Sun Mote Copse inner gold

She found herself with a block of free time today. There were many things Meerkat could do with it, though she ultimately decided to go looking for @Towhee Jr. She headed directly to the borders, knowing both Towhees patrolled several times a day, and kept an eye on the skies for any sign of Ghost.

She meandered past her bourie and decided to roam south, walking on the spit of land in between the forks of the small rivers. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the April sunshine felt warm on her back. The air filled with birdsong. Meerkat paused at the edge of Mercy’s Garden and just took a moment to soak in all the spring splendor.

jr has spent a lot more time on the borders since her and njord had scented the wolves moving close; hawkish gaze sharp as it assess tracks and nose sharper still as she assess scents. she might've been deaf but she studied with the senses she had and kept a keen eye on ghost for signals.

she does not expect to find meerkat so close — though her timeline of when otter and skipjack did not need to be attached to her side was a bit skewed and blurry. still, she is surprised and struggles to hide it.

-meer!- she signs when her steps as slowed and she stops before her sister; gaze curious. -what brings you out this way?- a quick glimpse skyward is given to watch ghost as he settles on a branch nearby; clearly content to observe the two sisters.

After a brief respite, she resumed walking, instinctively heeding the invisible borderline of their claim as she trended a bit eastward. It wasn’t long before she came across Towhee Jr there, likely keeping an eye on the pass between the copse and the sweep that saw so much foot traffic lately.

Her gaze flicked upward to see Ghost settle on a branch overhead before dropping to catch Jr’s signed questions. Meerkat’s eyes dance in amusement, seeing the surprise on her swarthy face. What was the lady of the copse doing out this way?

-I was looking for you,- she explained. -I haven’t forgotten about what we discussed. Now that I have more free time, I wanted to focus on counseling you about leadership. Was there anything specific you wanted to learn more about?-

jr considers her words carefully after reading meerkat's ptero. 'how to be a leader' seemed a bit ... unspecific and some of it, jr believes, can't be taught no matter how hard anyone tried. she isn't so sure she, herself, possesses the natural personality traits to pull it off — disabilities aside.

if nothing else, she knows, she can take njord and meerkat's lessons and try to apply them to her everyday life; even if she isn't so sure her nature is compatible with them.

she thinks of the current situation that appeared to be happening close to the copse's borders and feels her hackles prickling; feels the heat of wanting to fight, to protect ( of course in the most violent of ways ) warming her from inside.

-how do you remain diplomatic in situations that could be high-risk to the pack?- she starts with the question that comes from those thoughts, allowing her considerations to segue into ptero, her paws signing the words in the dirt.

jr's natural inclination is to seek them out and chase them off and if they refuse to leave: attack. but she doesn't think starting wars unless it has come to last resort is a super great image for a leader.

TEXT WALL INCOMING! :o

Her younger sister’s question was even more direct and specific than she’d anticipated. Meerkat’s tail twitched, lips pulling into an approving smile even as her whisky gaze became considering. It was a very good question, one she wanted to think about for a moment before answering. She held up a paw to indicate this.

-I believe in trying to talk first, which may or may not require some mediation depending on the context. You don’t have to make nice, necessarily, but try to open a line of communication; ask questions; and seek to understand the other side. But you also have to know how to read a situation, know when it’s escalated beyond conversation.

I can think of an example, kinda sorta,- she continued after a contemplative pause, tilting a paw in the air. -Last fall, when we were still trying to establish our claim, Ajei came to visit. While she and I were touring the copse, a strange man appeared. I didn’t know if he was a threat but I put myself in between him and my young visitor. I introduced myself, told him the land was claimed. When he didn’t take the hint, I asked him to leave. I was polite but firm. I told him of other places he could go if he wanted to hunt, for instance.-

Even after all these months, her breath came a little short as she recalled the next part of the story: -He wouldn’t budge. He kept talking. I’m usually a good listener but I knew then that words weren’t going to work. I also knew it would be far too risky to attack. So when I saw a chance, I shouted for Ajei to run. I kept myself between her and the stranger, though I’m not even sure he pursued us. He vanished and, thankfully, we never saw him again.-

Her legs were a little weary after signing all of that. Meerkat blinked and gently lowered them to the ground. She wasn’t even sure she’d answered Jr’s question or that the story spoke particularly well to her leadership capabilities. That reminded her of something else that she wanted to bring up though, something which was most certainly relevant to the topic.

