Again did the brute strike out, padding towards the coast this time. He did not enjoy the ocean as much as some wolves, and knew that it would never be a place he wanted to settle. He muttered to himself as he went, planning on which way to go when he struck out on his own with his band of followers.
He'd heard of a new land, and wanted to at least go and explore there. Many packs may have populated the area already, but he wanted to at least take a look around. You never know, there could be something there that called to him.
Zaavier finally decided that he would travel mostly along the coastline despite how he felt about it. It was the one way that would probably keep him from going in circles. He planned on heading straight through the middle of Seadog Sanctuary and Saltwinter and move on from there. That would set him on a good path. Once he reached the land he was looking for, he would head inland. With that all laid out in his mind, Zaavier finally felt better about his crazy new idea. Soon, he came upon large cliffs looming up into the sky. The ground below him had already become rocky, and he dared not to go further because of his shoulder. He would explore the base of the area to see if he could come across a potential follower.
The Ryūjin wolf soon found that she was not the only one to be both apprehensive and impressed by the cliffs before her. She had gone out exploring from her new home yet again, and quickly found herself enchanted by the different birds calling while they circled far above. Food, her stomach had thought as it forced her to sit down a while ago to weight it over. Danger, her brain warned as it slowly won out the more she looked over the frightful ledges.
Menta was about to leave when she spotted another wolf, a male, take his own steps onto the rocky path nearby. Perhaps his intentions were the same as the ones she had been pondering? She watched as it seemed he stuck towards the base, striking that thought out, and became curious as to what else motivated him to be here.
Hello, the cream decided to call out from her spot a little further up the ridge than he. How goes it? She had gotten more bold since becoming a pack wolf, more confident that wolves would be more willing to chit chat than simply chase a threatening lone wolf off. She was no longer an unknown threat but a responsibility of something greater than herself, and theoretically it would always pull her back home.
The sound of a soft greeting found its way to his ears, and Zaavier tipped his head up, glancing at the wolf above him. He hadn't noticed her until now, which was odd for a wolf like him. Perhaps he was getting too distracted these days.
The cream colored wolf was towards the top of the cliffs, where Zaavier would never dare to go. He hated the ocean with it's raging waves and strong currents, not to mention the annoying cries of the seagulls up above. He craned his neck to look up at the stranger and opened his mouth the bark a reply. "Howdy. It's going good down here. What about up there?"
It was all he could say giving the circumstances. He honestly didn't know what else he could tell her. She had the strong scent of other wolves -- a pack wolf perhaps, and that was no good for him. He was looking for followers, but this girl could not be his follower for she was already bound to an alpha.
Seems alright, Menta called back in an amused tone. The male slightly below her had presented himself as friendly out of all of his options, so she was pleased enough to do the same. The cream wolf offered a wide smile and a few wags of the tail before she shifted out of her sitting position. Small rocks grumbled underfoot as the Colorado wolf expertly made her way down more towards his level. One could not expect a polite conversation hollering down at another wolf, after all.
Live around here? she inquired with genuine curiosity as soon as she eventually arrived and stopped only perhaps half a dozen feet away from him, noting immediately that his scent lacked the tell-tale claim of a pack. Menta knew they were not too far from Ryūjin - at least in terms of how far she had traveled since her acceptance in the pack - although certainly many, many miles from where she would even begin to feel possessiveness. This area was much more of a mystery to her so far, and perhaps the male in front of her had more clues and information to offer.
He smiled at her response. She had labeled herself as a friendly stranger, but Zaavier couldn't help squaring his broad shoulders and raise his head as she aproached. She didn't seem to be a wolf of much authority, and she had no rule over him, so he would not submit to her what-so-ever.
She finally made her way down the slope, small rocks scattering down the cliff side in her wake. Soon, she had closed the distance between them. Zaavier was obviously the tallest, and he had to bend his neck to meet her gaze. She asked him if he lived around here, and he became a little sadder. "I used to live in Larksong Grotto," he told her, nodding in the direction of the mighty pack. "But I left and am starting my own pack." His voice was solemn yet hopeful, excited for the new furture down his path.
His eyes found their way towards the horizon and down the shoreline. Further that way and inland he would make his home, he was sure of it. With a hearty smile and a flick of his tail, he turned his attention back to the cream colored female.
