Kivi had become accustom to traveling the mountains she crossed over while heading back to the meadow. When she climbed it made her stronger and helped her find new valleys were she could train Zhavvi. The wolfess had been keeping to herself lately and trying to explore as much of this unfamiliar terrian as she could. She would need to know these wilds if she wanted to be a successful outrider. However there were more important trades the wolfess was after. She would aim to become a warrior and gamekeeper for her pack, and prove that she is the mighty wolfess she claims to be.
Just a few hours ago Kivi had entered a forest and began tracking a herd of moose, even though they were not the prey she was searching for. With her nose low to the ground, Kivi followed the moose scent to the borders of a pack. She stopped and gazed out into the claimed territory before sitting and accepting defeat. Today she was not in the mood for a fight, but instead information. Kivi did not want to cause trouble for whatever pack had claimed these lands, and so she lifted her head and called out to any of the pack wolves politely asking for them to meet her.
Kivi figured the wolves in this pack would have an idea about where some bison may live or if there were any plains in these wilds. As an aspiring gamekeeper, Kivi felt it was her job to locate the bison and hunt them for her pack. A spring breeze came flowing by carrying Kivi's scent into the pack's territory, so if any wolf had ignored her howl hopefully they would not ignore her scent.
A howl of an unfamiliar pitch assailed the leaders ears. Tonravik, as ever, wasted no time in heading toward the sound. She did not howl in response. She was close enough where it was not needed, and descended the ridge haphazardly, rubble clacking its way down as she half-slid, half bounded the rigid, rocky terrain. Tonravik had little time to waste on wolves that lurked near her border, and she could not imagine why any would come to the Spine unless they sought to join them.
The other before her had a stature of a runner. It was easy enough to assess that the wolf before her was likely a better runner than a fighter, and her furs reminded Tonravik of plains wolf. Tartok had once overtook plains, interested in the bison that lurked there. They were hardy prey, and their meat delectable. But her thoughts lingered solely on the wolf at her borders, then, tail above hindquarters and ears erect as she approached.
Kodiak was already making haste to the borders, the scent of a potential intruder reaching his nose before the howl reached his ears. It may have been intended to be polite, but the Tartok did not mingle with outsiders. Unless she had come to seek entrance into their pack, she would not be received well, and even then her reception would be based only on her merits.
As Kodiak neared he caught wind of Tonravik ahead of him. He would not be the first to interrupt the lithe, tawny female, and stood wordlessly at his leader's flank. His blazing stare was fixed unblinking on the stranger, his posture stiff as he offered silent support to Tonravik.
Two large wolves greeted Kivi, one a dark female and the other a brown male. Kivi came to the conclusion that the ebony female was the more dominant one, due to her posture and how the male stayed behind her. Wanting to be respectful at their borders, Kivi gave a bow and then stood proudly. She wanted this to be a quick and easy discussion and all she wanted were simple answers. "Thank you for meeting me" Kivi began, accent clear in her voice.
"I was wondering if you knew of any large open plains in the area, or possibly where some bison might be living." Any answer would be greatly appreciated, and Kivi hoped these wolves were kind enough to point her in the right direction. Kivi had done nothing wrong to these wolves, or their pack so she belived there was no reason for them not to answer her. However there were always those wolves who couldn't show even a slight amount of kindness, and Kivi didn't feel like dealing with any stubborn wolves. So if they had no intentions to help her, then she would want them to let her know now so she could move on.
Tonravik watched as the other dipped, and for the moment she was appeased. The others accent reminded the woman of a wolf she had already met. He had been older, and she had liked him well enough for the simple fact that it was clear he was a warrior. The other had come to ask a simple question, and Tonravik had no qualms in answering her this one question, as it hardly effected her. There were no plains nearby she had seen.
Nor had she seen bison in a long time.
"No," came her curt, honest response. She did not. Her answer gave the woman plenty; they had the advantage of this mountain, after all. From its vantage point, she had seen no plains nearby, nevermind bison. It meant that what this stranger was looking for was not in this area at all.
