Swiftcurrent Creek Wall

looking for @Arric and/or @Arlette, but also AW! and i know @Akavir is out right now but tagging for visibility

There would be several steep challenges to overcome if Wake wanted to reside in this valley, and possibly the largest of those obstacles had to do with Swiftcurrent Creek, the Mayfair’s pack.

From what he could gather, they were a well-enforced group with many teeth at their disposal. And they had also been affected by a rash of troublemakers and a missing child, which meant that they would be on high alert. Wake knew he must tread carefully if he wanted to bond with the group, but he did not fear the work.

He stood well away from their borders, an offering of a humble hare between his jaws. He set it neatly before him, somewhat comically propping it up as if it were still alive, before sending out a howl to the stewards of the Creek in hopes of an audience.

As his voice faded on the late afternoon wind, dampened by gently falling snow, he thought of Morwenna and her resolve to leave this place for the caribou-chasers. He then wondered after @Lestan, willing that he would come again to the sound of his voice.

to say lestan mayfair was confused undersold the beating core of his obsession. cultivated in silence, nourished by the unrelenting wave of recollection and fantasies, it was considered that he might have made that call up in his own mind.
snow slanted softly through frozen air. akavir was away, leaving swiftcurrent in the stalwart care of his beta pair. and it was just as well that lestan's acclaimed cousin was not here to witness his dash to the borderline and beyond.
stopping before winter's wake was able to see him running, lestan primped in the hurries, gently confused nature of one who had been chosen for no reason he was able to understand. thus smoothed and untangled, the mayfair moved more slowly through the snow. "winter's wake," he murmured in a furor of shyness, smirking a little at the upright rabbit. "w-welcome to swiftcurrent creek."
would you like to stay forever?

Arric was swift on the heels of Lestan. Not because he did not trust the male. But because he no longer trusted the valley or the wolves therein. He sighed.

Upon arrival he dipped his head. Letting Lestan meet the stranger. He would introduce himself in a moment.

Arric gave Lestan a nudge to the shoulder and spoke letting blue eyes dip over this male  I'm Arric

Winter’s Wake felt an overdose of satisfaction to see Lestan appear before him first. His tail arced in a rejoicing wag, though he might have slumped over entirely in his euphoric state, were it not for the business he must attend to. There was a dark figure in the near distance, following quickly in the Mayfair’s steps and well within view of them both.

Lestan Mayfair, he greeted, voice liquid as dripping honey. Though he would have liked to greet Lestan with more enthusiasm, he did not want to seem overly familiar with a wolf unrelated to him and belonging to another pack. His tail lowered to greet the magnificent raven monolith that joined them, and he dipped his muzzle in salutation. Arric, he repeated, as he often did when a name was given to him. I am Winter’s Wake.

He nudged the propped up rabbit towards the guardian. I hope you accept this peace offering, he explained. It is important in my culture to share blood with those I wish to treaty with. Would such a thing be scoffed at in these lands? I would have brought more, but I hope you understand. It is difficult to spare the meat as a lone hunter this time of year.

Though his attention remained largely on the dark titan Arric, he would look, every so often, with veiled interest towards the summerwolf Lestan.

lestan is skippable for now <3

the way winter's wake greeted lestan had the mayfair quite weak in the knees. he made a study of greeting arric, rather thankful for the large man's interjection into what might be a heated affair.
diplomatic with elegance, winter's wake indicated the rabbit and spoke of treaties between the creek and his own ambition. but he was careful not to offer so much, which lestan appreciated with a glance.
he tried not to stare at the man, flanking his leader in silence as the negotiation began.

Arric blinked. His name certainly suited him. And he was definitely a storm. One Arric wasn't entirely sure about. But the behemoth was a wary POS all the time anyway. But especially now.

A treaty for what? What is it that you want from us out of this arrangement and what do we get in return?

Arric dipped his head down. Studying. Are you building a pack or looking for a glade for one?

Arric’s skyblue stare was fierce upon him, but it was the guardian’s right to search for deceit, weakness, and strength. Wake weathered the hard look with humility. He understood his position, and he accepted his current status without qualm.

I want nothing except familiarity between us, he answered evenly. I do intend to make a home for myself and others in this valley. I am also open to associating with the Creek in a trading of favors and bodies,—for hunts, for support, for war—but I am not here to make requests. I come only to make myself known to you. Here, he would be no thief in the night, no shadowstalker, nor snake-oil salesman. And to say that I will be neighbor and friend to the Creek, as long as they are friend to me.

Alliances could only be built once a kinship had been established, after all.

A furrow in his brow as he listened. They weren't in the business of making friends or allies. Hell the creek had alienated almost all the packs in the valley because of him or Akavir or an even mix of both.

Arric thought it through. It wasn't a tough ask. And kudos to this dude for stepping up and speaking honestly. He could respect that.

Arric nodded. We sre amenable to the idea but we'll hold judgement on straight allyship until we know you better.

We can agree on that, Wake grinned with a breezy wag of his tail. He hardly expected relationships to simply be handed to him, and likewise, he couldn’t be sure that the Creek wolves would make pleasant bedfellows.

But Arric seemed amenable; only serious when he needed to be. The winterwolf figured that he wasn’t the type to turn on him without reason. So long as he flowed with the Creek and didn’t cause any ripples, he would be safe. Although, there was one tiny ripple he wanted to make...

Wake glanced towards Lestan. Shall we arrange a small hunt between us? He looked back to Arric. Tension eases after a good chase. And I also understand you lead alongside others. I should like for them to become familiar with me as well. A private “dinner party” seemed the simplest way to do it.

Arric nodded his head. He could get behind a friendship like this. Where they worked for mutual likeness and respect. Because otherwise. Well you couldn't all be like Akavir and him that had just been friends immediately with their dry humor and their sarcastic assholeness.

Arric was not an idiot and he did see the looks passing between the two. And he had no qualms for this as long as they did not invade each other's territories without proper requests. He thought then of Ashlar fondly and wondered how the brown wolf was doing. he should try and find him. But he hadn't even scented him in sometime, perhaps the male had decided to move on?

He nodded his head. It will have to be closer to spring or in a few weeks.. Winter is hard anyway and we are doing extra patrols and have many mouths to feed. That will take the  majority of our energy right now But soon.