Wolf RPG

Goliath, still banished from the deeper parts of pack territory, had to sleep, eat, and live on the borders. Only rarely did he stay out in the Geyser fields; the waterworks were nothing for Goliath. If there was something he could not understand, and could not fight, he would stay as far away from that thing as possible, and this was one of those things. Besides, a couple of burns and scaldings had given him plenty of other reasons to steer clear of those. He would only rarely stop by, and that was to hunt the great flock of deer that tended to enjoy the geyser's presence.

Instead, today he rested by the forest inbetween Sleeping Dragon and the Queya River, which the pack leaders had yet to name. The cool shade and crisp breezes made for a perfect time to sleep. He had patroled several times before, and Goliath belived himself to be done with guarding for the time being. 

Resting his head on a large, cool stone, his eyes began to falter...

In order to better protect his own, Sriracha needed to know the lay of the land. This included locating nearby packs and alerting them to his group's presence in the grove. They weren't a pack proper, and Sriracha thought they posed no threat, but others might disagree. Better to forewarn those around them that he had taken up in the grove than to surprise them. 

And so he came to the well-marked borders of a pack that loomed beneath a large peak. The line was near a forest, and within the forest Sriracha saw what had to be the biggest wolf he had ever laid eyes on. Oye! he called, unafraid. It seemed to him that the wolf was asleep. If not asleep, then just on the border between the waking and sleeping world. Hey, uh, big guy! He inched closer, curiosity about this massive wolf overcoming timidness about how near he was to the borders. He had yet to pass them, and would never do so without invitation, but he did draw uncomfortably close.

Goliath had been sleeping heavily, that was, however, until he was called to by a passing wolf. His eyes darted open, and he snorted, mostly in frustration due to a lack of sleep. Standing up to his full height, Goliath flashed his fangs for a second, the red wanderer had come a bit too close. Briefly looking over his waker, his small, walnut sized brain quickly compared the male to a red-raccoon, but only because of the black mask-like features.

"Goliath watch border" he said, his voice was slow and sluggish, but still retained his deep tone. He took a slow step forward, Goliath's eyes had begun to narrow, not letting his gaze drop from the one near to penetrating what he deemed as 'his' borders, despite him being banished from the mainland. "What Ginger do here?" he asked, although it typically made no difference in wether he clobbered them or not, he always seemed to ask for the motive.

The sleeping giant stirred, then rose to his full height. Though by no means a small wolf, Sriracha was also not a very large one. Next to the goliath, he felt positively tiny. Bone-yellow teeth flashed a warning, one Sriracha took seriously. He backed away, head lowered slightly. He wasn't here looking for a fight, this was meant to be a peace mission. But maybe a pack that kept a beast such as this as a guardian wasn't the kind of pack that looked for peace. 

A nervous, skittering laugh eked from his mouth. Yeah, you sure are, amigo. And you're doing a great job of it, really great, he said, catching his confidence again. Here was his goliath, and if it came to a fight, Sriracha would never be able to beat him in sheer strength. But he was quick and clever, and therein might lie his strength. I'm just here to talk, he soothed. I just want to know about this place.

Goliath grunted, "Goliath know that" he said, he wasn't really one for small talk. He arched his tail slightly, the initial distrust was still there, but he didn't feel the need to assert any more dominance than he already had. The racoon-esque wolf before him had show sufficent signs of submission, and that was enough for now.

He was unsure of how to respond to the male's next statement, since while Goliath disliked small talk, but was literally incapable of prolonged discussion. "No no no, You silent. Goliath bring stray to pack." he said, Goliath himself wasn't allowed to make decisions, and he was glad, because like that, he didn't need to do any critical thinking.

Sriracha was very quickly beginning to realize that this wolf was dumb as rocks. It was almost endearing, if it weren't so terrifying. Big and stupid seemed a terrible combination, one that he was not going to try. He could play nice, hell, he could play complacent if it meant not fighting Goliath. (That must have been his name. Third person? Really?)

Oye! I am no stray, he prostested, bristling for a moment before settling down. Though his pride was wounded, he thought it might be better to stay on But, yeah. Uh, I'd appreciate that. I'll... I'll be quiet now. This might prove difficult for him, because any prolonged time spent not conversing seemed like a waste to him. He waited, ready to follow if Goliath began to lead him off, ready to stand by if Goliath called someone to them. And always, always ready to run for his life.

Goliath was glad that the foreigner complied, it would make this alot easier. He lifted his muzzle and howled for a pack member of higher authority to come and decide the stranger's fate. "Sit down." he told him, but instead of waiting for a response simply attempted to shove him down. It would take some time until they arrived, and he would feel more in control if his "captive" where to be sitting.

Goliath looked at the male once more, "What is name?" he asked, information would prove useful if it was decided to 'interrogate' the tresspasser, and if he wanted to be as effective as possible, he would spend this time wisely.

The male's powerful voice resounded upon the mountainside. Surely his call for a leader would be heard, and soon Sriracha would be face to face with whoever had the loyalty of a beast such as Goliath. Suddenly Goliath advanced on him, grappling and shoving Sriracha down. Sriracha made a loud noise of complaint, but went down easy. Easy, easy! he cried, rolling his shoulders where he sat.

