Moonspear Words mean nothing when your lips are so blue

@Hydra @Dirge @Arcturus

Somehow, someway she had made it. Out of the mountains and through many catastrophes. Her wounds from that pack had healed fairly well but she was sure one had caught infection and sure enough, just as she entered another mountain range they began to reek. The fever set as she found her way through the mountain, resting and moving until she came upon the borders of a pack. She hadn't tried to join then but instead found herself a place to stay safe a respectful distance away while she tried to figure out if she would be of any use. After deliberating on it she figured it was worth a shot and made her way back, standing at the borders and calling for the leaders. She knew how she looked, small, wispy, and with a thinner pelt than she should have in the mountains not to mention thin and feverish, but she hoped if she swore to stay and work it back off that they'd help her.

Just here for some merc exp, completely skippable as needed.

Dragomir wasn't sure he had any business attending Moonspear's borders, but on account of his training, he was nearby when the howl sounded. After a moment's pause and deliberation, the boy decided to attend it anyway. A nimble pirouette sent him down the mountain rather than up and it wasn't long before he located the summoner.

Even before he was close enough to speak to her, Dragomir could smell that something was a little off. Not as off as that moose that Hydra warned them all away from, but the sweet stench around Sunniva was somehow similar. He did his best to ignore the feeling that crawled up his spine with each breath and focused instead on the she-wolf waiting on the borders.

There was something about her proportions that was a little weird, but Dragomir couldn't have said exactly what it was. He wasn't familiar with pure versus impure wolves and wouldn't have pegged Sunniva for anything but a normal old wolf with some peculiar features. He approached with as much confidence as he could muster, lifting his tail high even though it felt weird to do so here, and said, this is Moonspear. Are you all right?

Clearly he wasn't completely up to speed on how this whole border thing worked.

Sunniva was a bit surprised when it was a young man, she wasn't sure if he was even a year or not, showed up. The boy's tail was held high enough for her to know why he was approaching before he even introduced himself and asked if she was alright. Her eyes brightened at his kindness and she gave a polite smile "I'm not healthy but I will survive. That is actually why I'm here..I'm looking for a home with a healer than can tend me in return for working off the debt and being loyal" she stated this calmly, though she lifted her eyes to look behind him briefly checking for an adult.

There were a few fatal flaws in this plan of Dragomir's. For one thing, he didn't really know how Moonspear conducted their business on the borders. If he was being honest, he didn't know how any pack did it. He'd attended exactly zero border calls in his life and hadn't had much practice with patrolling on account of his former injuries. If there was any wolf in Moonspear less equipped to deal with this situation than him, Dragomir didn't know them.

So he went with what he knew: Moonspear had taken him in, given him new purpose, and were helping him to get better. His limp was nearly gone because of their diligence, and his own. Surely they could help Sunniva as well. They seemed receptive to anyone who worked hard, so he was certain if she did that, she would find a place here.

That sounds like a pretty fair deal to me, said Dragomir, possibly wrongly assuming Moonspear was open to taking in more injured wolves. There's a healer here, but I don't call the shots, I'll have to get a leader to come let you in. With that, he tossed back his head and howled for @Hydra, @Dirge or even @Arcturus.

Hydra had not been too terribly close to where Dragomir had been; she had been patrolling some distance away with her mirror images, @Alya and @Lyra. The call of the young boy Hydra answered with a rejoinder howl of her own; she was on her way, and they would both know her distance from them from the call. The Queen arrived as swiftly as she could, her sisters continuing their own patrol. 

When Hydra arrived she was pleased to see Dragomir having intercepted someone at the borders; her eyes fell upon them, taking in the state of her. One need not use their nose to see that the other was ill, though as of yet she did not scent it. The Queen slowed in her approach, ears erect as her plume lifted over her hindquarters. The other did not look well at all. Hydra was disappointed, too, to see that no other was supervising Dragomir; all of his life he likely had little guidance, but she did not want that to continue here. While she did not want to stifle him, neither did she want him to come to harm; she knew she would need to encourage him to join her at the borders, or Arcturus, or Dirge... though she knew the latter was with the children this eve. 

