspear, and Qilaq too. But the Cerberus Ostregas weren't at Moonspear as far as he was concerned, and sweet Qilaq wasn't a pack. Without any forethought to the question, as he often fell to impulse, the junglecat asked: "Kavos run with the Northstar too?"

The way in which Kavos was brought to attention by the information that was offered intrigued Rannoch. Despite his desire to question it, the loner worked his way through his thoughts and brought about the ultimate question that came unexpectedly: a request to run with the wolves of the Vale. Though odd, Rannoch saw no reason to decline his offer. After all, if he had survived on his own for however long he had been alone, then Alpha was confident that he would be able to pull his weight. 

"You can run with Northstar Vale if you can help provide for the pack," he informed the other, shaking the odd speaking scheme that he had temporarily picked up. "Aside from hunting do you possess any other skills?" And if he didn't, that was fine, too. Rannoch just wanted to get a feel for what the junglecat could provide.

Any other skills? Kavos had grown slightly elated at first, though it melted into confusion as he considered the second part of Rannoch's words. Wasn't hunting all there was? "Kavos can hunt, and..." He'd already said that, and since he couldn't fathom what more a pack might want from a solitary wolf like him, he said the only other word he thought might appease Rannoch's question, even if it didn't make sense to him (or anyone else). "And... provide?" He didn't know what the word meant exactly, but the sterling male had used it, naming it as something necessary to his joining, so Kavos turned it back to him, as he considered it something the wolf would want to hear.

It was likely obvious he didn't truly understand what he was being asked. It was easier for him to answer questions like "can you fight?" or "can you run fast?" as opposed to making him try to list such things himself; but this wasn't something the teen-king would know immediately on his own.

Despite the turtle-like speed in which Kavos attempted to comprehend everything, Rannoch met his struggle with an encouraging nod and smile, to usher along his thoughts. The Alpha was quickly catching on that Kavos was not the brightest, and despite this fact, Rannoch could still see that he meant well. To the leader, this was most important. 

"That's okay," he reassured the other quickly, not wanting to carry on the other's confusion any longer. "As long as you can help hunt and feed the pack, you may run with us." he decided, confident in his gut feeling about Kavos.

Rannoch accept Kavos despite his miseducation and the actual reversion of verbal knowledge he'd experienced back on Moonspear. Ever since meeting Charon Ostrega, he'd begun addressing himself as Kavos instead of 'I', and it likely had to do with the fact that since he was always asked his name, this just made it simpler for others to know it at all times. He didn't feel like anyone understood what he was talking about if he didn't make it clear he was talking about himself, and he recalled the time he thought Hydra had called him Who when she had really just been asking his name. He wasn't well-versed in speech, having done more brooding as a child than learning social norms, but he was smart enough to know what he wanted— and apparently successful enough to nearly always achieve it.

Being accepted into the Vale was no exception, and he panted happily at the prospect that he was being accepted. "Yes, yes. Kavos will hunt for Northstar. Good at that. Very good," he reiterated, as if he needed to make his case any further.

You can fade in your next post if you like! Thanks, Chanson <3

Love you, Vanmom. <3

With an agreement between the two wolves, Rannoch turned from Kavos towards the direction of the Vale. While moving, he instructed, "Let's go home, Kavos." He was certain that the ghost of a wolf would follow and with this assumption in mind he set off. In due time he would return to the Thunder Dome, but, for now, he felt as though it was his responsibility to get his newly crowned Iota back to the parklands and acclimate him. 

The road home was a tiring one, but, once the sun dipped below the horizon, the duo found themselves within their territory. In this instance, Rannoch pulled his head back so that he could get a better view of his companion. 

"Welcome home, Kavos."