Whitefish River hit the sunroof
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All Welcome 

Slavik ears perked up when he heard the soft trickling of a river. His tongue was dry, it was a heavy, sandpapery weight in his mouth that had been bothering him for quite some time. The area of mountains he'd recently come from had been a bit of a dry spell, and while he was used to dryer weather coming from a home on the plains, he wasn't used to so little bodies of water. Kendry had all sorts of water weaving through it, and he'd memorized where every one was at a young age. Out here he felt very lost, so that river melody was a true symphony to his ears.

He picked up the pace, starting out slower, but breaking into a sprint when the sounds of the river got louder and louder. Finally he arrived, and the sight was beautiful. The river was long and frothing, obviously unaffected by the lack of rainfall in the mountains. It cascaded elegantly over smooth river stones, the glowed silver and blue under the surface. The sunshine boy bounced towards the riverside eagerly, his tail wagging behind him as he lowered his lead to lap up his fill. The water was cool, and sent a pleasant shiver through him. Just what he needed.
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Liri was patrolling, a task that wasn't usually exciting given that they were well away from other packs and she never found any sign of danger. She preferred it this way, she'd take safe and placid if that meant the Plateau remained solely their own. 

By midday, as she came upon the cliff overlooking the Flatlands, she'd concluded that the territory was safe and decided to explore the footpaths a little better. She could see where some footpaths dissapeared into the grasslands of Kintla - her head involuntarily turned south towards the pack that had held her captive so many years ago. The fae shuddered, shaking her head to clear it of the dark memories. 

The sprite descended, her gait somewhat short and hopping given how steep the path was, her bad leg aching by the time she reached the bottom. 

Nose low to the ground, she set off down the game trail with only the whispering grass for company. 

Liri could not say how long she followed the path nor where exactly it was going - once swallowed by the grass she could only see what was immediately around her, more grass and blue sky above.

In time, her pale ears stood up alertly at the rush of a river but she had to follow the path a ways longer before reaching the source of the noise.

Finally, the grass thinned and parted to reveal the edge of the Whitefish River. 

Liri approached, not daring enough to move too close to the fast water's edge. Her gaze was drawn upwards, by what she didn't know (perhaps a flicker of his golden coat in movement off to her left) suddenly and she nearly snarled at the sight of the stranger - out of surprise more than anger.

Despite visibly startling, she managed to keep herself in check and dipped her head to the male cautiously. She chuffed softly in greeting, waiting for him to speak first.

She's long since learned to be wary of strangers, particularly those in the Flatlands, but she's not quite afraid of the golden male. She no longer fears anyone, not when the scariest monsters are found in her past.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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Slavik did not hear the woman coming over the sounds of the river, and he see her at first either. He was too wrapped up in quenching his thirst to see her ivory pelt nearby. He did however look up when he heard a voice, his head shot up and his ears perked. The woman he saw didn’t appear to be hostile, just surprised. She easily hid her initial shock and greeted him in a friendly and respectful manner. He knew it was nothing he’d done, but she must’ve just been startled by him anyway and he felt bad, so and softened his stance to show no hostility.

The young brute smiled, and obliged her want for him to initiate conversation, Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you but I know I’m kind of big and startling so I take full blame for that. He joked, I’m Slavik, nice to meet ya! he introduced himself and gave her a respectful nod. Something about her confident pose and air of nobility made him want to respect her, she just seemed important.
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The male was quick to reassure her and she felt a small smile spreading across her face, despite her efforts to keep it hidden.

He was a bit clumsy, socially at least, and it reminded her of Kenkou - a recruit back at the Plateau who was smitten for her mate. It made the stranger seem sweet, and she was inclined to treat him kindly. 

"It's alright," she answered graciously, "I'm used to big and startling males." If he could see the size of her mate, who was amusingly similarly named, even Slavik might feel small. 

"I'm Liri Tonrar," she offered, not bothering with explaining who she was beyond that. She wasn't quite comfortable with her new status as an Alpha. She had technically led the group for weeks with Kavik, yet having an official territory and rank felt queer. "It's nice to meet you as well."

"Are you passing through?" 
She gestured casually to the Flatlands with a general sweep of her pallid muzzle. The pack that had held her captive lay far to the south but beyond them, the Flatlands belonged only to her group and the wolves who occasionally traveled through. 

