Alpine Lake Hanging memories on the high line poles
Ghost
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#1
All Welcome 
He'd promised to stick around, so stick around he did.  After briefly looking for Fern and not finding her, he hunkered down near a nice quiet little lake in a mountain's shadow.  He wasn't keen on the idea of being fettered here for good, but he'd stay long enough for this to die down, to take another visit, and to sort out what the hell came next.

The idea of going north didn't sit well; he'd seen some of the packs up there and honestly wasn't up to the task of convincing anyone why he should be allowed a place in their ranks.  That shit got old real quick; he'd had five years of it and nothing much to show. It was the start of summer; maybe he'd hoof it solo for a while.  That kinda appealed.  Range like he always had and see what turned up.

This lack of plan satisfied his need for a plan, and he stretched in the patch of sun he'd found before reclining for a quick snooze.  Damn he loved summer.
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it had been a nice journey, save the shadow of undersea following him like a pair of eyes, everywhere he went. maybe that was why he turned away from the coast, today, trekking instead to the mainland--a place he so often loathed. well, no. loathed wasn't the correct word; it certainly wasn't to his preference, though.

with a short farewell to dawn, adi trotted south, toward the mountains. he'd seen this range up close on his two separate visits to moonspear, but even on his third viewing, the crags were still daunting--much higher than the ones that had cradled the plateau. this was a smaller slope, and he ascended it well, only puffing a little as he came to a beautiful clear lake.

licking slightly dry lips, aditya bent and lapped at the water, grateful to end his thirst. it wasn't long, though, before he felt on edge, and knew he was not alone. his eyes landed upon a burly male, dozing in the sun, not so far away from where he stood.

with a wary chuff, aditya waited for the man to open his eyes, after which he'd give the stranger a polite nod. perhaps even introductions could be made.
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Colt, even dozing, heard the man approach.  He hadn't survived bouncing about this long for nothing; sleeping soundly wasn't really a thing he did anymore.  But he didn't open his eyes until the other made a sound, as if wishing to get acquainted or needing something.  Then he cracked one and turned it to him questioningly.

"Got a problem or just feeling friendly?" He asked, his voice amicable despite the interruption and the somewhat frank words.  He didn't bother getting up just yet.
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adi's lips curved in a wry smile, the curt words not putting him off too badly, and he dipped his head in greeting. "definitely the latter," he assured the male, his tail giving a single wag. "i also didn't want to intrude, if this is your home." he remembered the reddish man in the mountain cave all too well; he didn't want a repeat of that incident, especially since this fellow was well-built and battle-tested, by his looks.

he sized him up without malice, eyes raking over the warrior body for merely a second before he spoke again. "my name is aditya," he introduced himself with a small bow of his muzzle. his smile grew wry. "is this your home?" he did seem quite comfortable here, but that could just be his nature. he was about grayday's age, and he carried a scent that seemed vaguely familiar to aditya's nose.
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Colt shook his head dismissively. "For now, yeah, but I don't claim it.  Intrude away," he said, with an exansive gesture, before rolling into a more upright position.  "Aditya, eh?  Colt.  Local vagabond, of recent."  The introduction was one he'd used frequently in the past, and it flowed rather easily from him.  "You a wanderer too, or just passing through?"
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he quite liked the man; he was easygoing and charming, the sort of wolf he'd find himself hanging around when he was a loner on the coast. aditya found himself relaxing in his presence, slowly letting down his guard. his introduction piqued his interest, and his lips pursed, as if he were about to interrupt, but he waited until colt had finished speaking before jumping in.

"just passing through," he confirmed, smiling. "on a scouting trip from my pack to the northeast. haven't been down this far since before i came to these lands." adi cocked his head at colt, his question surfacing once more. "'of recent'? where were you staying before?"
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speaking of accents in discord....

The other fellow seemed to relax a bit, which was good, because if Colt was gettin his vacay on he didn't need any stress coming his way.  This other man was a pack wolf, then, just exploring out.  "Northeast, eh?  I was a part of a group south of this little spot.  Till I pissed off the leadership, that is."  He smiled and shrugged.  Likely Auditya could work out the rest.

"That's an interesting way of speaking you have.  Where'd you come from before?"  Colt was a loner at heart, but when he came across others, he did enjoy a good conversation.  This fellow seemed friendly enough, a good diversion for the day.
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south. aditya paused for a moment, trying to think. "moonspear?" he asked, thinking of the imperious dark alpha female, her entrancing daughter. "sorry--don't mean to pry. that's just the only group i think of close to here, and i'm somewhat familiar with their leaders."

he smiled at the question. "i was alone for a long while before coming here, but i spent the first few months of my life with my mother, and then another few moons past that with my uncle. they spoke a different language than wolves do here. down south." he flicked his tail, completing the abridged version of his origin story.
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"Nah, group called Redhawk."  He stretched a little, feeling a kink in his shoulder that caused him to rise to sitting.  This brought him more to the other fellow's level anyway, which was better.  "We haven't been there long.  Well, they now."  No longer we.

