Redtail Rise sleepless solitude tonight

Mercury glimpsed up through his lashes at her when she gave a nod in acknowledgment to his submission, and rose to a indefinitely more comfortable, neutral posture. It was relaxed, though there was a strong set to his sylphlike shoulders — a tension that he never allowed to relax when he was patrolling the borders. He had learned that one had to be ready for anything, for the peaceful, for the malignant, for those who only sought to cause trouble, and for the trespassers. To relax the set of his shoulders was to put himself at ease, to take down his guard. It was not something that he allowed to slip easily, not when many things could be and would be at stake. She returned his hello, her soft lilting tone accented by the soft smile she offered the dark skylark. His lips mirrored the action, the barest of smiles tugging at the corners of Mercury's lips. He was not sure what to expect of her, nor what to make of her, yet. He was weary if only because he'd been exposed to very different environments, not only in Stavanger Bay under Ragnar's regime, but in Odinn's Cove and the ruthless Vikings the lands housed, and the Redleaf-DiSarinno's of Flightless Falcons. Each pack was starkly different from the other, the only similarities he had witnessed had been, understandably between Stavanger Bay and Odinn's Cove, though Mercury had come to learn quickly that Ragnar's Bay was more like a melting pot instead of the steadfast, ironclad, unbending Viking way of Odinn's Cove. It had been quite a culture shock to Mercury who, as a child had always assumed he'd grown up in a true viking pack.

“I'm the new guy around here,” His simper was dashing upon his lips, before he offered her a sheepish half shoulder shrug. “I'm Mercury.” He responded in kind for her own introduction. “I was told upon my acceptance by Reek that I needed to prove myself,” The dark skylark gave her in the form of an explanation, despite that she had not asked for one. “As one of them, yes.” He considered that he might try for Outrider next, but it depended on the demand of the pack. It made no sense to have five outriders when other trades were sorely needed, and Mercury was adaptable. He had some knowledge of healing, albeit very basic, and he'd thrown around the idea of Chronicler or Naturalist as a third, though again his decision would be weighed heavily by what the Rise needed.