The goliath demanded his name, and Sriracha was quick to respond. Name's Sriracha, he said easily, betraying the unease he felt inside. He really wanted someone else to arrive soon. He really didn't want to be left alone with Goliath much longer. What about you, big guy? This was a bit of a redundant question, since he was pretty sure the other spoke solely in the third person.

He snorted at the response, "Goliath needa get you down. Goliath got you down." he said, matter-of-factly. He enjoyed being in control, not even thinking about the idea that his captive might simply be amusing him.

The response he recieved was laughable, but instead of cackling at what some might presume could have been a joke, he asked with sincerity: "Is you fuckin' stoopid?' he spat, one eyebrow lifting in curiosity. "Me Goliath, great fighter of dragon" he huffed, his chest protruding outwards. He didn't disclose the fact that he was basically the lowest rank in the pack, but that wasn't something the current captive must know.

Besides, after this, he would surely be promoted.

Yep, you certainly did, Sriracha replied. He was trying not to let the manhandling sour his mood, he was here on a peace mission, after all. But really! If this was how they treated all visitors, maybe Sriracha didn't want to associate with the pack at all.

It took every ounce of Sriracha's willpower and then some to keep from laughing. The irony of it was so grand, Sriracha almost choked on his own tongue. Yes, I'm tragically dull, he said, eyes aglow with mirth. You Goliath. Me Sriracha, he grunted in an approximation of Goliath's voice.

Goliath noted the male's confession to a lack of intelligence, he was sure to keep that in mind, despite the fact Goliath was not clever enough to see the mockery early enough. He began to chuckle at the silly way the male once again stated their name, before briefly pausing, looking into the distance, and realizing he was being taunted.

The first and only emotion after that was bitterness. He snapped his jaws inches away from the other male's face, a warning that japery would not start here, and a halt would be neccesary. He gave him a stink eye after that, but ultimately tore his glare away to look for any pack member to come back him up.

When the call from Goliath is made with a note of urgency, she thinks back to Storm and having coming upon them. The wispy male had dared enter their territory to ruin a cache, for which he paid dearly for with a broken leg and captivity until he'd been able to pay them back. A soft spot had been struck, for whatever reason, to not send the injured male out into the wild only to die. There's a brief moment that flashes through her mind with wonder over where the strange wolf had gone off too since his minuscule repayment. The famine had been hard on all of them and a captive was too much weight to bear so his imprisonment had ended on a short term.

Now, faced with another wanderer near her borders, no doubt detained by her beast, she approaches with an easy glide down the mountain. There is another, sitting in the dwarfing shadow that is Goliath, that only briefly catches her attention but she does not pay him much mind when she approaches. Thuringwethil does not rush to the scene as she might have expected her to do but there is no chaos or violence upon her approach.

With her her squared evenly between her shoulders and her tail arched high, she only gives the smaller male a brief glance before she turns to the rather prideful looking branwoda. He'd done well since his return and follower her command, intercepting another and calling her instead of resorting to violence. After the former Seadog Queen's death not too far from here (vaguely curious if the body still remains as a warning to travelers), the wraith focuses on her warrior first.

"What is this?"

Taunting the beast was not his best idea, but his mood had soured after being forced down, and a little jab here or there made Sriracha feel all the better. His mockery had a price, though, as the Goliath's jaws snapped startling close to Sriracha's face. A whine eked from Sriracha's throat, a little sound of submission.

A woman appeared, both hard-bitten and regal. She wore nobility like a mantle, beauty like a crown. Power she weilded as a sceptor. There was no mistaking this woman as a leader, one Sriracha thought he could take a few lessons from. When she spoke she did not address him, but the Goliath. Sriracha wanted nothing more than to speak, to give his summary of the events before Goliath gave a bad first impression, but in doing so he would be showing disrespect. So, with no amount of discomfort, he lowered completely until he lay on the ground. He would not show his stomach, not when he came to speak as leader to leader.

As soon as Goliath heard footsteps nearby, he whirled his head towards the noise and lifted his tail in delight, the smell of the pack was strong, thus he knew it had to be a pack member.

Seeing Thuringwethil arrive, he nearly chirped (if he could, he would) in delight to see his Heda arrive. Finally, he could show off a catch! His eyes glowed in a pride rarely seen, despite Goliath not realizing that Sririracha had literally walked up to him. He bowed, and waited until she finished speaking, though he was much more eager to respond than listen. "Me catch racoon-wolf!"  He barked, Goliath had to nearly step on his tail to stop wagging.  "Issa trespassing" he added, his tone lowering to a slightly more serious notion, knowing that one of his orders was to intercept alien wolves from breaching any borders.

When Goliath begins to speak, her darkened slate eyes turn to the stranger before her as he adjusts his position closer to the ground. Satisfied enough that he is not necessarily a threat, in that moment, she does not regret taking her time. However, the brute of her own explains he'd been trespassing but she had crossed over the strongest of her borders to get where she stands.

