Neverwinter Forest My leather black jeans on

Backdated to April 12th!

Like the pile of snow that she had dropped on him, @Valencia had dropped into his life, dousing him suddenly and sharply. He hadn't come into this region with the purest intent to join a pack, let alone at the behest of a woman that he barely knew. She had promised him that she'd teach him more of those funny accents she did, and even with frivolous things such as that, he was honor-bound. If being a part of her pack made keeping that promise easier, then so be it.

Truth be told, this was probably what he needed. There was only so much danger and adventure a lone wolf could get into. The best stories weren't always about one character, after all. He did not know how long he would stay but pushed all thought of that from his mind. Focus on the now.

He had seen the forest before, but only in passing. He never ventured too close for fear of disturbing the locals. Now he stood at the end of their claim, sniffing at their borders. Hopefully he would be allowed to step through.

~~~

It was honestly surprising that this man came with her solely because he wanted to learn her accents. Funny, yes, but really surprising. Still, Lenny was determined to keep him now - he was perfect. She wished she'd had a friend like him back when Kyr had left her in Torbine. 

Yao didn't seem too interested in howling for @Mal - so Lenny decided to do it for him. The girl tipped her head back and called for their leader, her howl just as whimsical and almost goofy, like her accents. Not a singer, that was for sure. 

"Mal's real nice," she assured the man, offering him a reassuring smile. "Just tell him some of the stuff you can do, and make sure you're loyal. It'll be okay." And she waited, too, eager to present the recruit she'd found to her spotted alpha.

Sorry for shortness but just wanting to get a quick reply up before back to work stuff!

Lenny was the source of the howl, that much he was certain. Why? Who knew. It was at the borders, maybe she found something weird there. Okay, maybe weird was the wrong word, but when he trotted over and saw her there with the guy he'd shared a bush with during that storm a while back, maybe that did qualify as weird. And it might especially seem weird to Lenny that his greeting wasn't to just her but apparently to both of them, Hey guys, what's going on? He mostly seemed to be curious.

As she spoke, the metaphorical gears within Yao's head began to click. Mal? Yao searched in his mind. The name sounded familiar. I think I've... A familiar wolf answered the call. The name connected to the face. The wolf he cozied up with under the bush in the burned forest. He smiled at the man. I'm here to join your pack, He turned to Lenny. We've met.

Ah, so they'd met. That was even better. Lenny waved her tail and stepped back, clearing her throat. "That makes this easier, then," she said, moonstone eyes flicking between the two. She stayed quiet after, though, content to let the two males do most of the talking. She'd done her part.

He nodded to Lenny in thanks, then looked back to Haoniyao. So, I guess she's given you a good rundown and done a double check to make sure she doesn't think your nuts, right? What're you good at since we know weather's right out. Thankfully things were better now. For this instant. Who knew when it would strike next.

Heck, Mal probably should have tried to recruit him in the other thread -- just too bad he hadn't thought of it at the time, he was notorious for that when something was distracting him. The icy water must have gone to his brain.

Sincerest apologies for the wait! @Mal @Valencia

He chuckled at the reference to their first meeting. Neither of them were good at that, so they had no reason to judge the other. His other credentials, however, were unsaid. At least not directly. I was trained to be a fighter, back home. I know my way in a brawl, or a war. Of course, he didn't have much practice compared to his elder relatives — hence by he was here — but he knew the principles of it. I'm good at remembering things, even details. It helps with telling stories, which I like to do. If that's what you need. Back home that was a necessity. Stories fed their heart and souls while meat fed their stomachs. He knew time and time again that the culture here was different, but he couldn't see why story-telling would be ignored. They weren't starving wretches with nothing else on their minds but feeding their hunger.

Was told to skip!

Good, another fighter. Maybe after Aiolos left then they'd be able to keep training Simmik and some of the others. Hopefully we aren't gonna be fighting any wars here any time soon, but we definitely could do with another couple people who've got training behind them to help out with the odd troublemaker -- we've had a few nasty ones pass through, but haven't seen sign of any in a little while. Hopefully it stays that way. There was still the issue of Moonspear & Co searching for the crazy people, but he still didn't know what happened with that. Maybe he should check in with them all. Moving on... I'm curious what stories you've got to tell. From what it sounds like you've come from somewhere way different than most of the rest of us. -- Could make for some interesting exchanges. Thoughtful head tilt at that.

But I guess since two of us think you're a reasonable enough guy, guess that means you're probably good to come across the border. Welcome to the pack. He gave Haoniyao a smile, and stepped back to invite them across. Lenny, you got the tour this time? She better -- her recruit, so one would assume they were friendly enough that she'd have fun with it.

He frowned slightly, for he had hoped for some kind of strife, a chance for him to gain experience on the battlefield and not just from sparring. But he was trying to be a warrior, not a brigand. He thought back to something his father told him: Usichokoze shwari usipojua matata yake — don't disturb a peaceful time, when you don't know its troubles. He wouldn't go about trying to rustle up a war for the sake of fighting. After all, he hadn't told Lenny that that was what he was looking for either. The troublemakers Mal mentioned were good enough. That seemed to be what the situation at home was like. Oh, I've got plenty of good ones. he grinned. Translating them would be difficult, he realized. 

Asante sana.​ Thank you. he bowed his head. Regardless of the circumstances, he couldn't express how grateful he was that a pack of strangers would take him in with only a few exchanges.

He looked towards Lenny expectantly, curious to see what the Forest beyond looked like and eager to settle into his new home. Perhaps a few months of sedentary peace could be good for him.

Ooh, so he was good at stories. That made sense, considering he'd been so interested in Lenny's Voices. The girl leaned to the side and watched the boys' exchange with a small smile, silvered eyes glinting in excitement. This was promising, she decided, and was far too proud of herself for her find in Yao. 

Mal addressed her directly and she dipped her head with a dramatic flourish, tail waving a few times. "Absolutely, good sir," she proclaimed, nudging Yao's shoulder before trotting across the border. "I know the territory seems big and all, but it's really not that bad. You'll get the hang of it," she assured, eager to help her new friend learn the layout.

// Fade here? ^^

Easy enough to deal with. Not having to be the one to do all the tours was kinda nice, honestly. It brought another few things to mind that he'd have to think about -- not here, but later, elsewhere, on his own. He gave them both another grin, Just gimme a shout if you need anything. He'd continue along with a patrol after they were gone.

Last post!

He exchanged another smile with Lenny, excited to see the new forest that he had become a part of. With a respectful nod to Mal, he trotted after Lenny. Lead the way,