Moonspear i pledge to thee'

@Arcturus

Desdemona settled in nicely, she was associating herself with others, socializing herself more then she has before, albiet awkwardly, but making haste toward improvement. Though she realized; she never officially met all the leadership. The Queen was an associate from long-ago, as well as her sisters, and only recently met the one alongside her, the King, Dirge. However she knew there was another amongst the two, the Beta Arcturus. Only word by the ear she knew he existed, but never officially came to meet.

So the spider sought him out, to formally meet him, as she assumed he would be someone Desdemona would report to on later dates of importance. She wanted the right impression on being a subordinate, if the time came to take his commands. An active member was a must.

thank you for starting <3

a few times on Arcturus’ patrol he felt as if he was being watched — yet each time he paused and listened, he heard only the soft, muffled sound of snow — and the quiet lower forest.

he resumed, determined then his nerves surrounding the season were getting the best of him. he was already as far from the spear as he could be without leaving it — he knew somewhere, above, there were multiple females in heat. arcturus did not wish to test his mettle in that court — not yet.

so he patrolled, and once again felt that unpleasant feeling. after the fifth time he swung around rapidly and bounced forward, eyes flashing — and there, tracking him, was a woman with unusually tall ears and a general rogue look about her. arcturus recognized her as a member, but knew little else— and a blaze of tension slid up his back as he regarded her. why are you following me?

"I apologize." Desdemona did not realize she was following so passionately, only wishing to simply meet the Beta. Though the first impression she had given, was perhaps of a stalker-ish kind, though likewise; his tension towards her wasn't the most favorable within her jaden eyes. She thought perhaps it was best she didn't meet him, if he was so hostile by her appearence, "I had desired to introduce myself to you," but, since she was face-to-face, she would continue what was originally wanted.

"I am Desdemona, sir'." While not satisfied by how he presented himself, Arcturus was still her superior, and like she would to the Queen, bent forward her legs, and head dipped down to an official bow, a movement engraved into her body since birthright. A position, the bastard will, and always take, as she was used to the formality.

arcturus eased the moment an apology left is shadow's lips. perhaps his shortness was not warranted, but the beta was ever at his nerves' ends these days .. it wasn't like him to be so short, and so his fur smoothed as desdemona continued to speak.

he was too proud to offer an apology back, but if he had been aware of desdemona's shift in opinion of him, perhaps his more pragmatic side would have issued one anyway. prideful as he was, he wasn't entirely stupid -- it was a good effort on her behalf to make herself known to her superiors.

"arcturus." he returned, though it was likely she already knew. "are you in the mood to patrol?" he did not wait for an answer before he moved at a panther's prowl towards the borders. given the confusing events in arcturus' life as of late, he was desperate for some sort of distraction, and so, pressed desdemona for conversation to keep his mind busy. "how long have you been here -- and what did you do before?"

A usual routine for the spider, a constant patrol and not a 'mood' the other wolf claimed it to be. She wondered how he climbed to become a Beta, but perhaps a hidden force that she had not seen yet. Maybe Hydra had the sight that Desdemona could not see within, but more she was judgemental at the moment then should be. She followed per' his pace, peacefully keeping up with him.

"I haven't been here for long," how long ago did she join? A month or two? A steady pace is what she needed, that it felt like she had always belonged, "I was apart of Morningside before then. They disbanded many months ago." She did not mind answering his questions, but did not go further into history.

the sylph joined, lean limbs carrying her easily alongside the beta. arcturus kept an ear turned to her as he forged the path, taking a well-worn course that wound its way down through the lower reaches of the mountain. he had been here many times, and walked as one with the mountain as they went, sampling the breeze and all manner of scents before them.

she had not been here long, arcturus knew - but he wondered of her past life. so often, he wondered how wolves found themselves in moonspear. he was born into it, and had no other way to understand the displacement common among his kind. to him, being away from one's birthplace was, well....... foreign.

morningside was not familiar to the beta, but he nodded as he went along. "what caused their disband? were they your family?" better he know now, so he could prevent moonspear from ever achieving a similar fate.

