Blacktail Deer Plateau return from byzantium

For @Lasher!

He returned to the Plateau for the most part uneventfully and always without fanfare. And by the time he had returned there, Mordecai had stowed away most of the emotions and thoughts that had plagued him on his return from the Bay. Somewhere along the way he had freely washed sea salt from his body, perhaps even gave chase after a marmot or two emerging from their own cavernous homes. Spring was rolling in swiftly to the Wilds and for a moment, he did not find this event all that pleasant.

The terrain of the plateau was a sort he did not favor; a slippery, muddy mess of stone and roots as they entangled what earth they could keep and attempted to trip his steady climb upward into a crawl. Naturally he had taken a less traveled pathway up just for the sake of tiring himself, for the challenge, and found as he had reached the top that it had done its job. But it left him muddy and that was something Mordecai decided he would live with. He had no intentions of another icy dip in runoff from the swelling streams. He did however, after several minutes more of travel, come to pause alongside one of those very streams. Yet another drink was at hand.

voice of the seven woods — return from byzantium

KUBUG

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he had not met the man who bore the colors of sunset and gold upon his pelt, but watched him placidly from his nest in ferns edged with ice. perhaps he had torn a page from pura's book, skulking about as he had of late upon the edges of the territory. it seemed no one's mental state needed tending; not a wolf had come to him for counseling, aside from saena, and so lasher had busied himself with patrols and chasing the odd loner from the borders, on bristling edge due to the extreme vulnerability of the pups within, should someone come upon them on a rare occasion that they had been left untended by more than one member of the pack.

eventually, the beta roused himself and glided toward the epsilon, nares flaring to take the man's scent. too cold to bathe, taltos commented idly, eyes flicking briefly over the mud that caked the other's pelt.

WE THREAD AGAIN, HURRAH!

As he drank calmly from the rushing waters, a dark figure materalized from the cover of ferns near him. Mordecai did not readily bring his attention to him, though he was well aware of the being approaching him. And when he did bring his gaze to the canine, he found that he did not recognizing him by visual cues. His musk, however, came as a familiarity to the Ostrega. He must have been Lasher; Dante had spoken about him briefly.

"I'm afraid I've already learned that once today," Mordecai quipped in return with a smile to the superior wolf. "I don't think a little mud will hurt me in the long run anyway." And if it did, well, he supposed it was what he got for thoroughly coating himself in it by poor decisions. But it had yet to afflict him in an negative way, thankfully.

hooray!!

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he was met with a bit of dry humour; taltos smirked approvingly. perhaps you will find it becoming one day, the beta joked, stepping aside and gesturing that mordecai should fall into step. the plateau had received an influx of joiners as of late; it was telling in their demeanour of who would remain and who would continue along their way.

mordecai, it seemed, had longevity upon his side. the burnished man applied carefully to the laws of rank and status, but maturity flogged his features, and his carriage was one of latent dominance. you have led before, lasher observed softly; he was unthreatened by this, if only because the ostrega did not present himself thus.

lady you write so lovely, i could read lasher posts all day long (i say this like i don't already lmfao)

Without question, Mordecai fell into step alongside the Plateau's beta male. The opportunity was not one he would squander, as intrigue lured him swiftly among other undecided things. If nothing else from first impressions, he felt that Lasher may have walked a similar road as he had. Perhaps not now, but once upon a time. For whatever reason, it was those minute things that already drew them together and sparked a kinship easily. And perhaps it was also none of those things; their parting humor was certainly reason enough for Mordecai to take early enjoyment of his company. A good banter was the start of a foundation.

