Wolf RPG

Playing with and teaching the pack's children kept her very busy, particularly as she continued minding Lane's two. She enjoyed every minute of it, even the challenging ones. Meerkat felt like she was really serving a purpose and it was incredibly fulfilling. She hadn't felt this content, this happy, in a long time.

As much as she relished coaching, she occasionally needed time to herself, or to socialize with fellow adults. Today, she set out beneath cloudy skies to search for @Issorartuyok. She hadn't been able to catch up with him much since he'd joined and she wanted to see if he was settled in and enjoying life on the glacier.

She imagined he spent most of his time at the territory's highest reaches, where the air was coldest and thinnest. Meerkat preferred the lowlands near the foot of the glacier, herself, but she began the climb as her nose skimmed over the ground, searching for his scent.

The glacial pack was most suitable for the large wolf. Since his acceptance into the ranks of Duskfire Glacier, Issorartuyok had felt the thickness of his coat return, the fur at his paws tufting from his days of traveling the territory.

The northerner wished to travel west to visit Moonwoman. She had spoken to him of matches and the premise of a wife was most ideal. In time, Issorartuyok would chart a course to see the leader of Moonglow and would tell her of his alignment with the glacial wolves.

Trekking along the colder flats, the northerner breathed in the scent of those who called the terrain home. A familiar fragrance twitched the northerner’s whiskers. The scout Meerkat was not far from where the large male prowled. Issorartuyok squinted against the glint of sunlight on snow and howled softly for the young woman.

Not long after she started to feel fatigued from the climb, a soft howl carried through the cooler air. Lips curving into a smile, Meerkat followed the summons, spotting Issorartuyok's familiar swarthy figure a few moments later. She drew toward him, huffing quietly as she dropped to her haunches to catch her breath. Her muscles ticked like a cooling engine from the exertion.

For a moment or two, she didn't speak. She did smile, then let her eyes drift over the Lambda. He looked quite hale. His coat appeared plush and shiny, his eyes bright. He looked like he was in his element, especially up here on the ice. Her tail tapped at the implications: he was thriving here on the glacier, just like her. Meerkat was glad.

When she no longer felt out of breath, she said, "Hey, I was hoping to catch up with you and see how you're doing." She meant to say something clever about how just looking at him told her everything she needed to know, but what came out of her mouth instead was, "You look good."

Well, that was true, though Meerkat felt a flash of warmth spreading through her body. She hadn't meant it like that... or had she? She drew in a breath, deciding to stand by what she'd said and quash the slight awkwardness she felt. Issorartuyok did look good and he probably knew it too.

It did not take long for the sandy colors of the young scout to appear on the ice. She hiked to where the northerner stood and breathed heavily, steadying the breath that had been used to scale the cold terrain. It was not until Meerkat had stopped the heaving of her sides and offered a pleasant expression to Issorartuyok that he broke his stoic expression and laughed warmly.

You are using flattery, the northerner boomed in his thunderous voice. There was merriment in the earthy brown of his eyes. It did not seem that the scout had bothered him with such a statement. The truth of the matter was that Issorartuyok felt good. It was pleasant to have another notice it.

Eyeing her with a curious smile on his lips, the northerner stepped toward the sandy figure and sniffed at the aromas that clung to her frame. She smelled of the cold, of the glacier itself. You look good, as well.

Her eyes widened a little at his declaration, his voice sounding quite loud as it echoed off the surrounding floe. Meerkat began to chuckle, her cheeks feeling a little warm at his words. "Not on purpose," she jested in reply, grinning despite her sheepishness.

It caught her a little off guard when he repaid her compliment and a telltale tingling began somewhere in her core, spreading outward. Meerkat hadn't experienced this feeling since her romance with Atlas. That bittersweet realization made her chest tighten a little, even as she let out a shaky breath. She'd forayed with Finley (as much as she tried to forget it) and crushed on Wintersbane but this, she knew, was on another level.

She wasn't that sweet, innocent girl of yore anymore. Meerkat hadn't given much thought to relationships for some time now. Life had been so frantically busy for so long. But now that she was settled, maybe there was time to seriously consider these things. Did she want to meet someone? Did she want to find a mate, maybe start a family? These were things she could think about now.

Well, maybe right now wasn't the time. In any case, she wasn't in a place where she'd take initiative like she had with Atlas. Meerkat wasn't sure she would ever be in that head space again, truthfully. If she was developing feelings for Issorartuyok, she wasn't going to act on them beyond her initial, accidental flirtation, not unless he demonstrated his own interest.

"Life here is treating me well," she said in reply to his comment. "I always wanted to be a life coach." Her mind flicked briefly to Atlas again before a wisp of breeze blew it away. Simultaneously, a sunbeam peeked from behind the clouds, prompting Meerkat to shade her eyes against the sudden glare. "Scouting was always meant to be secondary. It's nice, being able to focus on what I really want to be doing, find that balance. You know?"

