Fox's Glade crystal rain

bold voice reached for great heights and the ear of @Akavir.

i roam the land between us. join me before i return to the standing stones.

an invitation, open and direct. but she did not wait, instead pursuing a rutted deerpath which pitted her against the grey light of an afternoon storm, cold rain and sweeping winds to follow.

The song of the she-wolf was not one familiar to him—but he held an inkling of who might be calling for him. His reluctance to leave in the very moment when Cygnet was still healing was only overrode by political necessity, and so, the silver-caped man made quick pace to the neutral lands between the two packs, also taking advantage of this quick trip to look for any signs of disruption that may have occurred during his absence.

His eyes fell to the ivory female trailing the glade now—limned in the brisk light of a brewing storm. He crooned a greeting, eyes sweeping over her as he moved to close the distance between them—curious to what she wished to speak about if she had yet to return to the stones.

akavir came and eivor allowed herself a smile of welcome. it had not been a journey difficult; her figure was untested by the brief travel, half-hungering for that conflict offered by the pharaoh.

"all i do is for kvarsheim," eivor began with a voice which warmed the frigid underbelly of the ashen clouds. "to that end, i wonder if it would be of benefit to us both if a patrol alliance were struck here in the valley. eyes to watch over both you and us."

aware she was not a jarl and could not have final say, eivor nevertheless offered first word to the warrior before her. nord or dane he was not, and yet she saw the scars upon him. she knew akavir to be a man of diplomacy but not weakness.

he would be a more than valuable ally to the stone circle; he could be a mentor for the yearlings who found themselves at its helm. their culture eivor would preserve — a settlement saw pride in its first fortifications.

Eivor was swift to the point—something Akavir could appreciate, particularly when his paws itched to lead him back home to the creek he had spent a moon cycle from. No doubt, she was of the same mind.

Her idea was interesting—he considered many of the ways they could assist Toula in her endeavor—but as much as he would give her the best of his abilities simply for her kindness, endangering his pack was not something he could consider.

His eyes were sharp upon her—gaze trailing over the woman in consideration. “We send a minimum of two able-fighters. A healer as well would be ideal,” he ruminated—the swirling thoughts pulling him to a sit. “Travel the valley perimeters or paths within—down to Muat-riya in the desert. To Akashingo. Then home, and another round sent.” He paused—waiting for her thoughts. He thought her an able strategist.

“You should know the threat is possibly larger, now.”

as he sat, so did eivor. akavir spoke in a practical fashion and did not shy from logistics, nor the promise of more war, revealed now.

booming thunder carried off the first chuckle erupting in her throat. "i am made for it, akavir," the drengr declared, flexing a strong forearm before his golden eyes. "i was almost disappointed that sven and ujurak did not simply send me to the desert."

her grey eyes seemed to search the horizon and the mountains which guarded their valley. "how far are these places?" she was not the one to commit fighter nor healer, but the notion of being among warriors once more pleased eivor's mind.

A certain fierceness emanated from Eivor—not one of malicious intent, but one that thrived upon the tactic and execution of battle. His eyes swept to her face, the casual uptick of a smirk offered as he gave a sage nod—“I believe you are,” he observed quietly. It was a relief to him, if he were honest—where over a month before, to know a seasoned warrior in the stone lands would have left him concerned.

“Two, maybe three weeks, if one travels sufficiently,” he considered, his gaze lifting to the heavens to consider the timeline. It left a large amount of time for a miscreant group of wolves to infiltrate the valleys inbetween—something to be considered. “Unless we send a patrol to do the perimeters and between the valley—and then another to Muat-riya and then Akashingo. Do you have enough members to do such?”

"there are several," eivor responded, though she hoped the lack of detail in her response would tell him it was not her information to give. yet it was well to remind herself that they could be equally matched in might as well as intent.

three weeks.

"i would like to see the land myself and bring a report to my jarls. after that, we might map a patrol." brow arched lightly over one stormcloud eye, eivor shifted her weight. "can you be gone so long if you and i go to make this first excursion, akavir?"

and was it prudent to be only the two of them?

Kvarsheim would attend this matter—his thoughts drifting to the warning he was given by Reverie, only recently, and wondering what dangers lingered even further in the shadows. Her secret entrusted to him—and he would safekeep it. For her. For her girls. Yet still—“Might I suggest Kvarsheim is even more protective of its borders and who is invited within them? The Creek certainly will be.”

It was not his place—but he could play the role of arrogance, if it could assist. The wolves of the stone circle were the most known for their hospitality and kindness than any others in this valley, after all.

“I can. My Betas won’t like it—but I need to travel to Moonglow once more and escort my daughter back home, if she’s well enough to travel.”

He paused—eyes searching out the silver of the pale she-wolf. “When do you suggest we start?” And also... "And should we extend this to Bearclaw Valley?"

a brow arched. did akavir not trust the young leaders with whom he wanted to make this bond? sven and ujurak were young, perhaps boys in the eyes of an experienced older man. but eivor had broken meals with them enough to know that there was strength in caution, and that the teeth of kvarsheim would show when it must.

"both of these decisions are best left to others," eivor suggested with no change to her tone. she was not angry, after all; the warning was warranted. but nor would she comment upon such things. eivor was loyal to her jarls, pleased enough to advise them. "whatever you choose for the bear clan, i will support. if they are powerful warriors, then they can only help our own strength."

a single pause. "we will start with the valley, i think. then akashingo. and i would return to the wilderness when you did."

Bearclaw Valley was up to him—a thought he pondered. “If Sven and his brother wish for an audience to discuss more, I’m happy to do so,” he offered, believing the youthful men would likely have questions or concerns arise from this.

Still, it felt better to have the formations of a plan beginning, rather than sit back and wait for the danger or trouble to make its way to the valley. Such things always had a way of making their way to the Rising Sun Valley…

“I will speak to Bearclaw, then. We settle our packs for a bit with this news—and then we leave?”

"yes. call for me, akavir of the creek," eivor invited, a sunniness to her grey eyes, a dance to her mouth. "i will take your invitation to my leaders."

sensing the end of their discourse, the drengr dipped her head to the swiftcurrent man.

she did not hide the admiration for his figure before she turned; her people were unashamed of their appetites and maybe she had hungered since the hunt. warriors were many. among the stones they would build, but her silent craving was to be surrounded by them often, stained with blood, heart singing.

eivor was silent in her thoughts as she found the thin pathways back to kvarsheim.

The trace of silver eyes on him rekindled the memory of her mouth next to his ear—whispered words given when demanding an introduction. A wry grin began to curl at the corner of his mouth—but he tampered this by turning, pulling his own unabashed gaze from her and weaving back to the creek, their meeting concluded.

Distractions, for now, would need to be placed to the side.