His eyes took to the path ahead of them as he parted from the bank, only to be drawn back to Lasher as the beta made an observation. For a moment, Mordecai almost retorted with an is it that obvious response, but it felt closer to sullying the mood. He had no reason to hide it, however ingrained it had become into his mannerisms. "I have," he rejoined with a nod. Curiosity overrode any notion of a pressing question or addition; he was surprised with his counterpart's astuteness. If there were any more questions to follow, Mordecai knew he would answer.

um no but yours is flawless ok

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he found a certain and sudden comfort with the man, a rapport already between them though they knew naught of each other save names. locally? the ecru-furred leader asked of his bronzed companion, paws picking carefully their path from the grass still sodden over ground not yet firmed from the constant dampness of snow and ice.

overheard, a robin twittered gaily, and lasher gave pause to admire the blossoms unfurling upon a dogwood tree, nares flaring to take in the pastel scents of new spring. then, delight apparent upon his visage, he traveled onward, attentions turning back to mordecai.

i'm usually happy so long as it's understandable and flows well lmao. >_>;

"Yes," he answered with a nod. It had been locally, at least somewhat. Mordecai couldn't have guessed to the breadth of the region, but he had come to understand that others considered it vast. He had only crisscrossed it a handful of times, finding that he worked through one area well before he pressed onto the other. It had been a slow process, but for as vast as it was, it seemed justified. His affinity for the packs in those regions limited him, though he didn't think of it that way.

"Ouroboros Spine, to the west and south from here. I didn't lead them long, I preferred to travel instead," he went on to explain, sensing that perhaps the next question ahead would have been a query as to what had happened. And in a way it had been true, though it was far from the whole story. It wasn't just the call of wanderlust that had taken him away, but rather a culmination of many things into a furious storm lingering overheard. That storm of sorts had passed, at least for the time being. A with many things in life, another had begun to brew on the horizon just for the sake of being there.

Whether or not it came to him or passed was another story altogether.

it always does! i love ku-posts :3

he answered, and lasher realized he had not yet met a wolf from the spine, at least not in recent memory. giving a slight nod to mordecai's words, he pressed forth, tail swinging catlike behind him. the explanation as to why mordecai had arrived in the plateau was rather vague, but the beta did not attempt for further details. i trust that you have enjoyed your stay thus far, he murmured.

the burnished man's story had caused the man worry as to whether mordecai would be staying long with them, but perhaps that was the way of things. those who did not find dedication persuading them to stay would move on.

Had he enjoyed his stay? Mordecai could say that he had. The Plateau was a region that he had not explored before in the sake of its claim and to now do that as well as be apart of something again brought him minor comforts. It alleviated any concern over the remains of winter, though that season was coming swiftly to pass. He was thankful for that, because there was always an inkling at the back of his mind that it could have been much worse. And he had lived through worse, at that.

"I have, actually," he answered with a wave of his tail. "Dante is an old friend of mine, from when we were both just travelling around. Things here are quaint, and quiet. It's nice." Of course he imagined that now he was gone from the Spine, things there were much the same. But they hadn't always been and that had been something he had sought to escape from. With the weeks come to pass since then, he believed that he had for the most part.

"Have you lived here long as well?"

dante, it seemed, was a friend to all, and taltos was pleased to know that mordecai was not so new among them. perhaps it would influence his decision to stay at the plateau.  i have been here for quite some time, before dante was elevated to the alpha position. he has done very well; i am pleased to serve as his beta.


he knew naught of the spine, and curious, he cast a glance at mordecai. did you found the pack there? he asked softly, pressing onward with quiet steps. while the burnished man was sure to answer, lasher did not like to press for information directly, and would leave it to mordecai to furnish words as necessary.

Perhaps most intriguing was the fact that Lasher had been there for some length. If anything, Mordecai guessed that it had been a good year or more. It had almost been a year since he had found himself drawn in towards the region to explore, and in that year far too much had happened to almost keep track of. Still, it brought warmth to him to hear his friend spoken so highly of, and a faint smile traced the edges of his muzzle for a moment. It had been a moment of amusement between himself and Dante before the onset of winter, how they had gone from mere travelers to leaders of their own stations.

And now, things had certainly changed from that again.

