Nocturne Summit chateau lobby #4

@Pyro!

It was mid-day as the Rannoch found himself at the peak of Nocturne Summit, pulling himself ahead of the group. In the brief amount of time that the pack had wandered, they found themselves some company, growing their numbers. They were nearby, searching as he did for lunch; a necessity for all of them. With this heavy on his mind, Rannoch set off with the intentions of feeding his growing family. The scent he was tracking was relatively fresh and he was determined to find it. 

He was at a safe distance when he spotted the abandoned carcass, and quickly he licked his lips, feeling satisfaction in finding what he had been tracking. Before rushing off, Rannoch lifted his tail to the gang and woofed, as if to confirm that their meal had been found. From there he quickly his pace, feeling as though this kill should be his to take from first; an innate flash of dominance which was growing all the more familiar to the burly man. 

The decaying hide was most likely a deer, given its size. Most of the meat was torn from the ribs, yet the killer was kind enough to leave the giblets and some meat along the creature's spine. for the wayward band. Licking his lips as he pulled up alongside the kill, Rannoch lowered his head towards the deer's innards, grabbing for the stomach eagerly. Once it was clamped between his jaws, the two-toned man jerked his head back repeatedly in an attempt to tear it away from the body.

[table width=80%][tr][td]

With his head low the young wanderer slithered his way to the carcass before it was too late. It wasn't every day that one could have the pleasure of eating a free meal, and this one was fresh enough for Pyro to enjoy. He tore out small chunks of meat as he looked around cautiously in case someone else became aware of his discovery. And it was for a good reason... The summit was dark and enclosed, a place that Pyro would have avoided if he knew what he was going to find, but he was just a rookie in his trade and the signs he should have seen slipped past him in his innocent hike. What a grave mistake.

Not two minutes passed before a distant noise broke the deafening silence, prompting Pyro to raise his head and perk his ears skittishly. Someone else was approaching, and as soon as Pyro confirmed it he retreated from the carcass and sought refuge behind the nearest bushes he could find. He flung himself at them, making a whole lotta noise in the process and landing right against some real pointy branches that hurt the tender skin on his belly. He wanted to sob, but he stayed as still as he could so that the others did not notice his presence. All he could do now was hope that he had not been spotted.

[/td][/tr][/table]

It was as Rannoch dove into the kill that he smelt the fresh scent of another wolf. It was evident that whoever it was had just been here and Rannoch was not all that keen on that fact. Despite this, he took his time to remove the stomach from the dead body, ripping aggressively until it was freed from the corpse. With the sack in his mouth, and blood painting his peal-kissed cheeks, Rannoch placed the delicacy on the ground as his attention was taken towards the commotion in the nearby bush. 

His hackles rose out of instinct, feeling threatened by whatever lingered just beyond the foliage. He took a step over the stomach protectively, his tail raising and his lips curling as his eyes bore into the bush. A warning followed this, a guttural growl that strummed its note in a low baritone, and he waited expectantly for whoever was hiding to show themselves.

[table width=80%][tr][td]

Even the faintest of flicks of a fly's wing would have been heard in the silence that Pyro summed himself into. He froze, he held his breath, and he hoped for the best. His cover was terrible, and he hadn't even thought about masking his scent. Terrible mistakes, horrible terrible mistakes they were, and all of it made him vulnerable.

He was soon found by the other, whose snout tracked him down to the bushes from which Pyro jumped out as soon as he realized he couldn't hide anymore. Wait! he barked, consumed by fear of being eaten. The other guy was huge, tall and broad, probably even more so than Vassago, and he was clearly pissed off. Please don't eat me, sir! I didn't mean to steal your food! he begged as he took a few safe steps backwards.

[/td][/tr][/table]

What sprang from the bushes was a muddled mess of brown fur, and Rannoch expression shifted quickly to accommodate his surprise. He didn't expect whoever was in the bushes to crumble before him so fast. Despite his surprise, he did not allow his guard to lower. Instead, Rannoch stood tall as Pyro apologized and he lifted his chin slightly  in acknowledgement. 

"Who are you?" He asked. Despite the fact that he reigned back his agression, there was still a sense of authority in how he conducted himself. Then, not even two shakes of a llambs tail after, another thought came to mind: "Who are you with?" 

Rannoch’s guttural growl spurred Cypress into motion; he arrived on the scene just in time to hear his gunmetal littermate begin a terse interrogation. His own eldritch hackles lifted as he took his place at Rannoch’s left, flanking the turquoise-eyed wolf slightly to peer obliquely up at the cocoa-furred male with a typically sinister mien. Something tugged at the eidolon — a recent memory — and he waited patiently, patently untroubled, for it to reveal itself. When it did, a single word — a name — spilled from his lips in a sibilant hiss. “Pyro…” he guessed, looking up at his silvern brother for confirmation as he recalled Tryp’s description: “he has a warm brown coat with the same dotted eyebrows and eyes as me.” This fellow certainly had the dotted eyebrows, though Cypress couldn’t remember now the color of the awkward ranger’s eyes.

[table width=80%][tr][td]

The bear boy stands tall in front of him but does not attack. Pyro has plenty of space between himself and the other male to flee if he was the slightest bit of an agile specimen, but instead his reverse ended up in a most anticipated (for the reader) stumble. There was a huge tree behind him and Pyro couldn't help feeling trapped. Petrified, he gasps to answer the grey beast's questions, but someone else does it for him. A shadow —one that Pyro hadn't even noticed by the eclipsing presence of such titan— had guessed Pyro's identity.

