Neverwinter Forest Some call it stalking, I say walking, just extremely close behind

She had waited long enough.

The days were only growing shorter and colder and she had found no other refuge close to the sea (not that she even bothered testing them out). She pushed back towards the Forest, rain pressing her pelt against her skin, making her look thinner and more ragged than before. Her breath trailed in clouds behind her as she walked through the fields. She shivered, the cold added to the persistent rain freezing her to her bone. She needed a pack, now.

Eventually she made it, the scent of the border still strong. Through the wolf scents one stuck out, exciting her. @Kjalarr. Ondine's was there too, but she didn't matter. No, what mattered was that she was here and if she played her cards right, she would be with her love through the winter.

The pirate wench howled, calling for her former alpha, but for the other wolves sure to be there in the woods.

After having sprained his paw- it functioned too well to be broken, though without October around, he could only assume it hadn't been injured too badly- his patrols around the borders had been a bit slower, but he'd pushed himself to do it nonetheless, and though he often woke up quite stiff, the movement helped, and kept the swelling down. Perhaps it was the cold weather that made him feel stiffer than he thought he ought to- but Shrike's medical knowledge was relatively slim, so he simply believed he was doing the right thing in keeping in motion to keep his ankle from losing its strength. 

He heard a howl not far along the borders ahead of him, so he huffed a soft breath and picked up the pace slightly, moving into an ambling trot to greet whoever it was that had called for Kjalarr, had he not met the stranger first. He was not best pleased about the weather- cold rain didn't make him feel any better about the changing seasons- but there was nothing he could do about that. Weather was uncontrollable. 

The stranger came into sight and he slowed to a walk, managing to hide the pain in his right ankle fairly well as he walked, hairs along his spine sticking up slightly, though somewhat clumped together from the fallen rain. The dark stranger looked quite poor, with a flat coat doing a poor job of hiding a gaunt, hungry look. Another loner, he suspected, hungry and looking for a home during the winter. He stopped short of the wolf, a rather feminine fellow, whom Shrike immediately, by default, took to be a male. He studied his features calmly, and chuffed softly, encouraging the stranger to begin with an introduction and statement of purpose, as was custom.

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Kjalarr's talk with Floki had helped him in immeasurable ways as did his own acknowledgment that regardless his children would soon come into the world and that he would try to do the best he could, to do right by them and Ondine. That was all he could do, really. Ondine's due date had to be close, he suspected. A week, perhaps two; and though Kjalarr believed he might never shake his fears of being a father he had begun to feel more nervous and even a nagging of anxiousness than he did fear. It was something of a relief. He dropped the groundhog he'd caught for Ondine at the mouth of their den, licking the blood from his jowls when Maude's call pierced through the winter air. It did not necessarily come as a surprise to Kjalarr to hear her call as she had expressed an interest in joining their ranks when they'd last spoken to one another. Still, Kjalarr was filled with a small bit of trepidation as he made his way to the borders, obligated to answer her summons as both the one she had called and as Alpha Male.

Towards the end of Saltwinter Maude and Ondine had been unable to get along at all and to say that Kjalarr wasn't nervous about accepting Maude into the pack with Ondine heavily pregnant and about ready to give birth in the very near future would have been a complete and utter lie. He worried for his children's safety though he hoped that Maude would not be mad enough to attack his children. It would have been a crime he could never forgive her for and if she truly loved him as she claimed then she would accept them as apart of his life and as apart of him.

A cold rain had begun to fall at some point though Kjalarr hardly paid it any mind. He was a Northman and he was built to endure the bitter cold and all that winter could throw at him. His eyes fell to Maude as he approached the scene, only to flicker to Shrike with appreciation, glad to see the other male was proactive upon the borders. Kjalarr's steps slowed to a halt as he neared, not wanting to take the scene from Shrike whom had been first to intercept Maude and to whom she should, accordingly, address first.