"I was one of the wolves who founded it," he stated, not entirely saying it was a yes or a no. "The pack was originally from the mountain nearby, ah, Silvertip Mountain. Another group of wolves have taken claim to it recently." The information interjected itself, but he felt it just as pertinent to share with the beta all the same. He had told Dante and while Mordecai did not doubt that Dante shared information among his leaders, it came as habit.

mordecai's vague responses were telling in a way; he was a man who appeared to prefer an air of solitude, of shadow. let it be -- lasher was not the prying sort, and though he was interested even more deeply in the burnished man with a history beyond that which he revealed, he spoke no more of it. "what role do you believe you will fill here, mordecai?" 

whatever the ostrega chose, he would do well. it was a feeling that the beta had cultivated. it had little to do with his time as a leader; mordecai's evaluation had come solely based on the aura he projected forth. 

When it came to the matter of roles, Mordecai supposed in a way he found them somewhat restricting just to stay confined to one. Though he possessed many skills, there were a few among them which were notable. He thought for a moment before giving a shrug, as though he hadn't quite decided what particular role was expected of him to fill. If there was even such a role to be filled.

"I suppose whatever I need to be. I'm not a bad hunter, or a scout. Is there a particular need for something here?" He was willing to be helpful, whatever the required cause could have been.

"there is not, but i feel you would fit the role of warrior, however." the borders were regularly patrolled and he had seen no dangers as of late, but it would do to put the role to strong and capable wolves, such as mordecai, one who would act with intelligence and discretion. they would benefit from his presence there. 

though he was one of the pack's confidants, lasher felt he needed to choose another role to serve. naturalism suited him, but perhaps he would become a caretaker. in time, blue willow would return to the duties befitting an adult member of the pack, for the children would be half-grown and no longer nursing.

While there may not have been a particular need for something, Mordecai was humored at Lasher thinking him a warrior. "A warrior," he said to entertain the thought a bit more, "I don't know about that. Always fancied myself more of a warden. I was always better with defense growing up." And truth be told, he found that he would have rather avoided battle if it could have been helped. But sometimes even that was inevitable; all in all, they held much capacity to be violent creatures.

"So are you a healer too?" he opted to ask, wondering if Lasher also held the title. Mordecai merely presumed that like his mate (though in reality, they were not), they were joint healers of the plateau.

he was not surprised that mordecai objected, for the man was not some emptyheaded beast, to follow willingly as a bull with a beringed nose. "i could see you as a warden," he murmured, his tone implying that his first suggestion had been in jest. the burnished ostrega would do well as he pleased -- within reason, and this taltos knew, as well as accepted. they walked in silence for a time before the beta chuckled in response to his companion's words.

"oh, that i was! as it is, i am hopeless when it comes to anything besides blossoms and buds, flowers of the earth. blue willow is a true sorceress of healing." he had seen her at work, and remained in awe of his sable lover. had mordecai the chance to see her as well, he too would have been held in thrall. "i am a counsellor, as is dante. a confidant."

sorry if this is disjointed and crap, i am not having a good day and i'm trying to write through it. x__x

In a way, it came as little surprise to him that Lasher was better suited for something of an advisory role. From the moment that he spoke of it, Mordecai could plainly see it as though it had been visible all along and simply overlooked. Though he could not help but chuckle, thinking that perhaps his darker haired counterpart would have been a healer, he also supposed that a counselor was a healer of sorts. Not all wounds were of the open sort, were they?

"That must be an interesting task," he commented curiously. It was a role he could not imagine himself in, though he had been cornered off into it before. Cara had been notorious for it he knew, though he had never thought himself wise enough to instruct her what to do otherwise. It had been easier to imply that she think for herself, rather than listen to his suggestions. He waved the memory away.

"Was it something that just to you naturally, or something you decided you wanted to do?"

<3 i hope today is better!

"i have excelled at such tasks since my beginning. therefore, it was natural for me to seek the role. the former leader of this place wished for me to become a gamekeeper, but after his sudden departure, i saw no reason to pursue a skill in which i truly have very little interest." he smiled. "and blue willow, my love, the mother of my children, is our healer. such a pair we make.

and dante. "dante is an mixture of strength and honor, of logic and intelligence and emotion. we complement one another as leaders, but it is he who does the best in a forefront role." realizing he had spoken at length, he cleared his throat. "these are subjects about which i am passionate."

