Wapun Meadow Bow down before the one you serve.

Tag for reference.

The territory Merrick had claimed was easily defensible, having one way in and one way out. They had many healthy beasts within the pack to keep them safe, which meant there was little for Revui to do on a daily basis. He patrolled that entryway each morning, then toiled for hours within the valley - either mapping it, hunting the creatures within, or finding partners for spars - but each task left him feeling... as if something were missing. He tried to harass @Ikkalrok in to feats of physicality, either a spar or sex, but she rarely welcomed such intrusions; he was ignorant to her body's changes, and would leave her in a huff if denied enough times.

So he left the valley. The borders would survive without his eyes upon them. Revui ventured out in to the adjacent meadow, physically bored and sexually frustrated, eager to find something to pass the time. The only bright side of the lowlands was, he could spy upon the milling herds or witness trespassers if they were nearby. He began to prowl across the grassland, wondering if any such creature would cross his path this day - eager to test himself against them.

*waves*

A loud boom of a sneeze rattled a patch of dandelions, spraying wispy seed fluff all about. For a moment, the stridulations of summer insects stopped; the area silence didn't last as Taikon let out another sneeze. Damn flowers, he thought.
Seasonal allergies struck him fairly rarely, but there was something carried on the wind that day that stifled his breathing. Such an uncontrollable thing was one of his many banes, not least of all because it dulled his normally keen sense of smell. Today, it had the unfortunate effect of preventing him from realizing he had entered a place chock full of wolves.
On the upside, the first one he encountered was on neutral land. The large, grey beast towered over the weeds beneath him. Taikon's ears swiveled forward, alert. His body stiffened. Trust no one, he said silently.
He attempted to sniff at the air many meters apart from the newcomer, but fed his throat full of snot instead. He sneezed, again. Severely irked now, he shoved a large cream paw over his nose to try to clear it of whatever garbage ailed him. Looking back at the formidable other, he let out a small huff.

Hi! Lovely writing. :)

He found nothing but tall green grass and open sky, for the first little while at least. The value of such a wide open plain did not register in his brain; he knew that some plants could be useful, or at least the bark of some trees, but there were only a few of those scattered here and there—and he had no way of telling which was worthwhile and which was not. Plus, stripping a tree of its bark was not exactly the kind of thing he had in mind. So he ignored most of the plant life around him. He stomped on a patch of flowers, sniffed at a ratty nest of thistle, and was about to move on when a noise boomed a few meters ahead of him.

How he failed to recognize the wolf in the reeds is anyone's guess; but it was the sneeze that drew his attention away from the soil, and with the drawing of his head high, his hackles serrated along his spine. Another sneeze came, and this time Revui could see that it was the young man who produced them. If he was sick then Revui would want to keep his distance.

That said, Revui was also a very stupid, very antagonistic young man. He began to stride closer regardless of the possible danger. He walked with a bit of a swagger, feeling as if he belonged there in the meadow more than this stranger. As he got closer he slowed and then stopped, drawing a few cursory sniffs of the air while he hunted for signs of true illness; but there was only the strong scent of flowers, which made Revui wrinkle his nose.

Aww, thank you

The grey beast had a confident air about him. He strut himself nearer to Taikon, whose hackles also rose. Histail fluffed as well, and he held it out as a clear sign that he was not to be trifled with. The other showed no real aggression, but his expression made the white wolf laugh nervously.
Sorry; their smell makes me sneeze. I don't like it either, he said, assuming the other wasn't disgusted by him. He wanted to sniff the stranger, but a sniffle quickly reminded him that it would do little good. Instead, he raised his head a bit, as if to look down on the other male despite their height being comparable. He moved to the side to show his, honestly, meager bulk that he thought was much larger. Where'd you come from, anyway? The question hung rudely, and he made no sign of offering his name or a kind word past his earlier apology.

The explanation was acceptable. It wasn't the true issue, though. Revui wondered what this stranger was doing here, so close to his own home. It was a good thing they hadn't chosen to nap near the mouth of the valley or he'd have been much more forceful with his intentions; if anything had been drilled in to his mind upon the Spear, it was that strangers were dangerous. He did not see much of a threat from this one because they might've been ill, or at least under the weather enough to be easily dealt with. He took his duty as a guardian of Ursus very seriously.

