The fen was actually fairly resplendant, with a charm that Jackalope would have to begrudgingly admit, was somewhat enchanting. Surrounded by billowing willow trees and soft, trembling cedars, and with soft, spongy moss underfoot now that the snow had been melted down to patches, there was no denying the fact that Wraen and her co-founders had found a beautiful place to life. It was bright, open, and clear- especially as the leaves had yet to come in. But when it was sunny, the light bore down, warming the land so that it was almost warm underfoot- a welcome feeling, after what had felt like a long, cold, grey winter.
Jackalope wasn't a sentimental creature, nor was he easily moved by the beauty of the lands he'd travelled. He'd seen just about everything that the world had to offer, or so he thought. But he hadn't lived in a fen like this- he'd only passed by, without really stopping to enjoy how nice it was. And unlike other wetlands, it didn't have the same murky, mucky stench. There was an earthy scent of peat and moss, of course, but it didn't have the sulfur-rich smell of other swamps and wetlands.
What he'd need next was a proper spot to claim for his own, where he could go to rest or get away from the others. So he began to scout through the fen, looking for a place that was nice, quiet, and secluded so that he could steal away whenever he'd had enough of being social.
Even in a territory as big as the fen, where people can disperse far and wide and there is a solitary corner for everyone, you can come across a packmate, who might be searching for a get-away too. Or someone like Wraen, who enjoyed her peaceful and leisurely exploration walks in the yet undiscovered areas of the fen. Her days filled with numerous small, but important just the same duties, she had not had a chance to meet Jackalope and inquire about his stay at Brecheliant. It was not so much to hear praise of her chosen home, but genuine curiousity of, whether the Blackthorn, who claimed to have seen almost everything in is life, had found something here to be surprised about.
So, now wonder, when she happened to see him in the distance, she changed her course and approached him with a wagging tail. "Hail to the fellow straggler!" Wraen greeted him, when she had come within an earshot. "Where's fate taking you today?"
Normally, he might have put some effort into avoiding others. But as far as wolves went, Wraen was just about as tolerable as they could possibly come, which was a relief. She didn't have a bunch of youngsters hanging off her, nor did she seem to be followed around by do-gooders who wanted to please her at every turn. Instead, she seemed the sort who was capable of running the pack without having others constantly vying for her attention. At least, he assumed as much; why else would she have approached him directly, if she was so busy with her time? It wasn't as though he, a newcomer, was really of that much interest to an alpha.
But then again, he still liked to think that she at least in part fancied him. So he bobbed his head dutifully and gave her a slight, albeit crooked grin when she approached. He hadn't been doing anything- and didn't feel compelled to lie about being somewhat of a lazy-bones. "Well well well," He uttered in a low, pleased voice as she approached him. The short tuft of his tail waved slightly, but not enough that it might draw too much attention to it. "Lookin' fer the other half...Or three quarters, whatever- of my tail," He answered. "Did you notice, when you met me, if I had it with me then, or did I lose it before I came here?" He asked. "I swear- if it ain't attached to me, I'll lose it," He said with a slight cackle.
"Some people lose their hearts and minds, you - it seems, lose your tail," Wraen grinned. "That's the most extraordinary, but then - is there such a thing as a dull Blackthorn?" And the very short and concise answer would be "no". There was not. The dullness gene had been selectively bred out to give rise for multiple copies of "reckless" and "do first, think later".
"Well, just in case you do not happen to find it ever, you can come up with a good story on, what happened to it," she suggested. "Say, if you wanted to impress ladies with your brave feats, you could tell that it was eaten by a cougar, while you fought for death and life with it. Or... you went fishing one day and - ya' know," she shrugged.
"Or you sold it to the devil in exchange for a super power," she said. "Of your choosing - what would you like to have?"
They spoke with each other for a while longe and then left on friendly terms.