After giving his leg some time to rest, Black Hat was off again. Remembering Okeanos' instructions, he sought out some kind of herb to put on his wound in order to prevent an infection. Seeing as every other neck of the woods in this damned place was claimed, he had little choice but to return to the bramble forest, now with a partner in tow. He grumbled as they trudged through the irritating tangle of thorns and branches, just about fed up with his ongoing stream of rotten luck that extended far beyond the reaches of these wilds. He was confident his fortune would turn around upon coming here, and being immediately proven utterly wrong made him more sour than a rotten lime.

Having his leg get caught on the umpteenth bramble set him off, and he snapped at it with a piercing snarl, yanking it away with a jerk of his head. The thorns dug into his palate, but Black Hat was too tired to care. Those infinitesimal pricks were nothing compared to the pain he'd experienced in his lifetime. Beads of his blood pooled onto his tongue, and he lapped at the wound absentmindedly as he continued on through the forest with the most repugnant scowl on his face, praying the appropriate herb would show itself soon before he really lost it.

He stopped in his tracks, and his ears flicked backwards towards the foreign voice that was far too close for comfort. Black Hat whirled around with a fuming expression to face the stranger but was taken aback by the sheer size of the man — he had to be at least twice his own size. As a result, any indication of anger on his face was there for but a flash, and the initial shock that followed was swiftly replaced with a cool, though closed off expression. Pissing off a wolf of such a size was a foolish affair, especially in his current state.

Yes, well, we're only here to find a few herbs. I've no interest in staying in this place long, He replied evenly. What are you here for? He then returned, wondering why else anyone would come to such an irritating place. But as soon as the words left his lips, there was a shift in the wind, and he recognized a hauntingly familiar pack-scent. He blinked, heart sinking in his chest. Oh, fuck, He cursed inwardly, jaw locking as he struggled to keep the rush of panic from peeking past his mask. Had that wench sent this behemoth after him from her pack?

If so, Black Hat found it safe to say he was utterly fucked.

His dull claws dug into the earth at the thinly-veiled threat as his muscles instinctively tensed in preparation for what could be a fight for his life. He fought with himself to keep his expression devoid of emotion, in spite of the adrenaline and panic whirling around inside of him just beneath the surface. Deeply, he took a breath to fill his lungs and clear his mind. He could not win a fight with this man; he didn't even stand a chance while not in prime condition, even with Radar's assistance.

When Black Hat couldn't fight his way out of a situation, there was something else he could fall back on: Business. Deals. Negotiation. If the monster before him wanted him dead so badly, he would have done it by now. But instead, he revealed himself to them, conversed with them as if they were comrades. Perhaps he did still intend to kill them, for he had little to worry about on his end, but Black Hat saw the opportunity to work his magic, and he didn't hesitate to snatch it.

He eased himself into the role. Think, think, He urged himself. When doing business, it was essential to evaluate who exactly it was you were dealing with. What made them tick, what they valued. He began to scan him like a machine. The way the man held himself was confident, outwardly and overwhelmingly dominant. Black Hat had little doubt he was anything less than the head honcho of his pack. He seemed to be the sort that valued physical prowess, judging by his own appearance and the combative nature of the woman he'd fought before. But he wondered how many of their members could offer everything he could.

What if I interrupt your hunt with an offer? He began. Your pack seems quite solid, but I believe I could help make it even better. You're in the process of settling in, yes? I can help with that — I'm far more useful alive than dead. If you're interested, I can tell you more, Was his pitch, except for once, Black Hat was the product. Still, he would not beg for his life, nor would he even come off as desperate to save his own hide. Even if it sentenced him to his death, Black Hat would stubbornly go down with his pride; he wouldn't want to live with himself if he lost his spine.

To his utter relief, he had the bearish wolf's attention; and with it, a fleeting chance to live another day. No pressure. Yet he grinned through it, though his lips were taut with anxiety a skilled eye could pick up on. Shaking it off, Black Hat willed his muscles to relax and took on a more casual posture as he continued. The name's Black Hat, He introduced with a tip of his crown. You see, I'm a very versatile man. I've my fair share of experience with politics inside of packs and in-between them. And if you want something, I can get it — recruits, allies, followers... anything you desire — but I'm also not afraid to get dirty myself. I started off as a soldier. I've killed before, and I'll kill again. An intense mien emenated from his eyes, hard and heavy like diamonds.

The air lightened, however, when he brought his attention to Radar, who had taken to cowering behind him. Not like he blamed her. And let's not forget about my companion here, He started, stepping aside to bring her into the spotlight. Radar's the finest hunter around  — you name it, she'll catch it. You'll get a hell of a lot more meals out of her by keeping her alive. It was a stretch of the truth, but it was necessary to save her tail; Radar certainly wasn't selling herself, and if he didn't, he feared that the huntress would become the prey. And she was of no use to him that way.

So... What do you say? Do we have a deal? It pained him to imagine being a subordinate again, to be forced to make a deal where he was the one with everything to lose... but he had no choice. If this lad said yes, Black Hat was confident he'd be able to work something out in the future, making this merely a temporary arrangement. It was... tolerable.

But that was assuming he didn't become this wolf's next meal. He waited with baited breath for his response, the ultimate test of his skill as a businessman.

He couldn't help but to visibly deflate with relief as all the air that was held in his lungs escaped from him in a sigh. Radar ended up getting the shorter end of the stick, given her obvious lack of fighting experience. While unfortunate for her, she was at least alive (all thanks to him, no doubt), and he wasn't about to push their luck by arguing with the ruddy man's decision. They'd deal with it later.

The warlord's verbiage told him this was a full-time mercenary pack. Black Hat had heard of many such bands before but never even considered joining one. While fully capable of carrying out such grunt work, the mere prospect made him want to snobbishly upturn his nose. He should've been the one commanding the underlings, not doing the dirty work alongside them! For now, though, he would hold his tongue on the matter, already scheming how to carve out his own niche and earn a high-ranking position.

You've made the right choice, good sir, and I'll be sure to prove that to you. As soon as we're done here, we'll meet you there, Black Hat ensured. Realizing something, he added, Oh and before you go, what is your name? After presumably receiving a curt answer, he would see Vengeance off, then finally turn to look at Radar, staring into her eyes. His gaze was not apologetic; it was neither warm nor cold, just... flat. The air between them was awkward, and he didn't have the energy to discuss what had just transpired right now, especially if she was going to get all hysterical.

Clearing his throat, he asked, Shall we? She wasn't given the opportunity to say much of anything before he turned to set off into the tangle, glowering when he was ensnared again.

Fucking hell.