She looked to Dragomir, a glimmer of appreciation in her gaze, before it turned back to the stranger. I am Hydra Ostrega, she greeted, Queen of Moonspear. What is it you seek? She inquired, one ear swiveling toward Dragomir should he decide to answer for her.

Sunniva's inactive, so PPing her out!

It seemed like a pretty sure thing, then. Hydra arrived not long after Dragomir's howl, prompt as usual. Never had he met a more reliable wolf than Hydra. Speedy was pretty high on his list as well, and he lamented that he might never see her again, but even she hadn't commanded the same authority as Moonspear's Alpha female did. Reliable, yes, but in a different way.

Strangely, Sunniva seemed to lose her nerve the moment that Hydra introduced herself. She turned tail and departed, leaving Dragomir baffled. Hadn't she said just two seconds ago that she wanted to be loyal in exchange for their help? Leaving the moment that a leader turned up seemed like a really poor way to reinforce that you were a loyal sort of wolf. In the span of two seconds, Dragomir learned that not all wolves were as good as their word.

Weird, he mused. She said she needed help and would work and be loyal in exchange. He canted his muzzle to peer up at Hydra, hoping perhaps she had an explanation for Sunniva's change of heart. Guess you scared her, he commented.

Hydra blinked as, shortly after her arrival, the stranger turned and fled. Looking to Dragomir as he spoke, Hydra frowned before she descended to the place where Sunniva had stood. Sniffing at the earth, Hydra could smell the sickness. She looked to Dragomir, deducing quickly enough what sort of help she might have needed. Loyalty was a good offer, but in these tumultuous times the wolves she sought were not of the unhealthy variety. 

Loyalty is one of my favored traits in a wolf, but she was ill... and, evidently, fickle, the last two things she was entirely disinterested in; and fickle was the only true explanation she could rationalize then and there. In any case, it was for the best, she thinks, stepping aside to give Dragomir room to inspect if he wished to. Hydra looked over her shoulder, watching the stranger retreat. These days, we must be a little more selective in who we permit among us. I seek wolves in better health than she had been, as times are hard; wolves fit enough to hunt, and to fight or defend. Lyra can heal, but she herself has precious few resources due to the season to spare. I would rather those resources be used upon those who have proven their loyalty, if need be, she shares with Dragomir, blue gaze now turning to regard him.

Everything Hydra said made sense, but he couldn't help wondering in the aftermath of it why she was selective sometimes and not others. Sunniva was ill, yes, but she'd promised to be loyal and Dragomir had believed her up until the moment she turned away; he wouldn't be so trusting again, but the fact remained. What drove her to regard some wolves with skepticism while believing others?

Why did you take me in if you wanted healthier wolves? he wondered, knowing the answer would probably be complicated. Vercingetorix's promise to help provide for the pack surely had a lot to do with it. At the time, Dragomir had been too consumed with the new knowledge that his dam was gone for good to really listen to the exchange between the Alpha and his father, so that agreement was lost on him. He believed he'd proven his devotion to improving himself and his loyalty to the wolves who helped him do that, but he had to know.

He had to know when to turn someone away and when to trust the potential within them.

His question was a valid one, and one perhaps she ought to have expected. Looking to him, and wondering how to articulate it best, Hydra was quiet for a moment before she began. Your father cared very much for you. He had wanted stability, for you and your sister both. When I looked to you then, Dragomir, I thought of how the mountains might make your muscles, and you, stronger. Food had not been so terribly scarce then here, either, but becoming that way... your father had offered his help in searching for prey, and told me he was a soldier. You were not yet a hunter, or a fighter—you were a child. One who could pursue either, someday, and Hydra had liked both of those things. She saw more than potential; she saw a future for him here. For them all. The real truth of it was the root of the thought had come from her own maternal instinct, but not even Hydra herself had been aware of that prompting her to suggest such a thing in the first place. 

Hydra withheld a sigh as she thought on how some things were not always so black and white. Where Dragomir was weaker, and he and Isilme still cubs, the father would have helped make up for it—but Moonspear would ever do their part to raise the children of the mountain. Hydra had not thought then that food might disappear entirely... but fortunately, Moonspear still found a way to keep the pack and children both fed. When it came to an adult that ought to be self-sufficient, Hydra approached things far differently.

