Northstar Vale Poursuivez vos Petits Rêves

Viskani's time exploring the vale had been primarily uneventful, however she was glad for it. A chance to relax was just what she needed. Approaching the base of the mountain she spotted what to be a spring. Tail held high, she approached - what an interesting discovery!

Tucked under weeping willows the spring was a lovely sight. She lowered her head to get a better look at the waterbugs and dragonflies hovering, she questioned if there may be frogs too; her sons used to enjoy chasing them when they were young.

The young prince wove his way through mountain passes with careful, nimble footwork. From the zenith, he could see a valley of green, like a verdant pool of forest in the deep embrace of the mountain range. His eyes glimmered with curiosity; wetting his lips, he inhaled the fresh pine scent, and began to pick his way down to the vale.

Once there, however, he found himself abruptly facing markings left behind by one- maybe two- wolves. A weak boundary, but a boundary nonetheless…And weaknesses, he’d learned, were often something he could gain from. 

He meandered about, milling near the borders, passing along the markings without crossing beyond them, figuring that at some point, he would meet one of them on guard duty. 

And if he didn’t, by the time he arrived at his starting point, he’d test their awareness.

The woman's moment of peace did not last long however, as a breeze carried an unwelcome scent. Another wolf; presumably male. Intruders seemed to have become a common occurrence - more so than she would like, and much more than she should tolerate.

Lifting her head she began her way towards the borders that herself and Chesley had set, searching for an unfamiliar face. She kept a calm confidence in her demeanor; something to show that while she was uninterested in biting before she barked, she would not take any disrespect lying down.

A short walk through her newfound territory soon brought her to what she was searching for: a small, slim boy - presumably young. He appeared cleaner than the other wolves she had met recently, and such a thing was guaranteed to leave a good impression on her, however it left her with questions of where he may have come from as well.

The area was rife with life; plants, herbs, mushrooms- edible and medicinal. Birds, rodents, and the nearby scent of mountain goats and elk informed him of the vale’s healthy status. Sure, with only two wolves living here, they would never take too much and upset the balance. It seemed a bountiful place- whoever had found and chosen to claim it, he decided, was a clever creature.

One such thing approached him- a woman with a firm but congenial mine approached, matching the scent of the one who marked the borders so diligently. Tousaint flicked his ears backwards, allowed his feathery, rust-tipped tail to wave at his ankles (and yet high enough above the ground so he would not collect any grass in it!) and with the grace of a crown prince, dipped his head in a kindly greeting before he raised his gaze, looking up at her with an arched brow. 

Greetings, His voice a tenor, sweet and resonant. I fin’ myself admirin’ de ‘ome you ‘ave here, Madamme… He lifted his head then, so his spine might be aligned, and still show deference to the woman. Something affectionate glimmered in his eyes as he sought to flatter her with a natural blink of his long lashes.

She frowned, the corners of her eyes narrowing at his words. He seemed to be a flatterer akin to herself - she knew very well that such a thing did not always come with good intentions. "It is quite the nice spot, hm? I suppose we've been lucky." She responded as she approached.

"What brings you here? You must know of our borders the way you're milling about." She lifted her tail, looking down upon the wolf to judge the distance between them. Safe enough to keep both parties comfortable, but close enough to strike if need be.

He gracefully shrugged one slender shoulder, rolling it back so the bone flowed beneath his soft pelt. You sell yourself short; it was not because of luck dat you be ‘ere, it was ‘aving de wisdom to investigate an’ claim it. He reasoned. In such a way, he flattered himself for having chosen to take a closer look. It was a win-win for both of them, and he liked gains. 

He courteously bowed his head again as her tail raised, tilting his head to the side and flattening his ears to show no qualms with showing deference should she demand it. As a young man raised by women, he touted his ability to bow to them proudly. 

I saw dis gem from de mountainside, an’ came to get a closer look, an’ found myself admirin’ de locale. He reasoned, knowing she had likely done the same when she had seen it first. Alas, I am on my own, an’ dis land be taken so it be a place I can only covet. He said with a soft sigh. 

He had no plans of forging a pack himself, of course- and no means to do so, so far from home where he might’ve tempted a sibling to join him. But with his brother and sister back in Eresta and only Sobeille left in Sapphique…He found his pickings were slim. 

I be Tousaint Dahomey-Rivaini, He said, inclined to believe an introduction might help him curry some amount of faith.

She considered his words, deciphering what the intentions behind them may be. "If you wish to stay here we will not turn you away - so long as you can contribute." They were in no position to turn away potential members, so she saw no reason not to give him the option.

"We call ourselves Montagne de Cigue, and I am Viskani. My son should be close by as well." If he gave her the opportunity, she would further question him; his skillset, intentions, anything that may be of use.

