Neverwinter Forest Snapback

Maybe someone from the Frostfur crew? :)

Floki's mind was crowded with thoughts as he made his way back to Moonspear. It was painful leaving his father's empty grave behind; the only thing he wanted to do was talk to Wildfire about it, but he knew she wouldn't be back yet. He briefly toyed with the idea of venturing north to try to track her down. After a moment of consideration, however, he decided to return home.

He took a different path, intending to complete a loop to bring him back to the mountain. He passed through Honeyed Pasture and Chimera Fields without incident before drawing up short at the edge of Neverwinter Forest. He was hit in the face with the smell of wolves; evidently, someone was attempting to claim the wooded area.

Naturally, as an outrider, he was curious. He carefully refrained from stepping over the tentative boundary, though he peered into the trees, searching for any sign of life. His nerves were frayed from his experience with Ferahgo, but he recognized an opportunity when he saw it: he would be able to report back to Charon and Amekaze about not one new pack in the vicinity, but two.

Eshe had been near enough to note the scent on the wind that told her of an outsiders presence. By now it was clear of their intent; they planned to stay, of course, and make their life here. Even though it was still relatively new, she was willing now to back her claim with violence if need-be. Day four privileges. In any case, that was far from necessary; the wolf that was lurking was nowhere near enough to provoke her to action. They looked only curious, as any wolf might be were they residents of the area or else looking for a pack.

The she wolf approached with her tail erect and her head lifted, though there was nothing cold about her. Business and pleasure could sometimes be mixed, couldn't they? Amateur that she was, it couldn't be certain, but then the boy here hadn't done anything wrong... so why not? Can I help you with something? She asked at length, because he was close enough for the question to be warranted. He was lurking near to claimed territory, now.

There was a stirring from within the trees, and then a pale figure emerged. Floki remained in place, his tail showing his neutrality and his paws planted firmly beyond the scent line. He was impressed with how quickly the she-wolf had been alerted to his presence, though if this was a newly-forming pack, he knew that they would be as diligent as possible. He, himself, had dedicated countless hours to marking the borders of Moonspear once Charon decided to settle there.

She greeted him in a manner that was polite but not unfriendly; she wasn't completely warm and welcoming, however the young outrider did not feel threatened. He offered her a smile, seizing the opportunity to practice his diplomacy skills. "My name is Floki, and I'm an outrider from Moonspear. I was actually on my way back home from a visit to the coast, and didn't realize that a pack was claiming the forest," he explained, gesturing with his snout to the mountains beyond Ouroboros Spine.

wow eshe can u SHH

The other promptly introduced himself as Floki, which Eshe stored to memory, and next came Moonspear. He was an outrider—which she assumed to be scout—and as for what he said last, well, she could do nothing but nod to that in simple understanding. Well howdy, Floki! I'm Eshe. Not too surprising that you didn't know, given we've just arrived not too long ago. A couple moons ago? Give or take? She squinted past him in trying to think of how long, exactly, it had been. It had been three moons, and it was, at present, the fourth day. She looked toward where he gestured, and saw in the distance a mountain peak that must have been Moonspear. The very tip of it seemed to burst from the top of Ouroboros, though they were not the same place, it was only the angle she saw it in.

She turned back to him and smiled. It's a pleasure to meet you though, Floki. We settled here straightaway; my mates a local, and I actually ran 'round these wilds once before myself. Not this forest in particular, like my mate, but actually... the direction you came, I guess. Though I never saw the coast... Still, she had come from that way—that way being East—and she inherently recognized that, with her internal compass that all wolves seemed to have. Eshe went on, obviously long-winded: Well, these used to be my beaus stomping grounds, and it so happened they were ripe for the taking on our return, so... here we are! Eshe positively beamed, her tail waving in a small flourish as though to say, ta-da!

