Ragnar's final preparations had been made, he'd said goodbye to his wives, his children and had spent a little extra time with Thistle explaining what to do if, per some chance, something would go horribly wrong. Ragnar wasn't a pessimist and, in fact, was quite confident that he still continued to hold the Allfather's favor. Even so, having plans set into motion wasn't a bad idea considering he was going to a pack, demanding retribution for a crime committed against one of the Bay's and accusing one of the Spine wolves of committing it. There was always a chance that even Odinn's favor might not be able to save him. A long howl rose from a section of the borders a little bit away from where Ragnar had been prepared to cross. For a second, Ragnar deliberated on if he wanted Thistle to deal with them or if he could spare the time to see to it himself. Remembering Thistle's hesitation to accept new wolves Ragnar's mind was made up for him and the Jarl altered his course and padded in the direction of the call. When he arrived he saw a woman standing on the borders and bared his teeth, hackles bristling as he considered that he hadn't even left yet and here was someone dancing along the borders. Trespassers had been few and far in-between lately and Ragnar wanted it to stay that way. Standing on the borders, however, was just as bad to him and he let out a low, warning growl to her. “Back off of my borders and we'll talk.” Until then he refused to utter one more word and if she refused to put adequate distance between his borders and her body he would do it for her and the result wouldn't be very pretty.

Ragnar got a quick glimpse of her scar but he thought nothing of it. Scars were only impressive to him when they outnumbered and out shown his own, these days. Though the scars that marred the left half of his face did give the appearance of someone once having tried to rip it off it was a little known fact that instead of carrying a war story they, instead, held a holier message. In reality, they were just random scratches that were claimed to be a symbol of Odinn and had been of Ragnar's own desire. In a way, he had earned them but not by fighting for his life as the story of most scars seemed to generally go. A derisive snort left the scarred Scandinavian as she spoke, making her spiel that she was too tired to travel further and that she only wanted to use Stavanger Bay to rest up before she continued on. Nicked muzzle wrinkled in distaste. He wasn't in the business of sheltering and feeding lone wolves who had no interest in staying. “Then find a tree in one of the many free territories and sleep under it. Your woes aren't my problem. My pack is not a charity.” Even if he wasn't keeping a close eye on the caches and things for the upcoming winter — after all they had four new helpless mouths to feed — he still would have been dead set against it, and the audacity in which she had to ask it made the Jarl sneer morphing the handsome half of his face. “You will find no pack in these Wilds willing to shelter and feed you at your convenience only.” He warned, lest she go to another pack hoping they might be more hospitable than the Viking of the Bay. “If that is all you have to ask me, then I suggest you get lost.”

The female's awestruck stare caused the Jarl to stare at her unabashed, as if daring her to tell him that he was wrong on his interpretation of what she had, quite clearly, asked him for. Another soft snort left the Viking's flared, black leathery nostrils as a small, coy little smirk began to tug effortlessly at the edges of his lips. She would stand here and tell him that she had not asked for those things when she blatantly had? Perhaps it was something that Ragnar should have let go, but she had just entirely contradicted herself to him and he had no intentions of letting her leave without making sure she understood that. “Yet you just asked me, moments before, if I would let you enter my pack lands to rest up so you can leave when that time comes, presumably eating is included in resting,” It occurred to Ragnar that she truly didn't understand how she had sounded just then but even so perhaps she understood that the two things were entirely contradicting to one another. Or perhaps she wouldn't. Either way, it was of no real consequence to him. “I run a pack. If I allowed any wolf who needed a rest into my lands to rest and then leave when it was convenient for them I wouldn't have a pack.” Of course, no one was forced to stay within Stavanger Bay. They were free to make their own choices of whether they stayed or went, unless, of course they did something that forced him to banish them — that, however, was a different story all together. “You do whatever you want,” The Viking drew in a soft breath. “But you cannot claim a land without wolves that would follow you and you will find that with every stranger you allow temporary sanctuary within your borders the less food you'll have, the higher advantage of you they will take, and the less safe that those who would follow you felt the less likely they will be to stick around.” Ragnar'd been leading a long time, since before he was a year old (if we're counting the Berserkers).

She could take his advice or leave it, she could stay and try to see if she could win herself a spot within his Bay or she could do as she said she would and try to form a society that did not seem to have any sort of structure or protection to him. He didn't care, simply, he wanted this to be over with either way so that he could begin the pressing mission he'd been distracted from.