He saw that his fishing had worked; refuge was offered to him, if he desired it- but in its fledgling state, the pack would require a herculean effort to found and maintain, if it was to thrive at all. Such a bountiful vale as this was sure to draw more attention- and he wondered if it was even worth the trouble to assist Viskani if there was the chance that it would all be swept away by a roving band of more than three wolves. 

He weighed his options, tilting his head side to side as he considered the offer. "I could be of 'elp, no doubt. But..." He said, and squinted lightly. "If it be only you an' your son 'ere- an' I mean no offense- but establishing a pack, it require a lot of its members, especially if dere be only t'ree oui?" He said. He shrugged, and offered a sweet smile. "I ask for ahh....Some matter of ehhh...assurance, dat I will be made comfortable, yes, once de pack become a proper t'ing." He made no mention of what it was he expected- but remained silent, keen to see what she might offer.

Clearly this wolf had high expectations, however she was not willing to give in so quickly. "You will be given a role that is fair, if that is what you're referring to." She stated with a flick of her tail.

"If it is a comfortable life you want then I can surely offer such a thing - particularly for those who put forth the effort early on." Hard work would be rewarded. It was not possible to earn her favor without it, and without her favor you would gain little more than meals and a place to sleep. "But tell me, what is it you want? If you aren't straightforward with it then I can do little to help."

Fair? That was hardly a good deal. He wanted more honey...

She went on, and sweetened the deal by asking him what exactly it was that he wanted. Tousaint was greedy, but he kept his habitual sin in check by raising one shoulder, and resting his jaw on it. "I may not know it yet," He said simply. The shoulder dropped and he straightened his posture. "But someday, I may see it; an' on dat day, I will ask for it. When I do, per'aps you might be see de ask wid a sunny gaze, an' grant it." He knew he could not expect just anything- but being owed a favour was something he rather enjoyed. It was a little, secret treasure that he would not have to share with anyone else.

"I see. That seems fair enough to me." He could ask, but that did not mean she had to accept if it was something outrageous. She cared very little for truly fair bargaining, after all she was doing him just as much of a favor by sheltering him as he was by joining them.

"However we are following the traditions set by our homeland; you will be taught, and I ask that you keep such a thing in mind." The rules of La Montagne were not to be taken lightly; they had been drilled into the minds of herself and her children since birth, and they would not be dissipating any time soon.

He could deal with that. And all it would cost him, in the end, was his own time and effort if she said no- at which point, he could just as easily take whatever he'd gained from the experience and walk away. 

Now- a wrench. His cinnamon eyebrows raised, when she began a conversation about customs. Thinking this would be a conversation that would take some time, he bobbed his head- as if asking for permission- before he sat, bringing his tail along his thigh so its feathery tip wavered near his hock. There it remained poised, waving only slightly as he spoke. 

"Well, we will see; you will 'ave to explain to me, before I accept, of course," He said. "I come wid my own beliefs, my own traditions...I will not do dem de dishonour of abandoning dem, simply to join a pack." He warned. He drew in a breath, and drew a pleasant enough smile to his lips. "At least in de interest of learning more, 'owever...Please," He said, as his tail tip gave an inviting flick. "Explain."

She nodded, joining him as he sat. She planned to make this as quick as she could; not even Viskani, as loyal as she was, cared for the long-winded version. "I'll start with the most important part then. La Montagne has, and always will be, a matriarchy and a monarchy. Someone such as yourself will not be able to gain absolute leadership."

"Men can gain respected roles yes, but our pack values building a strong future starting with the nurturing of it's young. There is no better wolves to pass judgement on such a thing than mother's." This was the lighter way to put it; she would avoid speaking of the less savory elements for the time being. "We believe in passing the most suitable traits to promote role inheritance, so while the breeding season is crucial not everyone will be permitted to participate."

She could only hope that things would get off the ground before that time came. When the season arrived she would depart from home in search of a suitable sire, however the thought of leaving Chesley on his own made her wary.

Tousaint would suspend judgement, and withhold comments. He leaned forward, listening with an even expression as the pack’s traditions were explained. With a “stage neutral” expression on his face, he surrendered no hint that these traditions sounded either familiar or strange- though his lack of a reaction might have proved otherwise.

”I see,” He said, finally leaning back and nodding as a professor might, when brought an interesting proposal by a student. ”I ‘ave a few questions,” A smile; he felt sure she expected as much, so he continued on the same breath. 

”Traditions- dey come from generation after generation of cultivation an’ nurturing,” A hint to Viskani that he came from a place where traditions were revered. ”So- I assume per’aps you must ‘ave a- ehmmm…Mot’er pack, or per’aps a sister pack from which you an’ your son come?” He asked. ”Be you searchin’ for per’aps a new gene pool, or be dere some reason you left your pack behin’, but brought its traditions wid you?” 

