Northstar Vale can't no preacher man save my soul

Northstar Vale. The name of the hidden valley came to Ruenna’s mind at last. Perhaps if she had ever lived here, as she and Liri had planned, she might have recalled more about the territory. They had been in the process of gathering followers when Liri’s accident occurred. 

The vale stretched out before the waif like an oasis in the desert; the hidden gem of the Sunspires. Rue had halfway expected to catch scents of Diaspora here-- it would have been the perfect place for Stigmata’s roaming pack to settle down for winter. Curiously, Rue had yet to scent any Diaspora wolves or markers at all, despite having spent most of the last week travelling west to east, right through the heart of the mountain chain. Had Stigmata given up his impossible vision to hold the Sunspires? For Mahler’s sake, Ruenna hoped so. Stigmata’s unquenchable ambition would be Diaspora’s downfall, and he was poised to take all of his packmates down with him. 

A call met Ruenna’s ears, and they twitched to attention. The howl was distant, and she was only able to catch a few words. Witch. Healing. ...Interesting. As if responding, the ever-present pain at the base of Ruenna’s spine gave a cruel twinge.

On the first good opportunity to do so, Jomyo had ranged away from the Bypass. Her travels north of their home had yielded very little of interest lately, and looking to avoid treading into Ursus' gaze, she started off towards the mountains, veering to the west more than the south. Maybe, she could find something worthwhile there when the valleys themselves had been remarkably quiet lately--besides an occasional blip from known trouble-makers. She couldn't tell if it was suspicious or not yet.

So far, she had traveled in a continued peace and miles bled away around her. No one bothered her any, which was good--so progress went easily. She followed an occasional prey trail, filtered across a territory she knew vaguely of, and even tracked towards a few places she had known to be inhabited before only to find continued emptiness. There were a few spots of interest at best, but nothing really noteworthy; it was a landscape edging its way towards a deepening winter, all crisscrossed with fellow travelers.

Very little changed once she reached the Sunspire's mountains. Jomyo had caught wind of a few new scents along the way, and paused when she heard a peculiar call from afar--so maybe she was bound for a change of pace in heading this way. While the weather was good, she simply kept going and made her way into the heart of the range with this in mind. It lead her to the Vale, and there, she soon found the sight of another sole wolf.

Looking to improve her bearings on the area, she strode closer with a friendly countenance on. Since they didn't smell like Ursus, or anywhere else the ranger new about, she had to default to something. Hey, she chuffed when the distance was fair enough to engage on. Before she said more, she was watching the other for signs of trouble--and hopeful not to find any between two complete strangers. Passing through too? she asked.

The stranger would find no signs of trouble here. The quiet chuff met Ruenna's ears, and she turned. Although instead of a fluid turn, the movement was more like a small shuffle and a little hop. It would be obvious to the other wolf that Rue was in pain. 

Rue nodded simply, as both a greeting and an answer to the stranger's question. "In another life, this might have been home." The waif smiled, but her expression would still seem sad. After some hesitation, Rue piped up again to ask, "Did you hear that howl about.. about a witch, I think? Have you heard of such a thing in these parts?" Maybe it was just her lonely ears, hearing things.

The Eizokusei put up a friendly front, though conserved her distance carefully. Thankfully, the stranger offered no alarms so far and Jomyo liked to think she had a fairly practiced eye by now though ultimately, she was more interested in the wistful reply. She could sense the sadness in it, which pressed her not to immediately pry despite the curious light it shined on the familiar company. But she would remember that.

Instead, she'd answer back first: I heard something, but was too far off to get a good go of it; a witch? she asked, shaking her head gently. Not anything I've heard of before in these parts, but not impossible. I was actually starting to think the range was looking awfully uninhabited these days. the scout went on to detail. At least on her way into the spine of mountains so far, no one had crossed her. So that's the most interesting possibility I've heard all day, she added on half a step closer, and a look in that general direction. South, roughly? I'm Jomyo, a scout.. from Legion. she provided, hence why she was out wandering about--somewhat.

Uninhabited? The Sunspires? How could that be? Had Diaspora really done what they had set out to do-- had they cleared the entire mountain range of all its packs, save themselves? Ruenna's surprise would be evident on her face.

"I met a wolf from a group claiming Raven's Watch, on the northeast edge of the range." Ruenna offered the information freely, as it had been given to her. Perhaps it would be of some interest to the other woman. With her injury, Rue knew she would have to give up her scout vocation, but out of habit her conversations still tended toward the subject. 

"So.. Diaspora is not here anymore, then?" The question would come off as casual, perhaps a little too much so. A perceptive wolf would notice Rue tense as she mentioned the name of her former pack. 

"Ruenna Redfern," Rue returned. "I'm not familiar with Legion. Who leads?" At one point, Rue had known all the packs and a fair number of the wolves in the area. Perhaps something would spark recognition? 

Wolves on the northeast edge were the first she had heard of, and she answered with a slow nod. There was rumor of a pack dissolving somewhere around there recently, but I didn't know them any, she noted, but therefore, it was really of no consequence to her now if it had gone. Guess someone was coming along to pick up the slack already.

