King Elk Forest Meeting the king

Burke was eager to work on his counselor mastery. He liked to formally take the role of advisor in this pack. He felt like he had enough knowledge of former packs to be of help to his grandson. For now, Burke didn't have anyone to mentor save for when Mato asked something of him. The older male made his way deeper into the forest. He noticed that he was becoming less stiff now he was doing more. The male was pleased to see a change in his motor abilities.

Burke stopped in his tracks when he heard something. The male perked up his ears. He knew his senses weren't as sharp as before but still sharp enough to detect prey. Or so the male thought. The male's mouth opened a bit when a massive stag appeared before him. He looked like he didn't even care that he was within the presence of a wolf. Burke remembered that Mato talked about this King Elk figure but thought it was just some god he was praying too, now the old man realized that the King Elk actually existed.

The older male looked a bit baffled, something that was rare for Burke to experience. He had never seen such a huge and massive stag. No wonder it didn't fear the wolves. Burke kept his pale eyes on the creature, his docked tail raised and muzzle lifted to look up at the other creature.

the androgyne is not anticipating a second encounter with the god-creature after his first annointment, but it seemed fate has new designs for the burgeoning chronicler. this time he is alone - or so he thinks at first, suddenly realising the king elk's attention is not on nothing but rather on a different wolf. an older man, one of tindómë's unmet members. 

delight's gaze flicks between the elder and the - he thinks there is a word for it in mato's tongue, but he can't remember it - magnificent king of the forest. carefully the núro slips in beside the other wolf, his expression humbled, though he does not dare speak yet lest he disturb the moment's air.

hope you dont mind me snagging this! :p

Of course not! :D

Burke watched the Elk, not letting his gaze waver from the massive creature. The creature itself was not backing down either. He was still staring down at him. Burke lost the staring contest when a pack member took his place by his side. Burke was instantly distracted and glanced to the side. He realized he didn't know this wolf. Burke's gaze had moved away from the stag. The king found he won this staring contest and his dominance was brought over to the wolves. Hence why he continued his path.

Burke's pale eyes turned to the buck that was vanishing within the shadows. The older male had never seen something quite like it. His docked tail was still raised and his body was tense than normal. The older male then fully turned his body to the stranger. Perhaps it was for the best this male came around. Otherwise, he might be some piece of wolf meat hanging of those sharp antlers. "Hmm. I didn't think this 'King Elk' was that big. Guess I was wrong,"he stated and shook his head lightly. He then lifted his muzzle a bit. "Who are you? I don't think we have met?"

as always the elk-king takes its leave: delight can't help the twinge of anxiety he feels as it seems his presence is what triggers the stag's departure. but the king elk hadn't looked at him too closely this time, so - and well, anyway, he's got the attention of the older male now, and it's safe to speak.

"we haven't - i'm delight singing-sunlight," the androgyne replies, watching the man with a touch of deference. he thinks he must be related to mato somehow, and he definitely holds a higher rank than the núro, and chance meetings with the magnificent god-creature aside, delight has an opportunity to seize here. he glances after the elk-king's retreating form, and adds a touch shyly, "umyeah, it's - he's sort of magnificent, i think." his appearance must be a sign, if nothing else, for delight's plan to work. "are you related to mato?" the núro asks the gentleman, perhaps skipping several pleasantries in his haste to confirm his suspicions, but typical to the yearling is his lack of true social grace.

Burke was introduced to the male. He was quite surprised to hear his name was Delight. It sounded like a woman's name in his opinion. The older male almost had to snort in laughter if it wasn't for his stoic face. "Burke," he spoke in return. The male commented on the elk and Burke could only agree on that one. Magnificently scary, and that was coming from him.

Burke didn't think it was too forward of the male to ask. He nodded briefly. "I am Mato's Grandfather," he explained to the other. "I've lead packs before in the prime of my years and I am here to advise him," he added, rather proud of himself too. He now even had the advisor rank to prove it. "How do you know my grandson?"

oblivious as he is to burke's innermost thoughts, the androgyne can't help but fluff up a little, pleased to finally meet someone who didn't immediately mock his name. (and in truth, even if he is made known of burke's real opinion, he wouldn't find it troublesome - delight has more important things to fuss over than gender).

burke, the elder introduces himself as, and delight commits it to memory dutifully. more importantly, burke goes on to say he is an advisor, and most importantly, mato's grandfather, which makes him vital in delight's metaphorical book. in response to his question the núro says, "i met him when i first got here - mato and seabreeze - and they offered me a place in what would become tindómë." it's simple enough, but the smallest of actions do have the largest lasting effects. "i'm working on being our chronicler, since i've been here since the beginning," he explains, eager to get to his mission objective. "so i'm collecting the other founders' stories. i've already got mato's, but since you're family, you probably have more perspective - plus, um, how you came to be with tindómë, and - the other packs you've lead..?" the yearling finishes somewhat sheepishly, hoping the way his voice changed when he asks about the morwinyon isn't too obvious. either way, burke will surely be a wealth of knowledge - well, hopefully, if he's willing to indulge the chronicler.

