Phoenix Maplewood Noahtakmiut

a soft rumble of gratitude vibrates in wintersbane's throat; he doesn't necessarily agree ( for he is his own worst critic ) and rather thinks he's just found some struck of luck after a long, long bought of misfortune ( that he created himself ) — and knows plenty of wolves who would voice protest against such a statement. i do, the tundrian replies in regards to having space. with winter fast approaching another set of teeth would help. with hunting, with patrols all of it.

the next statement, about leadership, is outright and for a moment, takes wintersbane by surprise.

of course, he's far from one to speak ( having usurped and tried to usurp plenty of times in his life ). on this, wintersbane's lips form a terse line, glacial gaze flickering to meerkat for a hairsbreadth of a moment before resting back upon issorartuyok. perhaps, the tundrian hedges. i am of the mind that i promote those who prove themselves to the pack and are worthy of it rather than letting leadership be a contest to be won.

The shifting of the air could not be missed. Wintersbane seemed as though he did not like the query regarding leadership. It had been the one piece of information that had stalled the scout, as well. Issorartuyok found such matters trivial. It was worth asking. He was forthright with his interest in the role and with his intentions behind it – the northerner wished to make a family for himself.

Hmm, the great burly wolf mused with a rumble. I will accept a place within your ranks if you should allow me to prove my worth and seek a family when the time comes. These terms were all that he wished for in the moment.

In order to justify his worth, Issorartuyok swelled in his chest and offered a respectful nod of his broad skull. I am a fierce warrior. The snow is my home, my peace. My intentions are to make a family. If I cannot attain this in your glacier, I will serve until I am ready and then leave.

Issorartuyok made a pointed glance toward Meerkat. He had promised the scout that he would behave himself and he did not intend to break his word.

that sounds acceptable, wintersbane allows. duskfire glacier had been born of his own desire to start a family; though pushed by unfortunate events that had led to the downfall of moonspear and by proxy firefly glen. welcome to duskfire glacier, wintersbane welcomes with a small tug of his lips; a fleeting ghost of a smile. @Meerkat or i can give you a tour. on this, he'd let the two of them decide.

She remained absolutely mum during the men's exchange, her spine stiffening a little when Issorartuyok made plain his intentions. They were fair enough, if a little ambitious. What would Wintersbane make of them? He looked a little taken aback by Issorartuyok's candor, though he ended up accepting the male's terms. Meerkat let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding, curious about how this would all play out.

"I'd be happy to," she chimed in when Wintersbane mentioned a tour, rising back onto all fours. Only then did it really hit her: she was about to take Issorartuyok past the borders and show him around because it was his home now too. An odd little shiver passed through the scout's belly, though she ignored it.

The terms were acceptable. Issorartuyok bowed his broad head with a wide smile, pleased that Wintersbane had agreed to such a thing. The northerner was not so certain why Meerkat had been worried for the men to meet. Perhaps she had anticipated that Issorartuyok was more violently prone than he let on.

A tour from the glacier scout, yes, he rumbled with a chuckle to the tan-coated girl. The northerner knew better than to disrupt the flow of the leader any longer than he had. There would be time to talk with Wintersbane after Issorartuyok had settled into the pack and found a rhythm to his role there.

Lead the way, scout. The northerner moved to bump his thick muzzle against the girl’s shoulder.

wintersbane lingers for a few moments longer, watching as meerkat leads issorartuyok into the glacier to give him a tour. when the duo vanish out of his sight, the tundrian instead heads to walk a patrol of the neighboring territories. with the winter months creeping on rapidly with the hoarfrost that covers the grasses and leaves in the mornings, he feels the need to strength the borders and their hunting grounds despite that they still have no neighbors ( that he knows of ).