Duck Lake we remained locked together

maybe @Skoll Almir? <3

merrick inspected the wounds from his latest scuffle in a mirror surface. the ducks had settled onto the banks, leaving him free to admire the slashes caused by a swing of the bull's weighty muzzle. in truth, merrick would have never accepted him even if he had been but a rough joiner. the disrespect could be beaten away, but the matter of it was that the coywolf hadn't found the male attractive.
merrick enjoyed pretty things and pretty individuals. all of them here were that, from silvermoon ulysses to the ear-torn dashing nature of fields. astara, by dint of being the only woman among them, was in her own category. the rest were beautiful men and merrick counted himself in that number.
he stretched languidly upon the bank and sighed, rolling to his back so that he might better observe the clouds.

Skoll had went back to a place he'd gone before he joined Ursus- just to take a peek at what it looked like not covered in snow and frozen into the abyss. And now that he was there, it was completely different. Ducks in the lake, doing as they did. Being bothersome and making a lot of noise- they could find themselves to be eaten by an unsuspecting wolf. 

And then a familiar form went to his heterochromatic eyes. Merrick. 

After speaking with that wolf from before, the man had been planning on asking what had been going on, having not been filled in on these sudden newcomers. It did give more for Skoll to look at, however. The small one with the limp was oddly friendly compared to what the group was. 

"Merrick." He said, a brow raising. Moving forward, the dark man sat himself next to the other. Eyes shifting to the other wolf's form. 

@Merrick

5oo for u!

"skoll," merrick greeted, not bothering to right himself. high against the blue dome, cold wisps of mist formed vague shapes. "i think i want to take over easthollow, next to us. but i'm not sure it's the right move. i just want them to know who i am." 
his tone was familiar, conversational, as if he had known skoll a long time. which, for merrick, was quite normal once he had mustered full acceptance.

Merrick didn't move when Skoll arrived, still laying down on his back offering some form of trust Skoll didn't think he deserved. Skoll could get up and tear into the man's stomach- though Merrick must have known that Skoll wasn't going to do that. Why bite the paw that feeds you? It was a dangerous thought. 

He wasn't surprised when Merrick proposed taking over Easthollow, of which he assumed was an official pack that was around. It was also dangerous. They were not a big enough group to go around demanding that they make war and take over other packs. They hardly were even known in the slightest. "I don't think taking them over would be a good idea." A pause. There were other ways to get a pack to know another was close. "I'm sure they'll begin to know you once our borders become more noticable. Or you could march up to them and say that the pack exists now." Skoll wasn't sure what kind of fire he was fueling, but he didn't think it was a good one. 

@Merrick

a voice of reason, this one. he and evien were rather alike. with a sigh, merrick sat up, bits of debris falling from his shoulders. "you're right," he agreed in a small voice quite uncommon to his usual demeanour. what he truly wanted was to drag his bitch aunt laurel out and hang her from the sitting-stone at the mouth to bearclaw — but he need not voice this aloud.
"what do you think of the others?" merrick asked instead, reaching to nudge the willowy warrior before springing up to his feet, full of nervous energy that would be better put to a patrol. assuming skoll accompanied him, the boy set off, breathing the cold air of early spring and feeling somehow better.

His eyes shifted away from the other man as he was getting up, and back to the lake with the ducks inside. The birds seemed to be enjoying the water somehow, though Skoll found it nicer to watch than the snow that had been falling before- even if the lands still had some snow falling in this time. Not as much as the winter, though. 

His ear flicked when the question came. The others? Skoll didn't have much to think. He really only would be able to develop an opinion over time or if he even bothered to talk to them. "I've only met one of them- the healer he called himself." Skoll paused, thinking of what to say next. "That one looks like he got hurt somewhere on one of his legs." He added on. 

Curling his tail around his body. Skoll had no idea what to think about anyone else that showed up. 

"A healer is useful, but I've not met anyone else."

