Hoshor Plains tsujigiri

strengthening the borders of the blossoming herding village, masa spends most of his days following tasks instead of lounging. besides, it gave him a chance to check whenever he was alone.

but today, he's left with no response.

Hope it's okay that we forward-date this to today. If not, please let me know and I'll edit accordingly!

The scent of wolves wafted slow over the fields. He thought that if he could find the nameless boy again, he would tell his tenuous compatriot about this nascent group. (Little did Gavrel know, Drusk had been wounded at an altercation near this very pack's borders.)

He doubted that there were many of them -- the smell was thin in numbers and the borders felt almost porous. He might have been a fool, but he was not suicidal and so did not test them.

When he caught a glimpse of the dark knife-blade of a man, he hung back and projected a low rumble through the whispering chaff, ruffled by a passing breeze.

ur good!

a blonde man, mangled by nature, parts the grass of the meadows. masa sees it from the corner of his eyes, and quickly makes haste.

he does not come baring his fangs, but he returned the rumble with his own.
are you passing? you are very close to yellowstone's borders. any further and i will have to escort you.
his voice, stern but collected, breaks through the wind with its might so that the stranger may hear it.

The pack-beast is no-nonsense and cuts straight to the bone of it. His pack was lucky to have someone like him, someone whetted by ultra-competence, maybe no familial ties to soften his life or compromise his allegiance. Just a salaryman with sharp teeth.

No harm, he blurted out, eyeing the man's honed muscle, his towering height. I mean no harm. Gavrel had fancied himself a capable fighter with a penchant for bending the rules to his advantage, but he doubted that even this would stymie the man if it came to blows.

Is your Yellowstone recruiting?

not mine. but they are. i cannot promise anything, but i may take you to the leaders if you wish to join.
masa stood and scrutinized the man. he had been chosen for his size. 
the man in front of him was just a bit smaller, but still had an impressive size. he believed it would be manageable for @Arktos and @Nephele , but alas masa has no say in the comes and goings of yellowstone.

As soon as the question left his mouth, he thought to himself, stupid!

Not once did he think before he spoke, despite all the chastising, despite the embarrassing and sometimes physically painful consequences. He squeezed his eyes shut, berating himself. Better to reject than to be rejected. But was that even true?

You think you could be a pack wolf? You can't even take care of yourself!

A small part of him snidely answered: well, that's the point, isn't it.

Gavrel barked out a brusque sorry! before turning tail and running.

Let the man think him insane and erratic. It wasn't too far from the truth.

the strange man doesn't even entertain masa's offer and scampers off.

the samurai's eyes follow after him, but his body remains firmly planted within yellowstone's border.

coward.