As vigilant as ever, the polar bear swept the borders that they were slowly marking, their scents building upon one another to claim this land. The pups had been birthed and soon now, things would be officially official. Even so, Nanuk was the type to be preemptive and chase off any others that found their way too close to the Spire. This land was practically perfect, it's temperatures already milder than the Spine had been. No doubt that Tonravik would be more comfortable here as the Beta already was, and she did not have such dark furs. 

Pausing, she squatted to mark another spot before she moved to a nearby tree, rubbing up against it to leave her scent where she could.

Tonravik was no longer pregnant. Her pups were healthy and she was alive. She is alive. A strong urgency to rush to her side haunted him. In twilight, and at nighttime. It wore at him, physically, mentally, emotionally. It was not his children but they were no less loved. Unconditionally, entirely. A maniacal laugh erupted from him. He could hear Tonravik's words echoing in his head. They do not need love. Why he imagined these words was beyond him. The Alpha has never said those words. It was just a phantom of his weary consciousness, gnawing at him, leaving nothing but doubt.
INDENTAm I losing my mind...? Wait. Wait! He knew that – that figure! In the distance! Yes, it was Brutus! Patrolling and marking! Their new home! Eager for normalcy, he approached the lumbering woman, gait and posture tired. Tatsuya was a sight for sore eyes, fur matted with mud, eyes devoid and sunken. Even his mannerisms reflected one who was not all there in the head. Sleep. He needed sleep. For two days or a week. Even in this state, duty called to him. He would not be absent. No, no.
INDENT“It's been a while.” Voice scraped past dry lips. You look good. Really good. Did you just bathe? Why do you shine? Have you been putting on weight, Brutus? Have you heard? Our queen has given birth! And she yet lives! Or so I've been told! Have you seen them, Brutus? The pups, I mean. Are they well? No disfigured? Please tell me, Brutus! I need to know! “Our youngest arrivals...have you seen them?” HAVE YOU SEEN THEM BRUTUS?

A wolf in the distance, dark of fur and possibly familiar. Most of the wolves formerly of the Spine and soon to be of the Spire were dark in color. As they drew nearer, the Beta discerned that, yes, this one was no unknown lingerer. 'Been a while'? Not really, but she didn't comment on the fact that they'd all traveled her together. Upon arrival, Nanuk had thrown herself into protecting their potential home and if another had not seen her 'for a while', it was because they were off doing something else.

There was an odd look to his eye but nothing the female found discomforting, instead letting her ears turn to catch his words about the parasites. "No. And none will until Tonravik and Iqniq allow it." Despite the fact that she was close to them both, the female was not foolish enough to try getting near the pups. Tonravik would be a hormonal, raging monster right now to defend the lives of her pups and Iqniq would warn anyone off before they came that close.

She moved forward to the next spot where she found suitable to mark, one ear twisted his way as he (presumably!) accompanied her.

Having spent days compassing the wilds – meeting their to-be neighbors, canvassing prey movements, exterminating vermin – Tatsuya has had no time to spare. Nanuk, Iqniq and Weirdie had the Spire covered as far as he was concerned. Were they in need of assistance, they made no show of it, working industriously among themselves. The Epsilon busied himself with other matters; matters he (personally) thought of import. In time, he would see if all this running around would bare fruit. As for now though, he was satisfied joining in on the assertion. It involved less running and more leisurely bouts. Oh! And excrement. Can't forget that.
INDENTNanuk's reply did nothing to alleviate his headache. Of course, Brutus. We must adhere to the laws of the wild. Always. Every hour of every day. For better or for worse. Worse for the Epsilon, unmistakably. It's fine! Everything's fine! No, it's not. Would the mother and her brood hold out? Were their caches adequate? The wolverine's herbs were squirreled away, safe from the elements and ne'er-do-wells stupid enough to come blundering into Sawtooth Spire. Tatsuya awaited the foolish with maddened, slabbing jowls. Nomercynomercynomercynome–Mercy was for the weak. The Epsilon desires those ready for slaughter. The weak must be purged, Brutus!
INDENTTatsuya shadowed his Beta intimately, cognition elsewhere. What were they doing again...? Nanuk reminded him in her own communicative way, moving and stopping with purpose. Oh yes. Marking. Hm. He was fresh out of waste, so he would have to use other means in marking their territory. His avowal might not be as strong, but the message is no less clear: do not pass. To pass is to die. A virile, universal symbol from the derelict Epsilon. Tatsuya caressed the more pronounced areas of their home, leaving behind lilliputian tussocks of fur and scent. He would rejoin Nanuk, strutting alongside her in mimicked lopes.

