Blacktail Deer Plateau is one good lie and a river of blood

solveig is not the only one whose season has started.

rusalka can smell it upon the grasses of the plateau, on the rough bark of the trees. it lingers in every breath he takes, igniting all of his worst traits. it drives him to the borders that he prowls with a possessiveness, ready to assert his dominance at any small given moment.

and when he burns, he seeks @Solveig, more than happy to isolate himself away with her and give her all of his attention.

rusalka slips out of bed with a kiss to his wife's cheek; making a beeline to the borders to mark them with a ferocity that belays the heightened testosterone he feels.

Morningsong thrived. Dutch knew better than to take this for granted, but he could put off certain duties no longer. While they were still unstable, he hadn't seen the point in visiting Raventhrope to meet them.

But it was time.

Dutch took his sweet time sniffing around the river, curious about the scents that criss-crossed the land. This was one of the quicker route around the mountains, although it forced wolves to pass through Ravensblood Forest, if they did not want to skirt around Silvertip Mountain. Dutch considered this a plus of their placement — he liked to meet passing travelers.

Eventually, he called out to @Ulloriaq that he was going to cross and went crashing through the river, shaking himself off on the other side. The cold had knocked the breath out of him, just a little — when he looked up and saw another wolf not far in the distance, he was momentarily speechless. But then he gave one more violent shake before he wagged his tail in greeting.

He dropped the small parcel he'd brought along.

"Peace be," he called out. "We come bearing gifts from the glacier."

Dutch was a busy man. As Chief of the glacier now, his presence was always in high demand. Ulloriaq was content to be alone, but often did she seek his side and had begun to revel in any time they had together.

It came to no surprise that she had jumped at his invitation to visit their neighbours. Given their close vicinity, it was imperative that they at least made a good impression. Whatever extent of a relationship Ariadne had built with them was unknown but now, together, they would start it afresh.

Her laugh was breathless (and tinged with just a little worry) as she watched Dutch emerge clumsily on the far side of the bank. The crossing she made herself was far less eventful, instead revelling in the icy gut-punch the water brought. 

Giving his cheek a reassuring nose, Ulloriaq fell into step beside him as they neared the border of the plateau. There was a wolf on the horizon; it was always exciting to meet new faces though she hoped they would not be as dismissive as the rise had been. Nevertheless, it was the scents that caught her attention most. Unmistakable, the sweetness that marked womanhood intertwined with the incense of man - it sparked a faint burn in the depths of her belly that could not be willed away.

the worst of his nature flares to life as he notices first the man lingering near the borders. the presence of the snow kissed woman at his side eases some of it but rusalka still approaches a bit wearily. solveig's scent is still strong and though it is mixed heavily with his own, rusalka's still weary.

this eases as the man calls out that he bears gifts from the glacier, and rusalka's approach slows as he draws nearer, wondering if they are envoys from the pack he had noted there during his last venture out.

i am rusalka cairn, he introduces. alpha beside my wife, solveig. this is ravensthorpe.

The man was impressive in stature, and by the scents he carried, Dutch knew he was likely on thin ice. But gifts warmed them to him, as did, he guessed, Ulloriaq's presence — although he might soon be disabused of the notion that Dutch was already spoken for. Still, his tail wagged in friendly encouragement as the man came closer.

"Well met," he replied, his voice warm. "I am Dutch. Alpha of Morningsong. This is my most trusted friend, Ulloriaq." He used the other man's word for leader, not wanting to give the impression of grandeur. He bowed, in fact, and rolled the parcel closer to Rusalka with the tip of his nose. "I will not keep you long from your business. I only wanted to introduce myself, and to bring furs made by our peltsmith, Eira."

The fur was fine, pale lynx — it had been difficult to procure, even though it had been young, and the pelt therefore smaller than it could have been. It had seemed fitting, however, since Dutch felt it was a grave insult not to know the other man's name.

"Perhaps you met Ariadne, our previous leader?" he hazarded, hoping that this was the case.

skipping ulloriaq as she has gone inactive.

the pale woman, ulloriaq, the man — dutch — had introduced was quiet and so, rusalka's attention goes to and remains upon the other alpha at his borders.

it's as if you read my mind, rusalka drawls with a soft chuckle. i had been making plans to come to your borders to introduce myself, once i realized your morningsong resided there. but dutch and his companion had beaten rusalka to it. still, he supposes it was for the best. what felt like daily, solveig grew rounder and rusalka was less and less interested in leaving her side, let alone the plateau.

forgive me, i did not prepare any meats for you. which has been what he'd intended to gift them; golden gaze peering down at the lovely lynx skins, knowing they would be perfect to use to line the birthing den with. soft skins for their children to lay upon during those first few weeks when they were helpless babes. thank you, for the gift.

i will bring you some cured meats, once my children are born. as a show of faith that ravensthorpe was interested in their alliance. or at the very least, their friendship.

no, rusalka feels a little redundant, giving a solid answer to this, despite insinuating it before. we have claimed this plateau since mid-fall and have mostly stuck to it and the sunspires. in truth, rusalka hadn't been quite so worried as to who lay to the south of them. a mistake, he thinks with a firm set of his jaw.

Dutch was quick to reassure Rusalka that they expected no hospitality — they had come only to say hello, and Dutch did not expect the man to spare them much attention while he and his wife were expecting.

"It is enough just to have met you," he said warmly. And then, with a hearty laugh, "And to find you friendly as well!"

He made another sweeping bow before he took a step back. He did not want to force Rusalka to entertain them when they'd dropped by unannounced.

"We will be happy to receive visitors from Raventhrope, gifts or no," he said with a wag of his tail. "But please, take your time with your family."

at being called friendly, rusalka almost snorted, but for the sake of company he did not. that, in and of itself, depended on many factors. would dutch and his companion not have been amiable they'd have met a very different rusalka. diplomacy was not something the cairn was good at by nature; it took effort.

but he had wanted to lead beside solveig and so, diplomacy was all apart of the title.

i will visit, once my children are born and my wife is settled. he promises, seeing them off with a firm nod and a neutral wag of his tail.