Issorartuyok could not help but to smile smugly at her remark, that she had not used flattering words on purpose. Something in the way that she flustered, even momentarily, was endearing to the large wolf. He had grown to like the scout in the few times that he had spoken to her and had found that he rather enjoyed her presence, her candid way of speaking. Meerkat was not like the wolves of the north, but she was pleasant in her own ways.

When Meerkat had gone on to say that she had passions for two things, the northerner fell into a stoic expression of interest. The muddy brown in his eyes danced along her features as she spoke. He found a few of her words curious but held his tongue until she had stopped speaking. With the young scout’s passions hanging in the air, Issorartuyok made certain that he gave them their due time.

A life coach is like a teacher? You would like to teach, yes? he inquired carefully, eyeing her reaction so that he could judge whether he had made a mistake.

Thinking back to his time as a young boy, Issorartuyok realized that he would have likely had a powerful crush on Meerkat as a mentor. She would have suited the role well, or so he imagined. What do you teach, wolf of the glacier? Where is your knowledge? The large wolf was intrigued and desired to know more.

"Yeah," she replied. It was a bit of an oversimplification, so she tried to think of how to explain the breadth of her interests. "I do teach," Meerkat continued, lips pulling into a smile, a touch of pride in her expression. "Right now, I'm focused on coaching the pups here. I instruct them in some basic life skills, usually through play since they're still little. In fact, they're so young, they don't realize I'm the last person they should ask about combat training. And yet, they do," she laughed, fondness in the sound. It was one of her most popular requests, as a matter of fact.

But that still didn't cover it. "I also enjoy supporting adults, so I'm a therapist as well. But really my forte is trying to come up with activities for everyone's benefit. Like team-building exercises, you know? I've thrown a small get-together or two in my time," Meerkat told him, thinking of the puppy social in Bramblepoint as well as the Halloween party in the glen. She'd put so much heart into them. "They were both kind of flops, though. I'd like to try again sometime."

Her lips pursed and she hummed, still smiling as she fell silent. Had she answered Issorartuyok's question? She felt like she'd actually rambled on a bit. He didn't seem to mind, though, as she felt the weight of his friendly gaze on her. Meerkat did her best to ignore the little skip in her heartbeat.

"What about you, Issorartuyok? Besides leading and starting a family, where is your knowledge?" Meerkat wondered with a gentle tilt of her head.

The conversation opened wide; the leaves of its flower spread out as though it was reaching for the sun. Issorartuyok found that he enjoyed the way that Meerkat spoke, that he did not understand all of what she said, but that he could have listened to her speak for quite some time without faltering.

The northerner nodded his head intently. The scout stated that she had started to teach the young pups the basics of life, that she was not entirely skilled in every aspect, but that she found she had something of a talent for sharing her insight with the pups.

When the young girl stated that she had worked to create gatherings for her people, Issorartuyok reared his head back and nodded solemnly. Meerkat said that she had hopes her future meetings would be better. The northerner admired that she was not hampered by her events being flops. The scout was a remarkable girl and she had captivated the broad-shouldered wolf with ease.

This one is skilled with fang and claw. We could teach together, yes? I could show you how to fight, help you show the children. The offer was genuine and made with warm intentions. Issorartuyok believed that it was a special gift, speaking with children in a way they would understand. My skills are in defending my village and its people. I will share these skills with you, glacier scout. This is acceptable?

Issorartuyok stared at Meerkat intensely.

Well, that came as no surprise, though her eyes widened at his offer. "Uh, more than," she replied immediately, followed by a huff of laughter. "Wait," she said in the very next breath, not so much backpedaling as seeking clarification, "do you want to teach them with me, or teach me to teach them? I'm good with either," though something in the pit of her belly tingled quite a lot at the thought of this beast of a man instructing small children.

A shadow suddenly passed over them, then another, and another, prompting the yearling to glance upward to watch a flock of geese passing by. They were headed south, naturally. Meerkat let out a quiet breath as she watched them wing past, their trajectory a stark reminder that winter was on its way.

Issorartuyok grinned toothily at the young girl. Meerkat wished to know if he would assist her in the actual lessons, or if he would merely show her what she would need to share with the youth. The question was valid, welcome even. The large northerner regarded her with a small nod of understanding. She stated that she was fine with either option and the large winter wolf felt very much the same.

You know the children, glacier scout. You must introduce us if I am to teach anything. They will not trust me, not without you.

Meerkat had already established herself in their lives. Issorartuyok was pleased to assist her, but only in a way that she found comfortable. The northerner was fearless, but he did not wish to enrage a protective mother.