"I do not know; I had been gone for some time before turning." While she felt bitter against them, Desdemona knew deep within, she firstly abandoned them. It was a realization she wished to avoid for so long, but the truth came to be. Perhaps it was why she spent so long within those forests, only to be greeted by @Sunny at one point, with the promise of return. She too, left that day again.

"They were not. But they were the closest thing I could call a family." On a saddened note, she kept cold-faced despite the blue Desdemona felt within.

as they walked a scent trickled into arcturus' nose. he canted an ear back to desdemona, and then followed it. fox. it lingered near the base of a tall douglas fir, at last disappearing around deadfall. arcturus made mental note of the spot, turning back to desdemona with her words still fresh in his mind.

it was a shame she did not know more of the nature of morningside's disbanding, but arcturus did not fault her for it. some things were simply out of a wolf's control. "you are safe now, in the spear." he commented, glancing down the snow-capped hill. "that is all that matters - though i am sorry that happened to you."

While feeling unresolved and bitter toward the previous group, she had been through worse, and shook it off with a shrug, "I would hope so," Desdemona commented, however cold and serious as she was, it wasn't of warmth, but neither of malice. She however, does have hope for Moonspear. Her life had not been of the best moments, and she only hoped that perhaps peace could be found in these mountains, just as she so urned to have, and couldn't grasp for long enough. She surely was trying, as the bastardly lady was trying to be of the best use.

"Have you always been here?" She redirected the question back to him, to if he was previously somewhere else, or always within Moonspear. Many wolves seemed to always be here, and never had left, or experienced other life. The mountain, was ruled by the Ostrega's, but Desdemona was not one of their kin. Jades followed what he had noticed, a spot of a fox, but did not comment, as neither did he. Perhaps a later visit one could do later. She looked back at him.

the fox scent grew cold, as trails often did. arcturus pressed on, sampling the breeze that came between the pines. no scent of interloper otherwise, which was good. moonspear's borders were both formidable, and frequently patrolled -- thanks to mountaineers like himself and desdemonah.

her question rocked him out of the brief spell of contemplation he had over the stale scents of wildlife. arcturus slowed, allowing her time to walk abreast if she so wished. "yes. i was born here." a hint of pride gleamed in his stony voice - he was ostregan, power of the mountain -- by blood and by force, made of the mountain. "but not all of us were. this is not just a home for ostregas -- but also those who live and are loyal to our claim." including you, arcturus' lingering gaze seemed to convey, before sunflower eyes went back to the trail at hand. "after all, we can't all keep our claim on this mountain without a hint of fresh blood." he smirked to himself as he walked, imagining how different mating season would be if the mount was only populated by ostregans. it'd be a little too... inbreedy.. "did you catch that scent of fox, a ways back? i think we could pay it a visit once we turn for home."

"Moonspear will last for a long time." She does not wish to seek another place of loyalty; how many places will Desdemona go to before finding the one? She does not think to leave this place, but like Morningside, she has fear it'll dimish down in numbers, and slowly fade. However the Ostrega's are large in number, and never seem to leave the mountain, so she knew the chance was little, but the doubt held a part of her. A fear, to have to restart it all. She hoped, to join the Ostrega community. He made her feel appreciated, despite the rocky meeting in the beginning.

"I have," the spider nodded, "let us seek it out."

o: thank you for the kudos!

moonspear will last for a long time. gods, he hoped so.

unknown to both of them, a similar fear had settled in arcturus' heart. the spear had not always been so prosperous. there was a time -- a long time -- when the spear was bepopulated only by ostregas, and on the cusp of dissolution.

somehow their fortunes had changed. how, he did not know -- but he knew that winter had come and gone from the mountain metaphorically, and now, they were in the summer of their life. he hoped it would be a long summer, too.

back to the fox: arcturus dipped his head in agreement and followed, scenting along the snow-studded logs and leaves. he didn't find much here, but fox were an elusive species, and often clever at hiding their trail. between the two of them he was sure they would find her shortly.

a silence had overcome the two of them, but arcturus did not find it burdensome. their conversation had reached a natural conclusion, and now, they hunted.