@Merrick

"evien," merrick volunteered helpfully. he too looked toward the ducks, suddenly hungry if not only from boredom. "there's a big guy now, ulysses. and a tall man, fields. a little pale boy, ico. and my shadow."
he grinned. nameless, that one. 
"ursus is growing. how do you feel about it?" he was moving at a decent pace now, one that ate ground and removed him from the temptations of the lake.

Merrick started listing off names, and he was mostly confused at the 'my shadow' portion of that sentence. Was that literally the wolf's name? So strange. Granted it could have just been a nickname the coywolf assigned to whoever it was that the name belonged. And then Skoll was asked about how he felt that Ursus was growing. It wasn't a hard question to answer, considering he belonged to the group. 

"I think that we're going to become a large pack one day." The man noted. Which was good, their group growing was good. Even if he truly didn't understand the importance of it. 

@Merrick

"i think so too," merrick sighed, grinning up at the skies for a long moment. for a moment, in profile, he seemed a whole boy, just upon the cusp of manhood, still all angles and large paws and blossoming chest.
and then he looked at skoll, and the image was ruined by the gaping cavern of the empty socket.
"it will require us to do anything, to make ursus a reality."

It would require them to do just about anything. Merrick's dream was coming true and Skoll was just there for the ride. He still didn't know what he was getting himself into, but he put himself into the situation some months ago. Though he wasn't planning on leaving, not now or ever. Even if it meant getting himself in trouble somehow. He made his choice and he was sticking with it. "Anything as long as it doesn't make all of us a liability." He noted. 

@Merrick

merrick wasn't sure what to make of that. anything meant anything. but he decided it was unwise to press the man further, and gave a soft nod. "thank you for staying," the boy smiled, glancing up into the somber features. "means a lot." 
a soft laugh thrummed. "there are a lot of guys here now. why do you think that is?" a veritable sausage-fest.

The comment he made seemed to not get anything back in return. That only made the dark man's mind wander to what the plans Merrick had could be. Skoll didn't want to be around for the entire pack to be slaughtered, he pledged himself to Merrick's pack but he would not allow something so stupid. It seemed like the small healer from before also was keeping an eye out just in case. 

And then he was thanked for staying. "I have no reason to leave." Skoll replied. The man didn't need to be thanked- it was confusing. Though he couldn't say he was upset. Since he wasn't. "I've already pledged myself to the pack." And that was that. 

Another question- this one he didn't know how to answer. What was he supposed to say? Maybe it was the weird charm their leader had? Or maybe it was because there wasn't a lot of females in the specific area? There was the one before, that they'd pretty much chased off for being rude- but that was about it as far as Skoll knew. Either way, having so many males in the pack just gave Skoll more to look at. "I don't know." a pause. "Maybe the pack just has a charm that attracts males." A shrug. Very unrealistic responce but he didn't know what else to say. 

@Merrick

"some might call that a circlejerk," merrick joked. "but i don't mind." nothing wrong with the blackbird being the only woman, he supposed. it would change, he was sure, but for now he was content to be with his crew of maddened boys.
ragged ears flicked with curiosity. he had never asked after skoll's preferred orientation, assuming that he was as fluid as the others who had made their home within the valley. 
"i like appealing to mainly males," he commented leadingly, a little glint to his single eye.

Skoll found it hard to laugh at jokes like that, though it did pull something that was alike a soft chuckle. Skoll didn't care about the gender split in the pack, but there were bound to be more woman in it one day. If not, well, it would just give him more to look at- even moreso than was already in the pack. Still, a pack only grew, and if it failed to, then it would die. Skoll didn't see Ursus dying just yet. He found it to be the kind of place that would grow like a weed, and if it was struck down it would just come back some days later. 

He raised a brow at the words that came next. It was clearly an invitation to speak, and make a note on what was going on. The conversational topic changed to sexuality, which gender the wolf liked. 

"I find having this many males in the pack gives me more to look at." Bringing the thought back up again. Heterochromatic swung to stare into the eye of the other. "I don't wish to appeal to woman." 