If you wish, the rough sound of his voice was hushed, deep and rich in its sound, I will teach you, or I will teach beside you. You may decide, the northerner nodded to Meerkat with a hint of a smile upon his lips.

She felt a cold dread thread through her at the thought of winter. The last one (her first and only) had been rather bleak. Meerkat was not looking forward to the next. But even as her eyes dropped earthward again to land on Issorartuyok's face, some voice in the back of her reminded her that she would be two at the end of winter. She could expect her first season, though what Meerkat planned to do about it remained to be seen.

The logistical hurdles alone were daunting, so she did her best to push that thought out of her mind as she focused on the conversation. "I'd be happy to introduce you. You should know them, one way or another, since we're all family now. Right?" Meerkat smiled brightly as the geese's silhouettes receded into the distant skies. "I'd love you to teach with me. I think that would be more beneficial to them, anyway," she added, thinking of their game of Whispers with a twitch of her lips. A lot could get lost when it came secondhand.

After a few beats of companionable silence, Meerkat said, "That said, I won't say no to some lessons of my own. It'd make my mom proud." Her tail swished. "She's a master mercenary, you know," she shared with a light laugh which trailed off into a hum, brown eyes gone soft. She missed Towhee. Maybe she would feel up to visiting her before the winter came. Heck, maybe Issorartuyok would like to go with her...

Yes, family was important. Issorartuyok nodded his head solemnly at her statement. He had not truly felt it, but his ties to the village of Duskfire Glacier meant that he had been filled with new purpose. There were wolves to protect and land to be guarded. The northerner swelled happily at the prospects before him.

We teach together then.

It would be the best way for the children to receive a well-rounded education. In addition to this, Issorartuyok believed it would be a good way for him to get to know the scout. If he had only taken his initial meeting with her for face value, he was afraid he might have missed out on getting to know a curious individual.

Meerkat spoke of her mother with love upon her tongue. The northerner smiled softly.

We will teach you so that you will make her proud, the large wolf assured her, tone rumbling with confidence. The sentiment was something that he believed most creatures could understand.

Before she could second guess herself, Meerkat replied to his statement by saying, "I'd like that. And after we've trained a bit, I'd like it if you maybe escorted me to visit her." Her heart pounded, not just because she was inviting Issorartuyok to accompany her but because it would mean returning to the caldera for the first time since her decision to depart.

She drew in a breath and licked her lips, weight shifting from foot to foot. She didn't think he would decline her—more likely he would be delighted that she wanted to do some ranging with him, after rejecting his earlier invitations—but her heart continued to thud with anticipation.

The smile he had offered spread into a toothy grin. His dark tail flagged steadily behind him. It was about time that the scout brought up a chance to venture into the wilds. Issorartuyok had asked her twice before and she had denied him. A blossoming flower of pride had opened inside of the northerner. There would be no denying her, of course.

Yes, it is good that you will travel with me now! Issorartuyok chuckled and peered at her intensely. This one feared you might never accept.

Really, it did not matter where Meerkat’s mother resided. Issorartuyok would venture across mountain ranges without breaking his stride. Duskfire Glacier seemed to be a promising village. There were opportunities for purpose around every corner.

His enthusiasm made him even more fetching, an observation which made Meerkat's cheeks heat even as they plumped with an answering smile. She chuckled too, her own tail waving as she shot him an apologetic glance.

"She lives at Redhawk Caldera, which is a ways," she shared, certain he wouldn't mind. "Lane's headed there with a message as we speak. Or she might be on her way back now. Anyway, I figure we could head there in a month or so? I don't want to travel in the dead of winter," though, again, she doubted Issorartuyok would be deterred. He might actually prefer that.

"Meantime," she went on, scuffing a paw at the dirty ice underfoot, "why don't we go over some of the basics? For fighting," Meerkat clarified, squaring her shoulders as she tried to mentally prepare herself for the lesson to come.

Redhawk Caldera was not a village that rang familiar, though Issorartuyok knew he had not visited many of them. Moonglow was prominent in his mind as Meerkat spoke to him about her mother, the distance they would need to venture in order to reach the Redhawk wolves. When she made a remark about not wanting to travel during the heart of winter, the northerner smiled at her. It would not have bothered him in the slightest.

To travel when there is snow on the earth is a gift, he informed her, nodding softly. He did not mean it as a correction, only hoped to shine a new light on a situation Meerkat did not appear comfortable with. Maybe I will show you when that time comes, yes? If she had someone at her side, it might not seem so terrible a venture.

Let us test your knowledge, glacier scout. If I aim my fang for your throat, how might you defend yourself? The chocolate colors of his eyes traveled to her neck and lingered there for several seconds.

