Sea Lion Shores ride through

set at Ocean Breath Plateau. @Durwin ?

It was time to explore some more, and Charon set to work eagerly checking out the elevated area close to Stavanger Bay. He'd never been here even though he had explored much when he was younger. He would always go to the east, to the river, the ocean shores, the forest and Horizon Ridge, but not often in this direction. After passing the Sentinels he saw the plateau loom up before him, and Charon eagerly started towards the Gilded Shore, from where he could easily make his way up the Plateau. There was a lot of tall duney grass growing at the base of the Plateau, matched with the soft sand it grew on, which eventually changed into softer grass with more solid soil.

There were trees scattered around, and Charon decided to simply explore until he found something useful, such as a river or a lake that could sustain a pack of wolves, as well as prey levels. The young Naturalist trotted along the eastern ridge of the Plateau, his senses alert as he checked out the lay of the land of this new territory.

After meeting Citali, Durwin decided to go deeper into the Teekon in search for prey. As he walked, he felt his hind legs slightly shaking from hunger. He needed food now, even if it would be a tiny nibble.

 The warrior was taken to a Plateau, where the weird sand turned into the dirt he loved. He could sigh a breath of relief to that. He hated that sand, and how his paws sunk into it. It was like mud, except more annoying.

 Nose to the ground, Durwin tried his best to track down some prey. Instead the smell of a rotting carcass met his nose. Better than nothing. He trotted along, this time faster, until he saw the body.

 It was a rabbit, half eaten. It smelled horrid and he couldn't bare to pick it up. It would make him sick if he had eaten it. So reluctantly, he turned away and walked forward once more.

 Yet another smell was floating around. This time a wolf scent. He followed it and was in fact met with a wolf. "English?" he asked, wanting to know what language he spoke.

Charon was just investigating a funny-looking plant when he heard a voice behind him. He left the plant alone for the moment and looked up, where he saw another wolf. Unfortunately for the other wolf, Charon had little experience with other languages, besides a word of Norse here and there from Ragnar and Thistle, and so he had no idea that the language he spoke was called 'English'. He did, however, figure that the other wolf might be speaking something other than what he spoke. For all he knew, 'English' might be 'hi' in whateverlanguage.

"Say what now?" the yearling asked the other wolf. He turned his left side towards the other, so that the wounds on his right shoulder and back weren't visible; nobody needed to know that he was weakened, least of all some weirdo stranger. Although, for his odd use of words (or rather, 'word', so far), Charon had to admit that he looked like a capable wolf. He couldn't smell any particular pack scent on him, so maybe he was a loner. Hopefully he didn't live here; but then, so far he didn't seem threatening at all, so Charon hoped that meant he wasn't defensive about this land, at least. "You from around here?" he asked, even though he had no clue if the wolf spoke the same language; but talking to him seemed the only way to find out if he did.

He didn't know what to say after that one word. Durwin had no clue what the other was saying, not even a little. If he had stayed with his aunt, then she could have translate for him. But now he looked like a confused pup.

 His memory went back to the sessions with Magge. What could he say? He only knew few words so it was a struggle to communicate. He would learn soon enough. "No... speak tongue.", Durwin muttered with slight annoyance. He felt his stomach churn with hunger once more. "Hungry..." He hissed, can't taking the pain anymore.

Well, at least this wolf knew how to say a couple of words, Charon concluded when his questions went unanswered but the wolf did provide him with new information. He didn't speak the common language, it appeared. Great. Charon had never dealt with anyone who did not know how to speak. Did he know any other languages, then, like viking language? Charon wondered, but he didn't really know how to ask, so he waved it away in lieu of finding the answers to the questions he did look for.

Hungry. So the poor sucker was hungry. Charon had to be correct then, that he had no pack. Charon sized up the male, but he seemed healthy enough. "You hunt?" Charon asked, his voice louder, words drawn out really slowly and he lifted a paw as though trying to make sign gestures with his words; kind of as though he was talking to a really dumb or slow wolf. Charon didn't actually consciously realise that he was doing this; he just didn't know how to deal with someone not speaking his language.

He did not really think anything of how the yearling spoke slowly. At least it made him easier to understand. In this situation, he was the wolf at a disadvantage. Or it could be visa versa? Neither could fully understand each other, so it was a weakness in a way. Some way.

 He nodded at Charon's words. "Durwin can hunt. No strong." His legs were too weak to hunt real game like elk. All he could do was scavenge, and catch a rabbit if he was lucky. The odds were defiantly not in his favor. It was like the world was against the male now.

Charon rolled his eyes as the male said he could hunt, but that he wasn't strong... or whatever. Charon assumed at least that he meant himself when he said 'Durwin'. The yearling said, words slow and drawn out: "Charon hunt for pack." He looked at Durwin, waiting to see if he understood. Charon wouldn't mind accepting this wolf into his pack (they were small, could use the extra body, and if he turned out to be terribly useless in the long run Charon figured he could always kick him out), but he wasn't about to be charitable just for the sake of being charitable.

Normally he might even have considered trading food for a boon, but how was he going to explain the other wolf the terms and conditions then? "Only for wolves of pack Charon," he added, a little faster that time. He wouldn't mind hunting together, but from what he understood this Durwin character wasn't even strong enough to do that. And so Charon left him the choice.

He nodded in understanding. He couldn't drive himself to ask to hunt with him. It wasn't in his blood to hunt with someone you just met. He went by a code: Hunt with your brethren and brethren alone. As much as it could help him, he couldn't go against his will. Not now at least.

 "Durwin Hunt later," he finally said. Once he can build up the strength he could do so.

Ugh... short post.

no prob :)

This Durwin character seemed to understand that Charon wasn't going to hunt for him. He wouldn't have minded hunting together, but to be honest he didn't really think that the wolf in front of him was of any use. Charon wondered if he would be looking for a pack, because that would change things. Maybe if he'd get his fill he would grow stronger and he'd be able to hunt properly again. "Durwin looking for pack?" Charon asked, drawing out the words long and slow so that Durwin would understand.

He wouldn't force anything on him, of course -- heck, he wasn't even completely certain that Durwin would be of much help to the pack, but numbers were few and they needed to survive winter -- but if he was looking for a pack, Charon was willing to give things a try with this weird dude.

"Looks like the storm hasn't touched this place," Charon mumbled to himself as he looked around the territory. It was a pretty decent place, and if he was right Charon even smelled a herd of deer roaming around somewhere -- there were hoof prints and feces to prove it, too -- but it lacked a certain... majestic quality.

gonna wrap this up c:

Durwin didn't seem to be of much use, and didn't respond muchly to Charon's question about packs. Well, probably just as well; he could barely speak the normal common language, let alone be useful to a pack, Charon thought. Charon nodded at Durwin and then said: "See you later." He turned tail and started away, deciding to explore the rest of Ocean's Breath Plateau by himself. He searched for what sort of herbs and plants grew here, for what prey was here, before eventually deciding that it was a good territory, but not a great home -- not quite magnificent and tall enough for his grandeur -- and turning back home before his next exploration round of better territories.