Kapvik was silent. Gold eyes glanced his way, curious to see what was going on in that mind of his. She'd had a few run ins with him, and one of them because he had failed to recognize his leadership in favor of being a space case, but maybe he just was naturally a space case. Vaguely, he reminded her of Syn, who was also batshit crazy, but in other ways. Syn was dead now, specifically because she was insane and the thought trailed along that path, leading her to wonder if the resident astronaut here would end up the same way.

She moved on with the astronaut at her side, but her pace halted, her nose lifting to the air. Was that... Blood? Her ears lay back against her skull for moment, brows furrowing. The scent was familiar and in the next moment, she was off, following the scent. Whether or not Space Case kept up with her was up to the astronaut himself but Nanuk's immediate concern was @Arverk for it was his blood she smelled. 

What she saw brought her to a hard stop, dirt spraying out from under her paws. Blood. A lot of it. Tufts of fur here and there in the aftermath of what looked like an attack. Rage and vengeance bubbled beneath her skin, demanding that she find who or what had done this. Was he dead? Was he alone? Only one way to find out. 

Her voice lifted, issuing a loud, powerful call. Arverk. Location. Her head lowered, ears upright and her posture stiff as she listened. Long moments passed by, but no doubt other members in the pack had heard her. When several minutes passed by with no response, she tried again. Location. Nothing. Again: Arverk, location. With no response yet, things were truly looking grim for the whale's situation. 

With a huff, the polar bear examined he scene again before issuing another howl, this one to the still settling pack. Arverk is missing. Blood. Possible attack. That was enough to go off of. If others were going to join them, they needed to do so now because the Beta would not wait long.

Along their path through the mountain they their individual markers behind. Habitual business, nothing exhilarating. It had to be done. Of course, that was when Nanuk launched off into a sprint. Tatsuya was left in a daze, questioning why. The scent did not hit him. Not immediately. It took a few steps forward before it hit him like a freight train. Arverk? No. Nononono! This was – no. Running after the branded Beta, he came upon her as she issued her first utterance. In front of her was blood and fur. Arverk's life and smoky wisps.
INDENTStaggering over to the crime scene, Tatsuya sniffed around uselessly for a clue. Something, anything. It didn't fucking matter what. Please, please...So desperate was he that he began to whimper after silence followed Nanuk's final call, issuing his disappearance. He drew close to the evidence once more, going eerily silent at the indentations in the earth. A struggle; conflict.
INDENT“He was kidnapped.” So Tatsuya was not the only one with adversaries, it seems. “But...where?” Why was there no odor trailing away, no tracks, no indication that he was, indeed, kidnapped. Whoever did this was seasoned in leaving nothing behind. More than the Epsilon thought realistically possible. Clay slurred across his mane cracked, splintering away as his fur bristled luridly. Pelt spiked down his spine, tail every bit as roused. Tatsuya circled around listlessly for a scent. Nothing. He did it again. Nothing.
INDENT“DENSE MOTHERFUCKER. GET KIDNAPPED AND LEAVE NO TRAIL.” The bellow was explosive, aimed at all these dead ends. “GOD...damn it.” God. Damn. It.

While she howled, a small portion of her attention stayed glued to her astronaut companion, noting that he went closer and closer to the 'remains', muttering something or other to himself. She didn't care to catch it, instead keeping her ears open for the answer of another. Long minutes passed, Kapvik's back and forth motions over the scene becoming strange after a few passes. Was he not picking up a scent? There was blood everywhere; How was he not picking up a scent?

