Despite his young age, Rannoch had found that the wolves of the bay had given him much more free reign than his parents had. Despite the protection that the Leviathan had confided in him, the Benthos found himself exploring his new home with a sense of duty about him. He knew that there were new babies in the pack-- lives to be protected-- and the prince of the sea would do everything in his power to protect them.
The day was fading as the large wolf trailed along the borders, finding himself at ease as he looked out to the Bay’s neighboring territory. He was not far off from Deirdre’s pack, but, instead, looked to the mutural territory that they shared. Seating himself, Rannoch kept a villigelant watch as a gentle breeze carried itself across the boarderline to ruffle at his plush pelt. In that moment everything felt okay and that was certainly progress for him.
There had been children born recently, something Qilaq struggles to comprehend as her time with Amayo and Appeh has shortened. She thinks briefly to the conversation in the stony room where she laid with her mother but as much as she tries, it doesn't help the lack of time. A little lost in the world Qilaq has already been stumbling through seems as if the ground has been ripped from beneath her.
It is only when the night has announced its approach that she realizes her distance from the den but there is no pull to return. The night's invitation is no longer inviting and a frown weighs heavily on her features. Qilaq heaves a sigh and a sharp inhale of breath that fills her once more with the salty brine but there is something else upon the wind. Her head turns to see the dilute toned puppy seated ahead. She wrinkles her nose as she debates approach but the wind shifts with the pull of the ocean, tussling her fur, and she slowly takes a few more steps forward to test her boundaries a second time.
It seemed difficult for her to settle, although it was not because she felt uncomfortable within her new home. After months of wandering, her legs were used to restlessness. She wanted to run, but feared running to far and finding herself astray. It was better to loop back and forth endlessly, extending each trip further and further out.
Night seemed to offer her the best weather as well. She was not accustomed to the humidity, nor how thick the air was. It took barely have the effort she normally used to fill her lungs. If it were not for the warmth - nothing could compare to crisp autumn nights high in the mountains - she would have felt invincible.
Her sense of prowess did not waver when she noticed the glint of eyes not too far off in the distance. More curious than worried, she approached with lazy ease, taking her time to close the gap between her and the other. By the time she was within earshot, a second form had pulled free from the shadows. Tilting her head, she watched for a moment, before sounding off with a friendly chuff, tail wagging in a low, amicable fashion.
The gentle winds of dusk seemed to have bring two wolves to his general vicinity. Qilaq was first and at the sound of her pawsteps and secondly her scent. Turning, Rannoch soon set his eyes on the fellow Benthos and offered a small smile, as if to invite her. They had not gotten off on the right paw but, despite this, he was more than willing to fix what he had wronged.
His smile was still fresh as the second scent overcame him and, as quickly as he had towards Qilaq, turned towards the border as an unfamiliar scent overcame him. Te hairs along his nape bristled and he came to a stand, pushing his ears forward as he attempted to spot the newer wolf. Soon enough he caught the faintest outline of the stranger. His tail lashed and he looked to her with a heightened sense of concentration before asking, “Who are you?”
Rannoch’s smile upon her approach is enough to put her own on her face and her tail whisking behind her. Their last meeting left her a little wary and she does not fully approach in case he does not want her there, but his stature tells her otherwise. Still, she keeps her distance.
Her eyes flick away from him, however, as the sound of another approaches and her ears drop against the back of her head. She stares for a long moment an only feels herself shrink back a fraction, taking a step or two so that the other child is between her and the stranger. The boy speaks first, directing a question to the stranger, and Qilaq reminds silent—as much as she wishes to flee from the interaction, she plants her feet in the sand and waits it out.
The two were still quite young, leading her to believe that there must have been a lot of pregnant mothers somewhere; virtually no wolves that she had encountered came even close to age to her parents, let alone some of her eldest siblings. One of the youths, perhaps emboldened by her calm nature, spoke up. She lifted her nose, able to get a good sniff of the pair, although she did not approach any closer. Although a recent immigrant to the area, she was beginning to familiarize herself with the local scene, and thought that she smelled of the area, of the neighbouring Blackrock Depths. She was always happy to meet neighbours!
With a polite dip of her muzzle, she introduced herself. "I'm Muses, a newcomer to Donnelaith." She introduced herself and offered a reasonable explanation as to why she would be lurking so casually between the two pack borders. "I know Blackrock Depths and my own pack are... Allies of each other," Was that the right term? It was almost impossible to imagine that two packs could successfully thrive alongside. "So I thought I ought to come over and say hello." Say hello, familiarize herself with this secure portion of the coast - she really did not have much of an agenda, and truly traveled only to satiate her desire to move about.
Hey there! trying to wrap up my threads since Noch is no longer in the valley! Mind if we fade in the next round?
He relaxed instantly at the news of the woman coming from Donnelaith. Though she does not smell strongly of the forest, the blue-eyed Benthos trusts her regardless.
“We do have an alliance,” he agreed in a tone that suggested that he was embarrassed by his mixup. Dipping his head with a frown, he apologized.
“I am Rannoch, Benthos of Blackrock Depths and this is Qilaq-- also a Benthos.” He motioned behind him at the mention of his darker packmate.
“Would you like for us to give you a tour? We’d love to do so.” It was the least he could do for his rude introduction.
The woman answers the questions but she says things Qilaq doesn’t exactly understand. Her knowledge of the pack next door is limited and she’d only met another from there, briefly, and the only thing to bring her out here now had been Rannoch. He had easily taken charge of the situation, despite his age, and she found herself staring at him for a long time when she realizes he offered something to the stranger. Her ears droop against her head as she takes a step back and trotting off in the opposite direction to find her comfort zone once more.