Wolf RPG

The small valley reminded Revui of his temporary stay in the westlands, except that the space here seemed more open whereas the hinterlands had been so choked with green that oftentimes the sky was blocked out. Here, at least where he tread, he could look skyward and watch the clouds gather without having to try very hard. The forested hills gave way to thickets of dense reeds and lowly bushes which clung to the soil with some desperation. He stopped by a cluster of these to relieve himself (likely prompted by the scent of Merrick that lingered there) and after scratching the soil to add further proof he belonged, carried on. The goal was to explore the valley but it was easy enough for Revui to fall in to old habits; patrol, watch for dangers or possible herd activity, and keep to himself. It didn't seem like a difficult mission considering how vast the area appeared to the uninitiated.

More and more, he seemed to find wolves entering their valley, newly recruited. Each week came with a new face to be greeted. Toad didn't mind- it was awkward when it had felt like just him, Taylor, Evien, Merrick. A couple others he didn't know. It had made things more tense- but with strangers to greet, he could distract himself from Evien. From Taylor. From whatever lingered between them- he didn't want to think about it, and so he busied himself with patrolling and occasional cache-filling. 

Today was no different, it seemed. He stopped beside a couple of bushes to find a scent marker already in place, recent. He added his own anyway, but instead of continuing in his prior path, he followed the trail of the stranger. Soon there was a grayish smear on the landscape a few yards ahead, Toad pulled closer in a slow gait, eventually halting nearby with a casual chuff to alert the man of his presence.

He wasn't sure what counted as Ursus territory; when he had met Merrick the boy had claimed the meadow, but the scents drew him to this valley where they remained stronger by far. Perhaps the boy was an aspiring King in the same vein as his sister, eager to lay claim over more than just a single territory despite the logistic nightmare that would pose. It didn't really matter. There were other scents beyond the shadow's — mostly men, none of which he recognized. It seemed more and more that Revui had fallen-in with a horde of bachelors.

Speaking of which, there came a subdued call from behind Revui and so he halted and turned to regard the oncoming shape. He made sure to twist his healing wound away from their line of sight; he did not know these wolves nor did he trust them yet, and any injury could be seen as a weakness to be exploited. As the stranger drew closer, the leviathan observed with the frigid calm inherent to most of his Moonspearian ilk - a shrewd gaze, and the slightest prickling of his jagged top-coat.

Beyond that there was silence as he assessed the stranger, as if expecting them to initiate something. A fight, perhaps - that would certainly be entertaining (albeit a bit idiotic considering his current state).

Toad would be lying if he said he wasn't somewhat intimidated by the creature before him. Much larger than himself, with an obvious strength about him and something of a... stand-offish look to him. And silence. Were all the wolves here mute? First Merrick's woman, and now this man. He did look expectant, though- and perhaps he was looking for Toad to take the lead here. 

I'm Toad, He introduces coolly after clearing his throat. Who're you. More of a demand than a question. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to prove himself as nothing of a weakling in front of this guy, but he figured being confident in his speech, at least, was an easy way to show he could hold his own in some ways despite his smaller size.

After a beat the stranger spoke, and while Revui stood unmoved, he did pay attention to the name. It was an odd thing to call a wolf, he thought - but maybe this boy's parents had a lowly opinion of him, or he hadn't yet earned a better name for himself. They looked as if they were on edge too - perhaps new to the area, just like he was. The bold manner of their speech earned a once-over with Revui's chilling gaze and then he finally relented, sharing: Revui.

It felt odd to say his name aloud. Maybe he should have used a different one in case news of his travels somehow got back to the mountain. As much as he loved his family, Revui did not want anyone to come looking for him; it would bring up too many questions and too much frustration. Oh well - he couldn't recant the name now.

Then it occurred to him that the boy was still there, standing around, watching him. The long moment of silence ended when Revui cleared his throat and offered, vaguely, Valley is... big, proving once again that he was not at all built for idle conversation.

Hello? Were the lights on up there? This guy didn't seem fully present, slow to answer, and slower to continue the conversation. Toad wouldn't let his face show what he thought, but it seemed like Revui was a physical monster, a useful weapon, more than anything else. At least from this first impression. Who knew- maybe he'd impress him later on with intellect, but somehow Toad doubted it. 

Anyway, what kind of a conversation starter was that? Yeah. I guess so. He agreed quietly. Awkward. Let's try this again, Toad. Steer the conversation the direction you want. So Revui- how'd you meet Merrick? Assuming he is the one who brought you here... right?