He was friendly in talkin of his past too, which was good.  Colt was similar... he saw no point in hiding things that happened, and wolves who were dodgy about it he tended not to trust.  "Bet it's killer with the ladies," he said with an appreciative smile, a touch envious.  Sure he had the looks, the swagger, and the killer personality.  But there was a touch of mystery in the foreign, and Colt was as basic to this area as you got.  If you could call a Blackthorn basic that is.  "My fam is from the south too, though I don't think that far.  So I guess more west." He thought on it.  Actually he didn't really know specifically... just an approximate route.  (Starr doesn't know either and is too lazy to ask Stevie.)
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adi laughed, eyes glimmering as he shrugged. "i do okay," he said, with a modest bow of his head. that wasn't really important; what was important was the name colt had dropped. "redhawk? so they've moved over here, then?" it was a ways from the caldera, but not out of the realm of possibility. he wondered why they had relocated; their alpha male had mentioned that they'd been there a long time.

"i met a young man from redhawk, a moon or two ago," aditya remarked, thinking of his brief encounter with the boy. "he said his name was tegan--he was visiting a wolf from our pack." his stomach churned as he thought of easy. she had been away for a while. aditya had kept his eye out for her as they'd traveled down the coast, but to no avail--no sign of the girl.

but perhaps-- "speaking of that, have you seen a girl around tegan's age, down here? dark brown, big for her age. her name is easy." it was worth a try. perhaps if she was hanging around the redhawks, adi could convince her to come home. they had been on shaky terms since that fated scouting trip, and she wouldn't be happy to share the road with dawn and him. . .

but it was worth a try.
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Oh, he knew about them?  "They have," he said, and he didn't have to wait long for an explanation on how he was aware.  Ah, so Tegan had visited them.  Colt knew the boy had some pack ties that had caused him problems with Towhee, but he'd never really gotten the specifics on it.

"My nephew, eh?  He's a character, but definitely family."  Colt laughed, shaking his head.  He was heavily fond of Tegan, who he saw a lot of himself in.... likely much to Finley's dismay.  All the better.  "I haven't, though that's quite a name.  Likely not one I'd forget.  She missing?"  His tone grew a tad more serious on the final note... if she was missing, that wasn't a good sign, and he felt for the man.
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he smiled. he hadn't seen much of tegan, but from what he had seen, he knew the boy to be one of character. very much like easy. his smile faded, though, as colt confirmed he hadn't run into easy down here; he had hoped for a lead on her location, but it seemed he would have to continue looking and asking.

"yes, she's been gone for a moon or two," aditya responded, lips firming as he thought on it. since they had quarreled, he hadn't seen much of the girl, so he was shaky on the timeline of her disappearance. "she's very independent--but she doesn't stray for long. this is the longest she's been gone since i've known her."

his shoulders rose and fell in a shrug, a resigned sigh slipping from his lips. "thanks anyway, though. got any plans, yourself?" he wondered where the man was headed. back to other family members, outside the redhawk pack? or perhaps he'd stay alone, wandering through the wilds. it was summer, and prey was plentiful; colt would likely do just fine.
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Hmm... could be she had decided to move on, or could be she'd run into trouble.  He hoped for both their sakes it was the former.  "I'll keep an eye out as I go, let her know you are lookin if I see her."  He had a sudden recollection to when he'd told Elwood the exact same thing, hearing about their missing pup.  He'd never seen her either.  

"I'll likely head south again.  Know a place that might take me, if I decide to once colder weather comes."  Much as lone life appealed now, he was older.  His likelihood of surviving a harsh winter solo was extremely slim.
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"thank you," aditya said, gratitude palpable in his voice. he was very fond of easy, and his worry for her had increased each and every day she hadn't returned home. if she was lost, he hoped she had found a safe place to stay. maybe she'd find her way home eventually. "i appreciate it very much."

he nodded, understanding. it was precisely why he had joined morningside in the first place. injured and exhausted from his battle with the sea, he knew he hadn't a chance in hell of getting through the winter alone. dawn and pema had been like sirens, drawing him in. for this man's sake, aditya prayed he found his pair of sirens as well.

he glanced the way he'd came, aware of the time slipping by. "i must get back; i left my mate on the coast," adi said, smiling. he bowed his head. "very nice to meet you, colt. best of luck." his plumed tail waving behind him, he turned and took off, headed back toward the sea.
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"To you too," he said after, watching him leave.  Maybe he'd look his way, if he decided not to return elsewhere this winter... he could likely hang in a pack with that dude, depending as always on the leadership.  He'd definitely keep an eye out for the girl he spoke of in any event.

Ah well, back to the napping.