Etienne shifted into the early morning light. He'd left the hollow behind and was anxious to just exist outside of the structure of the pack. Perhaps he should have stayed a loner longer, but he couldn't deny it was nice to lay his head down at night in a familiar place.
Even if that familiar place was full of jerkish children that were too pretty for their own good and yet they were mean. Though Eti had mostly begun to forget. And the youth Anselm hadn't been around in a few days. Which he could appreciate.
A soft muzzle to the dirt sniffing along the herbs and scents there.
A rugged midnight beauty, lean from her mountain home and the pups being weaned, sought to introduce herself to Epoch. The Alfess of Midnight Scar left her litter with Pali and told her mate she was going hunting and there was nothing he could do about it.
Not that he could stop her, anyway.
On her travels, as she was not native and had not been here long enough to traverse the mountains in search of finding the other packs. Her nose was angled groundward, picking up pack-scent and hoping she would not cross any lines.
Meylodi didn't need a fight.
Hallo?
Golden eyes fell upon a midnight wolf with scarred face. He could smell babies and milk and pack. He tilted an ear back and another forward unsure what to say. They were on neutral ground so it wasn't a big deal to meet like this, but his words failed him.
Until her voice rang out with the stirrings of a language lilting a bit like his, but also so very different.
'ello. I be Etienne.
Aye. I be Mey-low-di.
she thought she'd pronounce it slightly, letting her words hang on each syllable. It was a pretty name, and the only part of Gran she had left. That and to the Alfess, it was just fun to say. I be near Eai-puk, eh-
she huffed as the woman happened upon her worst enemy yet again. Names. The name of others in this land were hard to say, and she could barely get the names of her own children straight half the time. It...teen...ie?
Her voice went higher in question.
Her large head tilted, knowing as soon as the name left her tongue, it had slaughtered the dear wolfling's name. Aye, Con't 'alp it, me tongue go'a vengience against names.
She apologized.
Her name sounded lyrical as her words and he smiled. It was nice to hear a foreign tongue that was sweet and not sour. The Accent Anselm had would have been sweet to match the beauty of the males eyes if his personality wasn't so god awful.
Eti held up a paw. You can just be callin' me Eti.
That was what everyone called him. It was hard to say the foreign way of his name. The syllables just write like a musical note.
No need to apologize. I know accents well.
He pressed a paw to his own chest. His own accent present and accounted for.
The great wolf sighed in relief at the shorter name. Aye. I can 'and'e 'Ehti.
It was still breathier than she'd like. I be comin' from up ta way, from t'at dip in ta mountains where the lightnin' cracks clear. Ta T'uunder Dume.
she pointed her muzzle northward, feeling proud to continue. Me grá an' I gots a pack up thar now.
Her voice was proud of that, a proud wolf was she. Look at all she'd done, after all. Her family, the wolf she loved most, the wolves under her protection. Her tail wagged a bit looking at it.
Meylodi's mountain heart couldn't be happier. Oh, wait, she forgot to give the name. Minnight Scar be ta name. What pack da ya go home ta, Ehti?
Eti smiled then golden eyes alight. Glad he could help her handle a lesser mouthful of a name.
Congratulations on your pack.
Etienne was so new he hadn't heard if them, but he didn't doubt they weren't there she was too proud for it to be a lie.
Eti shifted and motioned the way he came. Currently Paleo, but my family hails from a sea pack Sapphique.