The Sunspire the ones to whom the sunlight shines

for @Kato -- and if any sunspire wolves want to hop in, they are more than welcome

She had picked a path that had brought them up the graceful slope of the mountain's base, then to the borderlands, and once there, she continued onward. The scenery had shifted obviously and clearly, the scents changed to that of claimed territory -- most notably, of her. It did not need to be said; herself and Jace were the most prominent scents one could notice. The others were sprinkled throughout but on the whole, the mountainside had been quiet lately, especially with Rain and Nishu away on outrider duties (which, she hoped to hear from Rain soon..)

In her company, she would let him see more of it, and while she didn't barrage him with questions for the time (despite having plenty on the tip of her tongue), she hoped he was taking it all in. Amekaze did keep an eye on him, ever curious to watch his reactions unfold. A wolf like him would likely not give her much to observe, but she'd wait and see.

Here past the boundary, she did finally slow and guided her travels towards a nearby creek. Once there, she stopped once her paws hit the water's edge, and she took the opportunity to quench her thirst. They were on a stretch of the mountain that was just beginning to thicken with tree cover, and not all that far from one of her most profitable hunting grounds for this spring-now-turned-summer. While not her favorite of places considering all that the mountain could offer, it was a good formal introduction.

She licked her lips and settled her gaze onto Kato. Well..?

As the pair had made their way up the mountain the obvious scent of claimed territory grew ever-stronger. Mainly he noticed Amekaze's scent alongside a strong unknown male presence. The smells also told him that not many wolves lived on this mountain. Kato could decipher only a half dozen or so individual marks, give or take a couple. This was certainly not a disappointment to Kato. In his mind less was more. After being a loner for most his life he doubted he could handle facing a dozen or more wolves without completely snapping and getting himself killed. It had nearly happened before when he trespassed on a very hostile pack's territory years ago. He desperately wished to avoid recreating that situation.

His shocking yellow eyes scanned the area with care. This wolf Ame seemed trustworthy but Kato had learned his lessons on trust. Those lessons consisted of 'Trust no one.' and 'If they seem nice right away, watch you back.' They were harsh lessons he had learned in a very harsh manner, but they were some-what legitimate. Thus, he surveyed the surrounding territory, pausing to consider every possible place a wolf could be lying in wait. Of course he didn't think it was paranoia, just caution.

While he was being 'cautious', he couldn't help but notice how stunning the mountain was. He turned and looked back the way they had come and was nearly breathless. He found it amazing that he could see all the valleys, all the ridges, everything down to the grasslands below. Yet he was careful to keep his expression neutral, almost uncaring.

With a flick of his ears, he followed the alpha to a creek where he slowly bowed his head and lapped at the spring water. Kato sighed pleasantly and waded until the water covered his paws in deliciously cool waves. Before he could completely contain himself, he dipped his whole muzzle under the water and flipped his head upward, sending droplets of water in all directions. The water clung to his tawny coat, shimmering like diamonds in the sunlight as he strode out of the water. Only his ears showed any embarrassment over his childish act. Instead of being perked straight up as usual they were splayed just a bit to the sides. He felt no need to say anything, but proceeded to sit down silently watch a passing sparrow.

The Spire spoke for itself for those that could listen, so there was much that she did not need to say.

Already she had mentioned to him that they were a small gathering of wolves here. Scent surely confirmed this for him, and maybe did well to play in her benefit for him. A massive pack could be overwhelming and even a burden on the ecosystem itself -- not something she wished to be a part of here.

But there was a need for a balance. They still needed new faces, especially with some having left recently. The mountain pack's dynamic had room for a shift here and now, here in their second summer, change could abound if the right circumstances were met. Amekaze was interested in seeing it through.

She observed him quietly and enjoyed the cool stream. Her paws just touched the water's edge, and another step deeper took her up to her ankles. She stayed even as he moved aside and shook out his coat, but her expression shifted, vaguely amused; she wouldn't judge. "What do you think so far?" she asked, quietly. Notably, she was prying for his thoughts on the pack itself -- what did he even want to know more of? She would start where logical, then work towards the dynamics here. "The forests thicken this way, and a lake further up. Even higher, the paths are mostly stone." she said, appropriate gestures in the directions as she spoke of them, all while gauging his interest.

The sparrow he had been studying so dutifully winged off down the mountain at the sound of Ame's voice. For a moment Kato wished he could do the same. It would be very convenient indeed to be able to simply fly away from whatever made you nervous or frightened.

The decision was made, however. He would be staying with these wolves if they allowed it. Even if they were unwelcoming he would stay, he felt to do otherwise would be a sign of great weakness and cowardice. Absently he sniffed the air again before turning to Amekaze. His voice was quiet, non-threatening, but serious as well, "I think that your pack has a greater need for me than I do for your pack." He knew it was a bold move, but he also knew some truth was held in the statement. The unvarying scents and the alpha's eagerness to welcome him into the pack made it clear that the Sunspire wolves needed new blood.

