The Heartwood nanukigun

Tag for ref; open!

Adapting to the mountain would take time.

Tulukiri could have put forth a better effort on her end, but she struggled with the shift between the riverside and Moonglow as much as anyone else. How could she be expected to follow Kigipigak now? He had been her idol; now he was lost in a way Tulukiri could not fully comprehend. Something had changed in him when they'd left Natigvik. He was showing more weakness than she could accept.

Moonglow was behind her. She'd left in the early morning, citing to @Lestan that she would be surveying the area surrounding the village, yet her path drew further and further away. Perhaps I will find you new deer to watch, she'd told him.

The forest welcomed her. By midday Tulukiri was investigating scents and seeking signs of prey, oblivious to much of it. She had never been much of a tracker despite her bloodline being that of hunters; the girl had distanced herself so wholly from her parents by now that she couldn't tell if what she found was fox-scent or wolf.

lestan was unsure what to make of it all. he kept close to amalia, but today as he saw tulukiri depart, he could not help but to follow. there were herds around the spine he wanted to know; he saw their hoofmarks in the cold dirt, and hummed to himself as he bent to look them over.
eventually he caught up with the other former natigvik wolf. he was careful to be quiet this time, turning his cornflower eyes upon a pair of sparrows in a barren thicket.
lestan sighed painfully. "i miss the river."

The sound of steps was often hard to discern, and was especially difficult for Tulukiri in this space which she'd never ventured through before. She thought she heard someone approaching a few different times, yet it was only the shifting of the wind in the eaves, or a bird flying, or some other thing she could not see.

When Lestan appeared, he more or less was composed of the forest itself; hearty earthen browns and the gold of dry grass, with shadows throughout his coat. He was well suited to this place. If Tulukiri was startled she gave no indication.

She heard sparrows calling and turned her ear in time to catch Lestan's words as well, and huffed. So go back to it. She drawls back. Seems a waste to leave all that meat behind, and everything.

"we brought as much as we could carry," was his weak protest. but she was right, wasn't she, despite her brash young age. he too wanted to return home. he sighed again, but he was determined to make it here. he must. he had little choice.
"amalia and kigipigak and you are here." he smiled sadly. "this is our home now. i am not suited to try and survive beside a river in winter." his shoulders hunched as if in reflection of this.

He sounded defeated already! They had only just arrived here, and he pined for the river, but wasn't going to follow-through. It only further cemented what Tulukiri thought of these people.

She continued to stalk along, finding little trace of deer, rabbit, or anything beyond the strong smell of fox in the wilderness around them.

I could do it, she decided.

The river would freeze over so it would not be for fishing. The caribou hunt had our stores fully stocked, even with what we brought with us. It would last in to the winter - maybe through it, if numbers were small enough. And we could hunt the maplewood! The more and more she plotted to Lestan, the less boastful it became, the less about her and the more about them.

She hardly noticed.

the more tulukiri spoke, the more that lestan imagined.
the river had wound into him. he saw the things she described.
"what would you hunt there?" he asked almost timidly, no longer focused on the world around them but the girl's fanciful, pragmatic words.

let me know if you mind me tossing her in here! ^^

Atka had not seen strangers in her entirety of remaining in this ash forest, beside Dreven and Khasni. She wasn't upset at the sight, however. She tried to her best to remain concealed and downwind until she had a read on them, but she was sure a simple glance in her direction- if she wasn't behind a tree, her white coat would give her away. Atka stared silently as the strangers seemingly discussed something heavy amongst themselves, stalking from a distance.

She could hardly decide whether or not to attempt at staying hidden, or greet them. Atka wasn't as attached or as defensive of this land like Khasni was, she had no quarrels with their presence. Her head cocked slightly sideways as she crept closer, trying to make out the slight murmurs of voices.

Sorry for being so slow!

Tulukiri scoffed, finding the question obvious and the man dim in the mind for having to ask; he had so far been observant of the herds, and now that he was considering things, he needed a guiding hand? Maybe he only asked to humor her ego.

Deer, rabbit, hell there's probably birds everywhere - with the absence of Natigvik in the area, prey numbers would replenish. Tulukiri didn't want to hear her mother speaking through her, but she did, and it made her pause.

Someone's here. She said lowly.

There was another wolf here, too. Their scent came to her. The girl was silent and watchful of their surroundings, looking to establish where they might come from - and eyeing Lestan, in case he noticed.