He wondered why she decided to disrupt the line of heritage, and come to a new land; part of him hungered for a tragic backstory.

She nodded. They did have a mother pack, up north - she had been sad to leave it. "I suppose it would be called a mother pack, yes." She stated. "Our pack was beginning to grow overcrowded, so a few of our Matriarche's daughters including myself departed with a couple of our own children to expand elsewhere."

"The gene pool was part of why I volunteered - in three litters I have yet to give birth to a daughter, my hope is that here I will finally break that streak." A slight furrow of her brow suggested that this fact frustrated her. She loved her son's dearly, however their births had caused her birth pack to doubt her abilities, spoiling her chances of inheritance. She did not blame her son's, but it still hurt.

Overcrowding; the sign of a healthy pack, he thought. Branching off was natural- beneficial, even, for both the mother and the offshoot. "You are smart to propagate," He said, speaking from experience. He offered a gentle smile, as he processed a few other questions, and found they wouldn't need to be asked. If she was telling the truth, then her reasoning to branch off was benign and acceptable. 

He blinked when she confessed her own natural predisposition for having sons. He felt a twinge of resentment which he held at bay; the women who had raised him had not favoured their daughters, though he was completely aware of the fact that men from outside families were considered less worthy of rank and respect. 

"Well. Not'ing you 'ave said is a shock to me, to be honest," He said, yet again sitting back on his haunches and drawing in an easy breath. He was comfortable with what he had heard so far, likely due to the familiarity of the concepts. "I come from a pack where women, primarily, lead." No matter how fond he was of Valravn, he simply could not see the man looming as large or as influential in pack decisions as Mirelle and Chacal. 

"I must go to my birt'lands, before I settle elsewhere...I 'ave a few treasures I wish to collect. Wid your blessing...Might I sup an' sleep 'ere de night before I 'ead for de coast?" He asked, but was quick to add "So long as dis does not count against de favour you owe me," His eyes twinkled.

"If you are pledging yourself to us then it's part of the deal, isn't it? If you're one of us, I'll keep you fed and sheltered as though you were my own son." She said simply, wrapping her tail around her paws. She would have to prepare a den for him - from the attitude she had seen so far he would likely be rather picky.

"I've designated certain spots for them, I'll let you take your pick."

Just like one of her own sons. 

She was quick to make him familiar; not a gesture that would immediately be returned, though there was warmth in the appreciative smile he gave her. He had no need for a third mother, but he would accept any favouritism that he could get, like a child who cared not from which teat he suckled so long as he was nourished. 

"It will not ruffle deir feat'ers to 'ave a stranger take deir pick?" He asked, curiously. She'd mentioned one son, the one whose scent lingered in the vale as well he assumed. Perhaps they had come to accept that foreign blood might be more valuable to the leader than their own- but that didn't mean there wouldn't be some conflict as he integrated himself into their fold.

She clicked her tongue, considering the question momentarily. "They won't complain - there's plenty of room." Chesley rarely complained about anything - not to her at least. Her sons feelings aside there would be plenty of room; dens could be assigned in a bit more of a formal manner later on.

"There's quite a nice area under some willow trees; I was planning on digging it out for our higher ranked members." The young wolf had spoken of such roles - the least she could do was allow him to sleep near them.

He wondered if some conflict might arise- and hoped that her sons weren't blind followers who would suffer nights in a cold den simply so that her mother's chosen acolyte might have pleasant dreams. If they objected, her words would be put to the test- there was little to be lost, in the meantime, running on the assumption that they would have no qualms with him staking his claim. 

"Hmm," He murmured thoughtfully. Beneath willows? Perhaps a bit damp, he thought, as willows often thrived in swampy conditions. This high in the mountains, such places might feel a bit more cold in the winter, if they were humid. He wasn't sold on the idea- though his worldly knowledge was considerably less, he felt entitled to his opinions. "I will 'ave to check dem out when I come back," He said with a sunny, catlike smile. "Tonight I would sleep out under de stars so long as de weather 'olds. It be only one night, anyway..." He said. 

It would certainly bother him if the weather did not hold- lwa forbid that his fur should curl overnight if it was too humid. He couldn't return to his homelands looking like a sheepish ragamuffin.

She gave a simple nod. If that was what the young wolf preferred, she would not argue. "I'll let you go ahead then - that will give me more time to prepare." Viskani had always thought herself to be quite the builder when it came to dens; she was determined to impress.

"How long do you think your trip will take?" She asked. It would be best to know when to expect the young wolf back - they would be sure to hunt enough to share with him that day.

I'm looking to update the tracker tonight! Should I add Tousaint to the pledges?