A wolf of a different mindset may have seen this as and opportunity to exploit the pack and rise to power. Not only did Kato have no intentions of doing such a thing, but he guessed that the Sunspire wolves would easily destroy anyone who tried. Yes, their leader appeared even tempered but there was a steely edge about her that would not tolerate stupidity like that.

"Do not misunderstand, I mean no threat, but it seems that you pack is lacking in numbers," Kato's voice carried the same tone it had previously, quite but serious. Not knowing how she would respond he lay down, not submissive, but certainly not dominant either.

After a few moments longer, she had her fill of the waters on her paws and stepped aside. From there she moved to settle on a path of grass and shook out her fur, even if it was just habit at this point, and not meant to really dry her. As she listened, she canted her head subtly. He proved to be observant, and she would not find offense in his words. "I do not know for sure if I would call it a greater need," she replied with a smirk. He kept much of himself carefully hidden so in truth, she did not know how badly he needed a pack, but the mountain was not yet in dire need of new faces quite yet. "But it would be unwise to turn away someone with an interest in the area who looks capable enough of potential," she answered, and while true, her lack of knowledge on him could mean he could use it against her, she had confidence that it would be dealt with favorably for her if all things went south abruptly.

"We are smaller than our normal, though. A mated pair recently left to travel," she explained, as she had planned to be forward with him. "And we have new neighbors. New blood is rarely a bad thing." For a good while, she had wished to see the mountain grow -- but progress was slow. She was not the most outgoing of personalities, neither was her beta, and usually her outriders were geared towards exploration, not recruitment. To top it off, visitors to these parts were very rare. Even when she encountered lone wolves, they usually did not appeal to her enough for her to go out of her way to convince them to become something that would interest her. They were a particular niche not suited to all. "And I would guess that a smaller pack may work better for you. I myself would not want to go from solitude straight into a large pack," she said. It had been that way with the Creek at one time, causing her to withdraw into introversion even harder.

OOC: I apologize for typos, my brain is elsewhere currently.

IC:Kato's tawny covered muscles relaxed when it became obvious no offense was taken from his words. He mirrored her smirk, maybe it was a greater need, maybe not. Truthfully, he didn't even think he really needed a pack. Sure it had benefits, but it also had disadvantages, just like every other situation. The only reason he was planning to stay is because he thought he was too far in to turn around now. A couple hours ago he hadn't even been considering a pack and now here he was, ready to join the Sunspire.

That didn't mean he was ready to give up all his ways though. He was most definitely not going to be spilling his guts to anyone any time soon. Nor was he going to let them trample all over him just because he was a newcomer and small. He had been both those things all his life, and he had learned a thing or two about how to handle himself in a fight. Hopefully he wouldn't have to resort to such things. Always nice to be prepared though, right?

Kato flicked his ears as he realized he'd let his thoughts wander and Amekaze was still talking. He gave a small nod in response to her statement about new blood. He didn't totally agree, but it wasn't his pack to run. She was entitled to her opinion. Her next comment was really quite accurate, but he merely shrugged. He knew a small pack was ideal for him, especially now. Though Kato doubted that he would ever enjoy large numbers. Since birth he had been slightly shy and certain life experiences had turned him into a full-blown introvert. Since then he had never come out of the protective walls he had built for himself, and instead lived alone and withdrawn from the world. It was doubtful that anyone would be able to pull him out from behind those walls. But then, no one had ever tried.

Time would have to tell how he would fit in here, and how the Sunspire may come to shift in the weeks and months to come. Amekaze knew well they were an introverted lot who liked to act independently -- which was something she probably fostered in her fellows, but they were sometimes close in their own way.

She then lowered her snout to just above the ground, sniffed around softly, and glided into motion. She gestured for him to join her with a swing of her muzzle as she traveled alongside the creek, climbing in elevation steadily with a loose walk. The ground was soft, still damp from a recent rain and the humidity that seemed awfully prevalent this year.

"I do not imagine you will be willing to share all that much, but I feel inclined to ask -- what interests you? Do you consider yourself a fighter? Hunter? Guardian..?" she asked, curiously. She did not needing the bitter details she sensed there to be, but she only wanted to know where his potential strengths were. Ame may have had a bias towards the warriors so that she could have more to spar with should she feel the need, and couldn't really peg him for a healer or caretaker sort. As always, hunters were appreciated (mostly because she was eager to hunt alongside the skilled, since it was not her most shining skill), but so were wardens to lay the borders firmly.

So, she lent him an ear and slowly picked up her pace, trekking deeper into a copse of trees.