Arrow Lake donald duck, sunny d, tampico, capri sun

i've forgotten how to condense D: help!

with the intention of finding out if any of the burdened beggars had suddenly become ingrates overnight, stigmata prowled about looking for vercingetorix, almost exclusively. most of diaspora did not stray regularly, but some of their geists seemed indoctrinated from their past lives to stalk the borders in lone vigilance. predictably, he found the dark titan roundabout where he had expected, and he cantered easily to the wolf's side; leaving space where he might have bumped a more familiar packmate's shoulder.

the basilisk's ears were forward and his tail was lifted, but it waved back and forth in tentative geniality - testing the air, so to speak - as he observed him. "sir," he greeted him first, then after a steadying pause, attempted the wolf's name aloud for the first time: "vercin.. getorix?" he hated that it necessarily needed to be a question, but stigmata was nothing if not quick to move on. he cleared his throat after the humbling stumble, and nodded out beyond the lakeland's boundary. "anything?" the general asked reservedly for news, though he knew he might take any reports with a grain of salt, if only because he did not necessarily yet trust these supposed defectors.

he could not be sure that they had no reinforcements following then to this very place, but he knew the merits of not being openly hostile. the fact that they had all come in such a vulnerable state helped their case as well, but stigmata had seen dirtier tricks played. he had orchestrated them even, making him paranoid under the right conditions. so every once in a while, until he would eventually relax completely around him, stigmata would surreptitiously test the disavowed warrior to see if the male would meet his eye or do his submissive duty and glance away. they were not equals, after all, and stigmata would show absolute respect to this other breeding male only after he had proven himself as an asset here first.