Blacktail Deer Plateau a drained bourbon bottle laying next to my head

For @Dante! Take your time in replying to this if you need to, don't feel obligated!

Clarity had a way of coming back in the most alarming ways. It had taken a chance meeting to give him a compass on where he really had ended up. Though in the reality of it all, hindsight had always been twenty-twenty; he should have expected a return to the Wilds by venturing down the coast. He had stumbled upon it almost a year ago by following the coast northward, so following it back south would have brought him there. From there it was only a matter of time before he found himself traversing familiar grounds. Or at least familiar as they could get, in spite of the muddy, snowy patches that lingered beneath the overcast haze that followed him on another particular day.

The plateau jutted from the mountain range in the same way he anticipated it, no longer obscured entirely by full canopied trees. There was a starkness to it all that drew him in, but it was not the only reason he was coming in close to their borders. He was curious to see if Dante was still there and how he fared. It was one stop among many he knew he would make, perhaps leading up to a bigger area that he did not wish to face. The Spine was out there still, somewhere. At least he certainly hoped of its existence still, less than confident that he had left it behind in the best shape. But the pressures had gotten to him, his rash move of making a claim on a place that he deemed as hallowed ground had come back to bite him.

And so, he had moved on.

Lingering just beyond the strongest of markers denoting the plateau's proverbial front door, he sent up a crisp call for his friend. Mordecai was certain he could scent him, but this was certainly the most direct way of finding out. Especially with the wilds clinging to him in lieu of more distinct, wolfish scents. He had been reclaimed by the wilderness some time ago and sported it in obviousness. Dante had recalled him from the last time, but who knew what had transpired? Mordecai hadn't even made the attempt to figure the time he had been gone, believing that he was walking straight into an early spring waking in the Wilds.

murder by death — spring break 1899

hrgh quickie response sorry!!!! But birthday gods say I get to play inquisition tonight and I can't argue XD wah

When Dante heard another summons (it seemed there had been many of late), he at first had trouble placing who it was, though it definitely rang a bell. Intrigued, he raised himself from where he had been napping and stretched, a wide yawn coming upon him as he did so. Then, feeling mildly refreshed, he departed to solve the mystery.

It was quickly righted when they came into view, though. "Mordecai!" He called, smiling easily. "Hey!" Last time he had had more trouble recalling, but after two meetings, his face was better known. And a more than welcome sight.

When he came close enough to catch the other male's scent, though, it was not the familiar one of the spine, but rather a more unknown. Instantly his expression changed, for he wondered what had caused his friend to give up a place he'd seemed so proud to lead before. Had he been challenged? "How are you?" He would not come right out and ask, for the subject could be touchy. But his curiosity was great.

WAT. IS IT YOUR BIRTHDAY. If it is, happy birthday!! You share a birthday with one of my friends! :D

It did not take long for the familiar sight of his friend to appear through the varied landscape. Mordecai fell the pull of a smile at the edge of his lips. It had been some time since he had last encountered Dante, but it would seem that his friend was doing well. That in itself was a very good sign of how the winter had treated the rising plateau of the flatlands. The notion that winter had been tame continued to carry a positive touch. If one pack had done well, there was little doubt in his mind that the others had fared similar.

And as he expected, Dante did pick up on the fact that he was a little more wild than he formerly had been. Perhaps back to the original traces of their initial encounter, when they had been nothing more than travelers converging on the same place. That meeting was so long ago now in Mordecai's mind, but still not entirely buried away. "I've been well," he answered genuinely. "And it's been a while. How are you doing?" The lack of directness was appreciated this time around, as his meeting with Caiaphas was still fresh on his mind.

But the matter of the Spine would have to come at a later date.

ooh, I've never shared s birthday with anyone! Yay!!! :D
It was a good night ^v^

He said he had been well, and Dante heard no trace of pretense. Perhaps his parting had been by choice then. He could see where, were circumstances different, he may seek to do the same. If he didn't care so much for those in the plateau, it was likely he would have ducked out before even being granted Beta. Hadn't he done it before?

"I am doing well! We are thriving and even have little ones to enjoy." He would not share such information lightly with a stranger, but had come to trust Mordecai as a friend, even in so few encounters. He did not expect that the knowledge of Blue and Lashwr's children would be used for less desirable purpose.

"What brings you by? Visiting a friend, or do you need something of me?" He would try to oblige if Mordecai did.

I'm glad you had a good birthday! Also, this post is longer and awkward, ughhh. My body and brain do not want to cooperate with each other but I insist on posting anyway. :C

The news that Dante imparted was joyful indeed; it was always a good thing to know that the pack his friend was heading up was thriving. There were deeper curiosities than that, as to who the parents of said youngsters were, but Mordecai refrained from digging. A modicum of privacy was something he appreciated, though he did not doubt in his mind that Dante would have possibly filled him in had he pressed for more information. Maybe that was a habit left over from the time he had spent living in the Spine. Mordecai did not see it this way, let alone think of it.

