Blacktail Deer Plateau I'm just making sure

For the second time in his life, Gunnar approached the edge of the plateau. He did not pass the borders, no her merely sat near them and waited. His mother had told him that the female Osprey had come back, and that she had been worried for her. His mother had also told him that she had offered his services to make srue she was okay. However, they had been declined, well he did what any foolhardy and stubborn youth would do. He went anyway, so there he sat waiting silently. The thought of the bay was stifling one of late. He couldn't find his niche there, but not for want of trying.

He was just restless. He did not want the outrider trade, he still wanted his warrior, healer and gamekeeper, but he just couldn't quite gain them. He needed to step up his game. He let out a small howl, one for information and then he waited. He wondered if he'd see the pretty she wolf with the strange markings, or if a new wolf would show their face this time.

i almost wanted to leave this for Saena :P but she can join if she likes!

Dante heard his call and, as usual, made an instant effort to respond. When he got there, it was not an adult he saw, as expected, but rather an older child. His call had been one for information, not acceptance, so he approached warily, wondering what he could possibly wish to know.

That wondering became clear when his pack's scent hit Dante, the same one Junior had worn on her return. Instantly Dante's posture relaxed, and a friendly smile was given. "You are of Stavanger, Ragnar's holding, yes?" He asked to make sure, though the answer was rather clear.

Osprey had not forgotten Thistle's offer for someone to accompany her and, even though she had declined it, she had had a feeling that the alpha female of the bay would want to make sure that she had made her way home safely. And she wasn't wrong, because few days after her return to the plateau, there was a voice of the stranger calling at the borders, when she happened to be nearby.

Feeling protective and curious at the same time, she left her mice hunting spot and leaped towards the borders. She slowed her step, when she saw that Dante was already there, speaking to a young wolf. Osprey stopped few steps behind her leader and watched the stranger.

Gunnar quickly averted his eyes from the other's face as his father had taught him. He wagged his tail once. He nodded once Yes I am Gunnar his son. My mother told me that Miss. Osprey would be coming home. So I came to make sure she made it home safely is all sir.

His ears went forward at the footfalls of another and he dipped his muzzle to the female. He hadn't spoken with her, but he knew her at least on sight and smell. Hello Miss Osprey. Mom told me that you declined to have me follow, but I wanted to make sure you were okay anyway.

Dante's tail waved as Gunnar confirmed, and he made to ensure the boy knew his presence here was more than alright. "Well met, Gunnar. Your pack and family have done much for our own. For that I thank you, and one day soon hope to tell your father and mother the same." He looked back when Osprey approached, smile not breaking, though he stepped back a bit to allow her to come forward.

Before he allowed them to catch up, he adressed Gunnar once more. "You have traveled far. We have food enough, you are welcome to partake of some before heading back. It is the least we can do." True winter was in force and they needed to look after their own, but he would not send this boy off without doing all he could when his family had so recently done the same for Osprey.

Osprey moved closer, but waited for Dante to finish. Gunnar was growing to be a handsome boy - she could recognize familiar traits of Thistle in his features and recalling the kind-hearted leader of the bay made her smile sincerely at the boy. "You are a brave fellow," she told him, meaning it, "I feel honored." No joke or sarcasm here - Osprey had been on her own so often during the past months that she had forgotten, how it felt to be cared for by someone. Even more, when this someone was an acquaintance.

"And I can only agree with Dante's invitation to stay for a while," she told him, part of her wishing to get to know him better, the other - admitting the possibility that he would decline the offer. "I can show you around, if you wish so."

Gunnar looked at them both, wondering if the female studied him because he saw his mother or because his saw his father Crete in his face. His mother had told him he bore the mask that his biological father had worn though different colors. As far as he was concerned Ragnar was his father, but he couldn't deny that he had a different biological father.

Gunnar warred with indecision for a moment, but his manners dictated his actions. I will gladly stay for awhile. And I would be glad to have you show me around Miss Osprey. He flicked his tail once and smiled at both of them, dipping his head in thanks.

"Stay as long as you like. And again, thank you." With a nod of farewell, he dismissed himself to go about his business once more. Osprey could show him about as she liked, and hopefully he would find something in the caches to his liking.

He had no qualms about letting Gunnar stay until he wished to leave. He seemed a respectful wolf and besides, he doubted he would take advantage and overstay his welcome. This was not his home, after all, and his family dwelt on the bay. It was likely he would return fairly soon.