"He was trespassing?" she asks her own wolf while keeping her gaze locked down upon the strange wolf, as if she were talking to him. He reminds her a little of Snacha as a sour taste develops in her mouth, but she tosses the thought from her mind. "Did he go any further than he is now?" she then adds, still keeping her gaze in place. A little too close for her liking, maybe, but she can't help but wonder why, if he'd been trespassing, the wolf is still alive. Storm had been beaten to a pulp for crossing the borders and taken prisoner and there is nothing but merely hurt pride cowering on the ground.

The big guy seemed positively thrilled to have caught Sriracha. His childish glee might have been endearing, if only Goliath wasn't such a jackass. He made an indignant noise at the goliath's false accusation. Yes, Sriracha had been close, but of course he was! Bitterly, he made a mental note to conduct his pack business a little further from the borders. It was taking all of his self-control to not defend himself, and at last he broke. No, I didn't, he said, finally defending himself. I was coming to talk leader to leader. Perhaps that was a mistake, if this is how you greet everyone who comes to see you. This last part he said bitterly, in a bitter tone of voice. I can't write this post anymore lmao

Goliath was shocked by the way he talked back to his leader, and gave him a sharp nudge with his shoulder, but otherwise stayed silent, and looked at Thuringwethil for a reply.

There is part of her that doesn’t like that the straggler spoke first though his explanation gets her farther than Goliath may have. While she’d been fond of it and his brute force, there is a lack from getting from one point to another. However, the attitude she receives causes further irritation and the only change in her posture is the bristling of the fur around her mane. Goliath doesn’t like, either, and whether out of respect for herself or his own irritation, she isn’t sure, but she growls a simple warning for him to stand down.

“I can handle it from here, Goliath,” she says, flittering her gaze once to the large male to settle any debate he may have and, eventually, returns to the strangely marked wolf before her.

Immediately she bristled, and he could see that he had misstepped. Yet the woman ordered her beast to stand down, and for this Sriracha was grateful. He bowed his head and stood some, but his posture still offered all of the respect due to a queen in her castle. Sorry, I was a bit out of place, he said with an awkward grin. But I really am here for peace talks, one leader to another. I'm leading a small band, and we were looking to winter over in some woods to the South of here. There's plenty between us, but our hunting grounds may overlap. There were lands to the south that would serve well as hunting grounds, but he could not promise that none of their number would stray north. So I guess I'm looking to let you know we're here, and to get your blessing. We're not looking for trouble, we want to be helpful if we can.

Goliath steps a few paces back, but still watches intently. Gingerly waiting for the command to take down the rude intruder in a swift couple of steps. Eyes set on the wolf, the words 'peace' and 'helpful' hadn't changed his opinion on the disturbance, and if he could, Goliath would chase them out of these lands as far as he could.

However, how this wolf and his group should be treated was not under his jurisdiction, nor was anything really, and thus he kept silent.

Goliath steps back upon her words but does not leave like expected. Part of her is appreciative but there is little to threat from the smaller wolf and they aren't terribly far from her border. Sriracha feels the silence without being addressed again and an irritated flick of her ear and a quirk of her eyebrow is the only thing she offers of her displeasure. She remains silent as he speaks and for a long moment she stares, watching him to further gauge his interest.

The destruction of the phoenix wolves had been over a small rabbit and miscommunication. Had Esaro never crossed the river that day, they would likely still have their home and they would be coexisting relatively peacefully.

"What woods?" she asks, restraining the urge to chase him off. Should he be laying claim in the maplewood, she wanted to advise against before taking action but before jumping to such conclusion, she gives him the floor.

Sriracha would have liked for the Goliath to leave entirely, but he wasn't in the place to make demands. The tension in the air was nearly palpable, and he imagined the conversation between him and the commander as a thin thread. He could not pull hard, else it would snap from the tension. 

He relaxed a little when she asked which woods, unaware that there was a wrong answer to the question. I wouldn't know it's name, if it's got one. But it's a grove of trees with way more ferns than is necessary. It was a bit of a hike, I don't think it's too close. Sriracha felt the need to reiterate their distance. He'd come here to alert her and to seek peace, but he wouldn't give up the forest. He had promised Ocra and Xan that home, and his pride would not allow him to give it up. He could wheel and deal all day if he had to, but he wouldn't give up that ground.

Goliath sat down, and watched the two talk. Being tired and having a short attention span, he quickly became bored; Soon enough, however, his eyelids began to drape over his eyes, and silently fell into a half-daydreaming, half-sleeping state and thus continuing his well-deserved rest

He provides enough information to know where he's talking about and she nods her head once, but does not make the announcement. Instead, she tucks the memory away for later, whether or not it will be useful. "As long as you do not hunt big game near us, this side of the maplewood, we will not hunt it near you," she tells him. There's a little more leniency this go 'round where, unless necessarily, small game remains free. A herd on their side is theirs and beyond that, she'll leave to the little wolf before her. "What is your name?"

The commander laid out her terms, which were agreeable. Indeed they were fair and surprisingly lenient considering the welcome he had had and all that he had expected. That's fair, he said, smiling easily. It seemed that he had achieved peace with the first of their neighbors, despite what he had feared. I'm Sriracha. Y tu? And you? he asked.