And yet... I choose, for the most part, to have faith in others and their words. I trust, though, what they show me, she drawled, her mind drifting to the day she had elected to have faith in Speedy, only to come to find that she had in fact been lying. It was only the most recent on her list, but her hatred for the woman had yet to fizzle. Many will disappoint you in this life, Dragomir; the only power we have over that is that we get to choose who does it, came her simple truth, and some among that number are worth fifty, and then some, of the wolves that are better off dead or else forgotten in any case. Dragomir was young yet, and already the boy was worth a hundred wolves when compared to his wayward mother. 

Glancing to him, Hydra drawled, to give him some peace of mind if she could, I am glad to have had faith in your father. I am glad that you are here, and that you remain with us. My faith is with you, now. Of your own volition, you keep your fathers word, she hummed with a sway of her tail. Hydra did not know his father well enough to speak for him, and she never would. But she could not help but think that if there were somewhere else to go when all died, and if he could see his son now... he would be proud. He must be, if that were so.

Dragomir knew it was coming, but he folded his ears back and looked away all the same when Hydra mentioned his father. Vercingetorix had attempted to make things better for his children and to be a better father, but Hydra didn't know the half of it. His death felt like another betrayal to his son—it was the grief talking and feeling that way was unfair of him, but his feelings were so far out of his control most days, he couldn't do anything about it.

He remained silent until Hydra spoke of disappointment. At that, he snorted a mirthless laugh through his nose. Every wolf in my life has been a disappointment to me, he said, until I came here. It wasn't strictly true, but he couldn't count the number of times he'd been let down. The bulk of the blame lay with his parents—Aurëwen who always seemed to be looking for ways to escape the burden of her children, Vercingetorix who made excuses for running off on his own risky excursion to the coast—but there were others, too. Charges he laid against them for crimes they may or may not have committed.

Had Mahler ever returned to the riverlands intending to take them home like he promised, or had he forgotten them too?
Had Blodreina or Kazimir or Takiyok or Stigmata ever thought of him again?
Had Evergreen ever wondered what became of them? Had he even noticed their disappearance at all?
Had Isilmë... had she... left him of her own accord?

None of those were proven, but the darker parts of his mind were forever trying to convince him that he was forgettable, replaceable, and unwanted. There were many and more instances where Dragomir's faith in others had turned to ash, so it was easy for Hydra to say they got to choose who disappointed them, but in Dragomir's experience, it was a matter of when rather than if. There were few wolves who hadn't let him down: Hydra, Arcturus, Dirge and Speedy were the only ones he could think of. It helped that Hydra praised him; or, rather, Dragomir took her faith in him as praise. It sent a glowing, warm feeling through his belly and helped him to quirk his lips back into a smile.

Can you show me how you question visitors at the borders? he asked.

Hydra listened to Dragomir, and some strange sort of feeling spread within her as he spoke of being disappointed up until his arrival here. Unable to identify it immediately, Hydra made no real effort to determine what, exactly, it was. He echoed her own sentiments, however; all beyond the Spear had managed to find a way to let her down in her lifetime too. Nevermind her absurdly high standards (though, she felt as though she did not ask for much from others. Honesty, integrity, loyalty... to name a few standout traits that came to mind). 

There was something about this place. Those that came from it, dwelled upon it throughout most of their life, were made better by it. This was her own perspective; but in the end, that did seem to happen as she saw it. There was but one exception to the rule... she blamed her father and Speedy in equal measure for it. His pride, her dimwittedness and disobedience (to her mother, to her)... ah, well, both were gone. One still lived, and if they hoped to continue on that way they would never return here again. 

In any case, she elected to remain silent; Hydra, eloquent though she could be, had nothing to say to the disappointments he had faced. Hydra felt for him, and felt with him, though in different ways; she stood with him in solidarity... and would only ever seek to continue to do right by the whole of her family. He among them. 

She, and Moonspear, had become his ward; she perceived him not as her own son, out of respect for his father (certainly not the woman who bore, then abandoned, him), but as kin nonetheless. He had worked his way into her closely guarded heart; no doubt her own maternal instincts were partially to blame for it, but more than that was Dragomir himself. 

Hydra was proud of him; proud of who he was becoming, as she felt for her own children as they worked toward their own self-improvement. Hydra was not sure what she had done to be so fortunate, herself; she only hoped that she only ever did right by them, and would continue to do as she always had done. 