Burke lifted his head proudly as the other wanted to know more about him. Delight had met Mato with not a very extraordinary meeting but sometimes it happened that way. Burke nodded to him briefly. "I can help you with your chronicler," he spoke to the other. Burke wondered where he should start as the other asked some key questions. He raised his docked tail before planting his butt down.

"I have not been as close with Mato as you might think. I do not have a good bond with his father, long story really. Let me start at the beginning. I was born far North from here. Once I was two and a half moons old, God so long ago, I found my own pack with my brother. When that didn't work out I searched for a new pack I heard whispers about Black Feather Woods. They still exist today. Then I climbed their ranks and made it all the way up to the alpha spot," he explained.

"I can't say much about their ranks because they are secret. I got a new mate which was not appreciated, so I then went out to found my own pack again. It was much like this one, based on trades. However, I grew older and wolves grew fewer. I decided to disband, knowing my son, Mato's Father, might have a pack I could join. Our relationship was never that good but he allowed us in. There I've met Mato but before I really got to know him he moved to another pack, a pack of youngsters. Sebastian's pack, Broken Antler Fen, had to relocate because every member was getting sick so we moved to the Caldera. They were friendly at first but when there was a food shortage they didn't allow me to eat. Mato came to visit the Caldera and told us he was founding a new pack. So I didn't think twice before joining Mato instead. I felt my knowledge could help him."

And now they were here. It was quite simple. A lot of packs but all taught him a lesson. Sometimes he did miss the brotherhood, but he knew they changed. Plus they hadn't treated him so well. "Quite a long story already, and I didn't even go into the details," he spoke.

thankfully the elder agrees to help, and relieved the boy sits back, expression alert, ready to commit whatever he needs to memory. as with mato, the key details are the easy part: blackfeather woods; a different pack based on trades; the fen mato had mentioned (lead by his father, he now notes); the caldera. though a touch disappointed at burke's professed lack of relationship with the silver prince, the details in his outline are sound. there is a legacy before tindómë in the roots of mato's family, bound by the extra souls he brought in to his home.

"ah, thanks," the androgyne says, "it's a good outline, i think." he turns it over in his head, thinking of what might be clarified, and asks: "what was the name of your pack, after blackfeather? and, wait," his voice dips, becoming incredulous, "they wouldn't let you eat?" it's a slightly delayed reaction, but he can't help the flush of - irritation, maybe something stronger, at the cruelty in that gesture: delight is a selfish brat, but he cannot imagine sanctioning letting your elders starve. (whether this thought is merely empty promise or actual praxis is better left unexamined - and anyway, mato wouldn't allow something like that!)

Burke was pleased that he helped Delight enough that he was satisfied with the outline. Burke realized that he had a lot of experience with all these packs he had been to. He quirked up his lips and then listened to the further questions the other might have. "Arthendal, but it doesn't exist anymore," he explained to the other. Burke lifted his head a bit when the male was shocked that they didn't allow him to eat back at the Caldera.

Burke shook his head. "No, normally I would protest and stand up for myself but naturally I was weakened and couldn't fight against their predicament." Burke sounded mournful. This was actually not 100% true but who cares. He came out in a better daylight with the story being told this way. "I also couldn't leave the pack because if I would be a lone wolf I would also starve. So, Mato's visit was a blessing." There, that was a good story to tell new wolves. How their new leader was a hero and a savior.

 an interesting thing about his decision to collect the stories of his pack-mates: it is hard to remain self-centered, as each piece of the broader puzzle serves to make delight feel ever smaller and more appreciative. of course these changes are slowly won, and at the moment the boy's head is still swollen from bruised ego, but he starts to feel something now. he is glad for mato, for the decision to bring his elders with him, and he is glad to talk to burke like this, though he won't admit it in such terms. he adds arthendal to his mental registry, his collection of these legacies he is a permanent outsider to, but the observer of.

it didn't really matter if burke were being truly honest or not - delight was a boy of dramatics and frankly he appreciated the mournful flair of the elder's storytelling. it made for a much better tale this way - he was right. "well," the androgyne says with a sniff, "i'm glad you're here, and they can rot." he recalls what mato's told him, and adds: "your mate is with you too, yeah? um, malice?" he did find mato's emphasis on her as burke's mate and not his grandmother interesting, though not enough to pry into it specifically. she is high on his list of priorities (which, at this point, is less a list of priorities and more just a list to go through depending on who he bumps into first. c'est la vie, delight.)

