Sequoia Coast Engines and Quests

@Tobias 

Wraen was not particularly happy about the small groups of wolves that were planning on claiming territories along the coast. She was a creature of habit, loved her usual routes to and away from Tuktu and did not wish to change them just because someone had decided to build a house and put a fence around it right in the middle of her road. But there is so much one wolf can do - she went past the future claims, hoping that by intervention of gods, fate or people themselves (the most likely option) they would not succeed. 

It had been a long trek and for a wolf, who was not used to traveling that far (she had hardly left Tuktu ever since she had settled down there in winter), a break was needed and well-earned. She found a nice spot in the sand dunes that was sheltered from the winds, lied down and began to groom her paws. One ear and half an eye though was keen and alert on the things that were happening around her.

Most of his journeys had taken the cowboy to the mountains or beyond, it was about time he explored in the opposite direction. He wasn't exactly planning to see something specific up north, but the sight of the ocean was more than a surprise for him. He hadn't seen an endless stretch of water in what felt like forever that he practically forgot about them. It was a refreshing sight though, perhaps so much so that thanks to the wind and crashing waves he failed to notice the woman that lounged behind him.

His mind drifted to the bear that led back home, did Evergreen know about this? The Teekon really was full of surprises and what seemed like every type of land made an appearance somewhere eventually. Better than just the mountains he grew up in, not that they weren't pretty, they just told the same story over time.

Wraen had dozed off at some point so she missed the other wolf's arrival initially. However, a part of her mind began to ring the alert-bells, when the wind changed and brought the stranger's scent to her. She opened her eyes, yawned and lifted her head to see, who or what it was, and was met with a set of hindquarters few feet away from her. The person, to whom they belonged, was looking everywhere else, except of her hiding spot, which was an advantage. 

She decided to use it, raised slowly and after shaking sand out of her coat, told him in a friendly tone: "Might want to watch your step - I do not usually bite people, but I may change my mind if you step on me."

At the sound of a voice, the cowboy's ears perked before he turned in the direction to see the woman who had seemed to materialize out of nothing. My apologies, Ma'am. I didn't realize I had company. However, now that he was aware of her the scent of other wolves was rather obvious. He hadn't trespassed, had he? What a strange place to live though, he could admire the view, but highly doubted he would enjoy living along the shoreline.

I don't suppose you're from around these parts? A safe way to ask if there was a pack here, My pack is towards the mountain range to the west, I just travel to scout and build my tales for everyone.

The fellow turned out to be a rather decent chap, and Wraen smiled at him amiably. The fact that he was not part of any of the forming groups along the coast was a definite plus as well. She tried to guess, which pack he hailed from using the facts he had given her, but Moonspear aside, she did not know anyone else that resided in mountains. And she would know a moonspearan scent from afar - pride, self-importance, haughtiness - these three came even before the actual wolf appeared.

"I am from a valley further South, though I have caught whiff of groups of wolves, who intend to settle. So, if I were you, I would be careful," she warned him. "Which pack are you from?"

Tobias was rather relieved to hear he didn't miss a border somewhere, it wouldn't be the first time, and the smile he received was only returned with his own grin. The man chuckled and shook his head, No no, we settled not too long ago by the river. We're called Kaistleoki.

The woman mentioned a valley to the south, somewhere he hadn't been yet, but maybe soon if he continued traveling to the West. Do you carry any trades? They're a big focus in our pack.

"Kaisty-loki?" Wraen tried the name out. "That's mouthful," she remarked, but regarded the man with new eyes - so, he was a foreigner. How interesting... The name sounded as if they were related to Drageda wolves. They probably had a fancy religion and laws as well.

"This and that, a bit of everything," she did not give a straightforward answer. "What are you interested in? What do you need?"

He found himself chuckling once more at the woman's attempt to pronounce the name, Just a tad, but you'll get it with time. Now that he thought about it he should really ask what the name meant if anything at all. Maybe the bear just thought it sounded cool...he wouldn't put it past Evergreen.

His new companion seemed to shrug off an answer, perhaps she wasn't specialized then. That's ok too, having many skills was better than one, even if you weren't as knowledgable in them. Well, like I said I like to travel. I've made it my job to scout the surroundin' lands, find where the danger lies and locate other packs nearby so we can hold good relations. He technically focuses on chronicler trades too, but with the forming of their pack, he hadn't spent much time building his collection of stories.

I'm a storyteller as well, but that's more of a passion, not a job.

"Now I feel offended," Wraen teased him good-naturedly, when the man declared that story-telling was not a real job, just a hobby. If she got a rabbit every time she had heard someone saying this, she would be round and fat and unable to move. Why did people think that keeping a memory of generations alive and coming up with creations of her own was easier than an honest work in the field, hunting, fighting and keeping packs from going at war with others.

