Phoenix Maplewood Noahtakmiut

This is primarily for @Amadis but others are welcome. ^^

Entitled fury had carried the large brute away from the glacial mountain and the wolves who were called Ursus. Issorartuyok did not believe that would be the last time he would come across the members of that claim, they had a dark aura that hung over them. The northerner could not remove the image of the one-eyed wolf from his mind.

Trekking back toward the other glacier, Issorartuyok found himself passing through a colorful wood. Maple trees sprouted from the forest floor and dappled the earth with sunlight streamed through their leaves.

Pausing, Issorartuyok discovered there was a fragrance of pack wolves. The large wolf drew his head up and sniffed into the wind. A claim existed near there, but not within the forest itself. When his earthy gaze scoured the northern mountain, Issorartuyok wondered if he would find the wolf Meerkat again.

He would. Specifically, he would find Meerkat seated beneath a knot of maple trees, staring at a spot of color in the middle distance.

The instant she'd seen the splash of orange in a shady patch ahead and quickly recognized the shapes of the pumpkins, the memories had rushed through her. They'd robbed her of breath, forcing her to slump into a sit as she heard the voices of Toad, Osiris and Antares playing in her memories.

"Wow, that's a lot of squash."

"They're called squash?"

"Desdemona said they're called pumpkins, actually."

Her chest tightened further at the thought of the ghostly guardian. Although she hoped Antares was out there somewhere, alive and well, every other wolf in these recollections was dead. Even after all this time, Meerkat felt the ache of those tragic losses. They would never get to throw their feast.

She still hadn't really caught her breath when the swarthy figure wandered into her visual field. Meerkat made a strange noise low in her throat and then blinked at Issorartuyok. Her mouth opened to say his name but no sound came out. Instead, she lifted one wobbly foreleg and waved in his direction.

The spirits were kind to guide his eyes to the freckled scout beneath her tree. Issorartuyok smiled boldly and barked out to the familiar figure.

Had the large northern wolf taken note of her expression, he might have been more careful to tread so near when she was deep in thought. Issorartuyok had learned that lesson from his mother. She had always gifted him with learnings, lessons that helped him to understand the world around him.

Greetings, scout of the glacier, Issorartuyok called to her once he had closed a great deal of the space. The trees provided a pleasant shade and a dappling of colors on the forest floor. How do you fare?

His regards were surprisingly warm, which helped distract her and soothe the ache still resonating in her chest. By the time he trotted over to join her beneath the cluster of trees, Meerkat found her voice. She also managed to return his smile, her brown eyes wandering over his dappled features. Had he been this handsome last time? She vaguely remembered comparing him to Wintersbane.

"It's good to see you again, Issorartuyok," she replied, still saying his name very carefully. "I'm doing alright. What about you? Did you find the ice field?" Had her directions sufficed? She still remember her twinges of guilt about being unable to accompany him.

The northerner smiled at the younger woman and bowed his head. She had been a kind individual to him, had shared her knowledge of the land in order to help him seek his desired terrain. Issorartuyok had found a great deal of admiration for the wolf named Meerkat. He had underestimated her strength of skill and was pleased to have been proven wrong.

I did. You are a talented scout. Your directions left no room for error, Issorartuyok answered with another bow of his head, grateful as ever. The northerner thought it best to inform Meerkat that the glacier she had instructed him to find had not been suitable. The one-eyed wolf of Ursus hung in his mind.

There is a pack upon the mountain just behind the glacier. They are- Issorartuyok frowned thoughtfully, his earthy gaze latching to the features of the figure across from him. They are not suitable neighbors.

She let out a quiet sigh of relief at his assurance and praise, her tail wagging. It slowed, dropping and going still when Issorartuyok informed her of these unsuitable neighbors. She didn't recall a pack living in that area, though of course packs sprang up and vanished all over the Teekon Wilds all the time.

"I'm sorry, that's unfortunate," Meerkat said, wondering what exactly prompted such an assessment. "Are you still hunting for a better territory or have you thought more about joining another pack?" she couldn't help but wonder.

Meerkat stated that she was sorry, to which Issorartuyok laughed a great booming sound from his chest. The girl had no reason to feel apologetic to him, of course. It was through no fault of her own that the mountain closest to the glacier had been claimed by another group, a group that did not feel spiritually compatible with the northerner’s lifestyle.

Do not be sorry, glacier scout. When one opportunity vanishes, another often appears.

The girl inquired whether he thought he would seek another place to settle or if he had reconsidered pledging himself to a group that had already formed. Issorartuyok gazed thoughtfully at her. It was a reasonable inquiry.

