Redtail Rise guardian

anyone welcome! hoping for a guardian-esque thread.

Rest had done her well. The hitch in her gait was hardly noticeable now, and due to the attention of the medics there would likely go away entirely soon enough. New Snow trotted at the borders and marked the soil there diligently. It no longer smelt of saltwater and sand, as once it had.

New Snow was aware of another scent in the air, not so unfamiliar now. She paused in her marking to sit and drag her rear-end against the earth to satisfy the sort of itch she felt, but when this did not do the trick she paused to lift her leg and doggedly nibble and lick there. New Snow noted some blood and cleaned this away before she rose and shook her furs, continuing her patrol.

The time was near, but not yet; still, for it, her own allure might be increased a measure. New Snow was not at all a sight to behold, all manner of debris upon her person... and some dirt still clinging near to her bits. Her tail remained low, instinctively protective.

From the East, she loped, her steady pace carrying her across the plains that stretched out between herself and her home. A week had been long enough- and she had managed to scout all of the territories in the range from the Tangle to the Glacier, and those few in between. She had planned to see more, but felt she should check in at the Rise, first. Deliver the news she had of her scouting to those in charge, and figure out what her next plans were. 

She spotted the familiar form of New Snow moving along the borders, and changed her course. She'd intended to go straight for Prophet to let him know she'd returned, before tracking Avicus down- but it looked like New Snow was patrolling. Lilia would take any excuse to spend time with the woman, and to help mark their borders as well. 

Fresh with mountain air still clinging to her pelt, she uttered a soft, affectionate grumble, and moved to the woman's side.

yay!

New Snow turned when she heard the soft crunch of freshly fallen snow to see Wolverine there. She moved to meet her halfway and greet her with happy and affectionate swipes of the tongue to her face, tongue waving happily behind her. More time with the girl was always a welcome thing, and New Snow would embrace her (if permitted) with a wolfish hug, wrapping her own recovering foreleg around the girls shoulders and pressing her own large head against whatever she could upon Wolverine.

A reclaiming! The scent of the wilderness was upon her. New Snow paused at last to sniff at Wolverine, circling around until they were side by side. Her teeth gently chattered, another physical sign of her own excitement to see her home safe. New Snow huffed happily, and tilted her head as though to ask the girl about the things she had seen that could not be smelled.

Lilia jawed and made low grumbling noises into New Snow's fur, happily leaning into her, though not so much as to shove her over. She looked better- and her injuries seemed to have come along, and she was grateful to see her packmate feeling better. This close to her, Lilia noted the very faint change in her odour, but it didn't smell like bloodshed or disease; not a wound at all, but something that emanated faintly from the woman herself. She paid it no mind; New Snow was obviously well, and in good spirits. 

She allowed herself to be sniffed, knowing that she had pulled scents from the places where she had travelled. The fresh mountain air, and the scent of pine. Some brambles still clung to her from the Tangle, and perhaps some nettles from the grotto as well. All in all, though, she'd travelled well, and had come home in one piece. "I like thcoutin," She admitted, once the greeting was over, and they had begun to move along again. "But it'th good to be home. I like to thmell like thith plathe too." She said- just before she paused to leave a marking at the base of a tree. She liked it when her home smelled of her, as well.

New Snow could not remember so far back as to recall the time she had left home to disperse, even though it was not terribly long ago. But upon finding Mountain Boulder, home had become him and this place in one fell swoop. Wolverine was a part of that now. New Snow was fine to leave the land, if it meant being with them. It was why the trip away from the Rise had not broken her spirit any.

It seemed Wolverine did not mind to be away; perhaps, like herself, she understood that home was here, or else in the wolves present. Wolverine spoke, and the girls voice was one that caused her tail to stir again behind her. New Snow let out a happy whuff as though she concurred, sniffing at the place Wolverine had marked before stepping several steps ahead to roll against the earth and mark it as theirs. Once done, New Snow pushed herself up to a stand and sniffed at the wind, looking back to Wolverine, checking on her own progress.

Though she could not understand much at all, New Snow knew she enjoyed to hear the girl and her voice.

She noticed that New Snow added her scent near Lilia's, and the gesture came off as being endearing, not threatening. Had any of the other wolves her age done the same, she might've walked right back over to the spot and reinforced her markings. As it was, she liked that her scent could be found with the snowy maiden's; it felt as though she too was being claimed, and she was happy, feeling as though she belonged. 

