Moonspear west of the moon, east of the sun

Recent interests were often keeping her on their outer edges, even fanning out beyond their fringes more than her usual, and in turn, making her all the more elusive. She roved through patrols and hunted plenty, only delving further in to store what she didn't eat or to find her pups. But in the last few days, those trips grew shorter as she upped her hunts, what with a full pack to keep prey for around. That, with winter's chill bound to deepen and now knowing what she did about the situation in the flatlands had her urged into keeping busy, and constantly poised for action--in some manner, always.

After showing Jarilo a good route to follow here near their edges and leaving him with plenty of instruction, she gave him a little space for now and threaded over the borderlands on her own path somewhere near his. Meanwhile, the late afternoon's clouds started to turn to occasional flurries. Unimpressed, and skimming along the periphery of their forests, her focus wanted to go several ways at once--eventually, she ultimately decided to remedy this by seeking out @Charon if she could get a good, fresh lead on him to start.. before she inevitably looped back around for the nearby son.

The pups were all growing up now and Charon was sort of glad that they were more independent. Still little enough to be his little girls and boy, but old enough so that the rest of the pack would bother with them more and he would get some rest. It felt like forever since he and Ame had had some time together, though their relationship had never been one filled with passion and more one born from conventionality of the Alpha pair, finding each other worthy enough a partner and the subsequent desires to bring forth good offspring.

Winter came now and when winter was barely gone the next heat would come and it was time to start planning again, digging or refurbishing the birthing den and tending to Ame's and then the pups' every whim. It worth building the legacy but at times Charon found it hard to focus on the bigger picture rather than the tasks at hand now. He was building his legacy as king of the mountain, but it was not the type of legacy he had thought to have years ago when he was the yearling finding this place — when he had thought himself to end up a ruler of not just his mountain but a bigger thing, too. Perhaps, he considered, the stars did not have as many great plans for him as he had thought, or perhaps these plans were yet to be made clear to him. He supposed it did not matter; he was happy enough with his mate and children upon this mountain alone. It was enough, somehow, even though it was a weird realisation.

He was just out on a patrol when he noted Amekaze in the distance. Ears perked forward to see if she was headed his way or if she had some other destination in mind as he realised how long ago it was that they had been together, just them.

With so much else to keep her occupied, even along their own boundaries, she had not gone well out of her way lately to make extra time for her family--especially the ones she couldn't share a patrol with. Her youngest brood did plenty well on their own and had integrated into the pack as wolves their age ought to, so that was one less matter to carry the weight of and in turn, it freed her up for other interests. Recently, those interests did seem to pertain to their defense--and the potential for offense. But she justified this bit of (hopefully temporary) distance with doing it for them, and their safety.

However, finding Charon pertained to many things she needed to get through with. Her steps got a little lighter when she spotted him coming down a path finally. Sight of him, alone, was easy on mood, so she wasted no time with a quick pivot and long strides to get rid of the distance. As soon as she could, she fell into stride beside him, and lick-nipped his cheek. She liked when it could be like this.. just them, but still getting things done, peacefully and easy.

But there was a lot else, so as much as she hated it, she could only let the cozy silence stay for a little while. "Busy?" she asked, pressing close enough to let fur touch now and then. He didn't smell like he had run into Jarilo yet, who she knew loomed somewhere vaguely nearby, so that was probably good. As for what else, he seemed to be doing just the same as her. "Jarilo lurks nearby, so beware. He should stay occupied though," she warned, should Charon not want to put up with him right now, especially with him busy practicing his sneaks and such. "I also wanted to tell you that I met with the wolf from the coastal pack, Drageda, again.. and it sounds a lot like I suspected it would for Blackfeather," she said, telling him because of his one tie there.. although surely his last visit had served as a warning enough that a smart wolf would heed. "Redhawk and Drageda both want rid of them," she said, and they both knew the cerberus was not going to be veered away from going after what they wanted too.

Just a little cameo!

 

Hydra, initially following the trail of both of her parents to spend time with them, was deterred at the scent of Jarilo. Though the distance between herself and her parents was little, again the idea of creating her own apprentice came to mind. Galaxy and Vela were utter failures on that part, but there was hope yet for Jarilo. And so Hydra altered her course and began to trail Jarilo at a slow pace.

i'mma say this is set after the Potema-thread for convenience's sake :)

The pups were no longer really an issue anymore typically these days. When Ame said Jarilo lurked nearby he nodded knowingly, although at this age he knew they could just tell him to go away if they wanted to anyway. "Join me for a patrol?" he asked in response to her query whether or not he was busy. Charon then, if she were to accept, turned to continue his path in the patrol along the borders.

Ame went on to tell him she'd met with a wolf from Drageda, the faraway pack that was also wanting to get rid of Blackfeather Woods (though Charon didn't really connect the dots that it was because Dhole was a part of their pack). Charon said, "I visited their pack. Blackfeather Woods, I mean. Visited Potema, invited her to join Moonspear and get the fuck out of that hell hole, but she said there was some important stuff there. She said she'd give up Vaati in a heartbeat, she doesn't care about him anymore..." He trailed off, for he wondered if secretly she still did; could a mother's love really wane so easily? "Said there were some special places or whatnot that she needed to protect, I don't know. I just hope she doesn't make a shit decision and dies, but there's nothing more I can do." He said the latter as if he'd be mad at her if she did die, and in that, it seemed as if he didn't care overly much about her at all, but Ame would know it was the typical Charon way of dealing with stuff. He was both distancing himself from her in case she did die, preparing himself to never see her again, and showing that he did care by being angry she might die.

