Wolf RPG

They'd traveled in a general westerly direction until Mitanni realized that they needed to arc south, toward the mountains rather than around them. Spying the peak that rose among the rest, she used it as a guide, assumed they were headed in the right direction, and as they went she recalled more of the conversation she'd had with Wifi all those months ago. The mountain was steep, even from a distance she could see that, but with nowhere else to turn except for another pack on the opposite side of the region she wasn't about to let a little incline spook her away.

And as far as spooks went, these forests looked less haunted. Mitanni doubted she would feel like she was being watched in them unless she actually was, and admired what she could see of the territory as she brought Judas up to the pack's border and stopped when she found the clear delineation between pack territory and unclaimed land.

"We made it," she remarked, as much to herself as to him while her amber eyes scouted and searched for any sign of life beyond the border. The scents were strong, signifying recent passages of Moonspear wolves, but where they were presently wasn't clear. Her tail wagged, nervously but with a slight show of optimism, and quirking the edge of her lips up in a half-smile Mitanni glanced sidelong at her friend. "Are you ready?"

Judas could feel ticks in his mind. A small moment when it inside would chip at the walls he had tried to make around it inside his mind. It wanted out. He would not let that happen as long as it threatened those around him.

Legs feeling exhausted from the trek, he stopped when Mitanni stopped. "So this is it, huh?" The coywolf looked the territory up and down from their view. "It's nice." Or would be in the coming months when all the green had returned.

Though he hadn't felt this nervous before entering a pack's lands, if they were allowed entry. "Ready as I'll ever be" he chimed, nervously shifting his weight. As long as they had each other's backs, they should be fine.

Mitanni's half-smile grew into a full one, offering encouragement even though she still harbored her doubts. She tried not to think about the fact her information about Moonspear was at least a few months out of date, or the fact that so much had happened in her own life that there was no telling what had changed for this group. I have to be positive, she thought, and if it doesn't pan out, there's still another backup. Assuming nothing major had changed there either.

The little wolf shook her head, silencing the small, pessimistic voice that continued to rattle her, and lifted her head to howl. Her tone was polite, nervous, unused to such open calling. When was the last time she'd had reason to howl for anyone? It made her feel exposed, unguarded, and that was nerve-wracking. But she tried as she let her song taper off not to be affected by it. She shifted about on her paws, antsy, but waited beside Judas. Sparing him another glance, Mitanni found it harder to keep her smile in place, and instead let it fall with a nervous, anticipatory stare.

Since returning from his trip to the west, Floki hadn't really been sure what to do with himself. Hunting was fruitless, and there was only so much border-patrolling he could do before growing bored. He cast many glances towards the distant coast, wondering how Aria had fared with her pack, and was thankful for the distraction when a howl went up near Moonspear's base.

He made his way there swiftly, picking his way down the slope with care. Before his paws reached flat land, he spotted two wolves from his elevated vantage point; one was small and had a mottled brown coat, while the other was larger and lighter in color, with a dark stripe down his back that was visible even from a distance. Floki's interest was piqued, but familiarity soon settled in as he drew nearer. He recognized the she-wolf.

"Mitanni?" he questioned as he approached, having dredged up her name from the depths of his memory. He glanced at her companion, then asked, "What are you doing here?"

Waiting was the worst part. It gave her mind too much time to reflect upon every worry, every fear, that she had about seeking shelter with a new pack, about not finding a suitable place to move to, of the horrible famine that plagued the lands sucking the life out of her. Positive, gotta stay positive, Mitanni repeated to herself, but it was easier said--or thought--than done.

Her thoughts were full, but not so full that she missed the telltale signals that someone was approaching, someone from within the pack border. The little brown wolf's ears perked and her eyes sparked alertly, sending a flurry of jittery nerves through her that froze the second she realized...she recognized this tall grey wolf.

He called to her by name, and though she had a ready answer to the question he'd asked, Mitanni stumbled over her new thoughts. I know him! I met him before, she realized excitedly. Crap, what was his name?? She was so stuck on trying to remember that her answer came out somewhat distractedly. "Hey." Mitanni gave her head a little shake, trying to focus herself as she smiled, feeling suddenly easier. "The...the pack I was in fell apart. Me and--"

With a pause she glanced back and realized that it was going to be awkward to continue the conversation without mediating proper introductions first. "Sorry. This is Judas," she stated, inclining her head with a reassuring smile sent the coywolf's way, "and this is..." Her gaze rounded back around to the grey wolf, and as her expression pinched in concentration she tried the name that had eventually come back around to her. "Apologies in advance if I get it wrong. Floki?"

Judas remained standing by her side as someone came to the border. Then addressed her by name. Was this the one to have told her about this place? Well, he was glad to meet the recommender in person. And it seemed Mitanni knew him, but forgot introductions first. 