@Merrick

skoll was careful, aloof, proper, and now it seemed, completely one of them. "you're definitely not alone," merrick mentioned. "you might find more than someone to look at." wouldn't that be something? merrick, lead gunner of men who wanted other men.
the thought bemused him, though the boy was not one to categorize himself. he was, however, pleased that ursus was of some personal note to the reticent male. "i think it would be a good idea to keep the meadow for ourselves too. maybe you could be in charge of that? only if you're interested."

The tall wolf tilted his head to the side at Merricks words. Sure, there was others out there, and maybe he would find someone one day. But Skoll wasn't sure he'd suit anyone, let alone someone suiting him. Perhaps one day in the future, he would meet the wolf who was good for him, but he most likely wouldn't notice that day. "I'm not so sure about that." He replied. If someone in the world could handle Skoll's quietness and actually like him, he'd like to see that. 

The pack wasn't just there to give Skoll things to look at, he joined it due to curiosity, and now he could see what he was curious about. What kind of leader Merrick would be, how their pack would grow and function, or fail, depending on how things went. He just didn't want to create problems. "All we'll have to do is move scent borders around. If I get a couple of wolves to come with me it won't be an issue." The meadow would be a good place for the pack to claim along with bearclaw valley. It would give them more hunting grounds along with more space- he just didn't know if their group was big enough to watch over all of it. 

They would find out in due time. 

Taking on the task shouldn't be an issue. Skoll just hoped other wolves would leave them be while they did it. 

@Merrick

"then it's yours," he confirmed. perhaps that would warm skoll a bit, the opportunity to meet his packmates while keeping himself busy. he turned his gaze back upon the lake, noting that the ducks were beginning to reappear in foolish droves.
"lunch?" he inquired sweetly of the reticent warrior-monk, grinning up at skoll before he shook out his dark fur and pawed the earth in anticipation. things were swimming together, and he had only all of those who followed him to thank.

Skoll couldn't help but feel some kind of pride when Merrick said that he would have the task. Being trusted with something important was not a thing he was used to- especially not when it came to the pack he was in. Before they began messing with borders, however, they would have to go assess the land. Make sure it was right for the claiming, and plan where borders would be placed. It would be a lot of work but he would keep up with it, Skoll would just need to look for someone compitent to go with him. Or a few someones. 

"Why not." He replied. Lunch would be good. There was a good amount of ducks in front of them, swimming and not. Skoll just didn't want to get into the water. 

He moved forward to begin the hunt. Maybe he'd catch a plump one. 

@Merrick

merrick happily followed, pleased to have elicited something from the loyal soldier. "if i had an army, i bet you'd be good at its head," he whispered fiercely, grinning toward the other before focusing on their quarry. 
unsure if he was truly hungry, merrick was nevertheless excited by the prospect of life within his jaws, experiencing the glisten of godlike ecstasy as he closed his teeth and took breath from a living thing.
it was not wolfblood.
but it would be pleasant enough.

Skoll didn't know if he was the right kind of wolf to be at the head of an army. But he certainly was a planner of sorts, and could do it if he tried. He just wasn't good at fighting, but wasn't afraid to learn. If Merrick wanted him to learn then he would. "Perhaps." Came the reply to that. 

Charging forward into the ducks, Skoll's teeth moved to snap at an unsuspecting one peering into the lake. 

@Merrick

we can wrap up in another round if u want <3

the hunter moved; conversation ended. merrick swept to aim his teeth at another, splashing down into the shallows alongside the fine wolf. whatever the next day brought, the bearwolf would forever treasure this one. 
blood seeped between his teeth.

Holding the duck in his teeth, Skoll felt the blood from the creature pooling down his mouth and at his feet. From the looks of it, it appeared that Merrick also caught a duck of his own. Some of the pack would have good eating, at least Skoll and Merrick would, anyway. His heterochromatic eyes watched the coyowolf before turning back to his own duck before dropping it to the grasses. 

Fine with me!
@Merrick

he soon joined skoll, casting down his sogfeathered duck to laugh and congratulate the soldier. with skoll at his side, merrick moved off into the heart of ursus, not hungry enough to withhold sharing from those who wished the meat as they traveled. a jovial day, and one he would recall.