she pulled herself from the lake, water streaming from her fur and her paws quickly becoming muddied. gaze roved the shore, unfamiliar as it was, it offered no immediate threat. A stiff shake had water flying in every direction, but left her relatively drier. Salmon tongue leapt sideways to catch a stray drop of moisture on her muzzle, and she was still for only a single moment before setting into motion, trotting gamely along the shore, gaze fixed on the banks and water in search of any waterfowl that might offer themselves up as her next meal.
He was gathering food for Leila, as he knew well how busy she was attending to her, well, whatever he was after the bear fight. Cry was irritated he had frozen up the way he did at the sight of the ursine that day, but it was best not to beat himself up over it. Repeatedly dowing yourself over mistakes only hampered your future.
The dark assassin was keeping an easy gait past the fringes of forest, carrying a partridge in the gentle vice of a sure maw. Frosty glacials scanned the perimeter of the forest, and though he weren't guarding anything immediate considering they owned none of this vicinity, he still kept guard. It was out of habit.
His gaze landed on the shape of a tawny hued wolf, skittering through and along the folded borders of the lake. Considering the smei-pack was on relative attent for their numbers, Cry figured it would be more oppertune to be nice than the usual coarse demeanor he was so accustomed to being. Trotting up to the seaching temporary neighbor, the partially sociopathic male greeted her abruptly after dropping the hearty carcass.
"Hello."
it had been a while since she had come across another. too long, apparently, for when the male appeared before her and uttered a greeting, and offered a "Who're you?" Upon immediate reflection, it appeared that she had missed a greeting in turn, but she quickly brushed this aside. Manners were rather annoying, and why waste time on words when one could get to the point quickly, and easily?
she paused in her exploration of the lakeside, regarding the male with hawk-like glance, waiting for an answer to her blunt query.
Oh thank Sithis, it was a practical wolf. Finally someone who spared the torture of trying for a worthless exchange.
Relaxing a bit more than previously, Cry responded just as abruptly as she did. "A recruiter."
Internally, he revelled at being able to withold his name. It wasn't like it meant anything, but it was something that held weight in a more underground sense of dwelling. He tryied to stay away from the majority of it, though, to remain afloat, to remain...good, to a degree.
"You?"
a recruiter, he answered just as easily. "For what?" she asked again, the answer quick to come yet vague. storm gaze travelled over him, judging quickly that he was in good health and seemingly well equipped to fight. her own answer was not long in coming, but her tone was less than open. "A loner." seemed that they'd get along just great, him being a recruiter and her being recruitable. Though she had become quite content in her nomadic lifestyle, albeit, it was a more lonely one than what had once been hers.
"A pack."
It was almost as if they were near mirrors, reflecting the task of volleying coupled words together to see who would give the most info first. It was interesting, bordering amusing as Cry lifted a piece of lip to reveal a hint of a smirk. He hadn't had a bit of fun like this in a while, and he was lightly enjoying himself. Everyone else wanted to banter, host an entire paragraph at a time, but this one was just as short tongued as he was. He appreciated the girl.
"Where from?" He offered the next quip in their exchange, the poetry happening between the two veering from awkward to comfortable; well atleast in his perspective.
she began to understand the nature of the game she had suddenly found herself playing. volleying words, purposefully being vague. she could very well play this game. "Where?" she asked, question flung more out of necessity to continue the game than actual interest, though the male certainly had hers. "Nowhere. Everywhere" come her answer, tail flicking once behind her. She had never had a true home, moving first with the Nomads, then when they had been killed, alone.
Cry almost broke and laughed how fast the question left her lips. He wasn't so easy on failing, but she had almost tipped him over. Though he held his composure, a light shard settled in his eye that reflected his amusement in this situation.
With a pointed muzzle, he gestured left.
"Far West."
At her response to him inquiring her whereabouts, he decided to give off his own sliver of true honesty. Why not? She had earned it.
"Same." He nodded in mild agreement. His home hadn't had a place, and he rather not bother to remember it. His new life began with Slade, and that was as far back as he could fathom, regardless of his attempts to dwell further or not. Slade was his start, and it seemed as far as this pack family was going to be factioned, Slade just might be his end.
"Cry," He relinquished his name to her, lightly raising his dark crown in indication of him referencing himself. Wintery eyes settled on her own gems, as he asked next. "You?"
his answer was neither an answer or a question, the first break in their short game. she should have expected him to break the trend further when he first relinquished his name, then asked for hers. "Aglæca" she responded without pause or doubt, having no qualms with releasing her name. it wasn't as if she needed to keep it hidden, or would benefit from doing so. "How's the recruiting, then?" While she had not minded their blunt conversation, she knew that others would not think the same of one as blunt as he. Besides looking somewhat menacing, she wondered if he had had any luck in his role.
Where she considered the game to be broken in him using more than anon based casuals, he figured she had broken first from the longer sentence. Seems as near as the two were personality wise, their thinking habits were a bit uncoordinated. She had quite the unique name, and it made him wonder exactly where this Nowhere and Everywhere was.
