And when I touched her skin, my fingers ran with blood

@Iluliaq first please!

The bloated silver moon overhead acted more as their guide than did the Northern star, rumored to lead the way. The road had been a long one; the siblings trudged onward nonetheless from lands of ice and snow to a place that seemed, from appearance alone, soft. The Northern siblings of Tartok stopped when hungry, scavenging when they could and hunting when they had the energy. They had moved to the Spine, having heard from a wolf of their branch—Razorback—that this was where they last lay before the storm. But that land was, from their investigation, no longer lived in. Even if one desired to live there, they could only survive on the swollen carcasses that smelled foul from their time in the sun. Iluq knew those could not be scavenged unless they desired to fall sick... and they could not afford that. Not when they had more traveling to do.

If they left this place, they would need to inform the branches—acting as outriders—that this one no longer existed. But first they would find out for sure. How could they do that? Iluq hadn't the slightest idea herself... she felt as though the odds were against them. These wilds smelled of so many, and Tartok shared information with so few. Only themselves, truly.

Iluq scouted the path of the storm, and brought her brother with her to follow it. Iluq honestly hadn't thought ahead to the point of thinking that this was where Tartok would go... she simply slipped into a lazy moment and knew this would be the easiest path to travel. Who knew what rest in the wreckage of the wilds? The territories were unsafe. The safest bet was to follow the trail, and see where it led.

Eventually, it led to Fairspell Meadow. They pushed through the land, ignoring any and all passerbyers as they spotted a mountain up ahead. "It will give us a good vantage point," Iluq knew... and, they were mountain wolves themselves. She would be more comfortable upon the rock than she was loamy, soft grass. So they pushed ahead... only to abruptly stop at the borders, where rock bled in an ugly formation across the grass, soft, lush green blades between them... but, the rocks had teeth on them. Even calloused paws might eventually bleed upon this, she determined with a scrunched brow. But a strong smell overwhelmed her...

This mountain was claimed. Something about the scent struck her as familiar... and she snorted. What could be familiar about this, other than the mountain itself? But Iluq paused, glancing to her brother, Iluliaq, wondering what he made of it. "Perhaps they will know what became of the Spine..." After all, the path did directly lead to here. The wolves of this mountain must have been asked the question half-a-dozen times to know what became of it, even if only by hearsay.

The trail that the duo had trekked slithered along the ever-changing scenery and Iluliaq keep hard eyes to the surrounding areas. The mountain had always been their home, it was comfort and they knew that they would be safe within those borders. But their current view could not be labeled as such. They simply had no idea what was out there, so they always had to be prepared. The two traveled as rumors fueled their curiosities further. Despite the constant guard that Iluliaq held, he couldn’t help but wonder if these storms were everything that they had been described. After all, they rumors had been grand and the brute couldn’t help but to doubt them. It seemed as if it were the perfect mix for a tall tale and he would not believe it until he saw it with his own eyes. Their restless and determination caused for the pair to travel in  a timely manner. Diddling about was not an option, nor was trekking elsewhere. They would keep to the track and do as they were told.

The southern horizon grew ragged as a formation bean to peak before him and this sent relief to the mountain cub. He loathed how plush their trail had been and yearned for rock and grit once more. “It will,” he replied slowly, his eyes remaining on the looming formation. “Let’s go.” Their pace seemed almost rushed, as if they had been starved miners that had just struck gold. But, there was something that stopped them abruptly once they had nearly made it.

Piss. The peak has already been claimed. There was something laced in the marker that reminded him of Tartok. His ears perked and his lips fell straight as he looked over to his sister as he attempted to gage just what she made of this. It’s as if they had been following this invisible trail the entire time. “There is only one way to find out,” He suggested, his snout tipping towards the sky as if to suggest that she should raise her voice. He let out a call, summoning anybody to meet them at the borders.

I'm assuming they're a little ways back from the inner borders. Correct me if I'm wrong!

