Noctisardor Bypass yesteryear

joiner!
@Druid @Heda for leader vis, but all welcome :)

Short mountains marked the land like a crown of stone.

She could not help but wonder what it hid inside of itself. What nestled between such tall walls of protection? The scent of others that collected along the openings of the bypass told her that someone knew what the land held.

That it must be nice enough to sustain life.

In the cool air, she tipped back her head and let out a call. Polite in its tone, but asking for leaders.

He wasn’t a leader, but taking his patrols seriously, Anselm answered. 

He came across a woman that could have been the earthy, feminine rendition of Glaukos — but his first impression of her was that she’d eat Rivenwood out of house and home. Sparing a glance over her rotund figure, Anselm wondered if she was pregnant. Being that Rivenwood had yet to apply for their 501c(charitable organization) status, he had half a mind to turn her away himself. 

Vhat do you vant? The tracker answered, solemn gaze upon her.

The one who answered was tall. Tattered ears and built like a hunter. She wondered what kind of things he hunted that left those as marks.

He was direct!

She politely kept herself lower than him (ha, was that needed with their height difference, she wondered) and her globe gaze was directed towards the grounds he stood upon.

My name is Iope, She started with. Manners first! I would like to be here. If you will have me.

We can't take you in, Anselm prepared to state, donning his traditional barbed mein.

But she was polite. Her gaze was pointedly elsewhere. This was so different from the last five or six wolves Anselm had come across -- whose body language flagrantly stated they believed themselves better.

He relaxed slightly, but not enough to appear welcoming. To her answer, he curtly asked: Vhy here?

The land is rich and vibrant. The stone walls have guarded the richness of the insides. If it was not a sustainable place to be, I would think no one would be settled here.

Why would life pick somewhere it could not thrive? Where it could not blossom?

She almost wished she could look to his face now without worrying that it might be too pushy.

If it is a matter of balance, available prey to mouths for feeding, I understand.

Anselm didn’t like that the woman knew the heartwood was rich or vibrant; how long then, had she staked out their borders?

His eyes narrowed. It was unfortunate for the woman that Anselm was so uncharitable. You vill have to speak to @Heda or @Druid. 

He tipped back his head in a short howl, studying the would-be packmate with unnerving scrutiny.

She had thought this guy might have been leadership but now, with all his stiffness, wanted to pass her along to actual leaders!

When she dared a glance — she felt terrible under his narrow sunshine gaze. How had a color so vibrant ever made her so uncomfortable?

She struggled to imagine what his leaders might be like if he was this way.

M-maybe I shouldn't...inconvenience you! Or them, um. Scrutiny was too much for the hopeful woman. She dared a step back with an apologetic look quickly sweeping over her features.

Anselm’s stiff demeanor seemed to offput the woman. The uncharitable side of him relished it. 

As she stepped back, he considered her baldly, agreeing to her statement with an unusual directness.  No, you shouldn’t. 

It was either piss or get off the pot; if she was serious, she better show it now. Otherwise, he might get irritated enough to chase her off before she ate everything in Rivenwood.

*invades*

Fiona thought about her conversation with Druid when she heard voices up ahead. One was the very familiar sharp voice of Anselm. Likely barking orders at somebody at their border, greeting a passerby with the same "grace" he'd given her one fine day. Feeling generous and more sociable than she had in the last few weeks, she intruded upon them with no regard for whether or not it would be rude to do so. She was, after all, a member of Rivenwood, and she had every right to greet those who came to their borders.

Shouldn't what? she asked, picking up only Anselm's last words. She shot the stranger a friendly smile before returning her gaze to those sharp yellow eyes.

sorry for this flaky gal, thank you both for a fun thread either way! consider iope out <3

Oh god.

She was going to perish on the spot, she was certain of it. She was already half gone by the time someone kinder spoke up. Well, they sounded kinder. A shame she was not going to putz around to find out!

Sorry, sorry! She chimed with the voice of a woman who had accidentally ran into someone. Only she was running away from someone instead.

A beautiful place could not make up for those who lived within scaring her!

I am sorry I took so long - WHERE DOES THE MUSE GO?!

The round stranger was doing as circles did, and rolling on. Anselm was tempted to nip at her heels to see how fast a fat woman could run downhill -- but before he could do so, Fiona arrived.

He turned to her with a long pause, trying to decide if he was annoyed by her intrusion or if he was just annoyed in general. Inconvenience someone. Anselm answered with his typical flat directness, uncaring of the douchebag energy exuding from him.

He didn't stay to exchange pleasantries with Fiona. For one, their relationship was as thorny as a briar patch - and for two, making small talk seemed like a logistical nightmare in his current mood. Anselm gave Iope a generous five minute headstart, before he rolled out after her. If only to make sure their larders weren't in peril.