The Jarl's untimely death had rocked the Bay, Thistle and her litter especially. Atreyu tried to help as much as he could — bar actually watching over the puppies, for he doubted his care-taking abilities and their squeaks and cries grated on his nerves. So the Gamma allocated himself to hunting and protecting the borders of their small pack, occasionally disappearing into the forest to brood. It was uncharacteristic, the usually sociable creature that Atreyu was. Ragnar's fate troubled him, however, and the scene of the crime — the murder — lured him towards the Ridge where they had retrieved his body.

Of course, any trace of the scuffle had been swept away with the tides, the scent of blood replaced with salt and fish. The foreign smell that had intertwined with Ragnar's own had also disappeared, though the yearling had locked it away in the back of his mind, determined not to forget it. It had been faint, of course, though distinctly male. That was all he knew of the murderer. His chances of the finding him was next to none but the boy already had revenge on his mind, oblivious to the fact that the Jarl's death had been an act of revenge, too. To him, it had been a random attack, or someone had it out for the Bay. There had been an issue with the pack up the coast before, though they had apparently all but vanished. Temper flaring, the boy's expression soured and he stalked along the coastline, ruminating once again.

Luke was bored, and been busying himself with a branch, but it was unsatisfactory. He hadn't much contact with other wolves the past little while and he knew this was the source of his discontentment, so he abandoned his stick, its broken form laying among the splinters he had produced. He made to distract himself from this prominent disadvantage of being a lone wolf by exploring a ridge he had not previously bothered with, where he immediately picked up the fresh scent of another wolf. He briskly jogged after him, occasionally missing a bend in the trail in his eagerness to make contact, and having to backtrack to pick it up again.

But soon, the blue-nosed wolf was being lead by the scent on the wind alone, for he was getting close, and in another short amount of time his scanning silver eyes picked up the white fur of another male. He bore a sour expression, and stalked in a way that told Luke he was not in the most positive of moods. It caused the lone wolf to pause, slowing his pace as he approached, his tail waving tentative. "Hey there," he greeted, wearing a small smile.

The greeting by the other male went unnoticed by Atreyu, his single working ear facing the ocean. It was only when he looked up to check on his surroundings that he noticed he was ambling towards the slim form of another. The boy paused, hackles bristling and shoulders tensing as he sized the other up. His mood had him on edge, along with the fact that the whole area felt tainted and unsafe. This particular stranger seemed friendly, though, looking almost as if he were a taller, cleaner, paler version of Atreyu himself. With...was his nose blue?

Suddenly realising he had been staring, the yearling snapped his gaze away and towards the sandy ground they stood on. "You," he called, not bothering to mirror the stranger's amiable smile — no, there were much more pressing matters to deal with than petty pleasantries. "You haven't...seen anyone around here, have you?" It was a total shot in the dark, but he had to start somewhere.

The other stared at him, his gaze drawn to the usual focal point of Luke's blue nose, while Luke's own eyes flickered over the raised hackles and noted the tension that pulled the male's shoulders. There was trouble in this wolf's mind, something had him wary and alert, and it was not the common distrust of an approaching stranger. He spoke, and the blue-nosed wolf cupped his ears forward, catching the suspicion that laced the words.

"No," he said softly. "You're the first." His brows furrowed slightly as he regarded the other wolf, briefly glancing from side to side, as if he expected to see something that could answer the question what was going on here. Luke tipped his head to the side. "Are you looking for someone?" he paused. "I helped someone else find a wolf they were looking for, perhaps...?" he trailed off.

His answer caused Atreyu's ears to swivel back in disappointment and frustration, his brows furrowing as he cast his gaze out to the ocean. He knew he shouldn't be so impatient, expecting answers the second he started his investigation, but he couldn't help feeling like he had to find this wolf as quickly as possible. He couldn't let him think he had gotten away with the murder. And what if the man had just been passing through? Some psychotic killer roaming the Wilds?