-Through experience, you get a sense for how to handle situations like this on a case-by-case basis. Which is why I was actually thinking we could make you the copse’s first honoree. It’s a role intended for retired leaders—or aspiring ones. I would need to speak to Njord about it but I for one wouldn’t mind if you took some initiative in the role, like vetting joiners and the like.-

jr's takeaway from her sister's story and following advise: try to suss out their intentions — though her smile is a bit wiry when meerkat suggested talking — but jr was well versed in communicating what she wanted thru her body language, ptero taken out of the picture: and she could read lips now.

-i'd be happy to be the honoree, if that's something you both agreed on.- jr signs to her sister, after a moment; trying to consider if she had any more questions.

she had went straight for what she believed would be the root of her toughest obstacle with her first question; her largest concern.

she did not think she would ever be a soft, queen of spring sort of leader. no, she would always be barb edged, a queen of the underworld sort of leader. she blinks, breaking her wandering thoughts, not having meant to let them wander.

-He’s with the littles right now, otherwise I’d say we should go find him. But I’ll talk to him as soon as we’re done here, then find you. I’m sure he's onboard,- Meerkat replied, glad that Jr herself liked the idea.

Surely there was more her younger sister could focus on, though instead of prodding her for more information, Meerkat found herself asking, -Do you think you’d be more suited to a supporting role, like Beta, or do you want to one day be an Alpha? Because founding your own pack is a whole thing. We can go over some of that, if you want. I personally think I’m more suited to being secondary. The only reason it works for me here is because I have Njord beside me,- she shared candidly.

She had the feeling she hadn’t signed the word “secondary” right just now. As she pondered that, Meerkat suddenly realized she’d just prattled on about the importance of talking. She was so used to conversing in Ptero, she actually forgot that Jr wasn’t capable of speech at all. Her skin prickled with mortification.

-Jr, I’m so sorry. You’re so good at ‘talking,’ I forgot you don’t do it out loud,- Meerkat apologized, touching her sister’s arm. -Obviously, not everyone—particularly outsiders—knows signing, so that means communication can be a bit more challenging. But there’s a lot to be said for body language and expressions. If all else fails, backup is always a good idea anyway; bring someone who can translate.-

she considers meerkat's words, ear twitching as some winged insect or another brushed past it; not because she could hear it of course but because she could feel it.

brushing off her sister's mortification, she offers a small, reassuring smile. -it's alright, meer,- she signs, offering her sister a soft, affectionate bump of her muzzle.

-i was considering starting my own pack, some day,- she doesn't add that she'd asked their mother to get in on the adventure with her and had been understandably rejected. -it will be a long while before i am ready for that.- because it required her making bonds and relationships and teaching ptero and more importantly for her, a shit ton of trust.

trust for anyone that wasn't family was something she was very guarded with, because it had been broken time and again when she'd tried to carve her own path.

-if i ever am.- she adds, her internal monologue bringing to light all the obvious obstacles facing her. she doesn't add it to seek validation or reassurance: it is a simple stating of a fact. her disabilities didn't mean it was impossible but they definitely didn't make anything easy for her, either and with her own nature getting in her way ...

-i have no plans of leaving the copse anytime soon to pursue wayward dreams.- she seeks to assure with a grin.

-You know, you’re very self-aware, particularly for someone your age. I think that speaks very well of you, especially as leadership material,- Meerkat acknowledged. -Because leadership isn’t all about being powerful and getting your way. In fact, it’s not about that at all, if you do it right. It’s about serving and protecting your pack. So I think you’re definitely made of the right stuff, Jr, and you’ll have my wholehearted support to help you achieve this vision of yours.-

The same bumblebee that drifted past her sister’s ear now buzzed in Meerkat’s face. She resisted the urge to snap her teeth at it, instead letting it hover near her head. She didn’t know if it might sting her if she made a wrong move, though it eventually bumbled away, surely in search of a flower.