Either way, there was nothing more he could do now, but he thought Ame deserved to know in case Potema got smart and did show up at their doorstep. He left out the daughters for now, because he doubted it'd get to that anyway.

ya that works for me. this thread was kind of wonky with the timing of everything else happening after anyway so ~~ *SHRUGS @ TIMELINES*

Towards the notion of patrol, she had no qualms and made a little sounds a bit like an mhm, but she spoke more plainly in the measure of her gestures. She went on alongside him, and switched an ear when he laid the subject matter down between them. Blackfeather. She was listening..

Amekaze had known he would warn her. The extent of how much was revealed here and now, and she nodded gently along with her steps. "Well, so be it then. You offered. It is her choice now.. if those places matter more than herself," she sighed, unable to really console him on the matter because she knew there was no use.  It was in Potema's paws now and best he just take that, or leave it. "You did what you could." she said.

Charon's offer was generous, and valid. Amekaze wondered if she would be smart and take him up on this. Then again, she had never been in that position. She'd be hard-pressed to abandon the mountain without due, dire cause, but she would.. if it came right down to that bitter end. "Do you really think she will do that? Give him up? Like Jarilo may get on my nerves but he would have to be real horrendous to just hand him over to an aggressive enemy," she pondered out loud, and of course would never consider the same for any of her daughters. That didn't need said. But of course, Ame herself did not know Vaati, or the fullest extent of his transgressions. For his mother to besmirch him so badly.. well, she had to wonder why. "Wonder what else he has done to piss her off that badly," she sneered a little, but neither did she know Potema enough to judge.

As Ame responded about Potema he merely nodded. Charon agreed, there was nothing more that they could do. He thought Potema was foolish for not joining them when offered, but she had always been stubborn. He mostly told Ame about it not to complain or garner sympathy that Potema had denied it, but because she would know if Potema stood on their doorstep one day that he had offered her a place here.

Charon nodded as Amekaze asked if he thought she would just give him up. "I don't know what happened between them, but Potema spoke very venomously of him. Like... I was surprised, because I hadn't expected her to be so ready to give him up like that — like you. I'd never give up any of my children. Even Julia. I mean — Well, you know how she's... But anyway, what I mean is, she's still my daughter, I still love her, and I'd never want her to get hurt." He felt awkward mentioning it so openly for Julia'd always been their least favourite daughter implicitly, but they had never spoken about it as openly as now. He shook his head, wondering what Vaati must've done to Potema to get into this position.

While his answer certainly gave her greater insight, it was still difficult to fathom. She supposed the crime could be that heavy. If his own mother had forsaken him... "Hm. Well. So be it, then.." There had to be some point where she would draw the line, too. Thankfully, none of hers had crossed that for her. She wasn't eager to find out what it may be. Murderers, and menaces (a few of them) maybe, but she only loved them more fiercely because they could obviously hold their own in that way. She had been raised much the same so there was just something quite familiar about it. 

Anyway, entirely nonplussed about the Korei notion, for his dislike of her had never exactly been private, she went on with a nod. "Exactly, Korei too. Any of them." she shook her head with her nose scrunched up. "And imagine.. to Redhawk too?" she scoffed, and tossed her nose. Absolutely unimaginable to her. She wouldn't want the fate of anything she cared much about in the hands of Redhawks. "Their allies may be a little more respectable, but still." Unproven, though, and this was assuming those were the only enemies who may come knocking with a warrant for Vaati. She didn't know the fullest extent of what had them all aiming for Blackfeather beyond Wildfire and a few other instances of wrongdoing here and there--and neither did she know if it was even exactly Vaati's doings or the pack as a whole or something else entirely? She didn't care all that much in the end.

Charon nodded absently while Ame spoke, though truthfully he didn't give much of a shit about Vaati. He didn't like the thought that his brother was going around creating mini-Floki's all over the place, as if the loss of Floki wasn't bad enough. Now he had to deal with Jorunn's runts running all over the place, too. No more than a short "hmm-mm" was uttered while he looked to the outside of the territory, keeping his attention alert in case someone unfavourable would approach.

Unless Ame dove into any other subjects Charon remained silent as they patrolled together, spreading their scent along the borders of the pack to ward off intruders. He didn't mind the silence -- never did when it came to Ame -- as such was their way of communication most of the time.

wanna fade this thing up since so much has happened since starting it? :o

of course! it was perfectly timed to get really outdated really fast so i'm just glad we got something out of it lmao! <3

Together, they were familiar and comfortable easing into silence despite the foul undertones of all just before. She was just content to be on the same page as him with all of her distaste as they moved along to fresher stretches of borderland. At least, as it were beneath their current watch, all was quiet at home but there was no telling what the others would do beyond their owns--and what effect it would inevitably ripple back with. She had a feeling an interesting few weeks were to follow (but even she could not anticipate the depths of it..) and wanted to have them face it poised and ready, like always. So with that in mind, enjoying a relative peace and quiet for the here and now while they had it became her main focus beside her mate as they patrolled onward.