"It's going good. We're about 6 strong, as of this moment. Traveling across Teekon to the furthest west, and picking up any who want something more that just a place to bed."
As Slade described his plans, he had incorporated how deep Family values would be in the pack, and Cry was a bit more enthused than he would dare to admit to the massive black wolf. He wouldn't ever hear it from Cry, but Cry knew how he wouldn't leave this place. Slade always knew what Cry wanted, somehow.
"Interested?"
In no way was he trying to go back to the single worded jousting, but it was now a more comfortable way of ommunication within the assassin. He was just a man of few words.
"Depends" came her answer. she was silent a beat, considering the offer that had been made. she had never settled down, anywhere, for more than a few weeks, and was hardly tired of her lifestyle. but would it do her any harm to follow another, for a time? it would be...difficult to adapt to living under someone, but she was hardly bond to any place of thing, and nothing held her in her place. she could just as easily leave a place she did not like. "I've been a loner for a year, now. What does your pack offer me that I can not find on my own?" lengthy, perhaps the longest sentence she had uttered in a while.
Cry expected her to contemplate the offer, but for the question she responded with on behalf of it, was not expected. Well, loners wouldn't be so swift ot join a pack, especially if they had bad experiences with previous homes, but if there was anything about the loner life that was embranded on a wolf, it was Cry who knew it best. The loner life was a hard one, and he knew full well how Spring decieved others into thinking it was easy simply because prey were more apt to being run by their hormones and not their wit. But the assassin couldn't help but remember how desolate the Wilds were in the winter, being only capable of sustaining himself once a meal was within easy reach, conserving his energy and praying Sithis didn't take hold of his soul, just yet. It was ruthless being a loner, and his social skills suffered from such a life as he grew up. He was thankful for Slade teaching him proper vocals, as if it hadn't been for him, he would have never learned to speak.
But for a loner to be so confident in their own abilty to easily keep afloat within a life of solitude, Cry couldn't empathize with. He was a wolf of wanderlust, yes, but it was because he was never filled with that sense of companionship. Slade, and his band of followers gave him that. He knew loyalty was a massive factor when it blended family ties, but what this behemoth of an Uncle was amassing for the 5 others was going to be tighter than blood ever wished to be.
It only got under his skin that she looked for what the pack would offer her, and not what she would work for. His face took no change, but internally, he withdrew from her, just a bit, returning to his balanced state once more.
"We offer nothing to those who don't offer themselves first. Everyone works for the Family, and they each give their all to bettering the entirety of the pack. We don't extend invitations unless those who we deem worthy are approached. So in truth, the question is how loyal are you willing to be, and what will you do to make living in this pack worthwhile?"
As a recruiter, if he were supposed to making sure the wolves of the Keep were the best possible, Cry had to ensure they had plans more than just 'surviving'. They had to have goals, aspirations, expectations needed to be met. They would all help eachother reach them, but slackers were going to be cast back to the wilds where they originally thought they were 'safe' and 'comfortable' in. Free to find that Teekon wasn't so kind on a single wolf as it was to a horde of them, working as a cohesive unit.
unlike the man before her, Aglæca had no distinct aspirations of being in a pack, no need for companionship besides what the world offered her. she had never had the benefit of being close to someone, didn't understand that kind of companionship. her family had not wanted her, the nomads that took her in were all killed. the closest thing that she had to a close relationship had been Zephyr and Chusi, the former of which had liked her in a way she could not quite understand. but they were gone now, and the woman's world was one without the kind of Family the man spoke of.
thus, the words the man spoke were odd. the nomads had been a group, yet individual- members came and went, and while they contributed, no lofty expectations were made. they existed, they were one, they lived in a kind of happy peace with one another. was that not enough?
"A Family rules you? You must...offer yourself, to this family?" she shrunk back from him as he did from her, yet her face did not show it, not quite understanding how this worked. the thought of offering herself, the mind and body that had always been hers, to another, unnerved her.
He shook his head at her confusion, patient through and calm.
"The Family doesn't rule you; you are under an Alpha, and that Alpha is who has the say-so in anything that majorly happens within the pack. You will come to find that in every pack you come across, if they have any sense in their brains, they won't just offer a spot to a wolf that doens't plan on doing anything but being there, taking up space, and eating all their food."
It was a cold thing how admission worked. It only brought him back to the past, where as a loner to gain admitance to the pack Raziel led, that he had to show proper submission, damn near groveling as he said his resume. How capable he was, how he was a good investment. But luckily with Slade, sumbission would only be needed if a subordinate was out of their place. They were a family, not a band of power fed savages. Respect was expected, but not barbarianism.
"We work together to keep each other afloat. Where respect is due, it is given."