Dante gave his permission and dismissed himself, even though Osprey would have liked him to stay here for a bit longer. Being a king of the forest, however, had it's demands and duties - she watched him walk off and then turned her attention to the young fellow that had remained standing here. He had seemed like a very fine young wolf up until now and she believed that they would have a good time together.

"So... first things first - the plateau are quite unoriginal in a sense that we don't have a religion here," Osprey began. "Not like you do - so the life here probably is a bit less exciting," she said with a grin. "Since you knew, where to go, I presume that you have been here already, haven't you?"

Gunnar watched the other male walk away and he for a moment thought of his father.They were a bit alike the two males. Both so full of duty and protecting their pack lands. Males to strive to be like, he would remember that male, though he was a little less savage than his father.

Gunnar chuckled softly Not everyone follows Norse religion in the bay. Just my family. We allow others if they want too, but father is pretty lenient. He won't force his beliefs on anyone, well accept maybe us, his pups. He smiled at that small admission, it was true though. His father didn't give them much choice, now if they chose to follow something different when they were older, he didn't think his father would care.

Gunnar nodded his head Been here twice before and passed through one time when i was looking for Peregrine to ask him some questions about his brother Crete. The two times I was here at the borders I wanted Junior, just to talk to her. She's like my sister. I only met Junior here once though, the other time i came to see her, but she was gone. I met another girl Saena was her name. Gunnar knew it was more information than she had asked, but he didn't want others' thinking he was just lurking at the borders for no good reason.

Osprey smiled at the very thought of Ragnar being this tough and demanding dad, making his kids recite the "Rules of Odinn" (they did not exist, she had come up with them on the spot) every morning. Or making them attend fancy rituals in the middle of the night and telling the importance of them to a bunch of kids that were half-asleep. Amusing thoughts and not the ones to reveal to anyone.

The next thing that Gunnar said had a very odd effect on Osprey. Her expression changed from happy to a confused one with a great deal of saddness too. First - for the mention of Peregrine, who was now lost to her - and then at the mention of Crete. It had not been easy to do it, but she had let him go eventually. Yet hearing his name and that someone, for unknown reasons, had been looking for him, brought back painful memories.

However, she collected herself and after a bit of hesitation asked Gunnar a question that was of importance to her: "Why were you looking for Crete?"

Gunnar offered a smile in return. Though he didn't know the reason for her smile, he repeated it all the same. He remembered the daily lessons as he was growing. He hadn't had many since then, but he remembered them well. And he held them close to his own vest, to share with others and to keep himself on the straight and narrow.

Gunnar stared at her for a moment and then as straightforward as he always was. He's my biological dad. Ragnar's my father, he's my father in every way that counts and he knows that. The only thing that ties me to Crete and to Peregrine is blood and Peregrine made sure to point that out. I mean it doesn't really matter that he told me that, I knew it anyway. I was just curious of him, i wanted to know why he'd leave my mom like he did. She's a okay wolf, I just don't understand that completely. He wasn't meaning to be cruel to his mother, he was merely saying why he had sought out Peregrine. He hadn't wanted to be brought into his family, he just was curious as to why Crete left them. It didn't really matter anymore, he was pretty much over it. Granted yea it helped to pave the future for his ways and his morals, but other than that it wasn't much different.

Why was it always so that the days, when sensational news would be found out or something extraordinary was going to happen, began like every other. Not a single warning, not a single moment, which would indicate that something would change. Osprey wondered all of this at the exact moment, when Gunnar announced that Crete - her brother - was his father. Her first reaction was to ask all "hows" and "whys", but she realized that the kid would not be able to answer them. The next - failure to understand, why had Peregrine kept this from her?

Now what to do? Peregrine had made it clear that he had wanted no business with this branch of the family. Should Osprey do the same? Tell the truth and then leave it at that? Or keep silent? For she had learned that sometimes telling the truth, taking a role of a relative meant responsibility and eventually hurt feelings. This was the case with Saena - even though Osprey saw no reason for being hated and disowned - she kept wondering, if she had never told that the girl was actually related to the Redleaf-DiSarinno branch by blood, would things be different.

Eventually she decided to say something and leave it up to Gunnar to decide, what he wanted to do with this information. "Crete was Peregrine's and my brother," she said eyeing her companion's expression carefully. "I don't know, what Peregrine told you about him, but he disappeared from here one day and we never found his tracks, so we don't know, whether he left on his own choice or something bad happened to him."

Gunnar could not answer any questions about his biological father, not even that; more like his sperm donor. He wasn't going to be disrespectful like that though in front of an adult. He could however had answered the one about Peregrine. As far as Peregrine was concerned, yea they shared blood. But that was it, they weren't family, they weren't close. Ragnar was his father, and it didn't matter who had helped to make him.