Turning back to the stranger, Atreyu cocked his right ear towards him, studying his unusual nose before looking up to his equally odd eyes. A flicker of hope shot through his features, and he took a few determined steps forward, head lowered as he spoke lowly, "a murderer." He quickly regretted revealing that, realising he probably shouldn't be so open about it. What if the more territorial and ambitious wolves of the Wilds caught wind that the Bay had lost one of it's Alphas? "A male. Probably big," he added, gaze fixated upon the blue-nosed wolf as if he had the answers.

That was not the answer Luke had been expecting, for the blue-nosed wolf was not one to think the worst of any situation. Even though he had picked up on the suspicion the other male carried along with his sour expression, the last thing he would have expected was to hear the word murderer spoken, and his own brows furrowed at its mention.

"A murderer?" he echoed, his tail ceasing its wave as this sunk in. "Who?" he paused, eyes searching the young male. "Who was murdered?" He could not help but ask. Though he remained collecting his mind was swarming. "I thought you were just pissed at someone. I  mean I guess you are," Luke stopped before he rambled foolishly.

Charon admired Atreyu's wish to see Ragnar's killer to justice. Charon himself held such desire, too. And hey, maybe they could combine it with their slave idea, at some point. However, what if the murderer was still out there? Not long after Atreyu had departed for the Ridge, Charon decided to follow suit, not wanting Atreyu to get into trouble (for after a long time of hating his guts, Charon had - very maturely, in his own opinion - realised that Atreyu was still part of the pack and that he had his cool bits, too). If this murderer had managed to kill Ragnar, after all, then surely he would be able to kill Atreyu, who was younger, less experienced and weaker. But with the two of them, they stood a chance.

When he approached Atreyu, the scent of another wolf filtered in with Atreyu's scent, and Charon's heart pound in his chest as he approached the wolf from the back, trying his best to step silently and stay at a distance so that the wolf would not hear or smell him too soon. There he looked at Atreyu's face, trying to gauge whether this wolf was on the suspect list and needed some 'interrogation', or if it was clear for Charon to come out.

It was obvious that the stranger hadn't expected such a response, and as he echoed the word, Atreyu nodded gravely. The questions from the other caused his ears to sink back and he looked to the side, unsure if he should answer truthfully or not. The wolf before him didn't seem like the type who would take advantage of the fact that the Bay had lost it's leader — hell, Atreyu was pretty sure he didn't have a pack at all. No one scent stood out among the rest on his coat, a pretty sure sign that the wolf was a loner.

Yet, Atreyu still hesitated, thoughtful for a few moments before saying, "someone important."

The stranger's added statement caused his solemn expression to crack, allowing the smallest of smiles to flit across his face before he resumed looking like the grouch. "More than p—..." he began to reply before he spotted a white figure advancing towards the other from behind. His hackles bristled and he almost growled at the intruder before realising who it was. Charon? What was he doing here? "It's okay," he called to the boy, noting the tentativeness of his approach. "He's safe." His eyes flicked back to the stranger, slightly wary. I think.

Luke was focused on the younger male, and was not as attentive to his surroundings as some wolves. In this way he was perhaps too trusting of the world and may later pay dearly for it. Even with talk of murders he did not notice that another had taken position behind him, not until the other wolf's words were cut off, his voice replaced by a growl and raised hackles. Immediately, Luke spun on his heels, his body stiffened, but in mere moments "It's okay," reached his ears, and he settled. This newcomer was not this murderer, apparently.

The blue-nosed wolf waved his tail. "I'm safe," he repeated, catching the wary look from the first male and giving him a nod. "Promise. I wouldn't hurt a fly." He stopped. "Well, if it's biting my ass I would probably eat it, but you know." He was friendly.

Atreyu was startled when he noticed Charon, giving away any element of surprise the pair might've had otherwise, but he soon followed to say that the wolf in front of them was safe. Now that he was uncovered anyway, and the other wolf was also looking at him, Charon approached Atreyu and the white wolf. He cast the white stranger a stern look when he approached, tail curled up over his back in dominance to show that he -- well, and Atreyu, but he was on the other side -- was better than the stranger.

