Duck Lake and every day i'd save a quarter of my pay

for @Ruenna if you have time?

by now thorn was familiar with the path that took him to swiftcurrent - but this time, it was not aria's company he sought (though he would perhaps have delighted in the company). as he cut across the lake's borders, he considered the task stigmata had imparted upon him.

a wolf that was not confident in his capabilites would soon find his success imperiled and failure upon him, and so, thorn set his mind to believing -- no, knowing -- that there would be no other outcome but his success today.

he hung just where the river cut through the downs, the first visual cue of swiftcurrent's domain. carefully, the brute sent forth a howl for ruenna, his gaze carefully scrutinizing the river for the approach of any unwelcome visitors.

always time for you, love <3

Thorn was becoming a familiar presence at the outskirts of the Creek territory, although it did surprise Ruenna that it was she for whom he called. The champagne lady answered the summons swiftly, hoping that if she answered soon enough he would not call out again. It was already bad enough that he had bellowed her name across the Creek the first time. 

"Thorn Eyjolfur," Rue chimed as she approached, eyeing him carefully. "You are building yourself a reputation here, and... it is not one I wish to share." Her brow furrowed. She was an honest wolf, and she hated even the idea that a friendship of hers would need to remain secret.

<33

thorn was not left waiting long. over the bulk of snow he saw first the triangular rise of ears -- followed by the narrow form of the very wolf he had summoned.

carefully, he examined the surroundings besides her -- half expecting at any moment constantine's commanding presence would be made known.

assured that they were alone, thorn stepped forth to meet the plateau wolf, his tail moving in genial sweeps. "ruenna," the man purled, unaffected by the news he had acquired an unsavory reputation. it did, however, incriminate ruenna to be called to his presence -- and he understood the furrowed urgency writ across the woman's fine features.

"last we spoke, you asked me to pass a message along to stigmata." his ear flickered, and he glanced quickly to her melancholy features. "it has been done. stigmata has a message in return, should you be willing to hear it."

Rue let out a short sigh, chastened by the implication behind the man's words. They were a reminder of the favor Thorn had granted her in carrying her message, and redoubled Rue's guilt. Thorn had been nothing but generous and obliging to Rue-- much more so than the majority of her new packmates, come to think of it-- yet here she was saying to his face that she was embarassed for her pack to see her with him. Rue flexed her paws in the snow, wondering if it was perhaps Thorn's opinion which really deserved her courtship. 

Rue dipped her muzzle in assent. "Yes.. Thorn, I... ah, thank you." Her tone was heavy with the weight of her gratitude, and her unspoken apology was written across her features.

thorn had finished his inquest, remaining silent long enough to study ruenna's reaction. she seemed affected by --- was it guilt? -- perhaps gratitude, though it was darkened by that troublesome emotion he could only barely perceive. his own brow pulled in brief confusion, but as she flexed in the snow he dismissed his fleeting concern, for her tone was weighted heavily by what he believed was sincerity.

he dipped his muzzle in turn, settling down into business.

"this message is the true reason i am here -- stigmata might have issued it as his errand, but i would not go if i did not wholly believe his merit." he stepped back, feeling almost cruel to put such a proposition in the air -- but it was necessary, and it was right --

"come back to diaspora with me." he growled, his tone imploring as he briefly sought her gaze. "what life is it in the creek, not even restored to your previous appointment in the plateau? those wolves will walk all over you.

there is nothing the creek has that diaspora doesn't, and stigmata thinks highly of you. true to my word, i will give you my rank as tessarius if you return with me."

If Thorn had not already captured Rue's rapt attention, he certainly had it after such a weighty introduction. Her apologetic look fell away to be replaced with one of intense, almost imploring curiosity. 

Come back to Diaspora with me, he growled, and his brief glance upward would reward him with an eyeful Rue's deer-in-the-headlights expression of surprise.  He began to state his case, and it wasn't a bad one-- not in the slightest. His offer of rank would be compelling to most wolves... but as it so happened, Rue possessed far different desires and designs for her future. 

But Thorn would not suffer unduly for this ignorance... truly, how was he to know that Rue was one of the few wolves who would not be tempted by rank? Rue would tell him exactly what she desired, and she would allow him the chance to restructure his argument accordingly. But first, she had to clear one thing up...