Besides that? There used to be a pack in this Vale not too many moons ago, but evidently not anymore, and before that, others in the forests just on the other side of the mountains that up and left too.. she recounted. Last I heard on Diaspora, though, they went south. But that would be well into the territory of old news by now. I haven't heard of them since, not in my area, anyway.. Jomyo detailed. They could've gone over the mountains, or deep south, or simply dispersed for all she knew.

She kept the name, and so far, was glad to match it to what seemed to be an easygoing presence. Jomyo could answer back about her own situation thanks to these good graces so far. She goes by Arbiter. We used to claim Lost Creek Hollow. she replied, adding that extra piece to see if Ruenna would be familiar. She seemed fairly savvy in the area, so it was worth a mention.

Rue nodded wistfully when she was told of the pack that dissolved. "Elysium used to claim the Willows. I expect it was them." She often looked back fondly on the multiple-pack festivals that Elysium had hosted. 

Rue's attention snapped back to the present as Jomyo spoke on the last known whereabouts of Diaspora. Even though her informant considered it old news, Ruenna would still avoid the section of the Sunspires that lay south of Northstar Vale. The last time she had spoken to Diaspora leaders, she had offered to carry a litter of pups for them in exchange for their permission to live in these mountains peacefully. Now that she was back, she might be expected to make good on that offer. It was an encounter she hoped to avoid. 

Jomyo mentioned her "area," and Rue realized she hadn't yet asked-- "What territories are claimed by Legion?" Did Jomyo call these mountains home as well? 

Had Jomyo said the name "Treason" and noted Sunspire as her leader's former pack, Rue would have known immediately who led Legion. "Arbiter" and Lost Creek Hollow were unfamiliar, though. She shook her head in response to the unknown names.

Elysium.. she had not heard that in a long time. Even its fate was unknown to her, so maybe it was the connection here after all. She supposed so with her wolfish sort of shrug. Could be, Jomyo said quietly. As for where her pack claimed, she jerked her nose to the east. It's called Noctisardor Bypass. On the other side of the valley well off that way, she answered, wholly unaware of how close her mentions skimmed to a familiar history to Ruenna.

Lately I've not come into the mountains much, and stayed north of here, she said. Then, if she was right in her assumption that this was a wolf with a halfway sane head on her shoulders, it seemed fair to give her a little warning about what roamed out there. Maybe her luck would be better though and it would be unnecessary, but it was no wasted breath to the Eizokusei. We've had some troublesome neighbors south in the valley so I've been trying not to get into their radar if I don't have to.. she mentioned. So if you go into the valleys east of here, then head south any, watch out for Ursus wolves. Easthollow sorts are fine, but don't trust the former if you can help it. Jomyo could offer as a vague enough heads up, since it might so . She didn't understand entirely what their issue was, why they set out to make things difficult (why exactly they had bothered Legion at all, honestly)

Rue nodded. She had spent very little time in the territories east of the Sunspires, and the Bypass was unfamiliar to her. 

Those Ursus wolves sounded like bad news, though. The way Jomyo spoke of them, they could possibly even be Diaspora, under a different moniker. Rue would absolutely steer clear. 

"Thanks for the heads up. I feel sorry for those Easthollow wolves, sharing the valley with that kind of neighbor." Ruenna had been that kind of neighbor before, to her eternal shame. The only blessing was that Diaspora seemed to have been a somewhat ephemeral pack, so Ruenna's past association would likely hold less and less meaning as time erased what little of the legacy still lingered. 

"My next move-- a very slow move, I'm afraid-- will be toward that canyon. That witch stuff has me curious." Rue's back pain and limp were a significant hindrance to her progress, not to mention a huge frustration to the former scout. 

"You're welcome to join me, if you can handle the pace," she joked. She had every expectation that Jomyo would turn her down, but the offer stood.

To such thanks, she dipped her nose in a polite nod. Passing on the word to fellow travelers came easily to her. You're welcome. Hopefully it's nothing you'll have to deal in, she offered, and did agree. Easthollow didn't deserve such rotten neighbors as far as she was concerned. All the years she had known them, they had not caused any harm, and Valette was friendly company in passing.

The agouti scout tilted her head, listening to the offer with a subtle, but growing twitch of her tail. That wouldn't be a bad idea, actually. I might split before the canyon, though. I want to go south down the range, maybe cross over to the west if the path allows--that's the only plan for me at the moment, and it seemed that the canyon was vaguely in the same direction. She never had any issue checking out a new place, either. Jomyo wasn't going to pass the opportunity for company, but waited for Ruenna to set the pace before they moseyed on their way.

this can be my last, thank you for the nice thread ^o^

Rue smiled, and with a nod in the direction of the Sunspire, she began to move. She was not aware of any way out of the Vale, other than descending the slope of the great mountain. East of its peak, jagged spikes loomed menacingly over the ridgeline, standing like sentinels protecting the Vale. It was unlikely Jomyo would find an easy exit there. 

No matter-- Rue was happy for the company, although she expected the pair would have to part once they reached the base of the Sunspire.