Liri found herself drawn to the plains below their plateau often, usually in search of prey. She was beginning to map the land in her mind and there wasn't much the tracker missed. She was keen on keeping tabs on any threats in the area and though Slavik didn't seem dangerous, he was a stranger and she would be watching to see how long he remained near her home.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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Slavik was indeed a bit socially clumsy, he was still learning the ropes. Being a year old, and only ever around his family members and pack mates up until recently, meeting new people and introducing himself had never been a skill he'd had a chance to practice. Back then, he was just friends with everyone because he'd basically known everyone since birth, and it was all comfortable and familiar to him. But this was different; the wolves, the places, everything was new and exciting and it all felt very ephemeral. He wasn't sure whether or not he liked the short lived interactions yet, or whether he preffered stability. For now it was just new, and he was trying his damned best to get it down.

Liri was making the conversation very easy so far, she was polite and friendly and so he felt at ease. She commented that she was used to big and startling males, and Slavik briefly wondered who she was talking about. He'd noticed right away that she had a pack scent on her, so this comment led him to believe that wherever she lived had a bunch of big hunkin men. An unlikely and naiive thought, but Slavik rolled with it.

She offered her name, Liri Tonrar, then asked if he were passing through. His sunlit gaze followed her muzzle as she gestured around them.

Yeah. I've been moving pretty fast so I shouldn't be here too long. He replied, looking back to her with a slight look of disappointment in his eyes. This was a quite beautiful area, and his legs were tired and recently he'd been parched. The idea of getting back on the road so soon wasn't a pleasant one, but at the same time his heart itched for further adventure. Slavik always followed his heart, thus his plan was to work himself so hard that by the time he was too fatigued to continue, he'd have seen everything this land had to offer.
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She nodded her head silently at his answer. She was privately pleased, she didn't relish a lone wolf so close to the plateau, but she knew that this was only because she was territorial and kept it hidden. 

"Well, if you should ever decide to head back this way and settle with a pack, feel free to come to our borders," she offered. He seemed capable, kind. Liri would have gladly given him a place in their ranks, if he so wished it.

"We're that plateau up there," she gestured to the distant but visible cliff, the forest a dark splotch on top of the plateau. 
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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Liri's offer was tempting, and Slavik had to restrain his weary subconscious from taking control and ending his adventure. While he was sure there would be excitement in joining a new pack, he still yearned to see what else the world had to offer. Though the option would not be forgotten. I appreciate that! I may very well come back and take you up on it, but for now I'm going to keep exploring. He said with a polite grin.

He followed her gesture to a distant plateau, dark trees barely visible but clearly present on top. He found himself very interested in the forest above the others, how amazing it must be to look out from up high every day. He'd been through the mountains on the way here, but he was used to plat and hilly plains. The plateua looked like a towering vista from his point of view, and he wondered if one day he truly would return and sit atop it, like a king on his throne.

With awe in his eyes, he turned back to Liri as he spoke, Do you live with family? Or did you join your pack as a lone wolf? He asked, wondering if she knew what it was like. He knew he would eventually settle down with a pack, perhaps she could give some insight as to what it's like being the new guy.
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"You're welcome," she offered, smiling at his exuberant response. "I understand. Teekon is beautiful," she spoke from experience - having travelled through the wilds twice in her short life. It had taken her whole life - or most of it - to find Kavik, the plateau, and happiness.

As Slavik gazed with awe on the plateau, she followed his gaze, feeling a fierce stab of pride that she could call it home. "Both. Neither," she grinned wryly as she turned back to him. How could she begin to explain her story in Teekon, that she had done both once upon a time? How to explain the many packs she had been and the means of joining them: by being forced into marriage, being held captive, arriving nearly dead on the borders.

"Come back someday and I may tell you the whole story." Omitting the grief, her rape, her times being held and tortured, and the loss of her children obviously. 

"This pack though, I founded with my mate and our friend," she explained with a fond grin as she thought of Kavik and Grezig. 

"There are a number of things to see in Teekon, other packs you'll probably meet. If you should head south, avoid the other pack in the Flatlands," she warned him suddenly.

