With the passing of days and Aleera's advice heeded to all of her ability, she had begun to feel better. Fever shaken and wounds from the silvered, creek-dwelling, brute healing, she finally descended the mountain for the first time in a handful of days.

Frankly, she didn't know how long it actually had been since she had last put her paws to the dirt here closer to their boundaries... her head had been elsewhere lately, yet it seemed like longer than it had actually been. Several of her hours had been lost to fevered rest, but when she had been awake she had contemplated and attempted to meditate (something she had not done much of since leaving Rikudou, and even less of since conforming to pack life..) to soothe both her mind and body. It had been met with mixed results.

The coming shift in the seasons was heavy on her thoughts and she looked deep into nature for answers. None came, yet. It was too soon, but she was listening and looking in an effort to be ready to understand when it did decide to reveal itself. While she hoped for the seasons to come to pass smoothly and for their pack to prosper without issue, something deep in her gut inspired an unfounded anxiousness. Amekaze wanted to disprove it as soon as she could, not justify it..

Now, she moved slowly but purposefully as she gradually stretched out her stiff muscles. All the while, her senses were keened to busily reacquainted herself with the mountain's lower reaches. Here and there were new scents interspersed with old yet on the whole, it all seemed peaceful and just as it always had been. When she reached the borderlands' proximity, she paused, then breathed deep. Where to begin..?

She had to take her time to readjust. It came back slowly, but surely, and she attuned to the surroundings and found her groove. Before much longer, her senses brought her towards the unknown scent. Without a question, she approached with intentions to investigate what this was about. She was a bit out of the loop after all.

At first she was primed and ready to take some kind of offense. She spied a strange female, just.. being here. Amekaze's ears sprung forward and her tail rose up tall, but a deeper breath found Jace's scent involved in this. The grey-scaled female also did not smell as loners did. While she did not recognize the pack here very well, she suspected that much at least: a pack, some pack. Little did she know it was what had become of the remnants of what was once Akhlut's Horizon Ridge...

Her green eyes narrowed into a squint and distance closed between them steadily. Now, here in the company of another (a stranger, no less), she took care to bear weight on her sore leg anyway. And at least some of her messy fur would mask her other scabs. What are you doing here? she asked, standing squarely before the daintier female, who also reeked of various plants. She was a whole menagerie of smells and Amekaze was working to understand them all while awaiting a proper response, which would be gauging her next move. It was the fact that she scented Jace among it all that kept her tempered.

She received her words with an impassive, neutral look as she was unsurprised to hear her name-drop Jace. Amekaze's eyes narrowed in consideration while she wondered if perhaps Jace knew her from previously somehow. What plants do you seek? You smell.. of the sea, somewhat.. Although it was faded. Had she been inland very long? I take it you are gathering what does not grow there? she observed, and in her roundabout way hoped to pry out information about her pack or home base of observation. Naturally, she knew plantlife here was somewhat different and the mountain offered its own kind of abundance.

Ah, really? she implored with a tilt of her head, vaguely interested as this sounded to be along the lines of a naturalist way of thinking. Her stare was a little less harsh by then, although her posture remained gathered up tall; gamma of this pack as she were, she intended to let it be known. She was still apprehensive of this wolf's company, and therefore unsure of how lenient she felt like being, but if she could prove to be a decent, interesting conversation, Ame would be a dash more understanding. I am Ame, she added in exchange and noted the other female's name with a nod.

She listened with a somewhat masked look of interest, ears flicked forward and a soft nod accompanying the words now and then. With this having been a relatively rainy summer, if whatever you seek likes it wet, it should be doing well right now, she commented regarding plants liking the sheltered mountain. Especially here in the rain-shadow of the mountain, as you said. The other side is a bit drier. More grasses. Some different shrubbery, I think, she added. While she was far less knowledgeable about plants and their preferences, that much was for certain. And of course, it was clearly more lush on this side, the one facing the sea, and their differences were subtle.

On the topic of prey, Amekaze was pleased to hear such insight. The goats here seem to like the forests more when it is very rainy, usually. Of course, that was not always true and she couldn't speak much on the rabbits of the foothills. Almost, she offered the alternative of fishing in the river that was not so far away, but not all wolves had an interest in fishing. Have you been near the mountain here for long? You seem pretty.. insightful, about it all. The weather, plants, prey, so on.. that is. Had someone formally taught her before? Or was it learning of her own creation? Not too many I hear of.. are, she mentioned carefully, meaning she rarely met many others with such knowledge. It was surprisingly valuable to the dark Rikudou.

Also, is Stavanger Bay far? I have never been, and she memorized the scent carefully. She only knew the shoreline near Horizon Ridge and the Sea Lion Shores. Anything much further north or drastically south was unknown turf to her.

Stavanger Bay was largely unknown to her so she carefully collected this knowledge. Ragnar, too, was not well known, but what did spark some familiarity was the mention of their alpha dying. Amekaze had only known two Ridge alphas, with Akhlut the first founding one and Pump the one to follow him. She frowned. Was it Pump? Ah... she murmured almost sadly as she remembered the dark-furred female from their meeting on the falcon mountain. Amekaze had not seen her since then and to know her fate ended like that, well, it was not pleasant news.

She had once been much more current on Horizon Ridge's news, but since moving inland and then Ragnar's rise to power, she had drifted away significantly. Then again, she rarely saw the sea anymore. It just came with a lifestyle that centered here on the Spire..

Her ears then splayed at the female's mention of being overwhelmed. Ame was not going to pry significantly. Unfortunate. I am sure you have your reasons to feel such, she chuffed. To be pressured from wanting to spend time in one's own home was certainly unfavorable.

Not this mountain, but I was born on one further inland and surrounded by old forest. Much of what I learned came from my honored mother. She had reigned over a few mountains in her time, and by the time Amekaze had known her, she had been a seasoned, experienced female with a vast wealth of knowledge to draw from. She had always looked up to her. My homeland and this mountain have their differences, granted, and I have come to appreciate this more.. coastal setting for what it has taught me too. She had been in the region a full year now, although not strictly at the Sunspire or the immediate valley.

While she was keen to hear Nerian's response, her attention was soon sent elsewhere: towards the approaching Summer. She tilted her head his way, uncertain of what was in store but undeniably curious as to what brought him to her. He was apologetic, but asked for her specifically. There was only a last glance given towards the female of the Bay about then, and the dark Rikudou nodded silently. She would happily oblige, as had decided that whatever he needed may be more important. Pack wolf (and one she was certainly fond of) certainly rated above almost-stranger, after all..

While talking to Nerian had not been bad, and she had gleaned a nice little share of information, she decided this would be a good place to part since she was certainly no threat to her or the Sunspire. Her intentions were reasonable enough and Jace knew of it all, so Amekaze would leave her to be. Until next time, perhaps, she offered in a way of farewell, and turned to nudge Summer's shoulder with her snout, indicating for him to lead the way for her focus was now all his.