"You just missed a chance of a lifetime," she added with a mischievous laugh. "But alright - let's deal with scouting first. Where have you been so far, who have you met?" she asked. "I have been around here for the better half of my life, so I know stuff."

Whoa whoa back up, there was nothin' wrong with being unable to pronounce a name! From her tone, it was clear she was joking, but he'd still feel bad if she was actually upset by his words. Unfortunately, the cowboy did not realize she was referring to storytelling so he didn't have the chance to clarify. It was a job for sure, but to him, he never considered it something that might be a "chore" it was a love.

Well hey now— hold up, there's nothin' wrong with that! His grin never left his face as he continued, Just what opportunity am I missin' out on? I can't possibly walk away knowin' somethin' better lies down the other path. She was offering to take him to new lands and explain what was around them, something he greatly appreciated as it would speed up his process, but after he settled whatever he had said to miss "an opportunity of a lifetime".

Truth be told he hadn't actually been to other packs yet, just heard of some nearby. He'd have to make that his next task once he reported back on his findings from this trip.

"I'm not telling now," Wraen shook her head, grinning and thoroughly enjoying the exchange now. "But you are pardoned - for time being. And you have a chance to redeem yourself as well. In time," she explained. 

"Back to, where have you already been. Moonspear crossed off the list already?" she asked. "'cause, if I understand correctly, you do not live far from them. A tall mountain with ego bursting through the seams. Hard to miss," she told, exaggerating their qualities, though they did take pride in their heritage. 

"And then, where I come from there are three roosts of prey-birds. A mafia of the hinterlands - ever heard of them?" she asked, now referring to the three sister-packs of the Tuktu.

I'm a fool and wrote west when I meant east so now Tobi looks stupid LMAO but i'm rollin with it. That's what I get for writing right after I wake up

The woman refused to back up, insisting in her ways, but she did give the comforting words that he had a chance to redeem himself later. On what exactly, he still wasn't sure, but he would fold for now. Alright alright, but next time.

She listed off the names of a few packs, but none sounded familiar. The only one with an actual name he knew of was Easthollow due to their standing alliance with Kaistleoki, but he knew there were some around and on the other side of the mountain. Perhaps one of them was Moonspear or this prey-bird pack. I'm afraid none of those ring a bell, but there's a good chance Moonspear is one of the packs that reside near us. I hear there are packs on the other side of the range, we just sit near the base by a forested river.

:D

"Alright, man..." Wraen sighed. "If your pack is to live here for very long, you should better fill yourself in on the pack inter...-rational (?) matters soon," she knew a lot about packs, people and gossip, less so about diplomatic terms. But it did not seem that the guy in question was very knowledgable on terminology either. 

"I have hard time figuring out, where exactly you live. Are there two mountain ranges on either side?" she asked, betting that it was somewhere in Great Bear wilderness. Though, come to think of it - the Rising Sun valley also was an option. There were mountain ranges as well. Oh, geography... "Which packs you know already?" maybe that would help.

A nervous chuckle slipped past his lips as the tone of the conversation changed. Had he slipped up somewhere? He thought his instructions were pretty straight forward, with what landmarks he knew. Appologizes, my tongue may have slipped somewhere along the lines. We're allied with a pack named Easthollow that lives on the other side of the mountains if that helps.

As far as he knew there weren't two mountain ranges near him, but he also hadn't explored everything yet. On the bright side, he wasn't leading the pack so if he was being a dumbass the pack wasn't exactly relying on him heavily. I could always just take you there if you'd like.

"Let's leave it for date number two," Wraen replied, using a phrase that Jean-Pierre of Asterism Grove had told her. Felt fitting for the occasion. After all - they had just met, spoken for few minutes or so (though it felt like ages for the narrator) and the first impressions aside, they did not know anything about each other for sure. 

"Oh, I know the place," she nodded. "So, I more or less get, where you stay. So - if you are heading East, I can accompany you and tell all you need to know about the hinterlands," she offered. After all, it was slightly better to take a stranger to a turf she was familiar with first. "What do you say?"

Tobias smirked at the proposal to leave it for a "second date". She had declined his offer, but he wouldn't mind a longer trip if it meant seeing the world. It seemed that he at least finally made it clear where they had taken residence. If you'd be willin' to have me I'd be happy to follow and learn.

The realization soon dawned on him that neither had introduced themselves yet. If he was going to travel with this woman, even if it was just a short trip he should at least offer his name, I guess late is better than never, but I'm Tobias. Tobi works fine if it's too long for ya to pronounce. He winked flashing another grin as he teased the female lightly. If anything it was just retaliation to the previous jokes she had thrown his way to make things even.

"Excellent - that's the way you should talk with a lady," Wraen told him, enjoying the "happy to follow and learn" AKA "do, what I tell you and not complain" part of the sentence. Tobias had just made a deal with a devil, quite willingly so, without realizing, where he had got himself into.

