Northstar Vale Five hours x clarity x outside.

Towhee didn’t loiter, once the Imperator had given her instructions (and, hopefully, directions). She called for @Arsenio and climbed out of the canyon, sticking to the foothills due northwest and ascending again near Razorback Ridge.

The heights afforded them a pretty expansive view of the vale below. The Redhawk didn’t see any movement from all the way up here, but… I smell wolves. Her eyes narrowed a little, tail twitching. She faced her comrade. Do you want to do the talking?

The redstone figure drew his ears to a point at Towhee’s call. He grazed the stretch of wilderness with his eyes, charting his course to meet her, and set out at a swift pace that kicked his heart into a rapid beat.

Once the man had caught her dark figure in his eye, he slowed his pace and drew to meet her. The mercenary offered a pointy grin and a swift nudge of his snout against her haunch. It was good to see one of the other warriors, good to work alongside her. These opportunities allowed for Arsenio to warm to the woman.

Let’s see how open to conversation these strangers are, hm? Together.

Arsenio nodded to her with a warmer expression than he had shared in the past.

Alys had taken to patrolling daily, her curiosity about the pack to the south of them only growing. It seemed that they had taken note of Kinfolk, too, for Alys came upon their scents while patrolling. She let out a howl to let them know she was arriving, then set off at a steady lope. When she saw the two wolves, she dipped her head to them. "Greetings, I am Alys, Matriarch of the pack I'm trying to form with my mate. Are you from the south?" Her tone was even, and kind; some small part of her was unnerved - here she was, hopefully carrying Kailoh's children, outnumbered on her own land. Despite this, she would be kind and courteous, in the hopes that they would show her the same.

Together, she repeated, orange eyes lingering on Arsenio’s face for a few seconds. She still didn’t know what to make of him, though he seemed amiable enough today. The nudge hadn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Towhee had a strong feeling he would do much better as an emissary than she would. She nodded right back.

Facing forward, she wondered if they should press on or maybe even call for someone. But before a decision could be made one way or the other, a she-wolf appeared to greet them. Her coloration resembled Towhee’s daughters’ a bit, though she had darker markings. There was absolutely nothing threatening about her.

Towhee didn’t know if she should answer the direct question, or even use her real name. She laughed a little on the inside as she looked to Arsenio, letting him speak first and take point. He probably knew the Imperator’s wishes better than she did, having been with him longer.

It wasn’t long before the two travelers were approached by a tan-coated female. She approached with easy posture, interest on her features. Arsenio did not believe that she would be a threat to either of them. A single sidelong glance toward Towhee was enough to believe that she did not consider the woman a threat, either. The mercenary relaxed slightly and offered the stranger a toothy smile.

Greetings, Alys. I am Arsenio and this is Towhee, he gestured to the warrior woman with a favorable dip of his snout. We do indeed travel from the south. We are stationed in an outpost in the canyons. Our group is called Mereo. It was enough information to ease the unfamiliarity. Arsenio believed that Germanicus would have been cordial enough, if he had been with them.

How long have you and your family been seeking to settle in these parts? Are you looking for numbers?

The redstone figure drew his head up and eyed her curiously. This information would give them an idea how many she had in her formation group and if they intended to grow. Arsenio did not believe that a small family pack would be of too great a concern. He shot a glance toward Towhee, curious to see if he could read anything on her face.

An outpost? Aly's smile fell slightly - outposts made her think of warriors, soldiers of armies. Still, she would withhold judgment, opting to know them better before making up her mind. Exhaling slowly, she smiled wider and said, "Welcome to Kinfolk, then, Arsenio and Towhee of Mereo." When questioned, she answered, "My mate and I have been living in the vale for over a moon, now. As far as numbers," she gave a soft chuckle, "we are hopeful it will be primarily our children, and close friends." Definitely not a threat - conflict was the very last thing she wanted.

Alys then asked her own questions, "And what of Mereo? What are your goals, your values?" The young woman had been thrust into leadership - willingly, of course - and motherhood, all within the same week, and while it was true she had no experience, she was not clueless.

Yes, letting Arsenio take point had absolutely been the right decision. He introduced both of them and spoke with candor, which apparently invited the same from Alys. With that name and population, it sounded a lot like a familial pack to Towhee.

Alys wanted to know more about Mereo. Towhee deferred to her comrade once again, trusting his judgment in what to share in response. Meanwhile, she pondered if it was possible these wolves had any suspicious connections. There was something absolutely guileless about this woman, though that didn’t necessarily mean anything.

Towhee had remained a quiet and vigilant guardian. Arsenio did not mind this. His gaze shifted from Alys to her as they shared their conversation. The woman was gentle with her words. She voiced that it would be her family and their close friends. The mercenary could not see how they would be a threat to Mereo or their interests. In fact, if Germanicus had been there… well, the Greek man would have thought it wise to extend a hand of comradery to such a simple family pack.

Mereo is a place of soldiers. We patrol and monitor the canyonland and the surrounding mountains. There were once violent wolves who sought war in these lands. Our Imperator has tasked us with keeping the territories safe of such a terrible group.

