Nocturne Summit what do you know of fear?

The dappled fighter had spent a good deal of time near the edges of the lake, finding the gentle lapping of the water to be a comfort while she decided where she would venture next. The world was wide and open, stretching out into the distant sea that she could not see from where she stood. There would be many things for her to explore there; Jupiter did not regret her journey to the Teekon wilderness. Even in the roughest parts of the world, she believed that there was a great deal of beauty to be found.
 
At the base of the rocky slops, Jupiter fixed her sights for the rocky portions of the stone wall. It stretched on for miles and miles, jutting out against the lush background like a dangerous stone sword. If she could find the proper motivation for such things, Jupiter thought it would have been fun to follow the mountain range to its end and see where that might carry her. The threat of winter was something that loomed over her head. The further she wandered away from where she had met Maia, the more she thought about turning around and joining her family on their quest to settle into the nearby forest.
 
A plume of breath rose from her nose and spread into the air. Jupiter surveyed the terrain and then set a steady pace along the base of the rocky range.

On his way back from the Fen, he chose to test out his strength a bit and take a more difficult route that would lead him through the mountains, and through Moonspear where he knew he was welcome. He thought he might pass by to see Kukutux, and inform her about Fennec, if someone hadn't told her already. He was overdue a visit, anyway, and was only now starting to get caught up with meeting new packmates and visiting old ones. He knew he would be a very busy creature for the next couple of weeks, but it wasn't a bad way to be. Things seemed to be...Coming together, as much as they could after having been torn apart. And it wasn't the first time he'd had to pull the pieces of his life back together. It didn't mean that things were any easier- but he was finally beginning to develop some amount of resilience. 

And it turned out that he hadn't lost too much of his physical conditioning after having moved from Moonspear to the Glen. He'd been very grateful to be living on flat ground again, after having spent a couple months patrolling up and down and up and down the slopes of Moonspear. He was lightly winded but still energized by the time he cast his gaze along the base of the slopes and caught sight of-

-it couldn't be. 

There was absolutely, positively no way Maia could have beat him here. In the distance, her wind-blown fur looked almost identical to Maia's, and with the wind at his back, he couldn't pick out her scent against the smell of fresh mountain air. "What the- how the frick did you-" He called out, as he hopped over a small crevace to approach her. "-Get up here before me?" He finished his previous question, an incredulous grin on his face. He had to cast his gaze down to mind his footing as he approached, and when he looked up again- he noticed it, only then, that...She looked slightly different. He was spooked somewhat, and slid to an abrupt halt, ears flicking forward and back in uncertainty. He could've sworn a moment ago that this was Maia- but all of a sudden, he doubted his call...All the same, the resemblance was remarkable.

From behind her was a voice that pulled her attention back.
 
The young buck spoke with familiarity that she found herself taken aback by. It wasn’t that she didn’t welcome the company of another, just that he seemed to believe that he was speaking to someone he’d met before – someone that he knew. While the burly fighter was not keen on proving others wrong, she did not want to be mistaken for the individual he mistook her for. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he thought she had been Maia. Instead of asking outright, Jupiter swallowed that thought and offered him a charismatic and crooked smile; ivory tips peeked from beneath her dark lip.
 
“Hate to disappoint someone as spirited as yourself, but I think you might have the wrong wolf,” she offered to him once he had drawn a bit closer. At that distance, it seemed that her unfamiliarity was sinking in and he had realized his mistake. The silver glimmer of her gaze roamed his frame, latching onto the blemishes where he had been scarred. She wanted to ask if he had ventured into many battles, but she felt this was rude so shortly after meeting him.
 
“I’m Jupiter! On a journey to become the best warrior in all the world. What’s your name?”

Sure enough, she informed him of exactly what he'd expected, though he continued to approach- posture friendly- this Doppelganger, taking note of how much this wolf looked like Maia, but also the few ways in which she differed as well. The differences were subtle, but noticeable the closer he got; their markings were quite similar but hers perhaps were a bit more diluted, and her facial structure was slightly different as well. Maia was by no means a small wolf- in fact, she was quite sturdy in build- but this wolf was too, with strong, thick legs and a tough body. Still, he couldn't help but link the two together. Even the sparkle in their eyes had the same glittering charm. 

"I think you're right; my apologies," He said, tipping his head slightly so she might not have taken offense to him shouting at her earlier. He brightened up a bit when she mentioned her name, and also her goal. Unusual, he thought, for a woman to take up the challenge of becoming a warrior- but he didn't doubt for a moment that she could. "I'm Bronco," He greeted warmly. "Now correct me if I'm wrong- but if you want to be the best warrior in the world, you first have to beat them, right?" He asked, with a grin.

So, this was Bronco…
 
Maia had definitely mentioned his name as being one of the wolves who might help her learn a thing or two about fighting. She’d remembered well to keep that information stored in her mind for a later day. It was surprising to her that she would run into the golden warrior so soon after. It appeared as though fate was working to assist her.
 
He went on to make a remark about how one must defeat the strongest fighters in order to become the strongest. Jupiter was quick to smile at this. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes, tail wagging without care for how it shook her hips from side to side. “You’re absolutely right, but… not right away of course,” the aspiring gladiator spoke with a knowing gleam to her gaze.
 
“First I wanna learn from them. I want to learn everything they know about it. I want to learn from their enemies, from their older generations, from anyone who can teach me something I didn’t know before. Only after I’ve learned all that I can, will I go back and defeat those who taught me. Maybe I’ll teach them something too, right?”

Going to edit in a wee conclusion here and archive this since Jupiter is inactive- but I would be happy to revive it if you bring her back, or have another, new thread with you. <3

When her tail waved, her whole frame swayed with it- and it was both girlish and cute to see a wolf so muscular exhibit gestures as cheeky and flirty as that. Naturally, Bronco wasn't immune to the allure of a pretty girl who was also charming- and he found Jupiter all the more intriguing even though she didn't seem to notice that he'd been inferring that he might be the best warrior in the world, and that he'd secretly been hoping to lure her into a spar. He wasn't disappointed at all, in fact- because she proved herself not only to be ambitious, but intelligent as well. It seemed perhaps she might make an excellent tactician, if she was so keen on undertanding not just how other wolves fought, but why they fought that way. 

"Clever," He said, nodding in response to her question. With a flick of his tail, he made his previous intentions a bit more clear, stepping into a more squared stance. "You could try an' teach me a lesson, if you want," He said with a friendly, toothy grin, inviting her to try and make a move at him with a soft chuff. 

Their time spent together would be enjoyable, even if it was brief, as Bronco would eventually make his way back home to the Glen.