Boartusk Heights Corpus Craggus

the wildcat did not miss the spiking of the stranger's hackles, or the sharp glean in his eyes. though the defensive reaction was caused, it did nothing to rile any sort of response out of the cur. he remained as it had been upon approach, interested but decidedly feral in his stance. his frame was positioned to keep himself defended well, with his head hung low to hide the tender portions of his throat and underside. while he had kept his frame in an ideal position out of habit, the rest of him seemed relatively lax. the muscles beneath his rangy figure – while prominent – were not taught in any way. it was as though the cur knew that the wild things could only be found in wild terrain, and he had sought them with this image in mind.

tusk curled his lip over a single canine at the remark that was passed toward him. the wolves of the area were not ideal; that was a shame. though it had not been intended to turn him away, there was a kindling in his gut that told him things would look better after he had placed miles beneath his limbs. then, he thought of thorn and quill and how they had ventured together to the new land. there was a chance that they would have found a calling of their own there, somewhere. there were miles and miles of land to cover – not all of them could possibly lack the capability that tusk sought. after all, he was speaking with the only other soul on the side of the jagged mountain. capable bodies had to have found their way there at some point.

“shame,” he said in a voice that hardly sounded as though he were disappointed by the news. “i'm sure able bodies will find themselves where they are needed, in time.” it was how things were sorted, he figured. the wildest portions of the world were intended only for those with spirits just as savage. if the mountain was intended to remain empty, save for the rare passerby, it would. tusk was not a man of faith, but he had a simplistic view on the rest of the world. it certainly wasn't worth his energy to gripe about the state of others.