Redtail Rise Beartooth

It had been ages since he had come this way, but as he crossed the frozen wastes to the north he found familiar paths. Tulimaq sought the home of his nephew first; here he hunted for his own blood, but found only an empty den. He slept by the river for two nights and carried on his way southwest, then due south, where he found a second familiar haunt.

Here Tulimaq was cautious. He knew what Avicus was like; he enjoyed the time he had spent here, once. The wolves of the rise had been formidable when he had run with them. Now that he lingered on the edge of their claim, he called with a bellow rather than a howl.

His deeper desires would remain hidden.

the man was great and scarred with the fierce battles of his time.

as breeding season approached, the huntlead found himself more watchful. sun stone was the only other grown male in the pack, and thorn caller had brought him. blacktail had returned. red woman had her potential mate and thorn caller as well.

that left blood star, who showed no indication of such ambition.

a plume of hot breath hit the air and steamed. mountain boulder loped to meet the powerful man. 

the wolf was no longer in his prime, aged. old. it did not mean he was not fierce or less worthy of respect. and so he approached in kind, a rumbling growl, a proud head, a banner flung high.

There was no return call. For a time he waited and watched, and through the snow came a familiar man. Not much appeared to have changed with this one; his name eluded Tulimaq, who then mentally called him Tuugak for his size and his ivory coat. This man held the confidence of someone in charge. Tulimaq remembered his silence from before, his prowess also, and saw no reason to break the quiet between them with words — the way of Tartok was easier.

He approached Tuugak with his own head high, but his tail low. From time to time between steps the end of his tail would twitch as if to convey uncertainty; the rest of him was prideful, to show he was still capable. When he was close enough to breathe the same air as Tuugak he gave a chuff and a rough, but playful, grab at his chin — hunt-brother!

Was the Tartok elder welcome to stay?

the submission eased mountain boulder.

the clutch of jaws showed their power. he took in the long, rough places the man had been with powerful pulls of his nostrils.

stonehide, the elder hunter became.

the huntlead was not against the other's joining. he swung his tail and stepped aside. 

he let out a call for @Avicus and @Masquerade, to come and see the ulfr who had come to their borders.

he himself fell to testing the man with a playful spar, surprised and enlivened by how naturally he had been greeted.

Tulimaq was of an age where play did not factor in too well. He was a father a few times over, but not an attentive one. His methods were those of conquerors; arriving, taking what was available, fleeing again. He did not know how to rough-house without meaning true harm — although now he was trying.

Tuugak buffeted with his size, snapping his teeth, reaching; Tulimaq parried and shoved with careful consideration between them, reading every moment for negative cues, signs he was going too far, or that the mood had changed. His own antics only grew strained when Tuugak mistakenly got too close to his worsening eye, which might earn a warning sound or a harsher snap of teeth.

They tussled to pass the time.

They began lurking at the ridge again. Perhaps inspired by Augur’s behaviors, Masque even dug a den. They didn’t really know why. They never used it. Even had they lived here, they had no use for such things. But some instinct compelled them.

They stashed a kill there just to make use of it, then departed for the rise. An uneasy feeling plagued them. The Caru couldn’t put a finger on it. They decided they would seek out @Mulherin today. They hadn’t seen him in a while. His presence always grounded them, put them at ease.

They saw a commotion along the borders and slowed to assess, breath catching in their throat as their muscles coiled. But a hasty approach proved unnecessary. Augur was playing with this stranger. Masquerade huffed out a bemused breath and loped toward the pair, long tail swinging upward.

as mountain boulder was younger, this meant he was especially attuned to the grappling of the man's teeth and how it bordered less than play at times. in these moments the huntlead fell back, tail swinging, eyes narrowed to playful expression.

soon thorn caller approached. mountain boulder welcomed them with a chuff and sent his attention back toward stonehide.

a warrior, an elder. the ulfhedinn approved.

Their tussling did not cease entirely, but lagged when another wolf approached. She was young and fit, and marked with a red mask. At first Tulimaq sensed hostility from her and so he watched her; but then her posture shifted. There was authority there, but no longer any sign of a threat beyond that. The big man even paused to call to her, and Tulimaq huffed softly, signaling an end to play.

He approached the girl with the swagger of someone old and powerful, and was mindful to keep his tail low in a neutral manner, flicking the end to show his own curiosity. The woman looked very much like Avicus; the family resemblance and the innate confidence of the wolf granted Tulimaq some understanding.

The man shared some breaths with her, greeting nose-to-nose in the cursory way of the wild. When he pulled back again it was to nudge playfully at Tuugak, presuming he was the one to impress and not the youth between them.

Augur coaxed Masquerade closer with a rumbling woof, then turned his gaze back to the stranger. The yearling peered at him too, halting as he made to approach. Their ears tilted backward but then pricked again, neck stiffening and muzzle slanting downward as their tail slowly waved. He was their superior in age and strength, though the self-possessed Caru’s dominant demeanor did not waver.

He sniffed toward them and Masque allowed it, the two of them exchanging scents briefly. Then he withdrew, his attention returning to the Ulfhedinn. The Caru’s nostrils flared as they huffed, wondering why his scent was familiar to them. They tried to place it, along with his face, but they had no memory of this man.