Liri had no way of knowing the wolves who had tortured her no longer resided within Blackfeather Woods. Nor did she have any way of knowing that their numbers were so low, unlikely to threaten anyone. She just knew that she didn't want Slavik to end up in the caves that haunted her dreams.
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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Liri was very pleasant, she seemed so calm and confident and he admired that in her. He too was confident, but not in the same soft spoken manner. She was the kind of woman who need say little to say enough. She didn't go into depth about herself, but she expressed enough for him to know that it was a long story kept for ones perhaps closer to her. He accepted that respectfully, returning her wry grin with a grin and nod of his own.

When she said that she founded the pack, Slavik found himself feeling embarassed. She was a leader and he hadn't even known! He felt suddenly that he should be showing her more respect, as his parents would've demanded he do for them. That's amazing! My parents were the alphas of my old pack, I always thought it would be fun to lead. But I get that it's probably time consuming too, he said, stopping himself from rambling further.

The next thing she brought up was a warning, about another pack in the flatlands. She seemed very serious about this, and it spurned Slavik's curiosity. Are they dangerous? he asked, trying to imagine what kind of wolves could be so notorious that the nearby packs urge loners against going there.
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"I suppose it can be fun," she agreed with a light smile. It could be, when she hunted with her wolves or they were all together in a group. "But it is mostly responsibility," she continued. Much of her experience with leadership was making sure important tasks got done and making sure everyone was happy and healthy. 

"Yes," she answered gravely. "If you should find yourself at the borders and smell the scent of death: run. They mark them with the body parts of those who have crossed them. You'll know if and when you find it," she shuddered, hoping he had the wits to stay far away.

this information is out-dated, BFW no longer marks their border like this. Liri is unaware of that IC though and she warned him as if they still do :)
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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But it is mostly responsibility. Slavik nodded to this thoughtfully, and briefly his thoughts wandered away from Liri, and to what it might’ve been like to stay on the plains and become leadership like his parents had hoped. Would he be happy and successful at leading and caring for his pack? Or would the responsibility that Liri spoke of swallow him whole? Whether or not he’d originally thought it “would be fun”, he couldn’t deny that one of the reasons he’d agreed to leave Kendry Plains was because he feared taking on the responsibility expected of him. He’d wanted more freedom. He felt guilty about leaving, but still hoped that he’d made the right choice.

He was pulled back to reality when she fed his curiosity about this other pack in the flatlands. Her grave words sent a shiver down Slavik’s spine, the body parts of those who crossed them?! His nose screwed up in disgust at the very idea of a border marked with such macabre detail. Thanks for the warning, I’ll make sure to head back through the mountains up north, just to be sure, he assured her. Feeling the thirst in his mouth again, he bent down to lap at the rivers edge again.

that’s fine ;)
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Liri could see that her words had invoked a rather disgusted response and the healer was glad she had warned him. One less victim for the dark shadows that had marked her with their teeth - proof the hazy memories had been real. 

"That's wise of you," she murmured, distracted by the distant clouds. They were heavy and grey and spoke of rain to come. Liri turned back to the male, sensing that their conversation was drawing to its end. "It's been a pleasure chatting with you but I must get home," she told Slavik with a smile and a dip of her head towards the clouds. It would be smart of the loner to find shelter as well, if he didn't want to get soaked that was. "Goodbye Slavik, I hope you enjoy Teekon's many beauties," the fae said in farewell as she turned, her pale tail swaying above her flanks as she disappeared into the grass.

She left the river behind and it was not long before the sound of the rushing waters and the scent of the lone wolf faded away as well. The Alpha loped back to the plateau in silence, slowing to a walk when she needed to as her leg was sore from the extra loads of work it had been getting recently. The footpaths led her back onto her home and the ranks of the dark forest soon concealed her snowy pelt from sight as the first droplets of rain began to fall.

thanks for the thread!
"i'll keep you here when I lose my mind."
 
 
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thank you! It was fun <3

The white furred female  began to say goodbye, and Slavik was bit remorse to leave. Her company had been nice, but like they’d discussed earlier; she was a leader and her responsibility was great. He knew she had better things to do than speak with a lone wolf. He dipped his head as a respectful goodbye, Thank you, and I hope your plateau doesn’t get too wet! he joked with a hum. Then he started to turn to leave, Catch you round, he said as they both walked away.

Slavik of course got caught out in the rain, but after that talk and a lot of contemplation he felt a renewed sense of adventure. The traipsed through the rain with his head held high and his back end swaying with the storms rhythm, and looked for the rainbow that would come up above.
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