The coywolf bowed his head, kepping his tail lowered in greeting and respect to the one named Floki. "A pleasure it is to meet you." He returned Mitanni's reassuring smile with a grin of his own. It was nice to have the first face they meet know at least one of them. And lucky it was Mitanni being the one they knew.

It took her a moment to remember his name and he couldn't blame her -- it had been quite a while since they had met on the coast. When she made a guess, he nodded his head. "Yep, Floki. Nice to meet you, Judas," he replied, gaze shifting to Mitanni's friend. They were both appropriately deferential, though Floki didn't miss the smile that passed between them.

Backtracking a bit, Floki asked, "So what happened to your pack? Where were you living?" If he recalled correctly, Mitanni had been a lone wolf previously, so he assumed that she had joined up with a group sometime after their initial interaction.

Oh good, she thought with relief, smiling again as she correctly guessed Floki's name. Everything was going perfectly so far, better than she'd anticipated. Mitanni watched as the Moonspear wolf and Judas exchanged courteous greetings, and released a quiet breath as she settled more into a sense of complacency.

Keeping track of what she'd said, Floki brought their conversation back around again, and realizing that he'd met her well before any of the exciting events to happen after her arrival in this region, the little brown wolf tried to explain. "Moonlit Hills. It's northwest of here--or was." If they went to see it now, they wouldn't find anything. No one remained anymore.

She shared another glance with Judas to make sure she wasn't saying or skipping anything important, unsure what all they really needed to divulge at this moment. "Our leader left, and things fell apart. We thought finding somewhere new would be better than staying on our own given how things are right now." She hoped using the famine as an excuse would be adequate; she didn't feel like mentioning Judas' preference for socialization to keep himself in check. It wasn't her secret to tell.

Mitanni seemed to be handling the meeting they were having this wolf quite well. She was very much a talker, mosre so then he realised before. Things were looking bright for them. But would they remain that way? He didn't want to bring up his 'condition', in case it stirred up mistrust in the pack on him. If they were allowed in, that is.

The name of the pack was unfamiliar, though Floki tilted an ear in the direction that Mitanni indicated. Most of his travels took him northward, towards the coast, save for his most recent trip to the west. He was largely unfamiliar with the land past Firefly Glen, and this realization struck him suddenly. The Teekon Wilds still had a lot more to offer and he wanted to see it, even if what he already knew indicated that everywhere else was just as barren after the locust infestation.

Mitanni wasted no time in explaining their reason for visiting Moonspear. It wasn't just a social call; she and Judas were looking for a place to stay. Floki didn't know her well, but he liked her and had no reason to distrust her. At the very least, their pack could use a few able bodies to help them get through the famine. "Well, we have space in our ranks," he replied with a bob of his head. Some of their members had disappeared around the time of the swarm. He thought mournfully of Ness, whose fate had been sealed by a hungry bear, then pushed her out of his mind.

"I'll be honest, though -- things aren't looking too good here right now. The locusts wiped us out, too, and there are a couple of bears prowling around the mountain," he said, frowning. He wanted to get that information out in the open, so they could be on their guard. Although it wasn't ideal, he hoped that his offer would be more appealing than the alternative, which was to brave the famine out in the wilderness as a duo.

Her hope leaped and clutched at the little thread Floki gave her, that there was room in Moonspear if they wished to join. Her amber eyes sparked, almost glittered with the optimism she felt, but hearing that the mountain had been just as badly affected by the locust swarm as everywhere was just a little disheartening. There's nowhere that's safe right now, she realized, recalling how little green she'd seen during the journey here. It was probably the most she'd traveled since joining up with the Moonlit wolves, and it didn't sound like there was a single location left untouched.

The bears, too, were concerning, and Mitanni turned to look at Judas wondering what his thoughts were. She knew he wanted to be around others, to have something to encourage his best behavior, but she didn't feel comfortable making the decision for him. Fidgeting a little, she commented softly, "Still sounds less dangerous than being on our own." With a pack, at least they had the security of others watching their back. Out in the wilds, they were at the mercy of the dangerous, the desperate. Given the circumstances--and despite her initial preference to keep moving alone--this felt safer overall.

Judas knew bears well. Never got in a fight with one, but he remembered luring a stupid loner to one. And then he had watched..just watched. That thought made the new Judas shiver, but the old one would have grinned at that with glee.

"I agree" was his only answer. He agreed with Mitanni. It would be much safer here. And surely an entire pack could take on a bear, right? He definitely knew one or two couldn't.

Although they each seemed to take a moment to consider Floki's words, the pair of lone wolves came to the same conclusion. Joining Moonspear was a better option than taking on the wilds alone, and Floki's tail waved. "Well, come on in," he said, stepping back as though allowing them passage through a doorway.

