Lion Head Mesa snapped like twigs

backdated to just before august 4 / this thread. all welcome, but please nobody from BFW because of awkward/messy timelines.

While Damien was watching Baldur, Cicero had departed the territory on its southern edges for a short while to go hunting. That was the excuse that Cicero had used, anyway. He could not be alone with whiny Damien and crying Baldur -- or was it the other way around? -- all day, all the time, no matter how great his love for his brother. They would have to make their plan work soon, for Cicero was sick of this situation. He wished to have their forest back, Grimnir dead, Damien's sadism sated -- for the moment -- and revenge had, and that would be that.

Cicero purposely chose the daytime to visit Lion's Head Mesa, hoping that it would keep Blackfeather wolves away. While the mesa looked normal, it did not take long for Cicero to notice the devastation the storm had created underneath it. Countless trees had fallen, he noted, and he stood to watch them a moment. Life was so fragile, he realised as he watched the larger trees, snapped like twigs by a force stronger than them.

Hey, I thought I'd jump in and take the opportunity to have backdated Akela lone wolf business. Hope this is okay^^.  Backdated to before he met the alpha (obviously

Nature had to be respected. It claimed whatever it wanted with force. The destruction had a breathtaking beauty, as often one did not go without the other. Over the course of his life, he had witnessed that more than often. You could only be humbled when stepping into the aftermath of such a storm. Akela had been lucky, he had escaped it alive, but not everyone was as lucky. Free food it was though, a boar stuck under a tree. He was chewing on it, it was not fresh, but he would not complain, this was still eatable and he needed his strength. Since it was at a pack border, which alpha scent he could not really identify because the rain had washed it too much to recognize it  but not enough to not notice, he was not stealing anything.

He lifted his head, when he picked up the scent of another wolf. He was not one to look for troubles, he had passed that tender age where you just had to prove that you were worth something. He knew his value, and it wasn't as if he was trespassing. He did take a moment to observe what appeared to be a younger wolf. Its pattern was quite peculiar, yet intriguing.

yup, that's fine! thanks for joining! :D

Whilst Cicero realised that the world expected him to harbour a desire to prove himself as a youngster and create a place in the world for himself, Cicero did not care for such things. He knew his own worth, and he understood a bit about the psyche of other wolves. That was enough for him, for now. Perhaps one day there would be a day that he did wish for such things, but for he was content. If not, then he might not have stood by Damien's side in the foolish ploy they were about to go in on. Cicero well understood the dire consequences their action might end up having; he understood this better than his brother, he often feared.

When his eyes fell upon another wolf, Cicero tensed briefly, his mismatched eyes staring out at the dark-furred stranger. He observed a moment, though the other seemed no threat as far as he could tell. The stranger merely stared at him, too; observing, too. It drew Cicero's attention away from the broken trees, and then a smirk broke across his face as he came into motion towards the stranger. A wolf that had shed the days of youth, but was not yet old, Cicero thought to recognise.

There was no noticeable scent upon the wolf's fur, but Cicero knew the rain could prove tricky in that regard. One never knew for sure. Cicero halted not far from the stranger, but far enough so that he could run would it prove necessary. "What is a wolf doing so close to Blackfeather Woods? Admiring nature's cruelty?" Cicero asked -- his gaze roving over the fallen trees briefly as he mentioned nature's cruelty -- with a rare smile on his face. It was good to be in the company of someone that was not grouchy Damien or whiny Baldur for a moment, even if Cicero had initially struck out here to be alone.

Thank you for having me  ^^

It seemed that he had picked the younger wolf's interest, which was confirmed once he started a conversation with him. He find it quite bold from the younger one to ask about his business in these lands, but did not take offense. Curiosity could get you killed, but it was a nice feature to have, it kept you young and interested in your surrounding. "I could ask you the same question, what a young wolf as yourself is doing so far from home." he pointed out. From what he could see, the wolf was still a teenager, almost grown out. His eyes were displaying a different color each, and Akela couldn't help but be reminded of an old packmate that shared the same feature. The little details that triggered you at times. He noticed how the other male remained at a distance, which made him smile. Clever one , that one.