Unaware that Avicus—and even Augur—had rejected him just a few months prior, the Caru saw no reason to deny him if he was here to stay. The lead hunter certainly seemed to approve of him. But whereas he couldn’t question the man outright, Masquerade could.

What is your name? And what exactly is your business here? they questioned, marigold eyes pinning on the elder male’s face.

once he had been tall man.

now he was stonehide and unrecognizable to mountain boulder without red woman's anger to remind him.

the huntlead was quiet. the elder would need also to appease thorn caller despite their youth.

he watched, considering also that wealda was in thorn caller's hue.

He heard the voice, the questions. It came as a surprise after so long without speaking, and for the time spent with the wordless man. The elder considered the girl again. Discerning, watching. I am Tulimaq. Maybe he was known here. Maybe his name had slipped from memory or importance. His appraisal concluded with a look to the pale man, but the games were over and it was clear that, while Tulimaq was welcomed here, he was impressing the wrong person.

Tulimaq sat. I am hunting. Which was not a lie, but not all truth either. I seek a place to stay for the winter, maybe longer. Maybe until my end. He said this and watched the girl to see how she might take this; would she see value in his age and experience or focus on things which went unsaid?

The name sounded familiar, though it was as vague as his scent. Tulimaq said he was a hunter looking for a place to stay, perhaps for the rest of his days. Especially since he had the Ulfhedinn’s approval, they could see no particular reason to turn him away, save for one.

Your name and your scent are familiar, they said, but I can’t place them. Have you lived here before?

Their gold eyes cut to Augur, then returned to Tulimaq. They wondered if Avicus would heed the former’s summons or if she was busy with other things. Masque shifted their weight ponderously.

thorn caller remained focused on the male.

mountain boulder shook out his ruff; he snorted. his yellow eyes were upon the man too in curiosity.

what did they see that he did not recall?

a fatal flaw; a tiny threadlike disconnect somewhere deep in the beautiful massive brain.

he remained silent, attentive.

I have lived here before. I was here when the Rise began, Tulimaq answered with a smirk drifting across his face, remembering some of what that had entailed. Remembering the pale man that had come to try his luck with Avicus.

This brought to mind the obvious: that his own children may be here upon the Rise. If they were, he could use them to rebuild his savaktuk—provided they were adept in such skills as hunting and combat. The man sniffed and gave the girl another deliberate appraisal.

She was not a yearling. He had been here—when exactly? He could not recall; one winter ago, two, maybe. The elder huffed a small laugh. Avicus is your mother. How many winters are you?

He must know @Avicus then. More importantly, Avicus knew him. Masquerade could not accept or deny him without knowing his history with their mother. Preferably the Wealda herself would make the judgment call, though there was still no sign of her.

Tail twitching, Masque did not immediately reply to his question. Instead, the Caru tilted their head and repeated Augur’s summons for the Wealda. Their marigold eyes were considering when they flashed back to Tulimaq’s face.

They didn’t owe him answers, though they told him, I’ll be two in spring, then paused half a second before asking, Why did you leave?

PPing avi as requested! <3

they spoke. mountain boulder wondered at this, but his attention shifted sharply when red woman could be seen on her approach.

the old man would be expected to submit in full to the scathe of her teeth and the cut of her scarlet hackles.

to see it forced at last the recollection. mountain boulder did not regret his brief romping with the hard wolf, but he was tall man once more. remembered. recalled. one who had left.

accepted only to stock their strength against the coming winter.

mountain boulder rumbled a single note to again remind the old man he was here only so long as he proved his teeth, no matter how likeable.

The girl has a question, and he begins to answer; but it is then that the familiar face of Avicus makes its appearance. A look is shared among them; himself, the woman, the giant guardian who now remembered. When no teeth came for Tulimaq and it appeared all was well, he watched as Avicus retreated again, and had a moment now to answer.

I was called away—but it will not happen again. Of this he is certain. Tartok is too far from this place now, and himself too old to run with them, so he would live out the remainder of his life here at the Rise. His mind is fixated on one last hunt, though he does not share this with the girl.

He moves to cross the border and to make himself comfortable again with this place. Tuugak shares a warning as he passes, and Tulimaq ducks his head low as the only response. I hear you, his body said.

Before he could explain, the Wealda arrived on the scene. Masquerade turned their red face toward their mother, tail low and sweeping side to side as they reached to touch their muzzle to her jaw. The Caru then took a figurative step to the side, ears twitching at Tulimaq’s eventual reply but saying nothing further on the matter of his prodigal return.

Their hackles prickled a little when Avicus accepted the man only begrudgingly. There was a history there, for certain, and not an entirely good one. Perhaps the Wealda resented him for leaving the rise… but so many had come and gone, Masque thought it was a waste of effort to hold grudges. The thought of holding something like that against nearly half their own family exhausted the Caru.

The group began to break up and head their separate ways. Masque licked their mother’s chin, rumbled a note to Augur, and afforded Tulimaq a last, impassive glance. Then they loped away in search of their younger brother.