Moonspear You forgot something

@Alastor! The Dotharan bellowed from the foot of the mountain, living up to his name. He snarled, his feet stamping in annoyance. The egmatic Vixen had disappeared, and all scents of Alastor had led to the mountain. The holy yet unholy place, the one thing he had said again and again that he would not go on. He didn't dare abandon Alastor. He had no one else; Vixen barely counted as someone.

Malai! Kii ornla wux gethrisj shafaer vi verthicha?! He muttered, waiting for someone to answer him. Hopefully Alastor before anyone else. He wasn't sure how he would respond to a stranger.

All throughout the territory had the male been venturing, seeking to learn of every little nook and cranny that the mountain had to offer. It was something he’d done on numerous occasions in the past, really, and so he was rather accustomed to the amount of work that must be completed. To wander down each path several times over allowed for him to better commit everything to memory, thus giving him the necessary information to settle in with ease. As it stood, the mountain was to be his home, and so he felt it to be his responsibility to learn of it in every way possible.

Alastor had been lingering along the lower regions of the mountain, resting, when he’d heard his name called in the distance. At first, it had seemed as if the voice was not clear enough to be recognized, but no more than a moment later and all of the pieces had clicked together. The foreigner froze, rightfully hesitant, and then set off in the direction whence the calling had arisen. And as he’d drawn near enough, he’d spotted none other than the very same masked wolf that he’d thought himself to have lost. Questions lingered on the tip of his tongue, but he’d been unable to properly form any of them. “Zoratto,” he’d said in place of his queries. “You came.” He’d offered a wag of his tail, then asked, “Are you here to join?”

Although the shout wasn't meant for him, Floki was nearby and detoured to see just who was yelling at their borders. He was curious and a little annoyed; there was a demanding tone to the call that put him on edge. Charon certainly wouldn't appreciate that, he thought as he drew himself up, channeling his older brother.

He found two wolves: one with a scowl fixed upon his face, and the other -- who was grey in coloration and smelled of Moonspear -- greeting him more pleasantly. Floki's gaze lingered on the monochrome wolf; there was something familiar about him, but he just couldn't place it, having forgotten that this was the friend of Aesop's he had met quite some time ago.

"Can I help you?" he asked with a knit brow as he came to a halt, glancing between the twosome as he tried to interpret their dynamic.

Luckily for him Alastor was the first to respond to his angry cry. Zoratto's pale gaze hardened at the silver Greek's arrival. You left me, He bit out, his brow furrowed. Wux deevdru di vi riika! And you're on a mountain? 

He would not be left alone to scream at Alastor. Another wolf came, silver with sandy legs. Zoratto snorted at the wolf's presence. I join pack. Name Zoratto; Alastor is my...friend. He glared at the Greek then, still miffed.

From the moment he’d approached, it became clear that Zoratto was not happy with him. The accusation had forced his ears to fall flat against his head, given that he’d never intended to leave him behind. At first, he’d assumed that the other male had gotten held up somewhere, and would arrive shortly after Alastor had. Then, following the sudden departure of Vixen, he’d believed that the male might have chosen to follow her over him, given their shared dislike of mountains. Yet, there he was, claiming to have been left behind. Of course, being the type of wolf that he was, he’d been able to see immediately from what perspective his friend was coming from, and felt guilty for having not taken an extra step to ensure that he was alright. “I did not mean to leave you behind,” he’d said, making an attempt at offering his side of the story. “When you hadn’t shown up, I thought you’d gone off with Vixen.” It made sense, in a way. Though the two hadn’t appeared to be particularly close, they shared a preference in the sort of homes they wished to be a part of.

Shortly after, they were joined by another, towards which the foreigner dipped his head in greeting. His gaze had lingered on the male for a moment, believing that they’d met once before, but was unable to place upon him a name. So, for now, he left it alone and focused back on Zoratto as his request to join was made. Alastor’s ears had yet to perk back up, and he’d even adverted his gaze out of shame for what he’d done.

The stranger greeted Floki, though his words remained curt. "I join pack," he said boldly, and Floki couldn't help but think, Not with that attitude, buddy. Alastor did not offer an explanation, so all the young Beta had to go on was the fact that this accented wolf was named Zoratto and was friends with Alastor.

"My name is Floki; I'm the Beta male," he said, tilting his chin upward slightly. He introduced himself for the benefit of Zoratto as well as Alastor, since they hadn't formally met. He angled his gaze towards Zoratto. "You want to join us? What can you provide for our pack?" And then, to Alastor, he said: "Can you vouch for him?"

Dotharan culture admired strength and boldness, and that was what Zoratto gave the mountain-Beta. Submission was something to be forced, not thrown away. His head didn't bow to the unfamiliar wolf, nor did he relax his stance. He glared at the wolf head on, trying to show his strength and unwavering bravery.