Akela turned his head to the devastation displayed in front of him. The Lion's Head Mesa was already a dead looking area, not much life was able to grow or flourish here, the storm had put down the little vegetation that had grown and probably had blown some things from border areas. "It is admirable, is it not ? The worst kind of cruelty there is ...for it has no purpose, no logical reason behind it... it is not an act of revenge or bad temper...it just is." he commented on a neutral tone. To be honest, bitterness talked here, as he found life itself to be quite cruel, unexplainable and leaving some creatures too soon. However, now was not the time to dwell in darker thoughts. "And yet...by the next moon, you will not even know what has occurred here, forgotten by nature, only remembered by those who had to live through this storm."

He put his attention back to the other wolf. "To answer your first question, my business here is my own, young one, although I have the foolish temptation to climb up to the summit." he replied and smiled when pointing with his head towards the top of the mountain.

Cicero kept staring at the stranger, in a manner some might consider a bit eerie. "Not that far," Cicero said; he had often explored farther away from Blackfeather Woods. He was, after all, an Outrider. "Outriders need to be far from their pack at times." He kept staring at the dark male, and wondered if he was on his way to Blackfeather, or if a lighter sort of pack suited him.

Cicero soon found himself hoping that the male would choose Blackfeather. The way he spoke intrigued Cicero, for it was philosophical and insightful. Cicero did not often meet other wolves who seemed to think about life, rather than live it without pausing to look at the debris they were leaving behind -- or that nature left behind, in this case. This wolf was different, and Cicero was easily intrigued by it. He did not show it outwardly, however, keeping his intent stare upon the other while his face remained neutral.

His business was his own. That seemed fair, and while Cicero enjoyed gathering information, he was not a particularly curious creature -- and understood a wolf's desire to privacy -- and did not ask any further. Upon the notion concerning the climb, Cicero looked up, as though estimating whether or not it would be doable and how hard it would be to climb the mesa. "Why does a wolf want to climb this?" asked Cicero as he looked upon the mesa. Many things that drove other wolves were fairly foreign to Cicero, such as a desire to prove themselves worthy or just have some fun.

And there he had the trade of the other wolf. Depending on who he was facing, gathering information without really asking any question was an easy task. Some just needed to justify their presence or words, other kept more to themselves but showed more through body language than with words or howls.  Outriders ...those outsider of the pack without really being one.  Blessed with a responsability that could cost them more than just their life. That one had no doubt his alpha's trust or the latter did not want to see him that much.  With outriders it could go both ways.  "true that" he simply commented.

His gaze remained on the top of the maintain , then looked back at the younger male with a smile.  "Why not ?" he simply counter asked.  "Have you never done anything  simply out of the decision to do so ?  Without any reason behind it , not for pride, ego or to prove a point, just because you want to do it ? " he asked and tilted his head at the younger wolf. He ripped a piece of the dead animal beneath his feet and chewed the flesh while waiting for the other's response.

When the question was phrased, Cicero's mismatched eyes stared intently at the stranger for a moment or two. He considered the question, although he knew the answer the moment that the words rolled off the eloquent stranger's lips. Cicero was a very private wolf normally, but he had been formerly impressed with the wolf and -- although this was not an entirely conscious process -- he looked up to the older wolf as equal or perhaps potential mentor. He did not mind sharing private information for that reason.

After a minute or so of thought, Cicero, his expression neutral, said: "No." Everything Cicero did had reason and he was driven by purpose. Even if something was fun, that was the reason to do it. Cicero thought all wolves actually had reasons to do things, but most denied it, or simply did not realise it for they allowed their instincts to drive them instead of considering their reasons. Even searching a momentary thrill was a reason, which Cicero thought was probably the reason that this wolf wanted to climb this mesa.

Cicero looked upon the meat that the other wolf was eating then, finding himself hungry all of a sudden. He and Damien on their own had not contributed to his health much; he was always thin, but now he had not had a proper meal in a while, beside a couple of old carcasses they had found in stockpiles near where Damien, Cicero and Baldur stayed in the lands. The quest for the climb by the eloquent black wolf was momentarily forgotten as Cicero stared at the meat with hungry eyes.

"You should try ...could be a good experience"  Akela commented and licked his lips.  He had the feeling that this one had not really had much fun in his life, or at least was one of the more cerebral wolves , think first, act then to not waste more time and energy than you should. He found those kinds of wolves to be a little too uptight at times , but then again, those were the smart ones and rather not be underestimated. 