"Yeah?" Charon asked, squinting his eyes. "And how do we know for sure? What pack you from?" Charon mostly asked because he didn't want to be lied to again, and because if he were, then at least he'd know the wolf's pack. This wolf did not smell of the ocean, though, so he could not lie about being from the Bay. If he would, Atreyu and Charon'd be all over him. After what happened with Blythe, Charon would take no chances just letting this dude go until he was certain that he had nothing to do with this. "For all we know, you might be the murderer." Charon looked closely at the male's face, hoping to see on his face whether he was lying or not.

In any other situation, Atreyu might've laughed at Charon's antics. Today, though, he watched with an equally suspicious gaze trained on the stranger as the youngest of the trio stalked forward with his tail raised, throwing questions at the poor man. Though maybe he wasn't as innocent as he seemed.

Influenced by Charon's almost childlike scepticism and distrust, Atreyu flipped his tail over his back and drew his head up in an attempt to intimidate the other male and also, somewhat unconsciously, prove to Charon he could be a force to be reckoned with when he wanted to be. His pack mate had asked what pack the wolf came from, but he had no single scent that stood out on his pelt. All the more reason to be wary.

He remained where he was as Charon studied the other. Despite outwardly appearing hostile, he had his doubts that the blue-nosed wolf was capable of murder. He seemed like just someone travelling along the coast, staying out of everyone's way. And, apparently, wouldn't hurt a fly unless it hurt him first. So Atreyu allowed the wolf to answer Charon's questions, silently staring him down as if daring him to try anything.

Luke pursed his lips and his ear twitched. He did not appreciate the accusation that he was the murderer, and appreciated even less the stiff display the second wolf showed. It was then mirrored by the first wolf, and suddenly the encounter had turned hostile and cold. "Bad manners to be going around accusing folks of murder," he said flatly, but his posture did not change. He did not raise his tail nor square his shoulders. He remained neutral, collected, as the boys puffed out their chests in a futile attempt to intimidate him.

"I'm a lone wolf, passing through." His eyes flicked between the two. "I'll be on my way." He moved to walk past them, less he turn his back on irrational minds that were ready to attack him for a crime he did not commit. His earlier offer to help had expired.

With every word the stranger spoke, he became more and more suspicious in Charon’s mind. He was glad that Atreyu was on his side, mirroring his posture. The stranger did not change his, although his words showed Charon that he was not feeling comfortable. Charon bared his teeth when he was accused of bad manners. “Bold words for a liar,” Charon spat, now fully convinced that the stranger either knew something about Ragnar’s murder or was the culprit himself. Why else was he trying to turn things around to make it look as though Charon and Atreyu were the bad guys?

The stranger didn’t seem very violent, so Charon thought he probably hadn’t done it himself, but he probably knew a thing or two about the murder. And by withholding what information he had, Charon thought him equally guilty.

“Not so fast,” Charon snapped when the stranger tried to excuse himself. Without waiting, when the stranger tried to leave, Charon came into motion and dashed at him. If he’d be able to reach the stranger in time, Charon would try to grab his scruff to push him to the ground (unless Atreyu would act before him, as he was likely closerby).

The stranger had a point, one which Charon pushed aside with a clipped remark and bared fangs. It helped the blue-nosed wolf's cause that he did not mimic their aggressive postures defensively, and Atreyu relaxed somewhat, confident that the wolf was no real threat. Contrary to his pack mate's beliefs, he also didn't think he knew about the murderer, or even Stavanger Bay for that matter.

So when Charon suddenly lunged for the wolf as he went to excuse himself and continue onwards, Atreyu became the voice of reason. Sort of. "Charon!" he hissed, attempting to push himself into the younger wolf's side to throw him off course. Him trying to take down the stranger would only escalate the tense situation. "Don't be an idiot!"