"The Alphas are Charon and Amekaze. Charon is my brother," he explained. This was the first time he had accepted anyone into the pack on his own, and he wasn't really sure what needed to be discussed. But because he was already acquainted with Mitanni, he felt confident that his brother and sister-in-law would approve of her and her friend.

He wrinkled his nose in thought, then added, "Obviously, our priority right now is trying to find food, so I hope you're decent hunters."

Just like that, they were admitted into the pack. Mitanni blinked, felt startled by how quickly it had happened, but ultimately relieved. She sighed, visibly relaxed, and answered Floki's tail wags with ones of her own, grinning as she looked from one male wolf to the other. This will be good, she thought optimistically, venturing forward to cross the boundary line of her new pack.

The Beta's comment about hunting made the little wolf a bit nervous, but only because of the circumstances. It was hard enough trying to find prey without the added challenge of hunting on a typically empty stomach. "Getting there," Mitanni answered, her smile slightly sheepish. Could she really boast of her skill? Being modest seemed safer. At least then she could surprise others if she did end up getting lucky out there on a hunt. And if she couldn't, well...at least she wouldn't get anyone's hopes up.

"Actually, I've tried to take up fishing," Mitanni admitted, "since land-bound prey is so scarce. Can't say I'm very good at it yet, but practice will make perfect." Or at least she hoped so.

When Floki invited them in, Judas was overjoyed. Even though he didn't show it except for a bit wagging of his tail. He named the alphas, and he made a mental note of how to address anyone he met who went by those names.

But then the pack member spoke of hoping them to be hunters. He was not much of one, but had other talents. "I am not much of one. But if you have a herbalist, or a herb cache in need of tending, I will gladly take an opportuniy for that." Even though it was mostly poisons. Mostly. And with some help, he would surely become a trainee at hunting.

As he was finishing up his patrol, Charon happened upon the two wolves that were waiting at the borders — but not before Flóki found them first. Ears cupped forward attentively as he approached, casting Flóki an inquisitive look. He hadn't caught much of anything the pair had said, but judging by the way things looked Charon estimated they were at least on positive standing with Flóki. Little did he know that he was looking at the pack's latest recruits. They were just about to move inland, but Charon stopped them on his way there, wanting to know the situation first.

Tail remained above his back to show his dominance as Alpha while he approached, and he glanced from Flóki — after a quick nod in acknowledgement — to the new faces. "Hey. I'm Charon," he said, and he glanced inquisitively at them this time, waiting for an explanation of who they were and why they were moving into his territory.

Both Mitanni's and Judas' answers were satisfactory, in Floki's opinion. He was glad to hear that Mitanni had some skill when it came to fishing -- although he had never earned the hunter trade himself, he had been working at catching fish as of late, since there wasn't much prey to be found on the mountain. And when Judas mentioned herbs, his ears pricked. Thistle Cloud was an established medic, but he hadn't seen her in the longest time -- which was a whole other problem in itself.

"I can show you my mom's herb collection," he offered, but before he could elaborate he was alerted to the approach of another wolf. He turned to see Charon making his way towards them. He greeted the two strangers in a relatively casual manner, although his posture clearly established his position in the pack. Floki's tail swung gently as he greeted his brother with a chuff, then he made to introduce his companions.

"This is Mitanni and Judas. They came from Moonlit Hills -- the pack recently disbanded and they're looking for a place to stay. I met Mitanni a while ago at the coast; I think they'll both be good additions," he explained.

Mitanni listened with curious interest as Judas explained he wasn't exactly skilled in hunting but had knowledge with herbs. Her brows rose and her amber eyes studied him anew, never imagining that he'd have that sort of knowledge though she couldn't have said before what she thought his specialty to be. It made her wonder what else she didn't know about him, and how many more, if any, secrets he still had.

There wasn't much time to consider it, however. Their way was suddenly barred by the approach of another wolf, a grey-speckled male who carried himself with natural authority. The little brown female's stomach lurched suddenly, startled to realize that they'd been found unawares by the pack's leader, and she sunk just a bit more noticeably into her meek posture, offering a few tail wags in silent greeting with a nervousness about her smile.

Charon. It was him, Floki's brother and the lead to the pack. The tall Beta introduced them, and Mitanni dipped her head politely as her name was mentioned, as well as her previous acquaintanceship with Floki. Her legs itched to fidget, to shift around as she typically did when nervous, but she resisted, only allowing her gaze to shift from one wolf to the other.

Judas remained still as another wolf came by, holding his tail high. Obviously this wolf was respected among the pack. And he had reason to be, for this was Charon. One of the alphas spoken of just before. The coywolf bowed his head, letting his tail fall very very low.

"It's a nice day out, isn't it?" he said formally. Already trying to get on their good side. "A nice place to have a walk around."