As he saw that he had lost the other one to the food, he gave a low growl as warning and stepped with one paw over the carcass. Conversation yes, sharing food, not going to happen. That one was in a pack, he knew not to attract attention and he did not want an open sparring about meat, but Akela was not of a submissive nature, in not claimed territories, if you found something, you kept it and stood ground for it. Yes the other one was younger, probably not as experienced, but he had the advantage of not being as tired and worn out from the road, not to speak of a pack coming if things were going to be tough. So he was not overly aggressive, only snapping him out of it. "Get your own kid. "

Cicero's mismatched gaze shifted upwards as the wolf growled in warning. This surprised Cicero, for while he was used to aggression at times, he had not yet met a wolf who would be so defensive. It told Cicero something about the life of a loner; apparently it was more tough than he thought he knew, if a wolf would risk their skin this way. After all, for all he knew, Cicero's friends could come from the forest behind him. Of course, they would not; Cicero did not have any friends, after all, except for his family.

"Cicero does not need your food," he said, even though his physique spoke different. It could also be that Cicero was this skinny because he was young and still growing, however, one could consider. "And is not a kid." This statement took a few seconds before it followed, for Cicero considered not sharing it. It hardly mattered to him what others thought of him, after all.

"Do tell Cicero... Is having fun a reason?" With a rare smile twitching at his lips, Cicero came into motion and he started towards the frays of the mesa. He jumped over a couple of fallen trees and glanced over his shoulder then, to see if the other caught his drift and was following.

"My pardon your majesty, I did not wanted to offend you with belittlement  " Akela pointed out as pure mockery , his lips twitching in a teasing smile.  So the other's name was Cicero. Noted. That could be useful for later purposes. He was not really buying the not needed food stuff, but he had obtained what he wanted, the other let it go and was even going for his previous idea.  The older wolf looked at him with a mixture of - seriously ? -  and amusement.  It didn't take much for Akela to be back to his former 1 year old self.

He decided to follow. Hoping on one tree or the other. He had crossed the Sunspire Mountains to get here, this one would probably not be as tough or maybe it would. He was not one to turn down a little adventure and he was curious to see just how loose this would could get, after meeting him so collected.  " Having fun is hardly a reason or a result...it's the universal excuse however. "  He did use that one a lot when he was little:  buuuut moooom, we were just having fun.

Cicero ignored the mockery -- he was used to it. Although most wolves accepted the way he spoke without the bat of an eye (although Cicero imagined they were probably batting their eyes internally but were afraid to be rude, therefore held their tongues) there were plenty that did not. Even Damien mocked him at times, particularly when they were younger. He did not care for their opinions, and his face did not show any reaction to the comment.

Cicero lifted an eyebrow when the wolf said that it was an excuse rather than a reason. He disagreed. However, at least the wolf was coming to go to the mountain. It seemed that he did not entirely understand the intent of Cicero's words; or perhaps he was just stubborn. "A reason is why a wolf does something. If a wolf does it for fun, that is a reason." With those words, Cicero arrived at the mountainside and studiously looked up. He'd crossed the Sunspire mountains various times to go to the east, so he did not think this one would be much of a problem. After glancing over his shoulder again Cicero clambered onto a surface not far from the ground, where a path started upwards.

Well, shit, that one was really taking everything the way it was.  "I cannot argue with that logic "  Akela replied.  He was not one for head-bites-tail  conversation.  Fun was a reason , and even though he could have argued that fun did not always stick along the way or could appear much later, he preferred to let it go.  Something drove Cicero to share this with him, he was going with the flow to know what it was.  His cocky side of course thought that it was his irresistible and adorable self, but that was not something to share.

Arriving upon the mountainside, he stopped and much like Cicero looked up to mentally look for a path.  He thought he saw a route that looked somewhat safe, however, as he started on the path  , he realized that compared to other mountains, this one had a lot of loose rocks that would probably not always allow a secure footing.