Arsenio smiled to her, toothy and swift.

Your family and friends will not likely see such dangers with the likes of our Auxillary watching. It was meant as a show of faith. He wanted Alys to feel that her family was secure in their vale claim. The redstone figure waved his tail a few times and turned his smiling expression to Towhee, wondering if she would like to add anything.

So, her hunch had been correct - they were soldiers, and as Arsenio explained Mereo's presence further, she frowned. "Violent wolves?" she repeated, gazing out across the landscape below them. Alys had seen nothing outside of the valley, because she had no reason to leave it. But, Arsenio smiled, and told her with Mereo watching, Kinfolk would be safe.

"I appreciate that, thank you. I have no knowledge of the history here." She smiled slightly, then offered, "Perhaps now that we are here, the area will find peace and prosperity."

Arsenio explained Mereo’s role in the Sunspires. Towhee watched his lips for a moment, then shifted her eyes to Alys to gauge her reaction. She seemed taken aback by something he said, something about violent wolves. Towhee continued studying her face, deciding to break her silence to indulge the woman in a bit of local history and see if a particular name would mean anything to Alys.

Nyra, she said, formerly of the Saints. She paused to assess the matriarch’s microexpressions before continuing. She’s huge, with white fur and yellow eyes. Covered in scars. She’s dangerously unpredictable. If you see or hear of her, I suggest letting Mereo know right away.

Alys did not appear to know anything about the previous threat that had dwelled in the mountains. Arsenio wondered if he had given her bad news. He was certain it would not settle well for a family of wolves who were seeking to make a home for themselves. The mercenary could only hope that his assurance of their strength in Mereo would ease some of those troubles.

Towhee chimed in. Arsenio smiled as she spoke of the white wolf Nyra. The man’s gaze did not drift from Alys, for he wanted to see if the name of the Saints leader drew a response from the family woman. Towhee’s words were placed well and offered only as a warning.

If you should find trouble with the woman Nyra, or her ilk… you may send a howl to Mereo and we will dispatch our soldiers to address the enemy. A nod followed this statement. Arsenio glanced toward his traveling companion with a toothy expression.

The woman finally spoke, and Alys turned her sunny eyes to Towhee. She had never heard of Nyra before, nor did she know any wolf meeting that description. "I'll be sure to keep an eye out. Thank you for letting me know." It worried her, knowing there was someone dangerous potentially nearby, but, she was swiftly beginning to trust the two before her, and she felt more at ease knowing they would just be a howl away. "Anyone else I should know about?" she chuckled lightly.

There was nothing in Alys’s body language that struck Towhee as suspect. She thanked the emissaries for bringing her into the know, despite the likely unwelcome nature of their intelligence. She wondered if there was anyone else she should know about, a fair question.

Towhee looked to Arsenio, allowing him to field that query as she resumed her earlier silence.

No, that is the primary threat! There are no other dangers to be concerned about, Arsenio answered swiftly, smiling. He might have warned her of Akashingo, but her settlement was far enough from the mesa and its reach that he did not feel much concern for them. The mercenary figured that if Alys and her family ran into one of the Pharaoh’s members, it would not result in anything worrisome.

You might keep your nose trained for the scent of cougars and bears, though. These mountains will be a safe place for them, and they pose a different threat. It was the last thing he could think to offer her. Arsenio believed that her settlement would be fine, though. Wolves had faced the dangers of bears and mountain lions for a long time – dangerous, but not impossible to overcome.

The redstone figure glanced toward Towhee, wondering if their time with Alys was over and they could return to Mereo.

This is it from me, thank you both so much for the thread! <3

Alys nodded, smiling softly once more. She knew of bears and cougars, and was confident in her ability to defend against them, especially with Kailoh. "Thank you both. Please, tell your leader he is welcome here any time - or, I might call for him at your borders, if that would be agreeable." It would be nice to meet him, even if their culture seemed different to her. She didn't even know yet if she was pregnant. Alys stood, then bowed her head. "I appreciate your time. You and yours are welcome any time, so long as you alert us of your presence." She felt now was as good a time as any to state farewells.

Her eyes drifted from Arsenio’s face back to Alys’s as they wrapped up the conversation. Towhee bobbed her head once at the implied question, seeing no reason why the woman couldn’t pay a visit to Mereo sometime. She seemed well acquainted with border etiquette.

Take care, was all Towhee said, tipping her chin to Alys and exchanging a look with Arsenio before she began shuffling back in the direction of the canyon.

Yes, most agreeable, Arsenio confirmed. His head nodded swiftly, and his toothy smile spread to show that Alys would be welcome to call upon the borders of the canyon at any time. Her nature was kind and she seemed devoted to watching out for her family, for the pack that they had created. The Greek man thought of Tamar.

As he and Towhee turned back toward Mereo, the redstone wolf longed to be there with his wife. He wondered what she was doing, what things she had filled her time with. It made him a rather quiet companion, but he did not imagine that Towhee would mind too much.