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She did not mind the wet, but the cold was killing her. She wished that she could urge them to come faster, though she doubted anyone (except Kja) would be out in this bleak weather.

She was wrong. A wolf she did not recognize approached first, to her annoyance. The pirate frowned, the rain only worsening her mood. Had she known what he labelled her as, her anger would have doubled, no, tripled instantly. She shook her pelt vehemently, though it was a fruitless effort. Me name's Maude, if'n yer gonna ask. Lookin' fer me ol' crewmate, Kjalarr,

Kjalarr came, and the pirate relaxed slightly. She sighed, smirking at him. Oi'm 'ere! She declared redundantly, her tail wagging behind her.

Maude. The stranger had a funny way of talking, and an odd name, as well. At least the wolf was honest, and said that he was looking for Kjalarr, whatever a crewmate was. Packmate? Perhaps. Shrike wasn't up to date on Kjalarr's history, apart from the fact that he'd been adopted by Scimitar and used to go by the name Jorunn, but any previous pack history was unknown to him. Apparently this scraggly male had once shared a pack with Kjalarr, and seemed quite eager to see him again. He sniffed quietly, and looked over his shoulder to see Kjalarr striding toward them. 

Maude then addressed Kjalarr, and though Shrike would normally have continued to interrogate the stranger himself, it seemed that if the two knew each other, he might not be needed. "Maude," He said, gesturing toward the lean wolf, "Says he knows you." He said, allowing Kjalarr to take over, if indeed he truly knew the wolf who'd come to their borders. By the way Maude spoke, it seemed as though Kjalarr might have been expecting his friend to show up- if they were, indeed, friends.

crap post is crap. :-(

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Maude seemed inherently happy to see him, redundantly declaring her presence as if he could not see her for himself. Shrike looked to him and spoke gesturing to Maude as Kjalarr remained back, posture stiff and regal, hinting at dominance though he thought it unnecessary to display it fully. "I do know her," He replied, using Maude's preferred pronouns shooting Maude a warning look. Silently pleasing to her to let it slide as Shrike hadn't and couldn't have known. It had been strange to Kjalarr at first, too, but now he thought nothing of it.

It seemed that despite his attempts to stay back and allow Shrike to interrogate Maude as he saw fit that he was drawn to attention, regardless. “Before it's fall and Ondine and I's move here, I led a pack called Saltwinter. Maude was my second in command.” He informed Shrike simply, truthfully. The entire history of Kjalarr's time at Saltwinter and uncertain terms of friendship that Maude and him stood upon was long and winded, yet to be determined and not anything really necessary for the current conversation. Caiaphas had trusted Maude and that was good enough for Kjalarr who had never been able to figure out whether Maude was someone he hated to love or loved to hate. As it stood, for the longest of times they had not gotten along with one another.

He was a bit surprised to see her on the borders of Neverwinter Forest. She had expressed her interest in joining, yes, but given how her and Ondine did not get along he found her willingness to join a bit perplexing knowing what she did: that he'd taken Ondine as his mate and that his children would soon be born into the world. He was worried the two might pick up right where they left off and he knew that he would absolutely not suffer their bickering and fighting. Not in Neverwinter; but she knew his disposition on that and he did not think he needed to repeat himself to her.

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@Shrike I'm totally fine with people using the wrong pronouns. It all a part of her character!

Her ear twitched at the sound of the incorrect pronoun, her lip curling back slightly, but Kjalarr saved them both, emphasizing her correct one. She relaxed then, only shrugging at his warning glance. He misgendered her. It was an appropriate response.

Aye, shore's not as friendly no more. Buncha packs groupin' south o' de river, She wondered if he was related to any of those buggers. He seemed to have relations all over the place. 'Taint as close t' de shore as I would loike, but I can adjust t'forest livin',

Wait. Her?