"Are you asking me to return with you, or..." Rue swallowed. "..Or to return with you, Thorn?" Her emphasis on the final "with you" was heavy with implication. Rue was quite perplexed by the idea that Thorn could simply give her his rank. She was aware that in some packs mated wolves shared a rank, just as they shared a name. Was this what he was offering? Mateship?

thorn could not help but glance upon her hopefully as he finished, scrying whatever he could from her expression or reaction. he could not be certain, but he did not feel his offer of rank had moved the she-wolf --she seemed to balk, and as she spoke, thorn realized his error.

the implication of his words had been confusing, and as he reeled inwardly from her heavyweight question, he realized he had framed his proposition in a manner that would perplex anyone. his ears fell, and a look of slight embarrassment overtook him.

his throat bobbed and he shifted, ready to relieve the tension he felt stir between him. "return - as in, come live with us in diaspora." he cleared his throat, finding his clinical response might have been too curt. softly, the dark male added: "whoever you take as a mate is your own prerogative." truly - ruenna could not be blamed for questioning which it was -- but thorn had not realized until too late how nebulous his request had been.

There was a time not so long ago when such a mistake would have mortified Rue, but she found that presently she was more amused than anything. Perhaps that boded well for their budding friendship. A hint of a smile twitched at the corner of her mouth. She certainly couldn't be blamed for her confusion-- Thorn had earned himself a reputation, after all. 

Rue's instant relief was evident in her posture and upon her countenance; everything seemed to relax after his reassurance. She nodded her understanding. Believe it or not, Rue actually had been made such an offer before-- the one that involved the mateship, that is. When she had turned her suitor down, he had attempted to take what he wanted, specifically.. what Rue had denied to him. These were events that the young woman had no desire to repeat. 

But to be sought out for her merit... this was a first for Rue. Truly, that small, almost-throwaway line Thorn had spoken-- Stigmata thinks highly of you-- was far more tempting to Rue than the promise of rank. Any rank she attained could be easily usurped with some ill-luck in battle. However, if she had her leader's respect-- her leader's ear-- she would possess security and influence no matter how many rank challenges she lost or forfeited. 

"How is it that you are able to promise me tessarius?" she inquired, head tilted curiously. "Are you to be rewarded with a new rank upon.." Rue swallowed. "..Upon our return?" Did Thorn's upward mobility hinge on attaining success with her here, today?

a more emotionally proud man might have been hurt to see such relief flood ruenna’s features — but for thorn, the notion she was relieved to not have just been propositioned in such an amorous manner scarcely stung. thorn understood not all women would find him attractive — and he could not fault ruenna for shying away from more tender conquests.

he might have caught the trail end of something darker under her relaxed posture — but its presence was fleeting, and he thought of it no longer. 

what was painfully evident was the way his mention of stigmata’s praise had bolstered her. they were of like minds then, for thorn too blossomed under the careful praise of his leader. 

i would give it to you. the man answered, proud to lose his station should it mean securing an intelligent, pragmatic wolf to their reserves. and likely resume the rank a joiner would be given — but it troubles me not.

Rue nodded again, Thorn's reassurance allowing her to entertain the idea of what he offered. Although the rank was not the most appealing part of the offer, she would certainly take it. Securing a respectable spot for herself initially was important, as she was unlikely to see much success attempting to fight her way to the top. Thorn, on the other paw-- judging from the brawny look of him-- would not suffer in a joiner's rank for long. 

Rue did have to marvel at the man's willingness to make the sacrifice, even if it would turn out to be a relatively small one. Perhaps these Diaspora wolves were kindred spirits, prizing relational bonds and the success of the whole pack over the prospect of personal advancement. It was certainly refreshing to hear, and admittedly.. intriguing. 

"Tell me more of Diaspora," Rue asked, voice a little quieter. It had affected her, knowing the price Thorn was willing to pay to secure Rue's allegiance. "The wolves here are..." After a quick glance around, and Rue allowed her sentence to die out before she finished it. Despite her dissatisfaction with life in Swiftcurrent Creek, she could not bring herself to speak ill of the wolves who fed and sheltered her. She shook her head and began her sentence anew. "I'm looking for more than a rank," she explained. "I want a home, and a place, and.. wolves I can call my family." She met the man's gaze with a searching look.

the slender wolf of swiftcurrent appeared to be considering his offer. thorn could read it in the circumspect solemnity of her gaze, the examining way she looked over him, her doe-eyes pooled with thought.

her voice had taken a quieter turn, a feat for a wolf already predisposed to vocal softness. thorn nodded, eager -- no -- ready to oblige her, even if her explanation of the wolves in the creek went discontinued. he had seen enough of the wolves in ruenna's pack to form his own opinions, and simply gave her an understanding look.

