sci-fi palace

Feeling worlds more confident in her footing here and understanding of the lay of the territory, she prowled quietly towards the outer reaches. Bit by bit she had been working her memorized maps outward and maybe, she had been looking forward to bettering her presence on the borderlands. So far she had been around them occasionally and done her part here and there, but there was not excessive effort sent that way -- she wasn't a practiced warden yet, after all. Nor was she quite sure she wanted to be one..

She had smelled the scents of intrusions and other curious-smelling situations in recent weeks, and knew just a bit about the pack's situation with an exile of theirs who evidently liked to stir up trouble. Although, every time anything exciting was happening, she wasn't around to witness it firsthand.. so she had plenty to find out regarding it. It was definitely tempting to go sniffing them out more herself.

But for now, she remained a vigilant presence marching across the borderlands.  

His expeditions outside of the packlands had been brief, taking him away for only a few days. He had ventured in a large loop, following the curve of the land as he scaled hills, crossed rivers, and traversed through dense thickets. Always he kept the Spine over his shoulder; even from a distance, he could see the territory's jagged peaks, a reassurance that he would be able to find his way home.

The wolves he had met hadn't been the most pleasant, but that wouldn't deter him from continuing to pursue his trade. Lotan was happy, however, to see a familiar and friendly face -- he had tracked Wyvern for a while, wishing to catch up with his sister after the time they had spent apart.

"Hey sis!" he called, loping towards the outskirts where she appeared to be patrolling. His tail waved in a cheerful arc over his back as he slowed his pace, falling into step alongside his littermate. "How's it going?" he asked, bumping his shoulder amiably against hers.

She trudged along, ears pricked and eyes sharp.. but nothing came of it. At least she was covering ground and all the while, she was wondering if warden duties would ever really suit her as much as exploring abroad might. Wyvern liked the thrill of the possibility of something happening, but was the bland monotony of a peaceful borderland that filled in-between all that too much? She could handle laying down her scent and keeping a lookout.. although felt that it was inevitable that she seek a distraction sooner or later.

But this time, such a thing came right to her. Wyvern's ears swiveled and her tail was soon wagging at the familiar presence. "Hey bro," she returned eagerly and returned the bump. "It's going. I'm just... on patrol," she snickered, with emphasis provided for mock seriousness. She did almost tack on an "I guess", since patrol did seem to imply some serious duty beyond what she felt like she was honestly doing. "How was the all that out there?" she asked with a gesture of her muzzle towards the great beyond, for surely his answer would be more exciting than hers was. She hadn't actually known which way he'd gone exactly, just that he had been away for a bit, so she was eager to hear more.

"Patrolling?" Lotan replied, his ears turning backwards as he spoke. "Sounds boring!" Indeed it did -- and it had never been a task that had appealed to him in Sterren Hollow -- but he knew it was a necessary evil. In fact, Wyvern was probably proving herself more than he was; although Cara was an outrider and was fond of the trade, those who protected the borders were more actively dedicating themselves to the safety of the pack.

She asked about his adventures outside of the Spine and he shrugged. "Not great. I mean, exploring itself was awesome -- there are all kinds of landmarks and different territories out there -- but I met some weird wolves," he said, thinking of Bindi and Morgana (though he didn't know the latter's name). Perhaps he was being a bit too judgmental, but that wasn't important. He was allowed to have his opinions, as long as he didn't let them get him into trouble.

"I know, it is!" she answered immediately. "I was hoping I might find something exciting.. but..." she gestured at all the nothing around her to prove the point. Naturally, she had missed out on the trespassers from Mara's little group, although Wyvern only knew about them distantly and very secondhand. Which, while boring, it was true that a quiet border could probably be considered a safe one.

Far more interested in his answer, he had her attention captured. But, he didn't really have too much to say. Not much that surprised her anyway. At least the bit about the weird wolves was curious, and accordingly, she tilted her head. "Weird like how?" she asked. Good weird? Bad weird? A sort of weird that she might want to check out herself, or one to be cautious about? 

"Just not very nice," he replied immediately, though as soon as the words were out of his mouth he realized how silly that sounded. But it was true; the she-wolf from the dark woods had been beyond territorial and outright mean, turning defending her borders into a game. And the other had seemed to have some sort of secret agenda, asking for information about his pack and promising to visit Cara. "But I guess not everyone is as easygoing as Mom and Dad, huh," he added rhetorically with a small smile. Simultaneously, he swung a paw forward abruptly to kick at a pebble in his path.

The small rock skittered away and then he looked at Wyvern again. "You need to go with me next time I leave," he said -- though that wouldn't happen, as he would venture outside the borders again in only a day or two. But he did hope that they would do some adventuring together -- after all, that was part of the promise they had made to each other when they left Sterren Hollow.

Just not very nice.. was an good enough explanation for her, so she nodded slowly while licking her lips thoughtfully. "Yeah, guess so.." she did answer, although there was the smallest touch of almost-sadness; it wasn't often that she really missed their parents, but now for a fleeting second, this was one of them. Wyvern shook the feeling just as quickly as it had come. "Mhm, I wanna maybe go up the coast some... or go check out the mountains.." she agreed readily on traveling out with him next time he went, or any time, really. Wyvern wasn't choosy.

"For now, how about a hunt or something?" she proposed, and skimmed her sights ahead towards the depths of the territory. She was feeling very done with these attempts at patrolling, and a nice hunt could prove to be exciting at least -- and if successful, a good meal to boot. Wyvern didn't wait up long for his response, and instead sprung forward eagerly with her nose low to the ground in pursuit.