Stavanger Bay i learnt long ago

only if you have time b/c i know you said you wanted a thread!

stench of salty brine upon the air is as welcoming as it is stifling; the shift of cool sand underpaw soft; supple compared to the hardpacked, frozen earth of the tundra. once more, his search of his daughter, of whom he hoped to recruit to his side, to preen beneath his wing as his heir apparent was in vain. where the willy quellcrist had run off too so many moons ago he can only fathom …but it wasn’t home. or, rather, the home of their tundrian ancestors. a fool’s hope from the getgo and now the churning of the sea calls him back to @Umbra and the bay, the fledgling pack he left in her care.

unsure of the welcome he would receive, if one at all, the saltking begins to lay careful plans of contingency; mental maps of paths he might take should he be met with the fierce leviathan’s teeth. upon the saltywind are fat snowflakes that tangle in the disheveled wisps of his pelage as he crosses over the threshold of attempting claim.

But his welcome was received, "You are back." Approaching to the large sea-bound man, Umbra remained with a cooling gaze and a refined posture, but she had no hostility upon herself, and approached with a slight wag to her tail, a friendly touch. She did not mind the man leaving, as there was disappointment to be, but as it was his claim- he had the right to do what he desired. She only assumed he had some reasoning behind it, and awaited a day he would come back.

The thought of 'Saltking' to 'Saltlord' waved in the air, but if he sought total control, the Sealord was prepared to fight for that crown.

She did however, take keen note he did not call for them, and only approached. Eyes glancing toward the paws that passed over their border, "Did you find what you need?" Curiously enough she wondered if it was only a pit-stop, and thought it would've been better he never would've came. She did not enjoy the factor if a man not affiliated with Stormbound continued to visit without proper measures. There was only slighter hope he would return to them, but she her time in the world made her realize she should not expect too much.

Perhaps it was the desire to claim a strong man, as while they held Tahoe and O'Mally, the two could not hold a flame to him.

i am.

were wintersbane any other kind of man, more care would’ve been given to the flippant way as to which he just waltzed right into the bay’s territory. alas; he wasn’t. all the same, umbra strides forth to greet him; sealord. no, wintersbane replies in a soft rasp. far from the grip of disappointment, he could hardly blame quellcrist. no doubt, she got her wanderlust from him; and a truly, a growing woman coming into the prime of her life did not need her father’s hawkish meddling. there was only pride to be found despite that he had hoped he could pass on whatever legacy he’d hoped to build to her.

my daughter was not in the tundra. the way wintersbane speaks, though, does not hold resentment. only a solemn acceptance. i had hoped to make her my heir. if there was any chance of having heirs; unsure if umbra would be willing to return his share of their throne to him. it was a chance he had taken; leaving, regardless of how temporary.

"I see." It was unsurprising for a male especially, to have children roaming. Umbraenvied how easy it was they can simply provide then to carry for months on end, and she wondered how she would fare when the time would come. There was no denying with a steady pack she would want more numbers with her blood, and wasn't too picky over the factor of the name-bind, but more that they were her's. Strong warriors thrown from the cliff, and who was to survive, would surely be lords.

"There has been some changes since you left, crafting it to my own desire.. The name Stormbound with some rank changes," she explained the few of them, (as the author did not want to type all of them). The starter ranks and then the higher one's as soon as someone reaches a particular speciality set into the ranking, and she did not spare the details of the Lord names, being one of her own, the Sealord, the Nightlord, then finally.. There was no King, but the Saltlord was there.

"The two remain empty.. Do you intend to take one?"

The offer was extended, even if with all the changes from his initial desire, the one thing she especially kept to spare as the 'Salt' from his Kingly title, but faltering it to only a 'Lord.' She spared another one for the moment someone would be worthy, but felt that itself, the other title was for only one.. She was ready to discard the name altogether, if the man denied the opportunity.

Umbra was also prepared, as much as she respected him, there was a limit to how much she could tolerate a non-pledged member within their realm.

he did not spare the affection that swells beneath his breast when he speaks of quellcrist; the only of his children — for without doubt there are many and more roaming about in and out of the wilds — he actively knew. had had the chance to be a father to, if only for a brief time. she would’ve made a fine heir, he felt; would he have been able to find her and convince her to return with him. so, it was time to think about the future; still young and full of vitality surely aiding in the creation of new children would be of no issue.

the leviathan does not hold back the changes she’s made; until his vision is all but engulfed by her own desires. yet, the foundation of what he had could still be detected beneath her recrafting. i see, unintentionally, he parrots her previous words.

yes.

a simple answer to convey his simple desires.

"Then the Saltlord is yours." Umbra smile was not sweetly like an angelic woman, for she always was a kraken in stormy waves, for it was more prideful and regime. She couldn't hide too much of the pleasure of a strong man to their ranking, and was enthralled in the thoughts of a stronger clan on itself. Though he did not argue what has been changed.