With a huge frown Pyro forgets about his fear and turns to the other wolf in sock. Uh... Yeah... he stutters. Ha - How did you know that?? he stutters again, baffled by the strange coincidence.

[/td][/tr][/table]

Rannoch had only realized that Cypress had crawled to his side when he spoke and Rannoch broke his gaze of the stanger to look to his brother, meeting his sulpheric eyes with curiousity as he grasped what had been said. The suspicions were confirmed as Pyro spoke and as that occured, Rannoch turned to his slowly, his eyes widening in surprise. "You are alive..." He murmed, speaking his inner monolouge so that all could hear. 

Without much though, and with a small sense of suspicion about him, Rannoch looked over his shoulder to the near-by group. "@Tryp!" The call was urgent, but there was nothing unkind about the wolf's tone. "I need you to come here." Not wanting to leave the other out of his sight for too long, Rannoch turned back to Pyro as the trio waited for the honey-coated wolf's arrival.

[table width=80%][tr][td]Tryp was glad that Rannoch and the other guys had accepted him among their small band that was seemingly growing by the day, even though it felt like he was betraying his morals and his beloved younger brother. He had set out on a quest to find him, the small Pyro, and yet here he was; chilling with the big guys in a group of young gangsters trying to survive. They were a charming bunch, he found, but Pyro... He was family and should've been his top priority. Tryp felt awful for this - even when the bulky Rannoch called him closer. What could be so important that they needed Tryp - a simple hunter - to deal with it? Still, he immediately turned and trotted (almost ran) quickly to Cypress and Rannoch and...

No, it couldn't be. Tryp slowed to a stop just beside the two men he had got to know on his journey as he stared at the one he was trying to find for such a long time (and with that, he meant like... 1 week or so). P-Pyro? He questioned softly, lowering his ears. Is that really you, my brother? A smile crept upon his handsome maw and he almost darted toward his sibling in overflowing joy. It's me - Tryp! He chipped happily with a tone that almost screamed "Just go along with it".[/tr][/td][/table]

Pulling Cypress to help keep things moving for you guys.

Cypress opened his mouth to reply to Pyro’s question, but before he could construct a suitable reply, the situation erupted into something far beyond the eidolon’s comfort level. Rannoch called for Tryp immediately, which was completely understandable — it wasn’t necessarily what Cypress would have done, but the raven operated on a basic theme of suspicion and intrigue, giving little until he knew what to expect from any given scenario. The thunder of paws behind him caused his hackles to flicker unbidden as he turned his head sharply, but as the interview turned into a reunion — well, that was his cue to leave. Touching his muzzle lightly to Rannoch’s hip, a sort of, “I’ll be here if you need me,” he extricated himself from the chorus of joyful voices and melted soundlessly into the shadows.

[table width=80%][tr][td]

Suddenly, overtaken by confusion Pyro's body froze completely. He could hear the grey bear's voice, but the words did not make sense. Of course he was alive! Why would he not be alive? There was no time to ask these questions, for the boss promptly issued a call for seemingly one of his inferiors. Tryp was his name, and Pyro's eyes traveled away to the form that materialized in the distance and almost barrelled its way to them, all in growing befuddlement. He didn't even notice the other shadow retreating.

He wanted to shout a loud and clear WHAT THE F to the winds when he recognized his brother's face, but Pyro was still basically a statue and Vass had taken the word for himself. He didn't quite understand why his brother was being called Tryp, or why even would he call himself that way, but he picked up the plea to go along with it in his beloved brother's gestures. T-Tryp! he exclaimed, struggling to even pronounce the strange name. What are you doing here, bro? he asked, confusion and struggle clear in his voice and eyes. You're with them?? he added at the end of the question pile.

[/td][/tr][/table]

The thundering of Tryp's paws let Rannoch know that his call had been heeded. Drawing his attention to his packmate, Rannoch looked to him expectantly, waiting for it all to click. When it did, Rannoch watched closely as they embraced, feeling genuinley happy for the both of them, epspically since Tryp had been convinced that they might never see eachother again. 

As the brothers caught up, Cypress was quick to make his exit, and Rannoch regarded him with a kind chuff as he turned from the reuniting pair to glance at his sibling until the surrounding shadows absorbed him. It was only when Pyro asked a particular question, regarding his status with the rest of the pack, that Rannoch turned back to the pair. His brows lifted at this, as the words did not sit well with Rannoch, but, he didn't speak. Instead, he would allow Tryp to speak for now and they would go from there.

[table width=80%][tr][td]A silent sigh escaped him when Pyro caught on without questioning his cover name. It was great how their brotherly bond could tell each other more than what others would ever see or hear; it was, perhaps, the best thing in the world for the newly named Tryp. He pulled the fawn-like bro into an inescapable hug and let go only seconds later. I was searching for you! He answered in a jokingly angered way - a lip pulled in a frown but the dots of his eyebrows dancing in a way that spoke for itself. He wasn't mad; he was happy - very happy! His sunny eyes glanced at Rannoch for a bit with a thankful smile as he noticed Cypress had retreated. Strange... but probably nothing to worry about.

He nodded at his brother's second question. I am. He confirmed proudly and unlike his usually hackly sentences. And... now that I've found you, we will be able to travel with them. You... worried me with your absence, y'know? He spoke, left ear lowering cutely. This was all too good to be true, if Tryp was being honest, and he could swear something awful would soon be revealed. Still, he kept on smiling and his mind was overflowing with happy memories and future plans with his new friends and brother.[/tr][/td][/table]