Burke couldn't agree more with the male. He was far happier in this pack than he had even been at the Caldera. Perhaps because the Caldera had been a rivaling pack of Black Feather that he never felt home there. It felt as if he was a captive or a wolf in the wrong pack. He had disliked that feeling. He had also stagnated into place. Now he was more active he was also less stiff and old in the morning. He felt better.

"Yes, correct. Malice. Arthendal was the pack we founded together after Blackfeather woods," he explained. "The location of Arthendal isn't far from here. A day travel if not less," he added. It seemed the Hinterlands would be his final resting place after all. The old male didn't see himself leaving this region again. Burke was curious what the male would think of Malice as she was far younger than him. She wasn't really old, hence why it was weird to call her grandma. She was also not Sebastian's mother.

i lost this post TWO TIMES so apologies for its declining quality

his indignant anger abates, ears perked forward as he listens to burke's reply. it is not, he thinks, his job to decide what details are insignificant - arthendal is as much a part of tindómë's history as the king elk - but of course in a way he already is, and though he preens himself as an objective observer delight is a selfish subjective gaze, same as any other. still: "maybe i should go by," he murmurs.

silver-moon eyes find the elder again, expression falling back into its regular neutrality. "thanks," he says sincerely, dipping his head in a nod. he does not want to keep the man much longer but just a few more details - "sebastian is mato's father, then?" the androgyne asks, turning over the outline in his head once more and mato had said broken antler fen as well, and so it was important. mato hadn't mentioned the sickness so the chronicler surmises he left with rannoch before the event horizon (and thank god he did). "um, you've given me a lot, that's very helpful." the núro adds after a moment, a touch hesitantly, unsure quite how to express the right sort of gratitude but hoping that will suffice.

That sucks so bad!!

Burke lifted his muzzle a bit with interest. He wondered how Arthendal was looking and if it had been claimed by someone else. He formed his lips a bit into a smile. "When you head out there let me know. I might want to join you." Burke wondered if Malice want to see the territory too. Perhaps one of their children returned there?

Burke nodded in confirmation when the other wanted to check if Sebastian was Mato's father. "Yes, he is my son and Mato's father. He lives at the Caldera now, as you know, with Benjamin and Ivy, Mato's siblings." Burke dipped his head when he was thanked by the other. "You are welcome. I think it is important new members know the whole story." Burke wouldn't mind helping with that if the chronicler needed more information.

surprise filters across his face for a moment. it'd just been an idea, a dumb one, but burke seems to like it - and it feels official, the idea of him and burke and maybe whoever else doing what is, essentially, a miniature scouting trip. for history's sake. the androgyne doesn't quite smile but he nods thoughtfully, says "i will," and means it.

he feels a twinge of something - mato's got a lot of siblings running around - delight did once but - that's neither here nor there. instead he focuses on: "it is important i think," the chronicler agrees, preening just slightly, pleased with himself for coming up with an important job for him to do. responsibility feels good on him, he thinks. he does manage a smile then: fleeting, fragile, not quite right for his face, but it's something. "um, is there anything else you think should be in the story?"

Burke was not sure if he was capable of doing the whole journey but he would like to try. He was curious. Perhaps he had more strength and stamina than he thought of himself. He dipped his head in reply to the other. A brief thank you. "Perhaps it is important," he somewhat agreed. He wasn't sure if Sebastian would give any benefit to the story. "I'm sure he will visit one day, then you can ask more stories about Mato's childhood."

Burke briefly thought about something he could add, but nothing came to him. "Nope. I guess that is it. If I think of something I will tell you." Burke liked to be a mentor and perhaps by helping Delight understand Mato's family and history he was mentoring him a bit. Even though he was stoic, Burke liked to help out his packmates.

he nods, accepting burke's final words on the subject. again he is filled with a sense of gratitude at burke's presence - at mato's forsight in bringing his elders to the pack - it's rare to have such a valuable resource at hand. "please do," delight says earnestly, "thanks for umtalking with me, burke." 

satisfied for now, the singing-sunlight takes his leave and heads off to work out the story some more.

wrappin up some older threads, ty for this one! <33

Loved this one too! <3 Lets have a new one soon!

Burke nodded. He liked the respect the male showed. He was also glad to help him. With the conversation ending and the promise of a journey Burke felt he needed to tell Malice. Perhaps she wanted to go with when he wasn't fit enough. He was certain Malice might like to find their children. Maybe one of them was lurking around their old pack. "Good day," he wished and then left to find Malice. His encounter with the King Elk momentarily forgotten.