"I don't mind snow, most of the time," Meerkat said honestly, "it's the cold that gets to me." So many memories of Atlas flashed through her mind just then, from his remarks to growing out her fur to their snowy picnic. "I'm glad you don't mind the winter but, for me, it's kind of synonymous with hardship," she tacked on thoughtfully, lips pursing as she gazed away into the distance a moment.

She turned back to him when he spoke of testing her knowledge. The smile returned to her face as Issorartuyok challenged her with a question. She considered the answer that sprang to mind versus the answer he likely sought. Meerkat decided against the joke in favor of demonstrating that she respected his knowledge and his time.

"I'll lower my head to cover my throat. I think," came her reply. "And I might leap out of range, for good measure."

The northerner did not miss the smile that had swept along her features, the way she contemplated his inquiry and then responded with a genuine answer. Issorartuyok bobbed his large head several times, a chuckle bubbled from his throat and into the chilly air. Yes, good, you must always protect your throat from your enemies, it is a most tender part of a wolf’s body, he spoke, smiling at the yearling with new interest.

Meerkat had stated that she would possibly leap from the range of her attacker’s teeth. Issorartuyok had never been the sort to use agility to avoid injury. He had always stood his ground proudly, fearless in his belief that he could withstand anything and anyone. Not every fighter was the same, though. It would do well to face one like the freckled scout.

Let us test this, your agility, the northerner stated. He moved into a fighter’s stance and did not hesitate when he aimed his teeth for her neck, just to the side. Issorartuyok had no intention of fully striking, only to graze her if he could even get close enough.

His approving words caused a little thrill to shoot through her, though of course she was only being pragmatic. Meerkat didn't have to be a seasoned fighter to know that her throat was vulnerable. She didn't even have to be a hunter, though she recollected the dozens of times when she'd finished off prey by strangling them or severing the jugular vein with her teeth.

Issorartuyok mentioned testing her agility, then assumed a fighter's stance. This gave Meerkat a moment to prepare for the incoming attack, otherwise she was sure he could've caught her entirely off guard. Although she understood he didn't mean to strike her for real, she treated his leap as if her life was truly threatened.

She managed to dodge the brunt of his blow, though his muzzle skimmed along the side of her neck. Meerkat hissed out a breath as she sprightly landed a solid meter to her left, paws planted and head low. She felt another flush of heat, her skin tingling where Issorartuyok's fangs had barely brushed. Her head lifted eventually and she gazed at him, awaiting his assessment.

The scout was swift, leaping from the click of his teeth on nimble paws. The large male continued his momentum until he could swing his frame around to her. Already, Meerkat had drawn her head up, her eyes upon him in wait for his word. Issorartuyok laughed heartily and nodded his head to the young woman. It was clear that he was impressed with her speed.

You are swift like a white hare, the northerner said to her with a chuckle. I am a bit large for it. You would do well against an enemy who is larger. Such agility! All you would need is to tire them. The man laughed again, and trotted toward her. Issorartuyok did not wish to fill the entirety of their time with sparring or tests, not until he had gotten to know more of her. The cracks of her first impression had begun to reveal a talented wolf with an array of skills.

Lifting his head up, Issorartuyok nodded to the north.

Would you like to patrol? We will talk and know each other.

She playfully arched an eyebrow at his comment. "Not a brown one?" she quipped, wondering if white hares were known to be swifter than their differently colored counterparts. Now there was some food for thought, especially since pondering rabbits made her feel a little peckish.

Continuing in that same coltish vein, Meerkat groaned loudly at his invitation. "Patrols are the worst," she complained through a cheeky smile. She knew that good company could make all the difference and she would be lying to herself if she didn't thrill at the opportunity to get to know Issorartuyok even better.

"I kid. Lead the way," she said with a flourish of her tail.

The northerner peered thoughtfully at Meerkat, considering her remark about the color of the rabbit to be something that he should take seriously. In the northern tundra, Issorartuyok had chased after the pale hares until his paws had been weary and his legs could no longer carry him. The white rabbits had been the sharpest prey, the hardest to see against the backdrop of icy white. The large man could not say that he had ever seen a brown hare, not until he had left the reaches of the cold northern terrain and had ventured south.

This one believes that white hares are more fair than brown ones, Issorartuyok commented in a rough voice, warmth radiating from each word that he shared. It had been a way for him to compliment her, a way that only seemed fitting of the large tundran.

Setting them out on their path, Issorartuyok took great joys in his time with Meerkat. He was thrilled by her energy, by her quick tongue, by the agility in her sleek frame. The scout of the glacier had sparked new life in the northerner. He would not soon forget the joy she had given him. As they patrolled the village territory, Issorartuyok shared small pieces of himself with her in exchange for whatever he could get in return.