Ragnar watched as the woman turned back towards him, presumably to say something in her own defensive, which surprised the Viking but the scarred Scandinavian hid it well behind his present coy smirk. The more time they wasted here, the longer it would set his trip back but he wasn't the type to let someone go without pointing out their mistakes. If other wolves had the liberty to point out his to his face than by Odinn he would do the same to others. “Exactly. Why would I let you into my pack lands to use and then leave? Stavanger Bay isn't an inn, you understand? I do not know you. I do not know your intentions. You could tell me one thing but end up raiding all of our caches,” Ragnar was distrustful of strangers at his borders if only because that was something he would, definitely, end up doing. The Viking preferred a much more direct approach if he was going to raid a pack but even so if he was by his lonesome he would have tried to cunningly play up the sympathy card. There could be no one else in the world like him, Ragnar knew, but even so the Jarl wasn't keen on taking the chance. Besides, if he let one stranger, lone wolf do it then he had to let everyone else do it, as well. He had no intentions of letting her into his pack unless she intended to stay and even then she had to impress him with what she had to offer him. They had four newborn infants to take care of and think about first. Ragnar wouldn't let anyone into his Bay whom he felt offered them — or any of his other members for that matter — any ill intent. Ragnar Lodbrok was many things and half of them unable to be accounted as good but he loved his pack and he would protect them to his last, dying breath. If he was a hard-ass on the borders it was because he had precious lives that counted upon him making the right decision. Not the decisions most popular, nor anything else. The right one.

“You need to decide right here and right now which one of those you want most. If you choose a place to rest before moving on them you may leave and I will not call you back,” After all, he wasn't going to beg her. She was the one at his borders, not the other way around. “However, if you choose that you wish to stay then we will start this conversation over and take it down the correct track that will assist me in making my decision.” After all, he wasn't just going to accept her simply because she needed a place to stay. She had to have something to offer him and the Bay and if she didn't then he'd shoo her off to one of the other, numerous packs sprouting in the Wilds.

Ragnar was patient while the woman decided, weighing the only options he was willing to give her: try to join his pack — after all he wasn't just going to blindly accept her — or leave. Eventually, she broke the silence that had begun to stretch between them, stating that she would like to join the Bay. Ragnar lent her his ear when she spoke that she was a good hunter, protector, that she was loyal and a teacher. His own children were past the point of needing a sitter but the Ostrega broad would probably need one. “Did you hold the trades of Gameskeeper? Or Warden? Or Caretaker in your previous pack? Even if you did you will have to earn them anew here,” And the judgment was at his mercy but he wasn't unreasonable. “You can tell me everything in the world. At the Bay, you get what you deserve, what you earn and I encourage every one of my wolves to earn at least one trade,” Granted many of them had been slacking upon it, for presently only Ragnar and his wives held trades. “With Winter right on the precipice it is crucial, now more than ever, that everyone is contributing everything they can if we hope to survive.” The Jarl would lead them through the cruel tresses of old man winter. Ragnar, having been born in the icy, harsh, and unforgiving North was well equipped with the knowledge of what it would take but his wolves had to return what they took. This wasn't a one man show, after all.

“I take vows to me very seriously,” Ragnar warned her. “Before you tell me with finality that you truly wish to join the ranks of my subordinates you need to understand that if you do not contribute your share, if you challenge my or my Queen Wife's authority, or if you cause trouble for us I will not hesitate to kick you out.” He did not say it but he mentally added that the next time someone defied a direct order he gave he might just kill them. Chasing them off seemed much too nice, this time around. Ragnar didn't have the moral of most men. In fact, he barely had morals at all. He would do what every other hesitated to do without hesitation, and it wouldn't bother him in the least at the end of the day.

Ragnar fell silent once more when the woman responded to his inquiry, replying that she had held the titles in her previous pack. While that meant that she had experience, providing she wasn't lying to him (for he had no real way of knowing), it also meant that it would be no problem to prove that she deserved the trades in Stavanger Bay as well. “You can try to do what you will but the herds are migrating anyway. Soon they will be thin and it will be a struggle for food.” Especially given the explosion of packs that had randomly, it seemed, decided to pop up all over the Teekon Wilds — but Ragnar didn't care about those packs. He only cared about Stavanger Bay and in the grand scheme of things it would be of no consequence to him if they died off. It just meant less competition for the herds that did linger in the Wilds during the winter. “I except to see you aiding with keeping the caches full and pruned of rotten meat first thing,” Luckily for her if she had intentions of slacking off the Viking wouldn't be around to check up on her at least for a week or two, or however long this Outrider trip actually took him. “I am Ragnar, and my Queen Wife's name is Thistle. I suggest you promptly seek her out and introduce yourself to her.” With those words, Ragnar made to leave, though he lingered for a brief second just to see if she had anything else to ask of him.

“I would call for her. I am not sure what she might have going on currently,” After all despite that Thistle and him were co-leaders and despite that they were husband and wife she still was allowed her privacy just as he expected his. Ragnar paused, itching to get going upon his journey when Ranger inquired as to if they would pick her trades for her and what they would be. “No. No one picks your trades but you. The only thing you have to do is prove to us that you're worthy of holding the titles.” Ragnar told her simply. “I must be going but Thistle will see to it that you get a tour and get settled in.” With those words Ragnar departed, his destination the Spine pack, and the giant unknowns that accompanied the journey.