Wolf RPG

Heading eastward was easy enough with the flatness of the land, and while there was little cover, Eigma wasn't afraid of being discovered. Being away from the young leader and his easily bruised ego was pleasing - but being aware of how content she was to be out of his company, Eigma had begun to question herself. What was the point of jumping through these extra hoops with the hope that the Moonspear wolves would take her in? It was already obvious that Charon didn't like her; or at least, that's what she'd assumed through their first meeting. Yes, she wanted to belong somewhere. Everybody did. But what was the point of ingratiating herself to some boy? He hadn't earned any respect from her, so why should she trouble herself?

With a sigh and a slight frown, Eigma paused. She tossed a lazy glance behind her, to where the mountains rose in the distance, as if contemplating a return to her roots - but she did not stop for long. She was filled with doubts now, but maybe things would work themselves out. The very least she could do was try - even if it meant running errands, and proving herself over and over again. Eigma knew herself. She knew she could do these simple tasks, and she knew she was a worthwhile addition to any pack. There were many options - many roads - before her.

A good outrider knew the lay of the lands around the pack and ...beyond, even, just as a good warden knew the territory of his pack like the back of his paw. Running patrols of the Plateau had been a good exercise to familiarize himself with their territory markers and made it easier to make the mental map of the Plateau but the Frostfur-DiSarinno was not contented to stay strictly within the pack lands. Young and adventurous as he was Regulus had parted from the pack's borders on personal outrider business. His exploration of the lands beyond the Plateau was far from official, yet, he could never earn the outrider trade if he never left the pack lands. Admittedly, Regulus had ventured a bit further than he had initially planned but he was confident in his abilities to back track and find his way back to Blacktail Deer Plateau.

He wasn't as concerned about it as, maybe, he should have been: yet that was the folly of his youth. Confidence. Not enough to make him an arrogant prick with an ego the size of the Plateau. No, Regulus could not stand wolves like that...and he had his fair share of aunts and uncles that harbored that type of (what he found to be) abhorrent arrogance. Being the son of the young, innocent and incredibly naive Aranche had not garnered Regulus any level of sympathy growing up; and it was only when he'd ascertained that her siblings would watch out for her, would not allow her to be taken advantage of as his unknown father had clearly done, did Regulus part from his extensive family to strike his own path in life.

Regulus had not realized as a young child that his mother had harbored a very innocent and childish view of the world, it was only as he matured and aged did it come to dawn on him; and at first he had warred with himself, wanting to strike out on his own but also wanting to stay because Arachne needed him. To protect her, to chase off any asshole male that would manipulate her. Isi's death had, according to several of his aunts and uncles, had been hard upon the young Arachne and it was speculated that the absence of her revered father in his death that had impacted her. The very man that Regulus was named after, and had been told, resembled in more ways than just the bear-like build and eyes.

Caught up in his train of thoughts, Regulus did not initially notice the other until a noise broke him from his revere and his eyes of liquid gold fell upon her in the distance. Instinctively, a bark rumbled from his lips to alert her to his presence, so he did not startle her ...if she had not already noticed him.

She was a bystander for a few minutes, staring first in to the distance of her origin, and next having her gaze drift elsewhere. The pause was long enough to garner attention from someone or something - and then she heard a noise, and Eigma turned sharply to meet it. It was nothing important. Some leaves dragging through the grass, or maybe a stick caught in the soil and lifting with the increasing air flow. Small sounds which were meaningless. Except there was another sound - deeper, more easily identified by the wolf - and she side-stepped as she heard it, moving out of the way of the incoming animal. It was another wolf. She just stood there and watched him, her body stiff and fur beginning to prickle unevenly along her neck.

Having already met one lone wolf with poor language skills, this meeting was simultaneously unnerving and pleasing, all rolled up in a nice ball of confusion. On one hand, Eigma was happy he could at least speak (not something she thought she'd ever think, coming from a rogue background herself), but on the other, she was decidedly wary of the stranger. She relaxed - not entirely mind you - and chuffed softly. 

"So you thought staring at me would be a better option?" Curious behavior. She leaned in with her nose and gave a good sniff, noticing the layered scents upon him. Pack wolf. Of course. "I'm not near your home, am I?" Hopefully he wasn't going to start brandishing his teeth, or something. Then again, Eigma liked a good fight. It just wasn't a good time, with her mind set on completing these tasks for the boy-king of Moonspear.

Maybe another lady would have been flattered by the staring, but she wasn't. A stare - in her language, in the realm of body language - was more often than not, a challenge. It was an insult. But he clearly didn't mean ill by her, so Eigma let it slide. It was still very odd that he thought a staring contest would be a sufficient way to greet someone - but whatever. Pack wolves were strange creatures.

At the mention of outrider business, Eigma's ears fanned forward; she looked interested, curious. It was a term she'd never heard before.
"What sort of business is that?" But as soon as she asked the question, she felt insecure. This was probably another one of those pack-only things, and she probably looked like a total moron for not understanding.

It was an interesting concept. Why the pack wolves needed specific names and titles for such a duty, or duties at all, astounded her. Why not just come and go as they pleased? Share information as they saw fit, with those they trusted? If a pack was made of wolves who trusted one another - cared for one another - then it would be easy. Then again, perhaps a pack wasn't like that at all; maybe it was a collection of strangers, in which case.. Trust had to be earned, and maybe secrets should be kept close.

"So you're an errand boy. Cute." She smirked, unable to get the thought out of her head. The rogues of her homeland made pack wolves seem so big and scary, with organization being the key ingredient to their success - but if this was one of their jobs, they weren't all that scary. "So you travel a lot - and your pack is OK with that? Wouldn't they want you to stay home and keep the place safe?" It made sense to her, but again, Eigma didn't live a pack-centric existence. She found the concept of outriding to be in conflict with what she was taught.