Frankly Gunnar could take em or leave em. He didn't really care if they wanted to acknowledge him, sure it was nice he supposed if they had. But there was so much disgust with his father, that it didn't really matter. And then Saena had told him the others were all the same, they all left. Did he really want to say they were his blood? That he belonged to their brother biologically at least? No not really, but he also wasn't going to be a total jerk about it. It wouldn't bother him if she decided hey i want nothing to do with you get the hell away from me. He would just move on and just visit Junior if she ever came back and Saena on occasion.

Gunnar blinked for a moment and shuffled a little embarrassed, he had forgotten that Crete had a sister. He should have known that though. He had been told by someone he thought? or maybe not who knew really. He licked his muzzle for a moment, He told me that Crete wasn't my father Ragnar is. Which I could have told him that myself. Told me we were shared blood sure, but I wasn't a redleaf-disarriono or how you say that I'm sorry I don't know how to pronounce it but I'm a lodbruk. He told me he respected my dad for taking us even though he knew we weren't his. And yea that was pretty much it. he shrugged his shoulders, his girth showing the signs of a large boy, though not tall. Oh and that it was out of character for your brother to knock up my mom and leave and that it was a choice. We shouldn't turn out like him, my brother and sister and i, because it was a choice.

Now Peregrine hadn't spared words in expressing his disappointment in Crete and his doings, but he was true about one thing - it didn't look like the person they knew. She had always seen him as their father a bit - quiet, intelligent, loyal and polite - but there probably was a big difference from what she could read and what he actually thought or felt. Could this mean that they hadn't known their sibling that well at all?

Yet - it probably didn't occur to Gunnar at this point - but it always took two to make the third. A male couldn't just go around and "knock up" everyone they wanted or fancied, there always had to be a willing female too. Having experienced the madness of the heat herself, she knew, how very attracted the opposite sex had been to her, how hard it had been to resist the temptation sometimes. Only the knowledge that any children of her would be killed at birth had kept her from giving in. She didn't tell this to Gunnar though, he would not understand.

"I am a little sad that Peregrine turned you away the way he did, but he was right in a way about, what he said. It's your choice, whether you acknowledge this part of your bloodline or not," Osprey said, carefully seeking out the right words. "However, if you ever have a wish to know more about this "other part", I would be glad to tell you about it. I don't want to force you a relationship you probably do not want or need, but I would like to be your friend, if you let me," she gave him a questioning look, but not expecting a positive answer.

Gunnar knew virtually nothing about Crete. He knew that the man had sired him, and he knew he had been considered good. However, he also knew that he had hurt his mother, and perhaps she had hurt him too.

Gunnar also knew that his mother did not deny her flaws. She owned up to her mistakes and she accepted the consequences. He had heard of how they had told the pack, how she had accepted everything onto herself. How there had been rules in place. He knew all this, and he respected his mother and father for it. And he owed a debt of gratitude to the wolf Pump, though he couldn't really remember her. Having died when he was very young.

Gunnar smiled at her, I'm always looking for friends. Miss Osprey. And I don't object ot knowing more, I just hope that you and any others can respect the fact that Ragnar is my father. He has raised me, and I will strive to be like him. He shifted his feet self consciously, hoping he didn't upset her with his words.

"There is a saying that goes like this - "It takes little to become a father, but it takes a lot of effort to have someone call you dad"," Osprey told him, wondering, whether he would get the idea and understand the meaning behind her words. She wanted to assure him that she understood his situation completely and that she had no arguments about, who was the real father or why should it be so.

"I believe that Ragnar has been your father in all the aspects that Crete has never been," she continued. For a moment an idea of, what would Crete have done, had he known that he had fathered a litter of three. Would he have chosen to stay with Thistle? Would they live here then? Or maybe... he wouldn't care. She would never find out and it was probably a good thing. "So he has earned his place in your life fully, therefore I respect your choice, Gunnar," she assured him.

Gunnar chewed on the words for a few moments, trying to digest them. He had to smile when he finally got the jest of it. yes I believe that. it was true wasn't it. It wasn't that hard to get a female pregnant, well it was, but not as hard as raising the kids.

Gunnar chuckled and nodded Thanks. So what do you like to do? he was curious about those around him and since they were technically family in a weird way, well he wanted to know about her. He wanted to know if some of his nuances were normal, or if they were entirely learned. Or what if some of hte stuff he liked was because of whose blood he had running through his veins.

