Raven's Watch got my ticket for the long way round

A name could be misleading. Rue wondered if the man meant this statement only as it related to the name of his pack, or if he meant to comment upon his own name as well. Stigmata...  It was a name that hinted at shame, disgrace.. certainly not a name Rue would ever claim as her own, nor bestow upon any child of hers for that matter. And yet, Stigmata seemed to carry the "shameful" moniker with pride, or at least with indifference. Misleading, indeed. 

I would not dare presume myself any more resilient than you. Rue gave a small shake of her head, signalling disbelief. No one could possibly look at her and think resilient. Doubtless he was simply returning the compliment, which was rather meaningless anyway coming from either of them considering how little they knew about one another. 

Rue hesitated to answer the question, thinking over her words for a moment before she chose to reveal anything else. Even though Stigmata had been pleasant company so far, she couldn't quite shake her compulsion to remain cautious. "I'm a recent arrival to these parts, and I'm surveying the lands surrounding my new home," she finally said, figuring that sharing such information had little chance of doing her harm. 

"Ought I keep an eye out for Bearclaw Valley?" she ventured, wondering if Stigmata's home was proximate to the Plateau. It would be good to know if there were other packs residing in the area, from a political as well as explorational standpoint. A nearby pack could be a helpful resource to the Plateau wolves, especially if they had been established in the area for some time and could share information about the climate and ecology of the Plateau wolves' new home. On the other paw, neighboring packs could pose a threat-- even under the guise of friendship, as Rue had recently learned the hard way.