Returning her attention to Towhee Jr, Meerkat voiced some more thoughts by way of signs: -Often a pack will include your own offspring. It doesn’t have to be that way but do you think that’s part of your vision? Because if it is, we could train for a year and then when you reach maturity, perhaps you’ll find a mate and you two can settle your own territory. I would love it if you claimed someplace nearby, so our villages could be allies and neighbors.-

while she is encouraged by the first half of meerkat's speech, she is as equally discouraged by the second half. children. mate. she is assured it did not have to be that way but the thought of either of those things weigh heavy in her stomach which churns with discomfort.

and she is unsure why the idea of either makes her skin crawl. she does not mind her nieces and nephews ... and her parents had, had an idyllic relationship before maxim had left ...died — whatever had actually befallen her long last father.

towhee jr is sure she is making a face like she just licked a battery.

it is easy for her to want to spurn something she has never experienced. she had an extremely fleeting crush on ariadne but the other woman hadn't been around long enough in moonsong for jr to really sit with it.

-i don't see myself as wife material, let alone mother material,- jr states, with flat movements. -not that there's anything wrong with either of those things. i just don't think they're ... for me.-

She didn’t know Jr intimately, though Meerkat knew her well enough not to be particularly surprised by this information. Of course part of her wondered if her younger sister might change her tune when she grew older and came into her womanhood. But she knew better than to push any particular agenda on her.

-That’s fine, of course. Since you don’t necessarily intend to build a family unit, what’s your vision for your pack then? Like, if you had to come up with a mission statement for it, what would it be?-

-i ...don't know.- jr admits after some hesitation, realizing, despite how much it had stung at the time, that her mother had been right to turn down the offer of starting a pack with her. the extra work her disabilities would present aside, she wasn't even sure what idea she had for a pack ... which was not a good foundation at all.

-i was just really heartbroken about ariadne abandoning moonsong, i just wanted to create a pack for misfits like me. those who had been hurt and betrayed by leadership.- moonsong hadn't been the first: redtail rise had been in politic upheaval shortly before she'd left and she hadn't felt safe among their numbers: not knowing their new leader and with ptero unknown by their masses.

-clearly, if it is something i do wish to pursue, i need to put more thought into it.- jr signs, expression sheepish.

Jr admitted she didn’t know, then explained what had compelled her toward the idea in the first place. Meerkat watched the deft weave of her sister’s limbs, her lips forming a thoughtful moue.

-I have some unfortunate news: being abandoned and betrayed is a far more universal experience than you might think. It’s those who’ve never experienced those kinds of things who are technically misfits,- Meerkat countered, smiling gently. -And while that root cause is still valid, I urge you to come up with a mission statement that’s more constructive, if that makes any sense? Like—and this is just a random idea—you could start a pack whose main purpose is to teach wolves Ptero, to not only facilitate communication but apply it in other ways, like while fighting or hunting.-

Meerkat shot her sister a bigger, more encouraging smile. Just because Towhee Jr didn’t have all the answers right now didn’t mean she wouldn’t come up with them in time. That was the entire point of coming to Meerkat, right?

-You have plenty of time to think about it all,- the leader assured. -Consider it a homework assignment, if that motivates you,- she added with a laugh. -I’ll leave it there for today. Let me go speak with Njord, then we’ll circle back in a little while and pick up where we left off, if that sounds good to you.-

a thoughtful nod is given to her older sister, as towhee jr processes their conversation. she would think on these things, attempt to detangle her desires from her impulsiveness. what it would lead to, she couldn't say: perhaps it would dissuade her from the idea entirely, or perhaps it wouldn't.

-sounds good. thanks, meer.-

ghost takes up his perch on her shoulder, sensing the cues in her body that it was time to move on. towards the borders where she would work on her homework assignment as she fell into the familiar routine of patrol.