Ankyra Sound It's a beautiful day to have a picnic

For @Caiaphas and maybe @Kjalarr

The scent of Salt had bought him close to the borders of the pack. The pack scent was strong here, three different scents mixed together. Yet he was more drawn to the shores. Famine was driving him towards the sea. The locusts left the wild damaged and devastated, and prey was rare. The largest prey he had seen since yesterday was a rabbit nibbling at what was left of the foilage.

The scent markers were strong here. He wondered if the pack who lived near the coast had better luck hunting prey. He was tempted to move in, but the scent markers were strong and Slancio wasn't a fan for idioticly risking his life. Instead, he contemplated his choices. Maybe he was better off with a strong pack instead. Humming contently, he sat down and decided to see who would appear to mark the borders, to make his choice then.

raw was the ache that gutted her stomach, leaving caiaphas feeling as hollowed as the decayed collapse of a tree. she had been busying herself with border reinforcement to chase away the dull hunger that gnawed her stomach; that was, until she heard humming.

abruptly the siren's ears flew forward and she pinpointed the noise, slinking into a tired and somewhat inconsistent trot towards the source. she noted first the color, then the wolf -- he seemed possessed of a strange coloration not unlike the downy underside of a barred owl. his eyes she immediately sought, for they possessed a warming amber her own gazed lacked. abruptly she stopped and lifted her head, her posture suggesting well her deportment. "why are you here?" she queried, her voice falling as a dull growl roared within her stomach.

He had barely been resting for a while, a coywolf approached him, her head held up high. Ah, It seems I have found the Alpha. He thought amusingly, when he took her in. She could have once been a regal and majestic creature, but the famine had malnourished her. Nevertheless, he wouldn't find himself surprised if she had a feisty personality, simply because her posture implied a lot of things about her.

Yet when she neared, she simply asked his business here. Mild concern prickled at him when a dull growl from her stomach almost interrupted her. Was he truly better off here? But the coast was his home and with the famine it might be good to have other wolves at his back. "My name is Slancio. Slancio Fukuro. I bring to you a young, strong wolf who is ready to hunt and serve, only requesting in return a safe place to stay for a while, until the famine had passed." He might move on after the famine, but for now, this seemed to be the best place to be.

as she approached the male seemed unconcerned, though he made no gesture of aggression. slyly the little waif watched him, studying him as he supplied an answer. ah -- able bodied -- strong and ready to hunt and serve. to caiaphas, there was no other deportment worthy -- she felt herself deserving of servitude and emanated it thus. "can you fight?" she launched immediately, not bothering to indoctrinate him with formality. "and can you kill?" if he could do neither, he would be worthless to her and she would turn him from her shore right then and there for it.

The coywolf seem to study him, and he let himself be scruntinized as she immediatly supplied him with two different questions. If he could fight, and if he could kill. Canting his head, he supplied her with a soft grin, making sure to show off his fangs.

"I can definitely fight, and if you'll have me, I'll fight for you. I'll kill for you as well, as long as there's a good reason to." He drawled out, posture relaxed now that she had shown an interest in him. It was then a matter of if she needed more wolves or not.

when she had first beheld slancio, she had assumed she would have to turn him away -- the coven was too weak, and food too scarce to possibly entertain the idea of another mouth to feed. all the same, his answer had proved adequate -- adequate enough for her to regard him anew as a possible asset to saltwinter. his posture relaxed visibly and in turn caiaphas reciprocated the gesture by lowering her tail from its brazenly high position. "the famine has struck the entire wilderness. you know that, right?" she queried, hoping he did not think that his inception into the coven would grant him a feast worthy of a thousand warriors. "we have fish, and crabs, but the big game is long gone. i'll accept you into my coven so long as you fulfill a simple favor for me."

She seemed to be in thought, and Slancio kept silence in the favor of looking over here. She was too tall, but carried herself with the authority and assurance of a leader. The fur on her head was a dark tan, but faded to a lighter beige on her body. Her posture then relaxed, prompting a small smile from Slancio, but he waited to see what she had to say.

She asked about the famine, undeterred, Slancio gave a shrug. "I am a wanderer, and I have seen the damage. Though if you want, I can bring you the state of the rest of the wilds if you give me a while. " He knew the famine had struck everywhere, and didn't think that this place would be uch better. But the locusts didn't like water, and prey from the ocean was probably better than prey on land. 

"I don't expect much of a meal, much less a feast. But I'll stick around for a while. It'd be good to have some wolves I can trust." He said, feeling plesantly surprised when her next words said that she would accept him, but he would have to do a favour. "Thank you for the sanctuary, " He grinned, "Though if I may ask, what favour are you asking of me?"

she had expected the news would discourage him, but it appeared the cream-hued wolf had already seen the ravaged wilderness. caiaphas issued a roll of her bony shoulders, flicking an ear as she gazed past slancio to where even the cliffs seemed shriveled of their beauty. when he asked of the nature of caiaphas' bequest her sly gaze fell upon him, an impish and shrewd gleam to the fierce yellow of her gaze. "we have neighbors that have not fulfilled a bounty. i would see to it that they are punished." she lifted her slender muzzle and jutted her jaw, peering at the male. "is this something you are capable of?"

He stood his ground, waiting for her reply even as she stared out beyond his shoulder for a moment. He glanced towards the coast, where the ocean, seemingly unharmed lapped onto the shoreline. It was a beautiful sight, and he could understand why she had settled here. Perhaps he would stay even after the famine had pasted, perhaps he would not. For now, this was the best palce to be.

The roll of her shoulders bought his gaze back to her, and she smiled ferally. She spoke of "neighbors" who had not fulfilled a bounty, and that she would like to see them punished. Instantly, he understood that at least a wolf had died by the tone of her voice. "Those who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed," He replied smoothly, though a frown was starting to etch itself onto his face.

He detested wolves who killed for no reason, and would gladly kill them, not only to stick by his morals, but to impress. "More than able, and willing as well, " He nodded, "If you want me to, lady...?" He added on, inquiring her name once he realised he did not know it yet.

last post for me! we can conclude via Pms if you want for slancio's lil quest!

"caiaphas. siren queen and regent of saltwinter's coven." the sylph supplied, her voice dark and somewhat full of bitterness. even now the name 'saltwinter' stung of vlad and his betrayal --perhaps someday, once vlad's skull was resting grisly and bloodied between her paws where it belonged, caiaphas would be happy in uttering the pack's name. for now, it caused frightful unrest.

"we'll discuss later - come, let me show you the grotto." with that the gamine wretch turned on slender legs and made her jaunt towards the coven's heart where the grotto sat in the distance, a blackened and immense cavern that the saltwinter wolves called their home.

Yeah we can pm it out

He listened. She proclaimed herself Caiaphas, siren queen and regent of Saltwinter. Slancio stored those names in mind. For a while, he would be a part of this pack, Saltwinter. She spoke the name with slight bitterness, and he wondered what had happened to cause the tone of her voice. Yet, as he gazed out towards the coast, the sparkling blue water eased him.

He turned back to her when she spoke, and silently followed her towards her grotto. He would fine his place here for a while, then decide if he would stay here or wander off. He belonged here now, and he would make the most out of it.