Lost Creek Hollow We're moving to

Almost the entirety of Arbiter's time was split between a few things -- patrols, teaching her children, hunting, venturing out to see if she could rope anyone new into the pack -- which she wouldn't be surprised if that made her seem like even more of a standoffish creature than she was by nature.  She was just busy picking up the slack that Rannoch and Liffey had so thoughtlessly left them all with.  She had her own regrets, but they were mostly that she had been unable to do anything to head this off at the pass when her children were young.  Perhaps she should have done more before they arrived to add other wolves to their numbers, but who would have expected the betrayal they experienced?  Not her, at least.

This was one of those times she set off on patrol. The recent gloomy weather would either bring out all the rats or make them all hide and she wasn't sure which.  Her walk along the borders so far had been nothing exciting.  She was by herself and the only scents that had crossed the markers were either their own wolves or prey, and she certainly wasn't going to go chasing prey off -- that would be silly.

He got bored easily, which meant he was always searching for something to hold his attention. Packmates were a favorite of his, so when he caught the scent of one of the leaders of his new pack, he quickly followed it to the borders. 

When he saw Arbiter just ahead of him, he switched into a sprint, slowing only when he came up beside her, his gangly body making the whole thing look fairly awkward. What are you doing? he asked curiously. Can I help? He hadn't had much structure before coming here, having spent most of his childhood, at least what he could remember, either within the territory of a dwindling pack or traveling with his dad, so he was fascinated with pack life and all he could learn from it.

She had stopped to scrape at the ground across a particularly large gap in the trees.  There were a few like this, so it was a convenient time for someone with not nearly as long of legs as hers to catch up.  And quite obviously, she heard him coming.  Arbiter looked over her shoulder, spotting his approach.  Not the kid she was expecting to show up -- of course, there was a much higher chance it would be her own, just based on numbers -- but whatever.  Children were the future, were they not?

At his words, there was that momentary blink blink at the fact that anyone his age wouldn't know all the details, but that was reasoned away with the fact that his father couldn't talk.  Obviously he couldn't know all the details because he couldn't say them out loud.  Or something.  It was reasonable enough so she didn't explore the matter any further.  You can.  I'm patrolling. Making sure the borders are clear and well marked, and that nobody has trespassed.

Arbiter was a practical creature, so the next thing she wondered was who Pheiros might end up being as he grew.  First, though, Do you know much about borders?  It was the best way she could think of to phrase the question.  Maybe it wasn't going to entirely get her the answers she wanted but it might be enough for a bit of direction.

His tail wagged when she agreed to let him help, and he listened carefully as she explained what she was doing. Patrolling—that sounded familiar; he couldn't quite remember what it meant, though. But she continued to speak, answering his silent question. Trespassed—he definitely knew that word. How do you know if someone trespasses? Pheiros asked. And, what do you do if you find a trespasser? His questions came one after the other, his thrist for knowledge apparent.

He nodded at her question. Um, well, I know that you're not supposed to cross them if they're not yours, he answered, tail wagging a little. He liked knowing things.

Would she have been patient and interested in answering questions a year ago?  Honestly, no idea.  But at least now she appreciated providing knowledge that could shape youths into.. productive members of society?  Minions?  Something like that.  Exactly. If you smell someone's trail inside the borders and they don't smell at all like your packmates, that's a clue.  Maybe they're new, but if so, you should be able to tell they ran into myself or Terance.  Which was a good rule of thumb for any and all youngsters that happened to come their way.  Though they could probably all start training for real soon.  Crazy how that happened.  Right now if you find a trespasser, you call an adult. Some trespassers are just oblivious and stupid and don't know the trouble they're in, but some can be dangerous.  Unless  you know how to fight, it's better to just let someone who can deal with it, just in case.

She looked up ahead as she walked along.  She knew the edges of the territory perhaps better than she knew its heart at this point.  But that's why we make sure the borders are well marked -- like this section along here should be obvious to anyone, don't you think?  Mostly she knew this because she'd been along this section not too long ago so the likelihood of surprises was pretty low.

He listened quietly, trying his best to keep up with her strides despite his gangly legs. What she said made a lot of sense. Anyone inside the borders should smell like pack or at least like Terance or Arbiter. He would make sure to remember that. As for interacting with any strangers he might meet, it would be hard not to run up and ask them questions like he did in most situations, but he would try to do as she instructed since it seemed important. He didn't want to get hurt or anything; sometimes, it was just hard to remember that in the moment when he was excited and curious. 

He inspected the section she pointed out, drawing in the scents over and over. It smelled strongly of pack. Yeah. It smells like us, he remarked. Are you and Terance the only ones that put your scents on the borders or is that something everyone is supposed to do?

Pheiros did a good job at asking what she considered the right questions and making the correct analysis.  While he made a deeper examination of that patch of earth, she went past it in a cursory manner, though slowed so she wouldn't outright leave him behind.  Leadership does.  And often those who will fight to defend the pack.  It's good if others do sometimes too -- it shows the pack is strong. So if someone finds a spot that has been missed, they can make sure it's covered and not have to call for us.

But she would be irresponsible if she didn't warn the kid... The borders can sometimes be dangerous -- you don't know who or what might be on the other side, so if someone doesn't feel comfortable, they don't have to help.  Though of course Arbiter would prefer everyone help out, for reasons mentioned before.  You should ask your father if he wants you to be careful near the borders when you're on your own.  You're older than my children, but I don't know what limits he'd want you to keep.  Let some other adult be to blame if fun was to be ruined.

Pheiros listened thoughtfully as she explained about marking the borders. He wondered if he would be someone who would fight to protect the borders once he was older. The thought of causing harm to someone else made his stomach hurt a little bit, but he wondered if that would change if someone he loved was in danger. Someone like dad. Pheiros was pretty sure he would do anything to protect dad; he loved him more than anything. How do you know if you're someone who will fight to defend the pack? he asked, seeking some kind of way to determine if he fit that role.