Shrike looked at Kjalarr as though he'd been mistaken by identifying the wolf before them as a male, and Shrike felt as though he doubted himself for a moment- and was tempted to lean to the side and do a quick looksee- as subtle as possible, of course- to see who had misgendered the wolf. Regardless, Kjalarr seemed to know the wolf, who Shrike would simply name as Maude, rather than as a he or a she. Kjalarr had only called Maude a 'her' once, so maybe he'd simply said the wrong word. Needless to say, Shrike was confused, and didn't understand why Kjalarr would let slip the wrong pronoun without apologizing for doing so. 

He looked to Kjalarr then and nodded. Whoever this wolf was, they used to be Kjalarr's second in command. He assumed, then, that Kjalarr would want to handle this on his own. "I can let you two get caught up," He said, as a way to politely excuse himself- if Maude had been Kjalarr's second-in-command before, surely he wouldn't deny him...her...Maude, the opportunity of joining his pack again.

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Kjalarr offered Shrike a nod of appreciation as the male offered to let the two of them get caught up — though they had already done that the last time they’d seen one another, where Kjalarr had been transparent with Maude on Ondine and his children. They were staying and though he had not been so transparent about her choices she knew them: she would have to tolerate them or she didn’t have to but he would not let her do so within Neverwinter Forest. That had been heavily implied and he knew Maude to be an intelligent woman. Kjalarr’s expression remained impassive when Maude mentioned there were pack settling to the south of the river and that they weren’t friendly. Kjalarr had known one of them, had visited one of them with Caiaphas once back when he’d first joined Saltwinter. It seemed like a lifetime ago, that.

“It’s ironic that Ondine said much the same thing,” Kjalarr remarked with a slight smirk, not to instigate Maude’s ire but just because though the two might not realize it he could see the similarities in them. They really weren’t so different. Both loved the ocean and …both loved him for whatever he was worth to them. “Well packs of the coast have no reason to bother us here. Moonspear is close but I doubt Charon will find harassing me worth the time to leave his mountain.” Kjalarr wasn’t sure that Floki would even tell Charon, and if he did that the Ostrega would even care about the disowned Lodbrok twin. Which was fine, for all Kjalarr cared. He didn’t want trouble. He only wanted to raise his family in peace and lead Neverwinter Forest in a way that would make Scimitar proud.

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The wolf thankfully slunk away, leaving the two to catch up together. Maude's expression brightened the moment the masked wolf disappeared, her eyes rekindling. The glow died at the mention of Ondine's name, and was snuffed out at the thought of being even remotely similar to her. Did she, She deadpanned, wondering what the whore was doing now. Though, her response when she saw Maude striding into Neverwinter territory...might be promising.

Looks like we're gon'be fine then? He seemed to know many of the pack leaders here, which gave them a few allies here. Well, since I'm gonna be huntin' in forests now, ye've gotta teach me 'ow t'hunt dem big deer things, eh?

wrap up with your post? or you can archive as is ^-^ <3

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Kjalarr had enough intuition to not respond any sort of conformation to Maude’s deadpan response to his brief comparison of her and Ondine. He was learning …slowly but surely. He still didn’t understand the fuss between the two of them and it was likely that he never would when he thought there was definitely enough of him to share. Apparently, the two women didn’t see eye to eye with him on that and so he kept those (potentially dangerous) thoughts to himself (for the moment, at least). “I believe so,” He affirmed with a sage nod. He couldn’t promise anything, not really. He was no Norn and could not tell nor design the future; and though Kjalarr was no patron saint on the topic of trouble he gave an honest effort to avoid instigating it when he could. That wasn’t to say there were not times when he didn’t instigate trouble but it had been a long while. His responsibilities as Alpha had tamed most of his reckless tendencies. His need to fight everyone and everything had died down to a low flame, there but barely. “I’ll teach you, don’t worry.” He assured her with a slightly crooked smile that borderlined smug. “C’mon, I should introduce you to my co-Alpha, Kaskara.” He instructed with a sweeping gesture of his muzzle.

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