"We are still the same Clan, with only one added. A friend of mine, Sunhawk." While as shameful as it was, she cloaked it with a stone-hard facade. It couldn't be denied she was not one for recruiting, and while quite a few had visited the borders.. None were brought to their claim, rather Umbra would chase them off each time with threats and arguemental exchanges. The only one that they managed to gather- was Sunhawk.

A past tied the two, and she didn't believe he would be leaving anytime soon.

"Perhaps your daughter will hear about us- I was planning to talk to potential packs for an ally that I was told about. I informed Yuelong of your departure, and the agreement was changed we would protect the sea lion grounds together." Even if she could not recruit that well, the thought of of a stronghold laid to her mind, as the Empress foretold of the Moonspearian wolves, and the Neverwinter forest holders. They weren't too far off- but she still hesitated. With not too many to lay claim to the bay, it was weak borders, and she did not want to leave the other clanmates behind to defend.

saltlord it is, then. in truth, it was not so different than ‘king’ just without the pretentiousness that was always tailed to the end of such lofty titles of nobility. she informs him that only one has been added since his departure; a male she calls sunhawk. wintersbane makes a mental note for introductions later. i doubt it, nice as a sediment it was. perhaps it’s for the better, wintersbane remarks as the coming season looms ever nearer like the budding apple upon temptation’s branch. she was never groomed for leadership, in all fairness, neither was he. the coming season does not elude me.

he leaves unsaid the rest of his train of thought: that there was plenty of opportunity to create more heirs; to further the fearghal-ansbjørn genetic line.

and what of the sentinels? do the herds still graze there?

"There is plenty of woman around for the upcoming season." She did not know of Vanity's thoughtlines on the matter, and did not know the woman actually had children as well. She thought Kore was not prepared yet to deserve the lines of any children, and tossed her altogether over the thought. Though Tahoe was a man, she definitely deemed worthy to take any litters for the season.. As long as he found a worthy-wife, that is.

She as well, plans to find a man for her own litter. Regardless of ties and marriage, Umbra desired more-so a strong seed.

"I have not visited it too much, I cannot say. Though everytime I visit, loners seem to gather there." She also once upon a time, laid to the place in healing, knowingly that there was another group there as well. It seemed a popular place for strangers to lay temporary claim, and as weak as Stormbound was at the moment, she did not want too much trouble to it's masses.

Still, Umbra was aware that some visited it. The herds were not known, however.

it occurs to wintersbane that this season, perhaps, he should be less flippant with how many and who he bedded. older and less wild meant it was time to stop chasing after every stranger who sought to sate burning passions in the throes of night. plenty of women, yes; he agrees. but this year i desire to put thought into the children i sire. none of his children had been anything but ‘heat of the moment’ and that was what it was. especially as i desire children with a purpose beyond sating my own fevered passions. a terse smile is given and a soft roll of his eyes at his reckless youth.

i will scout it out and if i can not recruit loners to stormbound then their lingering will be met with my teeth. the idea that loners were flippantly using the hunting grounds he’d established for his ( their ) wolves grates at his nerves and stokes the hotly burning fires of possessiveness.

"For the season we are first choosing. I do not see any others desiring it at the time." She was rather surprised he wanted to be a dilligant father, but suppose that would be a liking to some women. She could only hope he would choose someone within the group itself and not a stray loner, as it was preferable the genes would stay within. The thought-line that she should be one of the woman did not stray past as well, as Umbra thought about it seasons ago, but let the thought pass away upon hid departure.

As time gets closer, the more solid the idea it could be, and her asking of so. It was debated between Tahoe and Wintersbane, but pups between the leaders were always more preferable.

The Sealord nodded, "We can only hope to solidify ourselves before the snowfall truly drops." While winter was officially hear, it had yet to truly become a snowfall for them all. Only once did she see the gentle snowflakes onto their beaches, and after that seemed to just be an overcast of rain. Slowly would it icify.. They needed to make a proper claim before then.

perhaps that is for the best. wintersbane remarks on the topic of subordinates desiring children. it would be hard enough with the two of them, should they not have a litter together. adding young and helpless mouths to the mix of a foundling pack does not strike wintersbane as a good idea though when has he ever followed the convention of what is good and not? he was a man who sought what he desired whether it was a good idea or not ( clearly ). there is always the next season for subordinates.

a weathered glimpse is sent skywards; noting the soft and likely brief fall of snowflakes. chilling upon the black leather of his nostrils only to melt just as quick by the warmth of his body. time will tell if we can put that ambition into action. a pause is given. i’ll do what i can. though he cannot help but think that as she saw fit to change ironclan into what she desired that it should be her carrying the burden of full-fledged recruitment.

"Then I will leave you to be re-acquainted to the bay." She assumed on such journey he would want to take a rest to where his den shall be. Her own den was under a pile of rocks to shelter herself for oncoming weather, but recently Umbra has been eyeing other potential areas.. Specifically for perhaps an overall denning area, especially for the mothers when the season arrives.

"Welcome home." Then finally, the Sealord welcomed him back.