His inquiry was well received, and Hydra nodded to him, happy to educate him on the matter. First, I try to determine why it is they have come. Are they an envoy of another pack? Are they an ally, needing assistance? As to that, we have a few allies at present, presuming all of these packs still hunt together: The Nightwalkers, Roangeda, Lost Creek Hollow, and Easthollow. Perhaps they are a loner, seeking to join—or perhaps they are an ambassador, seeking to forge an alliance. There are many different scenarios, she explained, ear twitching as she looked back to the direction Sunniva had gone in briefly before looking back to Dragomir, inquiring: which, in particular, would you like to focus upon for now?

So many possible scenarios, and he knew of more still on top of the ones Hydra named. Trespassers come to test their luck, wolves looking for a quick and easy hand out, those who believed they were charity cases... there were dozens of reasons a wolf might come to the borders. Dragomir was interested in all of them, but the Alpha commanded that he choose one, and so he pursed his lips and considered his options.

Most of the scenarios she offered were self-explanatory, he thought. Allies helped allies, and so a request for aid had only one right answer. Alliances were always worth considering, so ambassadors were always worth entertaining. What was less certain was judging a wolf who came looking for a home—how to tell if they were sincere or if they meant only to take advantage, that was what the young budding guardian really needed to know.

The ones who come looking for a home, he decided, peering at Hydra with interest.

Hydra did not intend to keep his viewpoint so niched; she would, as time went on, give him more scenarios. To do too much at once was to avoid each point, Hydra felt; her aim was to teach, not overwhelm. Her ears pricked as he spoke and made his decision, and the matriarch nodded. Alright. You and I will roleplay, then; to start with, I will be the joiner, Hydra expressed. We will act as though... you are in full physical health, as in... you are not sick. Perhaps a little worse for wear... like Tye, she explained, her eyes flashing as she came upon her decision of the scenario to better help Dragomir understand. 

He had not been in full health when he came to them; but there was something about him that appealed to the matriarch. Hydra would teach Dragomir exactly how it had been. Hydra would go into greater detail in the end, but it was best to show rather than tell she felt, at least to start. We will start now; be whoever you wish. I ask that you save your questions for the end; though if you need to know something, avert your gaze to the shrub and hold your gaze then so I know. Hydra gestured toward his left so he could know what she referred to.

Dragomir expected some sort of anecdote about a time that Hydra took in a wolf and was repaid ten times over for it. He expected stories about Hydra bringing wolves into the fold only to be disappointed or even betrayed by them. He anticipated that she would have many examples to share so he would understand when to take a chance on someone and when to let them go.

He wasn't expecting to play the role of stern pack wolf. His stomach fluttered with nerves; how could he possibly speak to his leader the way they might address an outsider on the border? It seemed almost scandalous to him and he couldn't help fearing that Hydra would mete out punishment if he made the wrong moves, even though he had no reason whatsoever to think it.

She instructed him to save his questions and he nodded, throat bobbing as the game began. He took a moment to steel himself before attempting to rise to his full height. He tried to bore his eyes into hers the way he'd seen her do with vagabonds before, but found it difficult to hold her gaze. He respected her too much. State your business, he commanded, trying his best to hide the tremble in his voice.

Hydra withheld her amusement; she could sense Dragomir was nervous, but she wanted to instill in him more confidence within himself. In this moment she had asked him to take control, and so she felt no negativity toward his acting upon her request. For her own part, Hydra behaved as she ought to in the moment. Though there was no removing her ever-present regal bearing, nothing about her presentation foretold her place here. She acted the part of lone wolf as best she could, though she had no experience at all in the role. So she went off of what she had seen; her script was more their own than her imagined words. Pieces of the past. 

Dipping her head slightly, Hydra drawled: I would like to join this pack. No introduction, no reason why; would he note that, or move along? Hydra would see soon enough.

There were still so many little nuances Dragomir needed to learn in order to handle these interactions flawlessly. Hydra did as he asked, stating her purpose with a lowering of his head that felt very wrong to him. He couldn't help shifting his weight on his paws, fidgeting in place while the urge to look away nearly swallowed him. Of all the difficult things he'd been through in life, holding Hydra's gaze when she far outstripped him in rank was surprisingly high on the list.