Kinda sorta; Friday and Saturday are usually my least favorite days of the week. Last night things were absolutely batshit at work and I suspect today will be much the same. :/

Mordecai couldn't help but find a smile returning to his face as Lasher spoke. It would have made sense for him to pursue something that he naturally excelled at and very much in the same way, Mordecai had always done the same. His skills came borne out from his own passions, for the love of travel had lent him the guile to succeed at hunting and fending for himself well. And in the same way, Lasher could put essence into words far more eloquently than himself; he agreed with his description of Dante.

"Everyone needs to be passionate about something," he said, offering a chuckle to the last of his counterpart's statements. "I've spent most of my life travelling, to be honest. I've seen a lot and I've met a lot of wolves who were passionate about different things. Some fancied themselves hunters, others were warriors. Some simply were after power of their own sort." He paused briefly, finding himself ruminating momentarily over another of Lasher's mentions. "What would you have said your former leader was passionate about?" Obviously they had left and it would have seemed that they were more expectant than leisure in their desires.

<333!!


me, he wanted to joke, remembering the heat of peregrine's love. it had not been deep enough, however, but lasher was not wishing to harangue his companion's ears with the mess of that ending. "loyalty. and dedication. he was a fierce warrior." the ostrega seemed the same, but an intellectual sort, logical as was dante, whereas peregrine had been ruled almost solely by emotion, as lasher. a small sigh broke from him; taltos glanced to the earth. "he was a lover of mine, and my heart holds him still. but he left us, suddenly and almost cruelly, to pursue the formation of a pack with his second mate."

pressing himself beyond the constriction of his throat -- lasher was displeased to see that the wound still strung, after all this time -- he smiled at mordecai. "have you a wife? children? perhaps left behind in your land?"

Sorry for the delay here. Just really haven't felt like writing either tbh.

What was revealed in that answer surprised Mordecai, though he kept his intrigue about it quiet. It was a sensitive topic and he found in addition to his curiosity of such, he had nothing to add to it. Some wolves packed up and left on a whim, not caring a bit what it was that they did or who they hurt. And that was something that Mordecai tried to avoid, as he was prone to the same pack up and go tendencies.

Lasher's smile pulled him from his silent speculations, offering another question that perhaps would have given them more common ground. But as it were, Mordecai found as he smiled, this was not one particular area they would share entirely. "Neither. I was young when I left my homeland and now, not so much I suppose. The life I enjoy does not favor either very well," and as he saw it, if either happened then it was perhaps his time to settle down. "It's easier to do things the way I do them now." And if either came about, he knew he wouldn't abandon them for whatever desire tickled at his interest next.

me either bby. let's wrap up and have another sometime! <3

he nodded. constancy had become important to him; very little did lasher fantasize of a life outside the willow and his children. though he longed for more masculine company, he doubted it would come from the plateau, and perhaps it would do him well to be accepting of this. pausing to stretch his muscles, he smiled broadly at mordecai. 


"a hunt, then?" the beta inquired, nares flaring to take in the scent of a nearby prey. lowering his muzzle to the earth, he quickly located fresh deer spoor, and motioned at its tracks, tail swaying gently at his heels as he awaited the ostrega's response.

we should totally have another thread sometime, i agree! i'll fade it out here. <3

As their talk came to a gradual conclusion, Mordecai could not help but return the broad smile he received at the mention of a hunt. Hunting was a pasttime that he had never grown tired of and rightly so, he would not pass up the opportunity to continue to hone in his skill with the varied terrain of the Plateau.

"Sounds like a good plan to me." He trailed Lasher for a moment as his companion found the more recent trail of deer and when the two were ready, set off with him in pursuit of the infamous deer that roamed openly across the plateau.