"Me? I like to do a lot of things," Osprey pounced at the subject, glad that Gunnar had chosen such an easy topic to talk about. Plus, his interest in her seemed genuine not something he did out of politeness or just because he wanted to please her, in order to get away as fast as possible.

"I am story-teller-weaver. I seek knowledge," she told the first defining thing of Osprey that came to her mind. If asked, she couldn't tell, if this trait was running in the family or whether she was the black sheep. At her time at the Flightless Falcons there had been many wolves that had known a story or two and had enjoyed listening to them, but none had ever been as avid as her.

"I am a bit of a wanderer too - there is a rare, but existant trait of "wanderlust" in the family. It's the inner pull that you have to go, that you have to see, what the world has to offer. You can't fight it, you just have to go," she explained it the best she could.

He chuckled Me too. I had planned on gamekeeper, healer and warrior, but now AI think I may seek the outrider. I am away from home more than I am home. He grew quiet sharing his interests as best he could. He loved to hunt, he loved adventures, and he loved to meet new wolves.

Gunnar smiled Dad tells some awesome stories about Vikings. HE knows all the stories about the gods and stuff. He smiled at the thought of his dad. His mother knew stories too, but his dad held the boys curiosity tightly when he spoke. His attention never wavered, perhaps it was because his dad didn't talk to much.

Gunnar was surprised, Well thats got to be part of my blood then. Because I cannot stay still. I've been all over, and there so much more to see. I'll be glad to learn some more.

"I had a chance to speak with your mom about Norse religion a bit. She knows quite a lot, if we compare it to me, who kne nothing," Osprey chuckled. Surely, it would have been great to hear about the Norse gods from Ragnar himself, but he seemed more a man of duty than one to waste his words to quench curiosity.

"Then we have something in common," she was happy to have found something that bound them together. "Tell me more of where you have been so far, what have you seen?" she asked.

Gunnar smiled and nodded his head yea mom learned about them for dad. She converted to vikings too. She's a shield-maiden. He smiled again, he loved both his parents they had both given up a lot for him and his siblings. His mother had given up her dignity and pride and begged for their lives. His father had raised them knowing they were not his.

Gunnar frowned, Well I stick mostly to the beach so far and the surrounding area. But i've been here 3 times, and the caldera or right before the caldera. I want to head towards the mountains next and maybe near a pack called the creek.

"A shield-maiden - well, that one sounds like a tough title to have," Osprey nodded, briefly having an image of fragile looking Thistle cloud all ready for a battle. Unlikely though. Maybe "the shield" meant that her main task was not going in a battle, but protect her family? Shielding them courageously from all danger and harm? That appeared more possible.

"Then you are a more experienced traveler than me - I tend to stick around this area and I go for longer travels only, when it is absolutely neccessary for my own sake or - like the last time - when I get in an accident," she explained. When he mentioned going over the mountains to see a pack called The Creek, Osprey felt a sudden pang of longing. The very idea, though reckless and dangerous, sounded very tempting. She wanted to be on the road again and at the same time she realized that this was not possible. She was not free to go everywhere she wanted on a whim. She was needed at the plateau.

"When you do make that journey - please, stop by and tell, how it went, ok? I would like to hear about the packs that live on the other side of the mountain range," she asked politely.

Gunnar smiled It means she's a battle maiden. She will fight with the men if we ever have a war or something like it. My mom is a spitfire when she's angry. You should hear her and my dad fight. If anyone can keep him in line she can. He gave a lopsided smile, I think dad lets her get away with it though just cause.

Gunnar shrugged, I don't know why I travel so much. I mean I decided when I was little that I wanted to be a gamekeeper, a warrior and a healer, but I'm finding out that I love to travel. So I may have to put one of those behind me and take up the outrider trade. I hope my dad won't be too disappointed.

I'll tell you. I'll have to check in with my parents first, but then I'll come back this way. You traveled far away? Yea that wasn't cool, I'm sorry you got hurt.

"Being an outrider isn't such a bad trade or waste of time, in my opinion," Osprey commented and momentarily thought that she could go for that in terms of earning trades. In that case she would have a valid reason to go on journeys often. On the other hand - probably most of the time it would be done in connection of a duty and set dead-lines for a return. Would a freedom loving bird like she was could stick with it? It was easy to see her as a messanger, who gets lost for a month or two, before bringing back the news that the leader had required.

"Our minds change about a lot of things as we grow up," she knew this from experience. "I once wanted to be a fairy, a dragon hunter and have a unicorn at my service - and look, how far I have got in this aspect," she laughed.