Desdemona followed him, her ears flickering upon the sounds of crunching branches, and the smell of it's trail as they cautiously followed. There was nothing to fear, as two wolves held a high advantage over the fox, but if it was wary, could run at the sound of them. She wondered how smart this one was, as it wasn't wise to settle upon a mountain infested with wolves.

The silence crept the two, but it was peaceful for herself who was used to quietness of the mountain, as  she patrolled many nights alone. Her jades focused on the looks of something smaller then themselves, when she perhaps saw something, but the bastard wasn't sure. Desdemona nudged her partner in this hunt, and pointed her paw west, perhaps thinking the fleeting figure was going that way.

congrats on 200 posts!! :)

theirs was a shared silence, as the two walked abreast in the snow-muted forest. much the same as desdemona, arcturus slipped easily into quietude, used to the silence of his own solitude as company. there were scents to be pared from the frost-dusted ground, and tracks to be read: he set about this task diligently.

a nudge from his shoulder caused the beta to look up, measuring desdemona's expression and deriving from her glance, the direction to look. there, between a filmy haze of snowbound fog, a shape materialized and dematerialized like the shifting presentation of a portal. he glanced to desdemona with a quiet nod, and then slipped into a hunched and crawling prowl towards it.

thank you!!

"Circle?" Desdemona whispered to the panther, as she slowly curved away toward in action. She thought if two were on both ends it'd have more trouble escaping, as both can lunge from either side and capture the foe. Though nontheless she did not want to be too close upon their lurch, for the risk of clashing when the hunt of foxes begun officially.

arcturus nodded in response to desdemona's proposal. together they could flank the fox, and more than likely, dispatch it. he slunk off in the opposite direction of the dark virago, eyes peeled for fox between the mist.

following his nose to where the scent was thickest, arcturus paused at the mouth of a repurposed badger den. the scent here was heady and fresh -- which meant the fox had recently left and was somewhere between him and desdemona.

1st attempt rolled a fail on capture/hunt

She saw it, it's reddened fur slip by, but she wouldn't let it. When the spider saw the smaller form try to creep away she was quick to dart after it with a flurry of fangs. Desdemona trusted Arcturus was in front to help, as she tried a lunge forward, the rascal managed to slip and dart to her side. She flew a bit, but not enough to recover in time to properly grab at, and only continue a chase.

fox were wily creatures. arcturus waited in the snow-studded loam, breath suspended.

and then a flash of red with cream white undersides -- desdemona was off, the crunch of paws sending snow and pebbles scattering. a blur of autumnal fire and he was sure she had gotten it - only to see her jaws empty.

no matter. the hunt had more failures than successes, any accomplished tracker knew such. arcturus gave chase, coming in along the reeds so as to prevent the fox from quickly spinning off in a different direction.

2nd attempt rolled a success

There was shame, perhaps embarassment, but her face remained calm as she made haste in a revengeful taste against this fox. Her fangs bared as the Beta blocked it's way, and at it she went. It was quick this time, as immediate capture was an instant end- she wasn't going to simply let it be free, because foxes are sly, and vengeful, just as wolves are. It'd be back, perhaps with more.

It's neck hung in her jaws and she let it down, "there may be more," the spider mentioned to the panther, "perhaps should mention to the rest."

arcturus thought nothing of their first failure — hunting was full of pitfalls, and not always a success. what mattered was that now the fox hung limp from the spider’s jaws, dispatched handily and without cruelty.

more would come, come spring. Arcturus nodded grimly - he recalled last year they had flushed a trove of them from the stone keep. they den here in the spring, and threaten our puppies. a good catch and good start — but we must not let our guard down. arcturus did not believe he would have to concern himself with desdemona slacking in her duties — she seemed powerfully capable, and an asset to their ever growing empire.

"come," the beta invited warmly, waiting for desdemona to fall in step behind him. together the two would spend the rest of the evening scouting and ranging moonspear's fold, seeking any souls that still dared linger in moonspear's claim.