<3!

tulukiri's senses sharpened. his own flicked at awareness of another. he met the younger wolf's eye and his brow furrowed.
their silence should be enough to tell the unseen watcher that they had noticed.
the hairs along his neck prickled. "come out!" he commanded with an imperiousness he did not feel.

She had cursed under her breath the moment their conversation stopped, watching the golden furred wolf glance around. Their pause only lingered for a moment however, a demand that she reveal herself echoing through the ash forest. Atka closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, should things go south, she didn't doubt that Dreven would be nearby. She didn't count on his arrival though as she stepped their direction, Atka wasn't an antagonistic wolf and she did not anticipate any conflict. The snap of a twig was almost a confirmation of her presence as she stopped a comfortable distance away.

❝What brings you two here?❞ Atka spoke into the uncomfortable silence as she stared with a a slightly lowered head, sniffing at them.

They did not smell like any of the wolves she'd met in her stay here. These strangers looked strong, powerful, as she looked them over and noted their different features. Tension seemed present as she gazed at them, but she awaited a response quietly.

So I couldn't resist :D but I can delete if you three would like me too. I have no problem doing so :)

Dreven was on border patrol when he caught scent of other wolves, and then the scent that stirred with it that drew the blood in his veins to ice and red eyes burn with an intensity that was not normal, was that of Atka.

He turned and found her. HE stepped behind her a low growl deep in his throat. Eyes on the brown wolf and the light colored one, and his growl increased in an octave. Large scarred blunt body behind Atka like a beast from hell.

I suggest that you answer my woman, or i swear to you i'll tear you limb from limb. You're in territory that isn't yours.

They were both good looking, he could have made the young male scream his name. The other one, she was too young for now, but what had him absolutely irked was that they were to near snow and their territory, and he wasn't being rational. Honestly, he thought about ripping out their throats just for looking at her crooked. But he kept his mouth. She had started this encounter, he was just here to finish it.

lestan was horrified. not by the woman, but by her gigantic horrid companion. "we're passing through," he said quickly with a dry mouth, stepping in front of tulukiri. she was little more than a child and they were faced with violence.
"do you often threaten innocent travelers?" lestan demanded, unable to help himself. he glanced between the strange pair. "we'll be leaving, just as soon as you let off."

Two wolves came when called. First there was a pale one, a woman, and she sized up Tulukiri and Lestan with the same scrutiny as the travelers passed to her; before much could be said, the second arrived - a creature patchworked by wounds, almost the woman's pure opposite: bigger, meaner, and darker.

He spewed threats where the woman before had been almost amicable, and questioning. Tulukiri felt her body stiffen with concern and she side-stepped to be closer to Lestan, who had already stepped ahead of her - turning so she was squarely facing the surly man.

C'mon, lets go. She murmured for Lestan, but wouldn't take her eyes off either stranger. The black wolf with the scars had to have earned those wounds somehow, and still lived. Those scars were a warning of their own.

Atka's ear tilted back towards Dreven as he spoke not looking back, she again had anticipated his arrival. While her initial approach was already tense, she now felt apologetic as they dryly spoke of their departure. Though she wondered, would the conversation had gone differently had her behemoth of a mate not followed? Would they have taken her questions seriously? Atka pushed the thought out her mind as the girl had slightly turned away.

❝This is home for a few of us. Were it not, threats would not be spoken.❞ She anticipated judgment, the ash forest home?

Atka didn't care however, she couldn't blame Dreven for his response to their presence here. It was a response she had experienced firsthand herself. Her head raised, standing with a newfound confidence, a rare occurrence.

❝That's for the best.❞ Her response to the strangers announcement of stepping away was short, but by no means cold.

Atka meant her response as well, she had treated the wounds of another who had received Dreven's wrath.

A smirk danced along the maw of Dreven as he tilted his head. He met the gaze of the smaller male with a fire in his own. When they're in my home. Hell yes i do. You're saying whatever pack you reek of, wouldn't do the same? Then your lying.

You wanna talk to Atka and bull shit. That's fine, but do it past the borders. He motioned his head towards the border line, red eyes angsty and cold, but he wasn't a cruel leader, just a territorial bastard.

Dreven lay his muzzle along Atka's hip, showing her the deference due for a queen of a pack as she spoke with authority. He wouldn't attack in this regard unless his snow queen bade him too, or they attacked first. She had been the one to handle the meeting and he would not take that from her.

last for me!

lestan was through talking.
placing himself between them and tulukiri, he guided her back through the wood. his ears flicked at the heavy words, but he knew better than to respond.
and when they had passed away from that land, he scowled at it. "let's go home."