Cicero merely grinned when the other wolf said that he could not argue with Cicero's logic. While Cicero fancied himself more of a philosopher than one aimed to win arguments -- and so a sharp reaction gave him more fulfilment than winning any arguments -- it amused him that he had managed to silence this wolf, whose tongue had been a lot sharper earlier. Perhaps he simply wanted to get on with the climb. Cicero stared up towards the path, noticing the loose rocks that could cause their footing unsteady. For a wolf so young, he had a fairly good balance, but should he fall he had relatively little muscle or body to soften the fall.

"What is a wolf's name?" asked Cicero as he looked over his shoulder towards the black wolf. "Should Cicero die, he might like to know what handsome wolf brought him to these foolish actions." A rare playful smirk danced across Cicero's features. He enjoyed this encounter: it was quite a while since he had felt free to have fun, without pressing matters that clouded that fun. Even being with Damien was simply different than before, what with their plans of revenge.

Akela stopped and looked up at the wolf before him. He tilted his head.  "You are such an optimist, has anyone told you ? My name is Akela , and if you already climbed a mountain, you're not going to die ...after all I got your back" he winked at the younger one.  The handsome had not gone unnoticed, even though Akela was used to attract other's attention, those of males were rare.  "Now move your butt up " he nudged him to move on.  "Take on your right, I think it's less slippery over there" Akela suggested.

Akela was not scared of dying, if anything, it would be a welcome gift , because he would finally be reunited with the spirits and his lost mate. However, he was not actively looking to die, he just did not care if it came to it.  He was still curious about the younger wolf, he felt he was not your average wolf, layers and layers could be unfolded to learn more about it , he had not asked him about his pack, if he had, would he know that both would have a common path in the future, because Akela was looking for the Brotherhood after all.

Mountains were not a rarity to Cicero, but this was different. With mountains, you could choose your own path, and here he had to make due with what he got. At least he got the wolf's name, which turned him from a stranger wolf into Akela. Cicero grinned as he was sarcastically called optimist. He did not see himself as negative, for words like these were meant only as a joke, but he understood it could be off-putting to some.

Upon Akela's directions, Cicero turned a bit more to the right. He did not really fear dying, even if it was a more slippery road than he was used to. Cicero had never been in any real danger, so despite his thoughtfulness for his age, he was still the young and brash type of wolf who'd get into danger head-on.

"What brings Akela here?" asked Cicero, though more to pass the time while they climbed than because he really cared. And, perhaps, because it might give him some more insight into who Akela was and what drove him to do the things he did.

Akela was content in following for that climb. Not that he cared much about Cicero for obvious reasons, but closing the march allowed him to not show certain details of his body language, like for example his light tremor when Cicero asked about his reason to be here. The main reason was the death of his mate who had driven him desperate for some peace. He was pacing back and forth for two years now , without finding redemption or a sense of peace. He still saw Catori running , even now. However, this was not something to share with a stranger, because he could use it for something else. Sure names meant a more friendly demeanor, but they were still unknown to each others.  " My paws" he simply replied, taking the question to his literal meaning. It was an horrible joke and play on words, but he must admit he was proud of that one.  "You already asked me about my reasons to be here, kiddo, already told you it was my own business.  "  he pointed out.

"Hm," Cicero said when his mistake was pointed out. He had to have forgotten that he had already asked the question. Still, asking a question a second time after a negative answer was not necessarily a bad thing. It still gave information, and in this case made Cicero realise that he must have secrets to hide since he refused to tell. That was okay. Everyone had secrets to hide, anyway. Perhaps Cicero would find out about Akela's at some point in time.

After that, Cicero just moved on in silence, seeing no further point to try and make conversation. While he had enjoyed their earlier wordplay, it seemed that Akela's spunk had died down for now. Cicero did not need words to accompany him, however, so he did not mind overly much. The youth simply continued the climb upwards in silence.

Akela enjoyed a wolf who knew when to shut up. It was a quality they did not all have, especially at that age. It wasn't that he did not want to talk, he did not want to share his past, he was not even doing so with wolves who were close to him or well used to be.  The climb was getting hard on his paws, the stones being anything but painful, but now that they were moving, he would get to the top, just to see what laid beyond there.  He did not feel the need to push the conversation for now, just enjoying a companionship for the time being.  He had to admit he was lonely, and such adventurous encounters were rare.  Usually wolves only passed by each other without even a word.  Akela looked back down.  " Seems like we're halfway through" he pointed out.  " It be interesting to slide down  afterwards" he chuckled.