Charon looked at Flóki as he was quick to introduce the two newest recruits. Mitanni and Judas. Charon glanced at them, then realised that they must've been making their way into the territory. Charon trusted Flóki and thought his brother's opinion and knowledge of other wolves to be flawless, so he instantly assessed that these must be good recruits. "Welcome, then," Charon said, his own way of concluding that Flóki's acceptance was legit and they were indeed welcome in Moonspear. He joined by their side and made to continue their way deeper into Moonspear territory. He allowed Flóki to lead, since Charon wasn't sure if he was going anywhere in particular.

While they walked Charon decided to make conversation too, nodding as Judas mentioned the weather and territory's niceness, then asking: "What happened to Moonlit Hills? Where's that from?" The second question was more of an afterthought — upon speaking, Charon realised that he didn't even know the pack at all, but the way Flóki had mentioned it made him think it had to be nearby. There'd been so many packs popping up lately that Charon wasn't too sure of all the territories in the area that were claimed.

Charon was quick to give his approval of the two newcomers, and Floki smiled. As they began to stroll along, the spire of Moonspear looming overhead, he fell back slightly to allow Mitanni and Judas to converse with the Alpha male. Although he knew that Charon trusted his judgment, he was also aware that the young leader would want to become acquainted with his new subordinates.

His ears cupped towards his companions as Charon inquired after Moonlit Hills, and he raised his head to listen. He, too, was curious to hear more detail about what had happened to his friend's former pack; his guess was that it had something to do with the locusts, but he couldn't be sure until he heard it from Mitanni's own mouth.

Judas tried in his own way to make polite conversation, but it didn't appear to take off. Mitanni still felt nervous, unsure, but had to assume things were going well when the grey-speckled Alpha extended the same welcome that Floki had. Her tail wagged a few times against the backs of her legs and expectantly the little wolf looked to the Beta for direction.

It should have been expected that Charon would ask about their previous pack, and though she'd touched on it once already the mottled black and brown female got the feeling she was going to need to go into detail again. Her amber eyes shifted once to Judas again, hoping he thought her previous explanation was decent, and she attempted to answer for CHaron as they walked.

"It was over in the Phantom Hollow," she explained, glancing around her at the empty forest surrounding the mountain. "Our leader left, no explanation, no warning." There was a subtle edge of comtempt to her words, but she sighed and tried to put those hard feelings attached with the fate of Moonlit Hills behind her. "The pack split up. Judas and I traveled this way together because I remembered hearing of this place. Actually..."

Mitanni paused her explanation for a second, perked her ears, and looked to both Charon and Floki while following them, curiously expectant. "I'd heard more about Moonspear from another pack member. Wildfire?" What was that odd nickname she'd gone by? "Wifi?" she added, just to be more specific. Though she'd only spoken with the auburn-hued female once, she was interested in learning how she'd been faring.

Judas listened as he followed up the rear, just wanting to listen mostly. Mitanni went into explaining what had happened. He was thankful that was all she spoke of. Not anything else of the happenings in Moonlit before it's downfall. She really turned out to be a great friend to him. The only friend he had. Thoughts trailed back to his last confrontation with that coyote, only for a mere second for they were broguth back to the present at her mentioning of someone.

He had never heard of them, and was indeed curious who this 'Wifi' was. He was certainly eager to meet the recommender of Moonspear. But for now, he kept quiet, his tail swaying back and forth slowly. and ears perked up to hear everything.

It was good to receive information about the pack that Mitanni and Judas had come from originally. What a strange thing, for an Alpha to simply disappear like that, but then, wolves disappeared more often around these wilds and perhaps that was simply what'd happened; wanderlust or something of the likes.

Charon followed wherever Flóki would lead them, figuring maybe he wanted to show some landmarks to the newcomers. At the mention of Wildfire, Charon halted briefly in his tracks, caught unaware by the mention of her name. The wounds were beginning to scab but were now violently ripped open by the simple mention of her name. Charon's eyes narrowed to mirror — or hide — the pain inside and he coldly said, "She no longer has a home here."

Mitanni elaborated slightly on what had happened to Moonlit Hills, though there seemed to be details that even she wasn't aware of. It was odd for their leader to have abandoned his or her pack without warning, but he didn't dwell on it beyond that. Floki was well aware of the transient nature of most wolves, including those who promised to be permanent fixtures.

His ears pricked and then quickly fell to the side as Mitanni continued. Wildfire's name caused his stomach to churn involuntarily. To say that he had moved on would be a stretch; he tried not to think of her often, and did his best to wish her well, but there was still a tiny seed of resentment planted deep within his chest. Charon was quick to respond, simply and succinctly stating the facts: Wildfire no longer lived with Moonspear.

He shook his head gently, his eyes downcast. "She left a while ago," he added. Surely Mitanni and Judas would pick up on the hurt and anger emanating from the two brothers, but he hoped that they wouldn't ask more questions.