When the stranger questioned him though, Revui huffed. It was obvious enough by the many layers of wolf-scent upon him that he was a pack beast, or so he assumed. Much like any Moonspear wolf could be differentiated from the rogues of the adjacent valley, he anticipated that those with Merrick's mark would become renowned here - if word had not spread already. Who was this person, then? This interloper, choosing to test fate - and Revui's severely limited patience - with stupid questions?

He obliged them with a grunt, motioning with a tilt of his head towards the direction he'd arrived from. A pack called Ursus. You are very close. But not close enough, he sulked.The warning was unspoken - if this wolf came close to Ursus then they would be in danger, so it was best to avoid the opportunity, although Revui wished they'd at least attempt a visit and give him something new to fight.

Each creature stared the other down, the grey pack wolf annoyed, the white vagabond purturbed. Taikon's distrust of others had served him well many times, but it also prevented him from forming any kind of bond with any animal he felt the least bit threatened by. He had travelled a long distance for a long time, and if there was one thing he had learned, it was that strangers were dangerous.
The dark male spoke of a pack, which now seemed obvious by how well-fed he looked. Taikon raised a brow, his eyes betraying a dull disbelief. Oh? He said, hardly worried. Any anxiety surrounding the stranger seemed to lift then as arrogance slipped back into his demeanor. Doesn't that mean 'bear'? Do you call yourself bears? It was a real question, but nonetheless stupid, designed in such a way to further annoy the beast.
This was, of course, hardly wise. He chortled shortly, as though he had told a joke he had only just remembered the punchline to.

So sorry for the delay!

The sick man's comment went in one ear, out the other. Revui snorted.
Does it? He had no idea. Why would there be multiple words for the same thing? That wasn't very efficient.
(The concept of "other languages" remained obscure to him.)

The valley is Bearclaw. He states this flatly, as if it explains everything. He doesn't really know what the other wolf is trying to get at, he does not hear mirth in his voice - but even if it was just a joke, that was likely to go over his head as easily as everything else. I am an Ironfang. Defender of the valley. Loyal to our Bruin-witch, Merrick. This he states proudly, watching the lethargic man for any signs of intimidation, but it is just as likely the terms will summon derision instead - they aren't exactly commonplace.

The grey male, unphased by Taikon's idiocy, continued his explanation. Bearclaw. Indeed. Taikon had been correct. One of the fortunate parts of the Faruka had been that as a prince, Taikon had learned many factoids and bits about the cultures and practices of others. One of those practices was basics in obvious latin, particularly in terms of the most common constellations.
The Ironfang, as he called himself, seemed to have other things on his mind than stars and the arbitrary patterns they produced. Bruin-witch? The white loner tilted his head almost imperceptibly. He remained stiff, but he was very curious about this new term. What is that?

Revui had never really thought about the meanings of words. He didn't like words. Conversations were pointless when he'd much rather be acting, doing, rather than discussing. A waste of time. The stranger's question made him scowl; he felt as if he were being tricked, or maybe this was some kind of unnecessary test, to which he grunted: Our.. Bruin-witch. He is our Alpha. He spoke this without much inflection but the look on his face was grim, irritated.

Tired of this conversation (which by happenstance was longer than most he'd held), Revui lifted his lip in a flash of fangs, as if to warn the sickly man against further commentary. He would come back this way at the end of his patrol, and if this man remained here at that point, he'd take pleasure in tearing in to him - ill or not.

He began to prowl on, then. Nothing else said, but his ever-present frustration clearly having deepened after the exchange.

Taikon received no more than a fart of an explanation and a faint snarl for his question. The dark male was clearly not an animal to be pressed further, but Taikon felt unsatisfied. Clearly there must have been a reason to name a leader anything other than the common Alpha or King, and he wanted to know what it was.
The grey male moved on. Rather than engaging in further conversation, he made a choice to leave. This was abrupt, but something Taikon was used to given his lack of compliance with the status quo. Okay. Bye. He said it to mostly air, likely too quietly for the other male to hear. With that, he turned away and continued in his act of wandering, searching for nothing, doomed to an eternity of travel without gain.