She moved along, noticing that in the time she'd been away, the wolves of the Rise had managed to cover up the scent markings left behind by Chacal. "We have to be careful along the Wethern thide," She said, gesturing her muzzle in that direction. There was warning in her tone. "Thapphique wath attacked by a bear." Her fangs showed for a moment. Sapphique was close to them; and the Tangle had been declared dangerous by Njord as he fled with his wife and son.

New Snow slowed to a halt before Wolverine upon the hearing of the word bear. New Snow knew this one, too. She bristled with Wolverine, the same feeling of dislike roiling in her belly. She remembered long hard days alone. She remembered luck, coming across the spoils of an abandoned hunt! And misfortune, when a bear too discovered it—and ensured she did not come near.

And attack, that was familiar too—less so than bear, but she took its meaning. New Snow made a noise to Wolverine, one Wolverine might have seen and heard several times coming from New Snow each and every time she regarded their leader: Red Woman.

It should be shared to her, too. Would Wolverine understand her then? New Snow felt that if anyone other than Mountain Boulder or Bobcat could, it would be the girl before her.

She wondered if New Snow had had experience with bears. Thus far, they were the things of legend; not something she ever dreamed of encountering. And part of her was still filled with the proud, childish naivety nurtured by the cougar that had spared her life, and pointed her toward the Rise months and months ago. But she'd seen what the bear had done to Quennell; the boy was barely a shade of himself anymore. She suspected New Snow, given her reaction, knew the threat of bears. 

She flicked her ears forward; it wasn't often she was addressed with sound, but she recognized the woman's tone of voice, and she nodded. "Oh, yeah- I told her." She said. "I told Avicuth about the bear before I went out to thcout." The discussion had been brief- she'd passed along the warning from Njord, before she'd gone to range and make sure that they hadn't been followed by any wolves from the Strath. "I didn't thee any thignth of it while I wath out." She said. She'd been warned to stay away from the Tangle- but as it was adjacent to their claim, she'd gone there anyway, just to make sure it was clear.

Wolverine seemed to understand. New Snow looked over the girl with warm eyes. Glad that it seemed Wolverine had not run into the beast during her time away, New snow released a small breath of relief. Good!

Then they would, hopefully, keep it away from their home! New Snow paused and kicked the earth backwards at the border to scent-mark, stamping gently toward Wolverine with something of an amused look on her face. We will keep it away. Sometimes many scents could dissuade the bear...

Though New Snow had been displaced with her natal pack when a bear and its cub had come to scavenge the caribou they had hunted. It was not always so simple. She cast an open glance out toward the horizon, and only hoped the creature would remain far away from the Rise. It was very rarely a winning battle for their kind.

Lilia would agree with New Snow. From what she knew, the bear had attacked a couple of their wolves, before it had gone toward the pack lands, so she was led to believe perhaps that it had tracked them there. What battle had transpired was still an unknown to her- only that Quennell had survived, as well as a few others. The area might be worth scouting and scavenging, but only once she knew that both the bear and the defensive sea-wolves would be gone as well. 

New Snow's gaze lifted to the horizon. She looked out as well, wondering if her packmate had seen anything, but assumed perhaps she'd had a thought. There was a bit of concern that pulled at the corners of her lips still. Lilia turned back, and affectionately biffed her forehead off New Snow's chin. "It won't come here," She said firmly.

feel like this is a nice point to fade this one?! I love threading with you, and I love Lilia!

The action grounded her. The tone of Wolverine further put her at ease. New Snow looked back to the girl with warmth in her deep honey gaze. And New Snow moved to nuzzle against her shoulder in a gesture to display all is well!—for it was, here! And New Snow was intent to both embrace and keep the peace.

Pushing gently, and playfully, past Wolverine, New Snow bounds ahead and marks the territory. This area nearly covered, New Snow knew that together she and Wolverine would finish this area quickly enough—and then perhaps could hunt!

delightful as always! Happy to help with trade threads too :3

They had tackled the wilderness together, and now sought to reforge their borders so that even the might of the wolf-eating bear could not threaten them. The pack, to Lilia, was family now- and while one trespass had been made against them, she would not allow it to happen again. Not at the hands of another wolf, and certainly not at the hands of a bear. 

She grumbled appreciatively as New Snow pushed ahead, and she followed willingly; the borders would be kept, reinforced, and then they would feast in the safety of their home.