Cicero remained silent, for he did not require words to feel at ease, as they started to make their way up. Some parts were slippery, but Cicero had crossed the mountains to the east a couple of times too, so he knew his way around them. This was a different story for it wasn't a mountain like the ridge to the east, but his experience did help him not slipping as easily.

When they were probably about halfway through, Cicero looked at Akela when he confirmed this thought. Sliding down... Cicero lifted an eyebrow while he looked thoughtful. It wasn't a thought that would ever have popped up in his own mind. "Hm," was all Cicero shared while he continued on upwards, as though he was still considering whether or not he would join in the sliding if it came to it. It seemed kind of dangerous to Cicero, but then again, this crazy loner seemed to thrive on danger.

The way to the top was easier than he initially thought. It was still a tricky path to use, and he would know not to cross the mountain when not being in full health , but standing now at the top, he took the surroundings in. The view was quite breathtaking in all the destruction that has occurred, there seemed to be a harmony of its own. Higher, he was now taking in just how much they all have been lucky.  A wind brushed through his fur and the sun even got through the clouds.  The older male looked to the youngster.  " So, worth the clumb  Cicero? " he asked the male.

When they reached the top, Cicero overviewed the regions they had come from. His eyes fell upon the Blackfeather Woods. It looked so different from the top. Cicero had already studied it from atop the Sunspire mountain ridge, but he had not yet seen it from this angle. His gaze stayed on the forest for a little while before it fell back onto Akela, for the male asked him if it was worth the climb. Cicero did not spend much time thinking about whether his actions were worth it, for he did not know how useful his actions would have been had he not been doing this very thing. He tilted his head in pondering and rolled his shoulders into a shrug. "Maybe." Because there was no real answer, and Cicero did not feel like explaining the entirety of his thought process to the male that he shared this moment with.

There were the lingering remnants of curiosity in Cicero's mind, but he decided not to share them, simply staring out onto the territories below them in silence while he realised that he had grown appeased enough not to be constantly on guard around Akela in the short time they had spent together.

Maybe. That seemed to be their word.  "Maybe"  Akela repeated and looked at the young wolf. He was different than others. He could not quite put his paw on what it was, but it had an intriguing aura. He looked back at the scenery. The woods , dark and opaque, the other parts , the finer details. Time seemed to have come to a stop when he stood there contemplating.  He had seen mountain tops , a lot of them, yet he would keep this memory as being singular, because of Cicero. 

As the sun set in the west, indicating as it disappeared behind clouds that night was creeping on them, Akela turned to Cicero.  "Time to slide down, I'd rather not be on here when night falls" he spoke and started to slide down, just like he said he would.

A playful smirk danced on Cicero's features as Akela repeated the word. Cicero liked the word 'maybe', because it made his counterpart of the conversation think about things. It left no room for assumptions or simply accepting things as they were, because 'maybe' was never truly an answer. There were always deeper thoughts behind it.

"Hmm-m," Cicero said as he watched the sun crawl down to the horizon. He did not really want to leave this place and this wolf to go back to grouchy Damien, but they had a plan to fulfil, and they would do so, soon.

The youth followed behind Akela and followed his lead, sliding down the Mesa slowly, and perhaps slightly more carefully than his counterpart.

The older wolf enjoyed that slide. He was silly like that, but once in a while you needed to have fun, even if it would probably hurt your paws afterwards. Mouth open, tongue out, he took even more speed , until gracefully jumping at the foot of the mountain to avoid being a Moon Moon.  He shook himself from the dust and turned to the younger wolf.  "Thank you for having accompanied me, kid. " he spoke and gave him a nod.  "I give you my farewell and hope to see of you some time in the future" he spoke, unknowing that this would indeed be the case as they would be of the same pack.  " Have a nice evening" he spoke and took his leave.

- Akela walks away, fades away like a boaaass-

Cicero nodded as Akela said his goodbyes. Then the youth turned towards Blackfeather Woods again, ready to return to Damien's side. He felt a bit more relaxed again, having let go of all the frustration of his present life and he had his focus back. He needed to focus on the future — soon their plan would come to culmination, and things would become better (or possibly worse; Cicero considered that possibility, though he hadn't shared it with Damien). As long as he was with his brother, things would wind up fine, though.