He was right to protect his back, to be wary, for the second male made a lunge for him. His feet were gathered, however, and he sprang nimbly to the side. He felt teeth graze his scruff as he evaded the wolf's grasp not a moment too late. Instantly, his hackles rose and he pivoted to meet any more attacks from either him or the first male, but fortunately, the latter had more sense and moved to intercept the first with check to his side. Still, the blue-nosed wolf remained on guard, eyeing both coolly, but casting a nod of respect to the more sensible of the two.

"Are we done here?" he asked, levelly. His tail twitched.

Just as Charon's teeth were about to hit their target so that he could show the stranger who's boss and hopefully find out for good if he was guilty or not by threatening him a little, Charon was pushed to the side. He hadn't expected Atreyu to do anything at all, since they seemed to be on the same page, but he was proven wrong when he flew through the air, pushed aside by Atreyu. Charon landed with an irritated "oof!" and quickly scrambled to his feet. His tail curled over his back and hackles were raised when Atreyu told him 'don't be an idiot', for Charon didn't consider himself the idiot of the situation.

"An idiot?!" Charon huffed, "This guy's the one being a respectless dick!" And if there was one thing Charon knew of the world, it was that you needed to show who was boss before they thought they were the bosses.

The wolf continued to be a respectless asshat that didn't want to help the boys at all, which infuriated Charon, but he made no further move. The last he wanted right now was to get into a fight with Atreyu, and it wouldn't be useful at all. "Have fun not finding the killer, asshole," Charon spat at Atreyu. He'd started to consider Atreyu a friend over the course of their last meeting, but right now he was furious with his pack mate, thinking he'd ruined the encounter. This wolf knew more, Charon was sure of it. Why else'd he try to run away when they'd start asking questions?

After shooting the blue-nosed wolf a poisonous glare, Charon turned around and ran away without another word. Once he was out of earshot, Charon shouted to himself, "I hope that stupid lying fuck kills you too!" but soon sound himself regretting this wish. With an angry frown on his face, the adolescent returned to Stavanger Bay, hoping Atreyu wouldn't actually be killed by the blue-nosed wolf. He'd talk to Atreyu later to hash things out between them, so they were cool again. Eventually.

He managed to slam into Charon's side, successfully knocking him out of the way before he managed to inflict too much damage upon the stranger. Riling him up would in no way prove useful, though apparently it was now too late to avoid it. Instantly, the blue-nosed wolf had spun with fur bristled and obviously anticipating another attack. Atreyu cast him a glance before turning back to his pack mate who had gotten back to his feet, tail curled defensively and directing angry words towards the older wolves. The Gamma lifted his lip in response, hoping Charon would just shut up and stand down before he infuriated the stranger even more. Then they would have no hope of getting any answers.

Yet it seemed the chance for gleaning any information from him had passed. At his idle comment, Atreyu looked to him, before Charon suddenly spat an insult and turned on his heel, quickly retreating down the coastline. Is this how Aesop felt when he had intercepted Charon and Atreyu's first fight? The boy was slightly startled, a little overwhelmed...but mostly angry. Why did that freckled brat have to come ruin his questioning? He could've found something out! And why had he let him influence him so?

With his ears flat against his skull in frustration, Atreyu glanced once more at the stranger, his flaring gaze softening a little apologetically. "S-sorry," he said meekly, looking back along the coast at Charon's retreating form. "We're all sort of...on edge." And without an alpha, or a significant number of wolves in the pack, they couldn't afford to gain any enemies — even a simple loner. With a frustrated sigh, the boy turned and he too began to make his way back to the Bay to reconcile with his younger pack mate — maybe — leaving the blue-nosed wolf to figure out what nonsense had just transpired.

The instigator left, spewing heated words to his packmate as he did so. With his departure, Luke's fur settled back along his spine and his tail limply swayed. It seemed he had dodged a physical confrontation, thanks to the other male having enough sense to step in. He nodded to him as he apologized. "Seems so. Take care." He watched that one leave too, and drew a deep breath. It was not in his nature to enjoy confrontation. He avoided it whenever he could. Unfortunately, sometimes it was inescapable. He shook his head and moved off, clear in the direction opposite of the others.