It was the query joining it that left him wondering if maybe Dante had unasked curiosities as to why Mordecai was there. More than likely, he wanted to believe, as he was truly reclaimed by the wilderness. With no lingering smell of the Spine to back him up, he was as traveled as he had been when they had first met. Of course, the notion that maybe Dante had other things to do rather than converse came under consideration, but briefly. "Actually, a bit of both," Mordecai said, pausing to try and gather his words.

"I left the Spine some time ago. Didn't expect to find myself back in these parts again so soon. I thought I'd come around and see if wanderlust had claimed you as well." He let that sink in, suddenly avoiding the ideas that had been bubbling behind things since his meeting with Caiaphas. Whether staying or leaving was really applicable. Whether or not winter had released its frosty grip on them all. The verbal deviation was unexpected — even to himself — and it was none other than response to being put on the spot.

"I'd like to join you, at least through the remainder of the winter. If it's possible you have room for another." Ultimately, it seemed like the safety card when the weather ot their north had still been wintry in all regards. Though he had been further inland where the snows had piled high and vast, Mordecai did not believe fully that they had escaped the reach of the season yet. And going back to the Spine was not something he intended to, for everything that was there, and for the fact that he still saw it as hallowed ground. That pack was not where he wanted to end up and he grappled senselessly with the notion of settling permanently.

He couldn't say wanderlust was ever much of a problem for him, but he had gotten a bit restless at times. "Not so far as yours it seems. Mine is the mild sort, sated by exploring bordering lands at times." He did like to get away sometimes, but the urge hadn't been strong since settling here. The farthest he'd gone had been the coast, the trip directly following his rise to beta and due partially to the extreme reluctance to accept the position.

Mordecai's next question was a surprise. He asked for s temporary home, something that Dante had as of yet to hear from a potential joiner. He appreciated the honesty and openness, but could they afford to take on someone who would simply disappear with the spring?

Still, Mordecai was a friend and Dante believed him to be true. He had held a high position in his former pack, clear sign that he was able enough, and he offered aid in a season where they could use all the help they could get. Especially with little ones.

Who knew, perhaps he could be convinced to remain?

"I think we can squeeze you in," Dante responded with a chuckle.

Dance, dance!

If there was to be a deliberation phase, it certainly was short in his opinion. Dante did not query him as to what he was capable of doing, or try then and there to sway him to stay longer than that. In truth, Mordecai more than likely would. Once in a pack, those bonds were definitely forged. They were bonds hard to break as well; leaving the Spine had not been in his favor originally, even though he learned quickly that the sheltered pack was not entirely the right fit for him. Who ruled it, he supposed, did not ultimately matter. Wolves were sometimes keen to bend to the will of others when their personalities clashed. He was not one of those wolves, and so choosing somewhere he thought to have like qualities of his own sounded appealing.

It was a debt that he would swiftly move to repay, either way.

A smile broke across his muzzle once more, this time rather humored with Dante's statement. "It shouldn't be too hard, I'm more fluff than anything this time of year." While he had lost some of that grandeur in his build, Mordecai was not gaunt and pathetic. His winter had been well, in spite of the nomadic state he had roamed in. "I know it's a lot to ask of you," he added on afterward, this time humor replaced with appreciation. "I'm more than willing to earn my keep all the same."

"You and me both." Dante laughed appreciatively. "I'm sure you'll make it up many times over. We'll likely come out the better for it." He honestly believed that. Despite his departure from his former home, Dante believe him to be loyal and hardworking. Whether that was correct would only be proven with time, but he had the feeling that even if Mordecai only stayed through winter, he'd be a valuable packmate for that length of time. And though he would hate to see him go when the time ran out, he would not force him to stay.

"So, you want the grand tour, or would you rather check it all out yourself?" He offered, but he knew that when he had joined, he had preferred to explore at his own pace. Each had their own methods.

With a fraction of his future to come secured, Mordecai knew having somewhere to return to and call home for the time being would do him good. He still didn't know what it was that he intended to do; a promise to stay through the winter could have lasted much longer. After all, he would have never believed it possible that he would have stayed with the Spine as long as he had. His semblance of a debt paid had come somewhere at the time of that move, he felt, as he had partook in more than he intended. Not that the venture to the Isle to avenge whatever pride Jinx had tarnished had truly culminated in anything. He hoped, even sensed, that things at the Plateau were bound to be much quieter than the meek startings he had for himself with Silvertip and then the Spine.

"Why don't we hit the major spots, and I'll figure out the rest for myself?" he suggested, not quite ready to depart the company of Dante. "It would give us a chance to catch up." And it was more than that as well, as he couldn't help but harbor a little wariness of what he was getting himself into. Being spotted with Dante, however discreetly and from afar, would hopefully save him the ire of anyone trying to think he was easily pushed over. It was a confidence builder, if nothing else, and provided Dante had the time to spare.

"Sure thing." Dante had no other duties to tend to and, honestly, he looked forward to the chance to catch up. Though Mordecai was now a subordinate, still Dante felt he had spoken with him so many times on neutral ground that there was little need for the usual vetting. Normally new members he had to keep an eye on, to ensure they fit with the pack. He would still do so somewhat with Mordecai, but at least his own relationship with the man was sure.

Leading the way, he would show him some of the major spots such as caches and densites. Along the way they could converse, a pleasant way to pass the afternoon.