<3

As soon as Floki made his intentions known, the she-wolf opened up to him. Her posture relaxed and she gave him a detailed explanation of who she was and where she and her pack came from. He smiled, ears cupped towards Eshe as he listened attentively, storing away the information to share with Charon and Amekaze.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Eshe -- and welcome back to Teekon," he said with a chuckle, his confidence bolstered by her friendly nature and easy-going attitude. He honed in on the fact that she said she had never visited the ocean before. "You should really take a trip to the beach sometime if you haven't been. It's pretty spectacular," he said. He was surely biased, but thought that every wolf could appreciate the vast beauty of the sea.

"I actually used to live on the coast, but my pack moved a couple of months ago to the mountain," he added.

Thanks! She said, smilingly. His recommendation was not taken lightly, and she nodded. Definitely when we're more settled here. It's always been something I've wanted to do, she admitted, tail waving. And it seemed that this wolf was well-informed on the subject of the coast, being that he lived there. Well, he would know then, wouldn't he?

As he talked about the mountain, Eshe knew which one he spoke of as they had given it wide berth upon entering the Teekon. They had come from the southern part of Tuktu Hinterlands, and given them wide berth. But maybe he had not meant that pack, and the other mountain pack? No, certainly not... he was nothing if not hospitable in demeanor to their being here, when the other had been nothing but demeaning.

Eshe licked her chops. Hopefully our being 'round these parts doesn't disturb you and yours. We've upset a neighbor with our proximity, but we've come to agree to a certain distance between the mountain base and where the forest meets, she frowned at that, and shifted her weight. I guess because you've been here longer I just want to know... if you know them? That they're the sort who keep their word? We met by who I presume to have been the alpha male moving past the borders we made so... I'm just a bit wary of their nature, Her openness might certainly be her detriment. Perhaps she was too soft for the job, but she wished to make friends, not enemies. She swallowed and then another thought came to mind, and she shook her head. I'm sorry, nevermind me if they're friends of yours, I just want to make sure that all here will be safe. Eshe knew this land meant a lot to her mate. To settle here had been his desire for a long time, and it had become her desire, too. But would they be safe?

At the mention of another mountain pack, Floki glanced instinctively over his shoulder. Silvertip Mountain loomed in the background, and while he had never visited its borders or met its Alpha male, he considered its young Beta, Mason, to be a friend. He listened as Eshe admitted that their new neighbors were not thrilled with the proximity of their claim, and despite his youthful naivete, Floki could understand why. She seemed to be keeping a positive outlook on the situation, however, and simply asked for his input; nary a bad word was uttered about Silvertip or its residents.

"I'm friends with the Beta there. He's about my age. His dad is the Alpha; I haven't met him, but I think they have been there for quite a while," he said, hoping to be helpful. If Eshe had met Elwood instead of Floki, he would've had a lot more information to provide about Silvertip Mountain! But as far as Floki knew... "I don't think they are a hostile group, though. As long as you uphold your end of the deal, I think they will too." He didn't want to give the Alpha-to-be false information, but he had never heard anything negative about Mason's pack. He couldn't see how anyone could give Eshe a hard time -- she was just so nice! -- but also knew that packs were naturally territorial of their land and oftentimes the grounds adjacent to it.

Cool, she breathed, relieved. I'm sure the leader of the Mountain is a good one, he's definitely observant, she smiled, So I'll take your word for it. We'll definitely uphold our end, we don't want trouble. My mates always been keen on Neverwinter since he first settled here a long way back. Not a very wordy man, but he'll talk your ear off about this place, she quipped, tail waving, And when he wanted to return, well, I couldn't say no to him, you know???? I just want to make him the happiest man??? I know happiness isn't a place, but this Forest sure does cheer him up, her southern drawl came to a head at the questions that weren't-really-questions, and she shook her head. I'm wordy too, when it comes to him. And in general, she laughed. If there was an 'off' button, there was none to be seen. It more likely than not had malfunctioned in the happiness she felt around the Moonspear wolf, who was kind and who she appreciated greatly for that.

Eshe waited a beat before tilting her head. Well, she'd gotten all personal on him... they were as good as close pals, in her heart. You have yourself a missus, Floki? Someone you'd do anythin' for? Her tail waved, the question innocent and her eyes wide and hopeful.