Menta was fixing the direction and name of his former pack in her mind when his next sentenced startled her. A thousand questions flooded her little wolf brain. Currently forming a pack? Right now? Here? The cream wolf certainly didn't see any other wolves around the area, but she assumed he had followers - unless the reason he had left was because he was mentally ill, and thought he could create a one-wolf pack. The idea of it amused her for a moment before the thought of how dangerous his venture would be crossed her mind.
That's a bold venture, Menta remarked, slowly and not unkindly. It was an obvious statement, one that (if he was sane) he had undoubtedly already come to terms with. One wondered for what reasons he had left his last pack, although Menta considered it rude to openly inquire. She watched him glance down the shoreline, perhaps lost in thought for a moment, and smiled encouragingly when his attention flicked back to her. Might I ask what kind of plans you have made?
Menta had no intentions of leaving a pack she had just joined and started getting comfortable in, of course, but she had never experienced or heard of a succesful pack formation. The cream's ears pricked further forward towards him in anticipation; this was most certainly an interesting stranger to meet today.
She listened with pricked ears and a genuinely intrested expression. She commented on his trip, looking fairly surprised. He didn't really understand why, but maybe it was hard for her to understand his desires. She asked him of his plans, and he nodded, pondering over his answer. In truth, he hadn't gone over his plans clearly.
"Well," he started slowly, "I was very unsatisfied with my old pack. I am not a religious person, and they took up this crazy religion that just didn't make any sense to me. Many others left after being given the choice, but I think it was unfair to just change the tides without talking with the members to hear their opinion. I want all my wolves to have a voice so they can give their opinions and share their ideas. I don't want to rule the roost as a tyrant and force things on my wolves," He told her, tail swishing back and forth.
His speech was deep. Very deep for a wolf like him, but maybe that wasn't bad. Maybe he was changing for good, and would help his followers create a very powerful pack. But then again, maybe all the stress and excitement of it was bringing out his better sides, and hiding his bad ones for now.
His long response gave her a wrinkled nose, distate plain on her face before she tried smoothing it back over. I am not a religious wolf myself, Menta offered, although it went further than that - the Italian had general disdain for religiosity and superstition but knew not to immediately get into this. One never knew how even nonbelieving wolves felt overall about religion and it was a subject quick to cause offense.
I hope you - and the others who left - find what they are looking for, she spoke in earnest now, head shaking as she thought about religion being forced onto a pack. If you find later that you would like to join an established pack that feels the same way, I know my alpha welcomes all of her members as equals. The thought still filled her with unease - she is, after all, a wolf from a birthpack of strict hierarchy - but her offer was genuine and friendly.
Is this the land that you intend to claim? For he had said his intention was to claim his own, and she was curious about his desire to lead even if she didn't entirely understand it.
She understood him, and he smiled. She wished him good luck and he nodded to her. "Thanks," he muttered, although he ment it. Tail wagged as he listened to her a little bit longer.
Menta asked if his was the land he intended to claim. "Nah. I can't stand the ocean to be honest. I plan on heading inland after traveling Southwest for a while. I believe I will find a good place there." Zaav really did believe it, and he believed that his pack would be very, very successful.
The Italian had no leadership experience - nothing by which she could give him advice on, much less any knowledge on the formation of an entirely new pack. Her family pack had long been established by the time she was born, and Ryūjin had seemed small but steady when she arrived at their borders. It seemed this male had it all figured out - at least in his head - and so all she could offer was encouraging words and smiles.
More of a mountain wolf myself, Menta confessed, figuring there was no fault in admitting that neither of them was keen on calling the beach home. The sand ran everywhere in her cream coat and it was too rough to get sound sleep on. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to my mountain home. This was said with a light smile- he was undoubtedly restless to get started on his plans, and she could offer him no real help. The Italian's tail wagged as she looked towards the general direction of home and then back towards the ambitious male again.
I wish you and yours the utmost of luck.
She agreed with him, and then told him she had to go. He nodded, wanting so badly to ask her to join them but he knew she was part of a pack already. A pack she was seemingly very happy with already. He wouldnt take her away from that, nor did he think she would follow. He gave her a smile as she wished him and his followers, 'the upmost of luck.'
"Thank you..." he said, waiting for her to fill in the blanks. He wanted to know her name, he wanted to be able to find her again if he wanted to. "I'm Zaavier by the way" he added quickly, hoping she'd catch the hint if she hadn't already.