Good at running, run fast and long. Good hunter, tracker. Good fighter too. He couldn't articulate the specifics, but wasn't this all a pack needed? If I join, stay at bottom of mountain; first line of defense. He couldn't imagine climbing to the peak with the rest of them, even if it meant being disconnected from the pack.

The moment the male’s name was shared, the memory clicked into place and he was reminded of a time when he’d been rather down. Floki had been kind at the time—still was, it seemed—and had told of Aesop’s disappearance back then. Of course, none of that mattered anymore, and so the memory was relocated to the back of his mind where it could be remembered without affecting his current situation—which was good, because a question was directed his way, which he’d needed a clear mind in order to answer. A nod was given, assuring the Beta that he could vouch for his fellow foreigner.

Alastor looked towards the masked wolf as he spoke, the way he held himself and spoke both being unsurprising. If he’d learned anything after having spent a fair amount of time with Zoratto, it was that he was a very bold creature, but usually meant well. “I’ve traveled with him,” the Greek voiced, adding on after his friend had finished speaking. “He can move quickly. I think he would do well at wearing down the prey during hunts.” Having never seen him partake in an actual pack hunt, however, he didn’t know if his belief would turn out to be true or not. It seemed safe to share his thoughts, though, given the evidence that he’d witnessed whilst traveling with Zoratto and Vixen.

There was something bold about Zoratto's stance, but it wasn't necessarily challenging. He did not avert his gaze, and while this made Floki question his history, he could see that the stranger's intentions were not to disrespect him. Still, he inclined his own chin a bit higher and allowed his tail an extra arch, wondering how Charon would handle this unconventional display of behavior.

Hunting, tracking, and fighting were all skills that Moonspear valued, and Floki nodded as Alastor added his own two cents, mentioning that he and Zoratto had traveled together. "You don't like heights?" he surmised with a quirk of his brow; the proclamation that Zoratto would stay near the base of the mountain and his initial indignation at Alastor's chosen home seemed to point in this direction.

The subtle shift in the pack male's movements didn't go unnoticed. He frowned; why was the male so threatened by his stance? He still didn't get these Rhaesh Thaan wolves. If this pack wolf, with numbers at his back, was so threatened by a scrawny loner, what did that mean for the rest of them? But he conceded, but unwavering in posture. He would have to stay here with Alastor, especially over the winter. No, He said, glancing towards Alastor to explain.

The mention of staying near to the mountain’s base had been expected, as had an explanation for why. Yet, the masked wolf hadn’t explained himself. He had looked to Alastor instead, hinting at him that he was to share the reason, which he wasn’t against doing; he assumed that it was due to English still being new to the younger male that he’d not wanted to speak for himself. Whether or not that was actually the case, he did not know, nor would he ever get around to asking.

“In his culture, it’s believed that the spirits of the dead inhabit mountains,” the Greek explained. “He won’t climb them.” The fear could disconnect him from the rest of the pack, but it wasn't something that could be helped. One’s culture was not something to be tampered with or disregarded, but to be respected.

"No," the male replied, and didn't seem keen to clarify. Instead, he looked to Alastor, and Floki directed his gaze towards his packmate as well. He worked to keep the corners of his lips from twitching up into a smile; he meant no offense, but found Zoratto's mannerisms and personality a bit...quirky.

But Alastor's explanation was legitimate, and Floki considered it seriously before answering. It did seem odd that a wolf would be a member of a mountain-dwelling pack without ever scaling its slopes; but that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. If he was as apt a guardian as he said, he could provide the first line of defense were there ever trouble on the borders. Floki still wasn't sure what Charon would think of Alastor's friend, but as Beta, he saw no reason to turn him away.

"Okay. Welcome to Moonspear -- you'll join our ranks as Eta, for now. My brother Charon is the Alpha male; you'll want to introduce yourself to him sooner than later. The Alpha female is his mate, Amekaze," he said. Then, bobbing his head to Alastor, he added, "Alastor can show you the ropes." With that, his job was done; he turned and took his leave.

Some of the words which the wolf — Floki? — said confused him. Alpha? He assumed that those were the heads; their word for Khal and Khaleesi. He would have to meet them, though what they looked like...he had no idea. He was to be an Eta, which he assumed was at the bottom of the rungs. He was fine with that, having no one else but Alastor to even connect with. He looked towards the Greek, beckoning him to show him around. Come on then. Show me ropes.

Alastor kept quiet whilst awaiting the verdict, glancing between the other two males. When Floki spoke, the first word alone had left him smiling. He’d traveled with Vixen and Zoratto both, the former having fled, but the latter was there to join him. It was nice to know that he’d set his fear of the mountains aside in order to remain with the Greek, for it made him see the younger wolf as a better friend. So when the task of showing the masked boy how things worked was assigned to him, he’d not hesitated before nodding. He was still, however, until the Beta was gone from sight. Only then had he turned to look towards his companion, a wag of his tail being offered in the process.

“Alright,” he’d said, eager to begin. “Follow me.” With that he would set off, his pace slow so as not to leave Zoratto behind (again).