"diaspora is run by stigmata, a wolf you know -- and mahler, his kapitan. it is like no pack i have ever been in. i grew up with my family, and these wolves are more kin than my blood.. diaspora is--" at this, the dark brute paused, gesticulating helplessly at his own ardent lack of eloquence -- "it is not for the faint of heart. but i don't believe you are faint of heart."

Thorn's words drew the young woman in and ignited a burning curiosity. Diaspora was so new, and already Thorn felt more kin to them than his own blood? What sort of trials had these wolves already been through, to have been knit together so quickly and thouroughly? 

Rue was certainly not faint of heart. She knew what it was to sacrifice for her pack's greater good, as Thorn did now. She had given up everything, everything for Red Fern Grove, even though there were easier paths she could have chosen. This conversation had brought up Ruenna's memories from her time with her birthpack not once, but twice now. Rue wondered what that could mean. She wondered a lot of things, in this moment. 

"What makes you say this of Diaspora?" she pressed further. "Do you live some kind of.. unique lifestyle?" What could that possibly mean, not for the faint of heart? She felt a little guilty for continuing to pepper Thorn with difficult questions when he was clearly struggling for words, but Ruenna's curiosity was an unstoppable force once the floodgates were opened.

the brute took it as a good sign that ruenna pressed for more answers; it was a fool who leapt over the snake-pit without glancing at its darkened pit -- and a fool who often found themselves amongst the jaws of cobras.

he readied himself for more of her inquisition, though in truth the beast did not mind it. "it is hard to explain -- but we are nomadic. we do not sow in one spot, and we go where the wind is favorable and the prey is plenty. for a wolf of good energy, it is an enlightening life -- but it is not the life of a sendentary."

thorn himself was a man fashioned to range; he enjoyed the pursuits of new climes, and revelled in the discovery of new places. "for now we are at arrow lake -- a fine spot, of course, but come spring we will likely pick somewhere better for the whelps. it is a good life -- a rewarding one -- for those who wish to put forth the work."

Ruenna let her breath out slowly, and the emotion behind her eyes shifted from curiosity to resolution. "My birthpack was itinerant," Rue imparted, something akin to nostalgia edging into her voice. She met Thorn's gaze with comprehension. He would not need to explain further-- she knew well that feeling he had been attempting to describe. Travel had a way of connecting wolves like nothing else Rue had ever experienced. It made sense to her that the wolves of Diaspora were already close, if they all possessed the adventurer's heart. 

For a third time Ruenna had been reminded of her roots in Red fern Glade, and it would seem this time was the charm. "Your offer is compelling, Thorn. Far more compelling than what I've seen here in the Creek, truthfully." An errant thought of Soltero flickered across Rue's mind, and she pushed it away. Okay, admittedly, whatever was taking place between her and the monochrome beta was compelling... but in Rue's logical brain she knew that one attractive, sweet man does not by himself make a home. 

"I'll tie up my loose ends in the Creek, and meet you back here in the morning." A complicated emotion sparked behind Rue's eyes-- one that paired optimism and excitement with heartache and apprehension. It was an emotion with which Rue used to be quite familar, and truly, was well-known by all migrant wolves.

a change overcame ruenna, noted by thorn in the subtle flick of an ear. she looked purposeful, and as she announced both the history of her natal pack and the resolution to see him in the morning, the dark eyjolfur obliged with a cant of his head in understanding. 

tying up loose ends was sometimes not an easy affair. the blackened hound gave her a brief look of commiseration. good luck, he intoned with a sweep of his tail, readying himself to prepare for her leave. 

he hoped earnestly that ruenna’s farewells would be quick and painless — and that tomorrow, he would see her at this very spot ready to leave it all behind for something far better.

Rue simply nodded her thanks, too distracted by her already-whirring thoughts to compose any words. She met Thorn's serpantine gaze with the smallest of smiles, hoping to impart her gratitude for his offer. As quickly as the smile came, it vanished. Her goodbyes would certainly not be quick and painless, and her distress with the task before her was already pulling at the corners of her expression. Rue gathered herself together and made her exit with a final, parting nod to Thorn. She would be back in the morning. Come hell or high water, she would be here. 

Aaand that's a wrap. <3