Of course, then he lost his shit. 

Oh, fucking christ.

"Yes," She snapped, "And then he got abducted by fucking aliens." Her words were laced with a growl, intolerant of his silly bullshit right now. Fucking useless. Shoving past him, Nanuk put her nose to the ground and drew in the scents there, letting her mind dissect and decipher them. She would not allow the possibility of Arverk being alive slip through their paws because he wanted to screw around. Those thoughts were pushed to the side as she went to work.

Arverk. It was the freshest scent, which was a given, seeing as his blood was strewn everywhere. There, under that fresh layer, was... Was that... Feline? Ursine? Both scents were there, twined together, but one fainted than the other. "There was a struggle. Cougar or bear. Search for either. Now." She would accept no excuses, and — rightfully — was not going to believe that a wolf could just up and vanish. Hell no. 

Moving to follow the trail of blood and scent that their whale had left behind, Nanuk left the attacker's scent to Space Case, though at this point, she was sure she'd have to go behind him and check it out herself.

Nanuk found a clue. Something he must have passed over in his panic. Didn't matter. Any indication was better than nothing. As the Beta stalked off, Tatsuya crept closer to test the smell, nose twitching. It was unquestionably Arverk's blood, but any other trace was very vague; diluted by Arverk's blood. Easily overlooked.
INDENTThe polar bear's demand was redundant, already sniffing here and there to pick out any further indicatives. A trail led further inward, enveloped by thick shrubs. Oh. No wonder he did not see or smell it. If it had been a sizeable animal like a bear or wildcat, the foliage would be parted and branches snapped. Closer inspection revealed that something did pass through this vegetation. Arverk?
INDENTPassing by a recessed tree trunk, Tatsuya stopped dead to double back. More tufts of midnight, clinging desperately to splintered wood. No blood. Resuming, he kept up with the Beta. Tatsuya did not stick to her side, wanting to cover as much area as possible. Unfortunately, the Epsilon's trail grew cold so he ran over to Nanuk. The trail of blood Arverk left behind was inconsistent now, and yet it was growing more and more apparent that he had struggled to pursue or escape. Worry flared within him renewed. You idiot. What did you hope to achieve? Arverk's foolhardiness was news to the Epsilon, though he had a sneaking suspicion that this was not the first time he went off on his own to fend off imminent dangers.

Their path was jagged, tracking the scent and the fallen blood until it faded away at the nearby creek. The ghostly wolf found nothing on the other side of the bank, either, despite massive efforts to pick something up. A print, a clue, a body. Something, anything. While her demeanor was harsh, the creature certainly cared for those of their pack and she showed such in her dedication to them. Her movements were tireless, continuous but there was truly nothing. 

With a glance to her darker companion, Nanuk lifted her head again and called for their missing comrade. Arverk. Location. Over the coming days, she would issue this call many times as she patrolled their borders, on the off chance that he would come back to them. Her expression, as the note died away, was grim and unhappy. Yet, she did not give up on him. "Continue the search. I will go back and start over." The command was a simple one but she gave him no opportunity to object, turning to head back. "Call if you find either Arverk or his attacker." Tatsuya would know this but she said it anyway, to keep the slight possibility alive.

Nanuk was not pleased about their missing comrade no more than he was. Tatsuya felt the same though he knew this grimness would hang over him in the weeks to come. Could the same be said for the polar bear? Looking to her now, his ears slid back at her careful instructions. Nanuk was rough around the edges, true, but he really did not want to leave her side. Arverk's nonattendance left him feeling assailable in a way that suggested he stick close to his pack mates or the same would befall them. Arverk had been hale and hearty but now he was missing, dead, or dying.
INDENTGazing breathlessly upon the retreating polar bear, Tatsuya lowered his head in dejection. By devoting himself wholly to Arverk's current location, the less he would fret over him. Turning around, he headed in the opposite direction. Best get to it then.