But he did, albeit nervously. If this was a real border meeting and this was how he presented himself, the lone wolf would probably laugh all the way home. Uh, he said, then shook his head with a muttered, sorry, I mean... He cleared his throat and started over. Can you tell me what you can do for Moonspear?

That was the only part of greeting a loner he remembered. Everything else flew out of his head the second this charade began, so he never thought to ask her name, why she chose Moonspear, where she came from... only what she could bring. Maybe allowing a loner to put their past behind them by not asking about it wasn't the worst approach, but it certainly wasn't the best one.

His inquiry was a smart one; it was not as though Hydra herself asked for the names of loners who lurked the borders in any case to start with. Scents were far more important than that to her... and who cared for a name if they were to become irrelevant if denied? So she answered swiftly enough: I can heal, and I can identify poisonous herbs, she offered, becoming Lyra easily enough; it was just another part of her. I can also scout—I am a swift traveler, she finished with. Alya too, just then. 

Hydra awaited his next response, wondering what he might do then; for her own part, she did not interrupt to correct anything (though as of yet saw nothing to correct once he had begun), behaving every bit the lone wolf while still maintaining her natural confident bearing. Though she played the role it was a simple, quiet reminder that this was merely an act between them meant to build his own confidence in confronting loners at the borders who wished to run with them. Hydra had faith in him.

All the skills Hydra listed sounded like they could be useful to a pack. Dragomir picked over them in his mind and found no faults. It was a credit to both Lyra and Alya, whom Hydra emulated in her role, but it also gave him pause. Was it too much to list multiple skills? Was it not enough to list only two? Was this some kind of trick meant to trip him up?

He wouldn't find the answer out by stopping here, so he cleared his throat and told the "loner", this is Moonspear. I expect you to work hard and put your skills to good use. That sounded about right. I'm Dragomir. What's your name? It felt bizarre and silly to ask Hydra that, and even moreso to pretend he was now in charge of her, but... well, that was the game, was it not?

Hydra, behaving the stranger, nodded and said agreeably: I will. It was then he asked their name, and Hydra said with a grin: Alra. A lazy blend of Alya, Lyra, but there it was. Her tail waved as Hydra shifted her demeanor, and she drawled now, separating from her character by stepping alongside Dragomir: sometimes, it is that simple. Other times it is not. I have had a wolf come to our borders expressing they did not know how to hunt. They were not young, either. They came to us starving; I am not the sort who gives handouts. Others are kinder than me, but in the famine I used my discretion; to be able to hunt is a minimum requirement if you are a yearling. Not necessarily to make the kill, but at least the proper way to give chase. To separate and determine the weak among the strong, she hummed. 

Perhaps Dragomir did not think of it then, but Alra could hunt; swift traveler, swift chaser. Or they could partake in the hunt through finding the herd itself. That sort of thing. As long as a wolf could contribute to what brought the pack together beyond just the children, they could join the fold.

Mind if we fade this with your next post? I really need to cut back on threads across my characters and this seems like it's in a good place for it!

Dragomir was satisfied with Alra's responses, so he didn't think there was anything left but to "accept" her into Moonspear. Hydra took the opportunity to step out of her role and coach him, reminding him of a wolf's most crucial skill: the ability to hunt. Alra hadn't mentioned anything about hunting and he wasn't yet experienced enough to pick the cues out of what she'd said before, so he nodded along and prepared himself to continue.

But for once Dragomir did use his brain. Join me in a hunt, he invited, still feeling incredibly awkward about the whole thing, but the longer they roleplayed this scenario, the more at ease he felt in the role of interviewer. He figured it was more valuable to gauge Alra's hunting capabilities by putting her to the test instead of taking her word for it, and he thought Hydra would appreciate this approach, too.

Sounds perfect! Fader from me <3

 

Hydra grinned to his invitation, nodding; his initiative was good, and she wanted to foster this. If her hopes for him were to come to life, she would need to foster this within him—and that she would. So off the duo went to hunt whatever fare it was he deigned to select, and together they worked to take something down. They continued to spend the day together thereafter, moving to continue their patrol until they went their separate ways.