She showed him the way, but kept the same pace as him. Otherwise it would be difficult to keep a conversation going, if she constantly had to look over her shoulder to talk. "It's Wraen and you won't get any shorter than this," she explained, leaving out her family name. She was proud of it, but had thought recently about, how Peregrine and handful other of relatives had changed it for something simpler. 

"So - Moonspear - see that moon-shaped peak over there?" she pointed out to a distant mountain top that from this angle did not look any different from the others that were there. But the general direction was correct and sooner or later he would see the peak from the other side of the valley himself. 

"That's a place under Ostrega family rule. They lost their king Charon recently to circumstances I do not know of and I am not sure, who has taken his place. More likely than not - one of his children. When I was part of that pack, there were three identical daughters of his running around - Hydra, Alya and Lyra - or Cerberus for short. Tough ladies," vicious too, but she left it out. "Mercenaries and stargazers - apparently one trade does not exclude the other," she explained.

"Questions?" she asked, before moving on to showering more details over Tobias's head.

Well I'd hope so otherwise my Mama would be disappointed. Finally getting a name to match the pretty face Tobias would follow happily taking in the sights and the info easily matching her pace. His eyes scanned the peaks as they came into view for the landmark she had mentioned, although it all looked the same for the most part. Moonspear, Ostregas, Cerberus— like that one legend? Fitting for stargazers I suppose....warrior stargazers Weird combination really, perhaps a chance at being poetic. How friendly are they to other packs?

"Umm... they have formed alliances with at least one pack in the past, they are quick to make enemies and on the whole they like to keep to themselves," Wraen summed up, what she believed was a very accurate description of the ruling dynasty. "If you or anyone else go knocking on their door, please, keep in mind that they are very proud. Maybe it has something to do with the mountain they live on. Even if they are standing on the flat ground within eye-level, they still manage to look down on you," she said. "Don't offend them, be patient and pretend to swallow all and anything they tell you, add a not too evident praise here and there and I think that you should be fine," she finished her story. How Tobias managed the diplomatic relationship with the knowledge she had shared with him, did not matter. 

"They are not bad people, I think that you should go and make your existence known and see, what they have to say about it. And if they are not interested in an alliance - don't take it personally. They distrust most strangers and are fiercely loyal to their family members," she added after a little more thought. "Oh! And another important piece of information - they consider people, who choose to leave them, traitors. I have been in the latter group and it's not nice."

Wraen easily answered all his questions, and despite suggesting he visit there was no real need for him to. If the pack was so deadbeat on being alone that they isolate themselves at the top of a mountain under their high rule, they would likely not make a great ally for Kaistleoki should they even agree to any terms. Not to mention if they needed their assistance for something, he doubted they would want to get involved.

That being said, he was still intrigued by their life. Maybe one day he would make his way up the mountain to answer what lingering questions he had. I see, and the other pack you mentioned? Some trio of birds? He was sure she called them a mafia earlier, something he likely did not want to mess with, but just for the sake of knowing he would ask. Besides if they were dangerous he could avoid them altogether knowing what laid on the other side of this mountain range.

Tobias was a patient and polite audience, Wraen hoped that he had genuine interest in what she was telling. Though, if he was faking it (and doing it really well), then it spoke of well manners in handling chatter-boxes like her.

"Oh, that's another long and interesting story," she replied with more enthusiasm than earlier. Anything that had to do with her family history was exciting to her. "The Holy Triad - Firebirds, Frosthawks - formerly Redhawks - and Asterism Grove are sister packs. Ran by wolves that are more or less closely related," she began. 

"But the history goes way back in the past and begins with my grandmother March Owl, who alongside her mate Aether, led a pack named Flightless falcons - I don't know, why such name, but it probably had to do with the fact that granny was a walking encyclopedia of bird species. She could tell birds apart from their chirps, way they flew and - laughing is allowed - from their butt-sides as well," Wraen smiled. The latter part was only partly true. Osprey had mentioned to her daughter that gran had known a lot about birds, but not told exact manner of how. She had made a legend out of a single fact.

"They had a custom to name their kids either after birds - gran's ancestry - or after Greek heroes and gods - that's, what grandfather Aether brought in the mix," she explained. "So, they all lived happily and for many years, a lot of kids were brought in the world and raised, until the old queen died and her mate followed soon after. Tyrannus - one of the eldest - took charge and began to drive all male wolves out of the pack," she told. 

"My uncle Peregrine was one of them and he eventually found his way here without knowing that he would begin a whole dynasty that would flourish and prosper even today," she paused for a while to regain her breath and walk over to a shallow pool of water to have a drink. All this talking had made her thirsty.

Unless Tobias's ears didn't fall off from all the talking Wraen did, she would tell him a whole deal more about the trials and tribulations of Teekon wilds. While it seemed that nothing much had happened, when you summed it up, it turned out not to fit in one volume, but needed at least three.