That went over well. The blank stare from the boy gave way to an awkward gap between them, but Toad recovered gracefully enough. Revui didn't know what to say beyond grunting an affirmative and turning so that he could keep walking - but he did make room for the other wolf if they chose to follow him, and his pace was lethargic. He didn't really want to turn his back on them so he kept Toad in his peripheral vision.

Ran in to him during a hunt. Helped him out, followed him here. It was a pretty basic story. Revui didn't know why it was relevant or why Toad was interested in knowing about it. Nothing special happened - but Merrick did make Revui feel useful and the giant enjoyed the experience, plus the freedom that came along with it.

He marched a few more steps before realizing there was another awkward pause brewing between them and so he made the social leap and returned the question: Merrick recruit you too?

Toad moved into the space Revui left, eager to accompany him despite the awkward way he spoke. His explanation of their meeting was simple and to the point, just like all his answers- but it was good enough for Toad, and he answered with silence. There was quiet between them momentarily, in which Toad could swear he could hear the gears turning in Revui's brain- before the question was returned and he felt some kind of relief. Not exactly. There's a guy here, real tall and skinny, called Taylor. A moment to let that sink in. We fought, but I won- and he was already serving Merrick, so he brought me here. There was the piece about Evien, too- but he wasn't sure whether to bring that up, considering he felt like he was on awkward terms with the chocolate medic. This time it was Toad's turn to be silent, wondering if Revui would have any thoughts on the story. Or did he have any thoughts at all?

Toad's story was peculiar. Revui understood fighting, he enjoyed a good spar and had broken a few trespassers in his time. If it were up to Revui, only the strong would persist in this place. The valley was home to many warriors and some wolves not equipped to be warriors, however they were cunning in their own right. It was a good thing it was not Revui's decision however; he would have made the loser suffer a further defeat and likely banished them for their weakness.

Merrick had made the final decision. That was all that mattered.

Is Taylor so weak, or are you so great? He questioned finally, his voice a rolling tide. He gave the boy a look-over, discerning, but saw nothing that spoke of their physicality or their combat prowess. The only way to learn about that would be a challenge, and so Revui squared off, pivoting his body and aligning his head with his shoulders. Show me.

Is Taylor so weak, or are you so great? 

Toad's brow furrowed. There was nothing great about the frogboy, he certainly wasn't more muscled than the average scout. Did that mean Taylor was weak? The man was a scrawny scarecrow, sitting atop gangly limbs that seemed to go on for miles. Toad figured such was true, but Revui was speaking again before he thought to answer- and challenging him to a spar.

Why did he suddenly feel his knees trembling? He would be a terrible liar to claim Revui was not intimidating. Some part of him did not want to spar- afraid the beast would accidentally crush his bones. On the other hand... he wanted to be among Merrick's greatest mercenaries. And so such took practice, and Toad threw himself silently at Revui, aiming to clash his fangs into his shoulder or breast. 

He anticipated the clashing of teeth, and clash they did. Despite the clear size difference, Revui was surprised by the force of Toad's lunges and his overall finesse with his movement - he was fast, smoother than what Revui could possibly be with his own bulk, and while Toad left many openings of which Revui took full advantage, he noticed how adaptive the other man was. The openings were plenty, but never the same. When Revui dove for one and punched his snout against his opponent he would withdraw, and the same opening would not be there; Toad learned quickly.

The spar was quick. Revui did not put his heart in to it as fully as he might against his own family, and used the brief parry of fangs to make his assessment. There was promise here. Opportunity. Toad could be great—if he was taught by a proper teacher. In the end Revui lunged powerfully towards the young man and rammed his hefty shoulder in to him, toppling him over, and then stood over his crumpled body with his fangs bared.

Then, he pulled away. He gave the man space to breathe and get to his paws in his own time, while he sank to his haunches.

They fought and tussled, and Toad felt some burst of confidence in the moments he was able to use his smaller size and speed to his advantage. Ultimately, though, the frogboy inevitably lost, ending up getting shoved hard enough by the stone giant to have him crumpling to the earth in defeat. While Revui fell to his haunches, Toad pulled himself upward, recognizing the defeat but eyeing Revui enviously. You are a great warrior. I hope I can be more like you, in due time... Toad rumbled warmly, shaking out his dirtied pelt before shooting his companion a final glance of farewell and making his way off.