"I know that" she said, brow raised a touch. "I am more than a deadweight, I assure you" but still she was unsure as to what, exactly, the family was. the answer came to her after a moment, and she uttered the answer allowed, more to herself than to the male. "You call yourself the family, then?" but she did not wait for an answer before moving on, already further in her thoughts.
she could have gone then, and lived the rest of her life, alone, content, perhaps, or not. maybe it was a thirst for something new, something bigger than her life, which had her continue, words quick to come, now that her mind was working at a faster pace. "I can work. I am an apt hunter, tracker, fighter, scout. I can learn." if she were to join this male's group, no doubt she would have to do a lot of that- as demeaning as the words sounded in her head, she must learn her place.
Cry gave an almost imperceptible nod at her asking, which was a bit more than generous from his end. It was obvious they called themselves a family, considering how many times he had made it clear in his words, but he liked this girl a bit more than the average wolf, so he gave her more than he would normally have.
"Flexibility is very much appreciated; so is enthusiasm. If you are willing to learn, then whoever takes you under their wing will be more than willing to teach you whatever they know in the trade."
Cry pawed forth the partridge he had caught earlier, the feathers keeping in the warmth and providing insulation to the meal. It was a gesture of faith, handing her a free meal. It spoke of how she had earned enough respect from him to be granted a free meal.
"Is there any trades or specialties you are eyeing, specifically?"
She could give this a go, couldn't she? The woman watched him, shifting her stiffening limbs in the slightest. Her gaze expressed her surprise when the male pawed forth a meal, one she accepted carefully, glancing to him. " I can adapt to what is needed; but I am a traveller, by nature. If that is what your pack needs, an ambassador, a ranger, I can fill that role." her gaze trailed down to the meal, her own pride rearing its head, as well as a feeling that this was wrong. Normally, she would accept a free meal, but now - "I cannot accept this. You hunted, you should eat." she offered, gaze movign to his in all it's sharpness.
"I might be able to hone you in Ambassadorship, but you have me beat at Ranger. If anything, I was told how there are to be roles held for the higher ups, and if one desired such, they need to aim for that Specialty or Trade. Hunting Master is going to be well needed, and if you turn your goal for it, it may earn you one of the top spots. in the crafting of this pack."
Cry looked down to the returned bird, and for one, he smiled a bit. Just a bit.
"I would, but I'm not really hungry. This meal wasn't even mine. I actually hunted it for my sister, who's puruing heling and caregiving, but she has a friend who will take care of her needs in place of my momentary rendezvous with you. Plus, we all feed eachother if able, and I can't really see you as a loner, after this talk. So go ahead, eat up. I'll introduce you to the others if we cross paths with them on their travels there."
He gently nudged the bird back to her, and added, "You also will be able to get your Ranger training in as we travel there; it's ridiculously far west, so you have quite the time to practice."
She listened to his talk, the words "higher ups" having her shift in the slightest. She had sought her own clan, once, but few could commit to the life of travel that had been hers. She accepted the meal with a few quiet words of thanks, fastening her fangs in the bird and placing it carefully at her paws, stomach yearning for it. but she withheld from the meal, and cracked a grin as he spoke of Ranger training.
"I have travelled my whole life - first with nomads, then by myself. Worry not, I need no practice...but an Ambassador is a skill I could improve in. I've been told I require...tact." she mused, a glint of mirth in her eye even as the short-lived grin had faded.
should we start another thread soonish?
Cry was pleased she went for the meal, as he rather not waste the time bth trying to find his sister AND not waste the bird. She was travelling with her companion, and at their two 'lovebird' pace, who knows how long it would take for them to get to the site. He knew Redmoon was a good fit for her though, loyal bastard was always there fo here, and it was nice enough to give him a break. He loved Leila yes, but she was always prone to getting herself in some sort of predicament, and after that last episode, he wasn't so sure he would be able to keep up with her accidents. Since Redmoon seemed to have morepatience than he, along with an affiliation for having her back when she needed it, those two were inseperable.
Cry snorted at her comment, 'tact' being the word someone supplied her with.
"That will come soon enough. Won't taste right after you give it a few tries, but I'll show you away around it's flavor, while keeping your intent clear."
Cry honestly hoped she would stay; he liked her personality. She had a 'Don't take shit' sense of style, all while remaining open minded. Those were rare, nowadays. She was sure to make a great scout, relying on her own gazes across the land, and only hearing the details of those she knew would only bode her well.
After she finished her meal, he awaited her signal, and off they loped to meet up with the others.
Oh yea, we can actually have one right now. :3 I'm gonna share the laptop with X so we can have a little thing meet with Slade, and you can be introduced. :3
sounds good! feel free to tag me anytime
his snort brought a grin to her muzzle, his words listened to with a flick of her ear. slightly odd, but helpful all the same; though she was careful to remain stoic on the outside, she was just a little bit excited at how this adventure might come to end. her meal she ripped into, finishing quickly, and, sated, leaving the scraps for a pair of grey jays which flapped nearby.
she moved alongside the male, unsure of how the future would come to end; she was rather not very good nor excited to be a follower, but she reasoned that she could not go her entire life without being one.