I am uncertain. There are surely more lands that would be suitable. Still, my body is restless and in need of purpose. I do not know how long I can remain a free spirit. Do you understand?

His laugh caught her by surprise, though she joined in with a light chortle of her own because it sounded so damn merry. Issorartuyok assured her that she was not at fault and seemed to take a very optimistic, pragmatic approach to the matter. Meerkat couldn't help but thrill just the tiniest bit at that random nickname: "glacier scout."

"I think I do," she replied honestly to his question. She remembered well the endless days of searching, how it had ended up affecting her much more severely than she'd realized in the thick of it. "I hope you find someplace to settle soon, although I'm guessing you aren't too concerned about winter?" she guessed, a playful light in her brown eyes.

She was momentarily tempted to coax him into considering Duskfire Glacier, though another thought struck her. "There are many more mountains what that one came from," she posited, referring to the claimed one near the glacier. "And I can actually think of two that you may want to look into, specifically."

Meerkat glanced around herself to discern her exact position, then looked back to Issorartuyok. "Head directly south from here and you'll run into a marsh. Hang a right and you'll find another wetland. Just past that is a small wood, then a mountain. A little northwest, there's another. I don't actually know if either one is particularly habitable but they might be worth checking out."

Concerned about winter? Another laugh followed this sentiment. Issorartuyok had found himself enjoying the companionship of the young scout. She had a kind nature about her. It was not commonplace for the large northern male to enjoy his time spent with those whose cultures differed so greatly from his own. The glacial resident had started to shape herself into something of an oddity, to Issorartuyok, that was.

I am eager for it. This heat has been a challenge. In the north, our coats are made thick to help through the coldest nights.

There was warmth in his voice, happiness to be speaking of the home that he had left behind.

As Meerkat offered him instruction, Issorartuyok listened intently. The dark mask of his face was trained on her features, gathering the details she offered and doing all that he could to save them in his mind. The northerner knew that he would struggle this time. The directions were not as clear-cut.

With something of a sheepish glance to her, Issorartuyok hummed thoughtfully before inquiring, I do not suppose I could convince you to journey with me, this time.

When he asked if she might be able to come along this time, Meerkat bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm actually watching my pack mate's pups while she's away on her own scouting trip." Not only that, but she was really finding her footing with all six youngsters in the pack and the yearling didn't want to do anything to jeopardize her pack mates' trust in her. She was also getting quite attached to the puppies, a fact which she didn't even realize consciously until just now, her lips twitching into a smile as she realized she'd really begun rooting herself in Duskfire.

"Can I ask you something, Issorartuyok?" Meerkat questioned, not waiting for an answer before adding, "If you're from the north and clearly most at home there, what brought you down here? I know you said you came here to lead, but why couldn't you lead somewhere in the north?" Her head tilted, her brown gaze hovering thoughtfully on his face.

It was the second time that the scout had denied him. Issorartuyok exhaled deeply, disappointed to be told no for a second time. The girl stated that she had accepted a watcher’s role over her village’s children. The northerner regarded her with a steady stare, wishing to ask if she was more prone to scouting or if she had more experience tending to the young, watching over pups.

It was Meerkat who had the question, however.

The girl asked for his reason, wanting to know why Issorartuyok would abandon the comforts of his home to seek something that carried no guarantee. The northerner nodded his head slowly, filling his lungs with a deep breath.

We are wolves who listen to the spirits, Issorartuyok explained to her carefully. The village where I was born was close with the spirits of the land. Sometimes the spirits will lead you, sometimes they will guide you. I was named leader dog. I follow the spirit of the wind as it carries me to my fate.

When Issorartuyok set his dark brown eyes upon the glacial scout, he offered her a curt smile.

What tells you to stay and care for the puppies? What is it that made Meerkat a scout?

She hoped he knew her well enough by now to understand she meant no offense with the question. She was genuinely curious. When Issorartuyok replied, she listened astutely. His response made her think of Kukutux and Sialuk. Ah, perhaps she should've sent him their way.

Before she could do that, he posed a question of his own. Issorartuyok wanted to know what had made a master scout settle down so stolidly in one spot, which was fair. Meerkat let out a breath, brow furrowing as she thought of how to word her answer.

"I guess you could call it burnout. Before I came here, I spent many months searching for missing relatives, specifically my dad, his mate and their children. I ended up exhausted in every possible way. I needed some distance from all of that, so I came here to rest and recover, in a way."

She paused, running her tongue over her teeth and glancing away into the maple woods for a moment before her brown eyes drifted back to his face. "I'm still not ready to travel. In fact, that pack mate I mentioned is taking a message to my family for me, since I didn't feel up to the trip just yet."