Arbiter then warned him against the dangers that came with being near the borders, and he nodded dutifully. Okay, I'll check with dad, he assured her. He wondered if dad would mind him learning more about patrolling since it did seem to come with some risks. Hopefully not, since it was becoming something he was interested in. 

How often do you patrol? Pheiros asked next, eager to know more.

She paused, sniffing at a bush.  A fox had brushed by it at some point, but the scent was several days old.  It was unlikely they'd find it lurking about right here, but that did mean something for later..  

He certainly had a different approach than her own children, but perhaps that was because she didn't give them too much choice to at least get the basics under their belt.  It depends.  Just about anyone will fight for their own survival, certainly.  I'd imagine if something about it just feels wrong, perhaps there is something better for you to focus on.  It's my family's calling, it always seemed right to me -- but I wouldn't want to be a healer, it's not my thing.  And Arbiter certainly was lacking in the bedside manner for it -- she'd be much more like Scrooge if someone she considered undeserving asked her for help.

But back to patrols.  At a minimum, I try to do a little each day.  It would be a lot to cover the whole territory in just one.  If you could then the territory might be too small for a whole pack.  As long as it's obvious the borders are recently tended, the scents left by everyone who patrols will layer together and prove the pack is strong.  She paused, then pointed her nose back to the bush, And you must follow up on what you find.  Foxes in the area, the nearest cache should be checked.  Then away, towards the interior.  Obviously not now, though, but soon.

He considered her suggestion, wondering if fighting was right for him. Patrolling sounded like something he could do. But would he really be up for fighting with someone? He wasn't too sure. Healing, though...that sounded interesting. Do you have any healers here? he asked. Maybe he could talk to them and learn more about it. 

Pheiros listened intently as Arbiter described her patrol routine. She patrolled every day? He hadn't realized it required that much attention, but it made sense; the territory seemed pretty large from what he could tell. There was definitely too much land to cover in one day. She continued, explaining how there should be scent layers along the border from everyone who patrols. It sounded like she had some help keeping things in order, which meant that even if she wasn't able to get to one section of the borders one day, then maybe someone else would or had recently. He looked in the direction she pointed, curious about the foxes and matching the creature with the scent he was picking up. He was definitely interested in following that trail but first, he looked back to Arbiter. I'd like to patrol more, he said. Then a little awkwardly, he asked: If my dad is okay with it, would I be able to patrol with you sometimes? She seemed to know a lot about this border business and wondered if she would be up for teaching him.

The lack of healers was one of the major issues Arbiter had.  She wanted some sort of safety net just in case.  She didn't expect there'd be problems, but when all the children started hunting larger prey, there were bound to be accidents. Not right now.  The last few healers we've had have ended up disappearing not long after joining.  I'm sure some would say it's cursed, but I think just a bit of bad luck would be more likely.  Right now if anything particularly bad happens, we can ask Easthollow for aid.  They're at least nearby.  Hopefully Valette's pack had better luck than they did.

Of course you can. And my trio will be doing similarly in not too long as well. I'd hope that patrols won't be too exciting for any of you.  At least not before you're ready.  She smirked at that.  She would train her warriors, and though Pheiros would get to make his own choice, but at least he'd get street smarts just from the experience.  So far, there had been less trouble here than there was back on the mountain.

He was disappointed to hear that the hollow didn't have a healer he could learn from. But the mention of Easthollow piqued his interest. Easthollow? he asked. Are they close by? Maybe he could make a trip there and learn something from their healer? He wondered if their pack leader would allow such a thing or if Arbiter would. They seemed on good enough terms to be able to ask for help when someone was injured, and although he didn't know too much about the world yet, that seemed to him like there was a certain level or trust there. 

His tail wagged in response to her answer. Thank you, he said excitedly. I think helping to keep the borders protected might be another thing I'd like to learn more about. He wasn't too sure about the fighting stuff yet, but he was at least interested enough in the rest of it to see where this path took him. The mention of her own kids also helping out only made the whole thing more exciting for him; maybe they could all become friends.

Shall we wrap this one up? :D

Yes, they're just off the southwest corner of our territory. A short trip.  There's another pack farther away that might also have someone who can teach, but we haven't been by in a while.  We'll ask next time we cross paths with whichever.  Though she certainly preferred the not-Elysium option.  Not that Elysium was going to be around much longer.  And of course, if someone joins who has the proper skills, I can direct them to you.  She dipped her head to him.  That would be the ideal, would it not?  You'll have plenty of teachers for becoming a guardian.  Whenever you want a lesson, just find one of us, or stop by the borders. Assuming it was allowed.

sounds good!

Thank you, he offered, grateful for her willingness to help him learn about the things that interested him. Hopefully if he started practicing now, he would have a purpose in the pack once he became an adult. He remembered the scent of fox from earlier and looked in the direction of the nearest cache. Let's go check the cache, he suggested excitedly, eager to make himself useful. He started to trot in the that direction, tail swaying behind him as he slowed a little to make sure she was okay with his plan. Otherwise, he would follow her along the borders if she deemed it necessary. Either way, he was happy to learn whatever she was willing to teach him.

Pheiros definitely seemed like he'd be a good addition to the pack as he matured -- he was certainly starting up on the right foot even at his current age.  Last year Merrick had proven himself and left, but Pheiros seemed more agreeable.  But that was all for the future to decide.  Right now, she was fine with educating him about this task she was very familiar with.  She followed, then overtook to lead him along.  At least this time the cache was safe. Arbiter took time to explain the best way to drive a fox away if one had been found, and just generally go over things.  Eventually they went their own ways.