Kodiak's posture and stare did not shift, but an ear did flick as the stranger spoke. He held back a snort this time, for he was there in support of his Alpha, nothing more, and the stranger had showed due respect to her. Kodiak was not one to give freely of information, even though plains and bison were of no consequence to them. Their territory was secure and provided for them everything they needed, they had no want of the things this female sought, and he suspected this was the reason Tonravik saw fit to answer her.
He waited in silence, for another question, for a move, for whatever came next from this stranger.
Kivi gave a sigh when the dark female said she did not know of any plains or bison in the area. Kivi looked towards the male to see if he had anything to say, but in the end nothing came from him. It was a disappointment, but at least she knew that there were no bison seen in this area so she could stop searching here. Kivi had only one question left for the two wolves, and then she would be on her way.
"Do you know of any other packs in the area." She would need to know of other packs for two reasons. One reason was because she would ask them if they saw any bison or plains, the other was simply so she would know of any other packs. Kivi waited patiently for any answer and hoped that her visit here was not for nothing.
Tonravik listened to the others question, noting the others disappointment in her response and glad for it. She had no interest in others settling near to her. And as far as her next request, "No." Tonravik did not care to know, either. They were of little use to she and hers, and neither friend nor foe. Perhaps more the former given the distance kept between them; any that came to settle too close for her comfort would be met with a challenge from the Spine.
The woman blinked at the tawny one. She did not truly care to know why she sought what she did, only wanted to see her gone. It was evident that the other had no intent to stay, and Tonravik took a solid step forward, hinting that their conversation had come to an end and that she was intolerant of lurkers. Her dark eyes did not shift from the stranger, though one ear cupped toward Kodiak.
Another no was given, and Kodiak held on his tongue the words, best there not be. The more distance between packs the better, as the brown bear saw it. Tartok did not need the support of another pack, and so a neighbor was of no use, other than to be an obstacle should a time arise when they needed to expand their borders. In times of scarce prey, for example.
Tonravik stepped forward, signalling she was finished, and Kodiak moved in tandem with her, the faintest of growls briefly rumbling in his throat.
Yet again another one word answer was given, and if Kivi would have been in the mood to cause trouble she would have attacked the ebony female right then and there. She wouldn't care if this dark female had her little sidekick standing right beside her, Kivi wanted something better than plain no. As the brown male stepped forward with a growl, Kivi let one of her own growls rumble in her chest telling him to back off. There was no need for growling, but whatever these wolves did to Kivi she would do right back to them.
These wolves proved to be no help, and Kivi would spred the word. With nothing else on her mind, Kivi turned ready to leave. She would find the bison on her own, and search for other packs, she would also return to these wolves and cause some trouble for them. However that was for another time, and for now Kivi walked away from the two wolves back into the into unknown wilderness.
Tonravik had not made a sound other than her responses, and blinked as the other growled. Back off, Tonravik heard. The audacious demand was met with the aggressive forward-thrust of lobes over brow. The other had overstepped her bounds in making any demand of her subordinate, and the snarl was taken as a challenge to their authority over their own land. Tonravik herself let forth a bone-rattling snarl that held an entirely different, more direct message: I will kill you--, taking another step forward and aggressively responding to the other. Get out. Her defenses remained at the ready, and her teeth were revealed. She made promises, not threats. And this was her promise.
She watched the other disappear into nothing on the horizon, flicking an ear and snorting, muzzle wrinkled. The other wolf was a dimwitted one. No sense to follow her eyes, her nose, to get her own answers. Lazy.
Kodiak would not hang back now that his warning growl, which he had grounds to issue, was brazenly returned for no reason other than out of insolence. He stepped forward from Tonravik's flank, standing shoulder to shoulder to her, his ears also thrust forward aggressively and his own rumbling snarl mingling with his Alpha's threat. Although the plains wolf was stupid, she had enough sense to turn, and Kodiak snapped audibly at her retreating ass, making a promise himself. As a master tracker, he would never so much as consider asking another where something was that he was looking for. How lazy indeed.