Clearing her throat, Meerkat changed tack, lest she forget. "I should tell you about Moonglow. I know you want to start your own pack but if you do decide to join one instead, I think you might get along well with Kukutux and her village..."

The scout humored him, answering with detail and honesty that many would have avoided sharing. Issorartuyok listened to Meerkat speak about her burnout, the way her body had been weary after her search for her family. Something thrummed within the pit of his belly. The northerner could not comprehend how someone had left the young scout behind. Who would have a child and then leave them without support, without love? Issorartuyok did not need to know Meerkat well to feel a pang in his own heart.

Moonglow sounds like a fine place. I will visit it. The large wolf wagged his tail lightly to the cream-coated girl. Issorartuyok then offered her a teasing smile, an expression that may have appeared too intense for their knowledge of each other.

You do not wish to show me your village, is this right? Issorartuyok had ventured to make an assumption. The words were not offered to her with hurt or even disdain. There was a burning curiosity in the northerner that made him inquire.

Meerkat had been exceptionally helpful to Issorartuyok. She had shared her knowledge of the terrain and the villages in the area, she had indulged his questions and pointed statements. Was it really that difficult to think that she might not have wished to have him in her village? I am still a stranger, Issorartuyok reminded himself internally and waited to see how the talented scout would answer him.

She merely nodded when he agreed to pay it a visit. Meerkat could've told him more, though if he was headed there, surely he would find out for himself. She wondered what Kukutux and Sialuk would make of him.

"What?" came her blurted reply at Issorartuyok's pointed question. "No, I—" she began to say, only to stop abruptly. She remembered thinking about suggesting the glacier, especially after learning about his preference for colder climes, and then discarding the thought in case he tried to usurp Wintersbane. Maybe it was a silly thought, though even now, it gave her pause.

"Last time, you mentioned you wanted 'to lead, or maybe follow if there's one good enough,'" Meerkat paraphrased, "and I guess that makes me wonder what would happen if you found the territory suitable but the leadership not to your liking." She paused pointedly before adding, "I came here to find peace and I've found a second family. I don't want to bring any possible drama to Duskfire's doorstep."

The yearling let out a breath, wondering if she'd offended him with her candid answer. "I could be totally wrong, of course. Feel free to correct me," she finished with a small smile.

Issorartuyok laughed, a booming sound that filled the air around them. The northerner beamed wide at the scout.

No, I cannot correct you.

The smile lingered on the edges of his mouth as he regarded the girl once more. She had pledged herself to the glacier and its leader. It suggested that the village she served had a good wolf at its helm, a strong presence.

I do not know, though. I have not met your village leader. I have only met its most talented scout.

Issorartuyok then shrugged his broad shoulders and drew his dark brown gaze toward Meerkat, waiting to see if she would respond to this, if she would invite him back to her village and her people. The northerner had been denied by her twice already. He did not know if he would have the patience for a third.

He seemed amused by her assessment, though before Meerkat could feel relieved, he told her that no, he couldn't correct her. That didn't exactly bode well, especially when his next few words strongly inferred he wanted to meet Wintersbane. She bit her lip, eyes darting speculatively across his swarthy features.

"I'll call for him, on one condition," the yearling said, feeling a little daring. She hoped Issorartuyok took it in the spirit she intended, which was at once lighthearted but still sincere. "No funny business." Meerkat grinned a little, quipping, "Usurping my pack would be very poor repayment for my services."

The nervous way that she chewed upon her lip was not missed by the northerner. Issorartuyok watched her intently, burning with curiosity. The nature of the scout’s relationship with her pack was promising. He hoped to find others who guarded their villages with the same stalwart dedication.

Hmm, the large wolf mused thoughtfully. Issorartuyok’s chocolate gaze swept skyward as he contemplated the offering Meerkat had made. If he promised not to usurp her leader, she would provide him with an introduction. Yes, very well. I will be a good man.

Then, another assumption, are you and the village leader husband and wife?

She sensed that he didn't take her very seriously, though there wasn't much Meerkat could do about that. She'd spoken candidly about her take, now it was up to her to take him at his word, weigh the risks one last time and then do as he asked.

But Issorartuyok distracted her with a question. Her eyebrows raised, wondering what she'd said to give that impression. She felt her cheeks heat a little too. Wintersbane was a handsome man, though by now the yearling knew he was absolutely off limits. He was already involved with at least two women, by her guess, and his gaggle of kids was pretty solid proof that he was hell'a unavailable.