I just love her!

Eshe was talkative, but Floki drank in every word attentively. It was hard not to be drawn to her bubbly and outgoing personality. He nodded, showing he understood as she spoke of making her mate happy, then laughed when she voiced her awareness of her tendency to ramble.

His cheeks warmed when she turned the spotlight on him, asking about his own relationships. Wildfire's pretty face popped into his mind and his face melted into a smile. "Yeah, I have a girlfriend. Her name is Wildfire. She actually grew up with one of the other packs in the area, but when my brother and I founded Moonspear, she came to join us," he said fondly. He wasn't usually the type to overshare -- and had been particularly guarded when talking with Ferahgo only a few hours before -- but Eshe made him feel at ease.

Wildfire, Eshe said the name with much reverence and some awe, knowing what the word meant well. Well, if that isn't just the perfect name for someone to fall in love with! Wildfire, straight in your heart! Totally all-consuming! I bet she's as pretty as one, too??? From afar??? On account of up close, wildfires, they're dangerous, and you can't much appreciate the beauty when you're focused on staying alive???? But I bet your Wildfire, she's a beauty you can see at close without the risk! It was obvious Eshe was taken with the name, and grinned. The risk was gone, given that, well, Floki seemed to be positively smitten. That was the risk, wasn't it? But Wildfire was his girlfriend. What a sweet story! You and your Wildfire are welcome anytime, Floki. Maybe you, me, and our beaus can all link up for dinner or something when Neverwinter is more established. We can bond over moose, she lit up at the idea.

Eshe, too, obviously felt at ease. In the face of adversity just days ago, it was a relief to speak with another so freely and pleasantly, and to swap information unrelated to business. It was these things they spoke of and brought up that she felt built friendships that were made to last... and age, to Eshe, meant nothing. She guessed Floki was as old as she was, what with him having hardly a thing on him to show that he was a yearling. Floki looked to Eshe all man; any semblance of boyhood was not seen by her eyes that saw only the best in others.

I LOVE FLOKI

:DDD

The youth's grin only widened as Eshe mused on the meaning of Wildfire's name. By the time she finished speaking, his cheeks were nearly aching with the effort of smiling so hard. His tail swayed to and fro behind him, and he bobbed his head agreeably as she proposed that he bring Wildfire to Neverwinter Forest to meet Eshe and her mate. If they waited just long enough, he suspected that their claim on the wooded area would be official; it seemed like they were well on their way.

"I will definitely bring her by soon," he said eagerly. It seemed a little odd to make such a promise to a wolf he hardly knew, but there was no doubt in his mind that Eshe's intentions were good. Her soon-to-be packlands were not terribly close to Moonspear, but if they had been, he wouldn't have minded having her as a next door neighbor.

With a regretful glance over his shoulder, Floki said, "I should probably get going. I'm on my way back to see Wildfire now." Obviously, Eshe would understand. "But I'll tell her all about you and we'll come see you in a couple of weeks!" he said, his tone earnest as he reached out to touch his new friend's shoulder with his snout. Once they had said their goodbyes, he pivoted and pointed his paws towards Moonspear.

Eshe was more than a little excited as he spoke of bringing Wildfire 'round these parts, and her voice bubbled with excitement as she said, I can't wait!!! She all but bounced in place, and as he looked over his shoulder her eyes fell in the direction he looked. When he spoke again, her expression molded into one of understanding. While she was sad this meeting had to end at all, she was not one to prevent a romantic reunion.

So while she pouted a little bit, a playful expression soon dominated and she grinned. Well alright, I won't keep you! You get home safe, now. I look forward to seeing you again, and meeting Miss Wildfire. As he nosed her shoulder, Eshe embraced him in a friendly, heartfelt hug. She watched him 'til he melted into the horizon and she couldn't see him anymore, and then went on to mark the territory for a little while longer. Well, she was impatient to tell her mate about their future plans, and so soon moved into the depths of Neverwinter to tell him of all she'd heard today, of her new friend, and of the double-date they had to look forward to.