"No, it's not literally my pack. I'm just the... Zeta, or something," Meerkat replied, actually pretty oblivious to where she stood in the hierarchy. These things didn't matter much to her. "I don't have a husband," she added, a little thoughtfully. Technically, she did, though nobody else in the world knew that except for Atlas.

Without waiting for a reaction to this information, the yearling tossed back her head and politely requested @Wintersbane's presence at the borders, then motioned for Issorartuyok to come as she began walking north to meet him there.

the call rises for him and wintersbane, not one to dawdle when his presence is requested; hurries up and finishes covering the food cache he'd disturbed. with winter creeping ever nearer he feels the increasing pressure to make sure they are as stocked as could be ...with the pruning of spoilt meat in mind. he tucks a few feathers from it's wings that he'd plucked to give to the cubs in the nearest tree's hollow before altering his course and heading in meerkat's direction.

his pace slows as he arrives; glacial gaze touching upon meerkat as he chuffs out a greeting before it zeroes in on the stranger; brow raised in the question that lingers unspoken but in the posture he assumes.

Meerkat corrected him, stating that she was not one of the leaders of the village, she was only a member. She offered a ranking for herself that Issorartuyok did not understand, but he nodded his head in understanding anyway. The northerner did not wish to pry too deeply into the scout’s personal affairs.

The call rose into the air and the northerner waited patiently with the young girl. Issorartuyok had other questions that flitted about in his mind but none of them were appropriate for the short time they had.

When the tall shape of a dark blue-grey wolf appeared, Issorartuyok drew his gaze upward and nodded his head. This one greets you, the northerner offered in his rich baritone voice. The northerner wavered his tail gently as a show of his friendly nature and then glanced to Meerkat for approval.

Although her crush had faded, Meerkat's heartbeat still picked up when Wintersbane arrived to greet them. Glad for an excuse to drop her eyes, she dipped her head to the Alpha male and then glanced sideways at Issorartuyok, allowing him to speak first. His words immediately reminded her of Kukutux and Sialuk. If he decided this wasn't the place for him, she was sure he would find happiness in the village of Moonglow.

"Hi, Wintersbane, thanks for coming. This is Issorartuyok. He's from the north and currently scouting the area. He wanted to meet you," Meerkat stated simply when it was her turn to speak, withdrawing a pace or two and taking a seat to let the two gentlemen talk.

Please feel free to skip me. :)

sneaky-sneaks this post in at work

meerkat offers introductions and then takes a few steps back to allow the two of them to converse. a sage nod if offered to her before he turns the full-force of his attention to the stranger who speaks in a dialogue that reminds him very much of imaq's. he assumes that they are from the same region — even if such a thing was presumptuous and incorrect. hello, wintersbane returns with a small dip of his head. i'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have for me. regarding duskfire glacier or otherwise. though, last he knew ( despite that it'd been some time ) the wolves of the glacier still stood solitary in the taiga.

The village leader for the glacier was a large man with a blueish grey coat that hung thick upon his frame and faded to the undersides. There was specking along his rear that reminded Issorartuyok of his youngest brother. The size of the glacier man was promising. There was little hesitancy in the way that the northerner drank in the sight of Wintersbane.

Halu, I am Issorartuyok. I travel from the north to seek a place to make a home and family for myself. I wish to know more of the glacier. You have a fine scout.

The introduction was long, but when Issorartuyok had finished speaking, he nodded his head appreciatively toward Meerkat. She was a valuable advocate for her village and its people. She should be rewarded for such good work.

a glimpse is spared to meerkat, who remains a few paces away. indeed she is. wintersbane murmurs in agreement as he looks back to the other man. his ranks, he knew, needed a good shuffling but for the moment he tucks that thought aside to focus upon the information the other man has asked for. wintersbane, in that minute, is reminded starkly of the recruitment process and how he had spent time refining what he intended for duskfire glacier. at her core, the glacier stands a testament to what he'd desired when circumstance forced his paw.

we are a simple, tight knit pack, first and foremost. to some that was an attractive quality, to others, perhaps not. to any who is willing to contribute in any way that they can, duskfire glacier is a welcoming home. it's a simple sell: but over the course of his years, wintersbane has come to appreciate simplicity.

Simple and close were two things that did not sound awful to the northerner. His home had been the same, they had been a village of wolves who fought hard for each other and loved one another dearly. It had been that closeness that had inspired Issorartuyok to search for his own.

You are a good leader to have such talented wolves, the northerner complimented with a swift smile and nod of his head. Meerkat was proof enough of that, not only with her scouting expertise but her sharp desire to protect the glacier.

Do you have openings within your ranks? Is there opportunity for a strong wolf to try for your leadership? These were questions he needed answers to before being able to make a decision.