While his lessons in their language had been temporarily stalled with all that had gone on recently, Nanuk had taken today to find her aokkatti and invite him to the borders to patrol; Very seldom was she not patrolling anymore since the incident with the coyotes. With his acceptance and @Tonravik left at the den to watch the young parasites, the Beta changed the language of their conversation to Inuktitut and would not revert to the common tongue. He needed practice conversing in this manner and she would give it to him as they made their rounds. 

The back and forth was choppy but it was continuous nonetheless, though there was a pause as a call went up. Her ears perked, her head swiveling to stare in the direction the summons had come from. Without words between them, the two leaders picked up their pace and went to meet whoever had called; the voice had been unfamiliar so there was only one option: outsides. Whether they were local or even those of Tartok, they were not of the Spire and were therefore unwelcome anywhere close to the borders. 

Fortunately for them, for there was indeed two wolves who matched almost perfectly in color and stature, they were a safe enough distance away that Nanuk found no quarrel with their presence. Not yet anyway. Gold eyes evaluated each of them as she and Iqniq approached, her nose working to process their scents. Vaguely familiar, but nothing that stood out at her as they pulled close and came to a halt before them. Two-on-two; if this meeting turned south, the two Spire wolves could take them and be evenly matched, most likely. But offense was not her goal now, not with Winter coming. They could not afford an injured Beta or Alpha.

Her ears perked, eyes flicking between them, waiting for one of them to speak. Or perhaps Iqniq himself would. Either way, her dominant and aggressive body language spoke volumes. What do you want?

This whole language thing would have been significantly easier if he had been raised in both the tongue of Tartok and the common tongue as his children would be. His pups had it easy. They would grow up learning and knowing both to the point were each tongue would be interchangeable. As an adult? Learning was a heck of a lot harder, but Nanuk was doing an excellent job of flushing out his vocabulary... and now she was simply being annoying with it.

She refused to speak to him in the language he knew best, forcing him to concentrate more thoroughly on his Inuktituk. His brow furrowed as the chatted back and forth and he tried to shift his way of thinking over to the more clicking words that formed the Tartok tongue. Slowly. The process was slow, but as the hours passed while they roamed his way of thinking was beginning to comprehend the dialect. His responses were faster and more fluid than when they'd started. He was learning and eventually he'd get there.

The howl that rang up on their borders brought their idle jabbering to a knowing silence. It didn't take any words for them to alter their path and seek out the unfamiliar voice who called. Too close. Any wolf who was not their own was simply too close for Iqniq to be comfortable. Not after the run in with the coyotes. Not after the instances in which their borders had been ignored when they were once the Spine. Definitely not with puppies in the heart of their home.

Iqniq lifted a howl of his own, a reply both to the strangers at their front door and to inform the rest of the pack the stranger was properly handled, for now. It left their wolves on standby should himself and Nanuk need any back up in their endeavors. He hoped whoever called would not bring this meeting to blows, but his caution left him suspicious and unwilling to assume the best. He and Nanuk moved with haste.

They came upon a pair of near identical wolves. Both were frosty in appearance, likely of the arctic variety, and held a familiar scent to them that lingered beneath the smell of these wilds. They'd been traveling. For now, it was simply a question as to what they were doing here. With dominance in his posturing and his tail rigid above his back, he narrowed his eyes upon both wolves who lingered. His lips twitched, holding back the beginnings of a silent snarl. They were at the borders. They had called. So far so good, but he wasn't holding his breath.

"What brings you here?" he asked with gravel in his voice. This pair would be met with hostility until they proved there was reason to trust them otherwise.

As her brother called, she called with him. And they were met sooner rather than later, for there came two wolves. One so similar to them in build and fur they could be related... and one quite unlike any other they had seen, with red furs that complemented his majesty. Iluq dipped her head as the two of them came, smelling youth. One of them, perhaps the two of them together, parented the brood here... which would warrant an exceptional amount of aggression. Their own mother would kill any too close on that ground alone when they were young.

The red one was the first to speak. Iluq would not waste his time. "We wondered if you might know what happened to the wolves of the Spine," she spoke, a far more eloquent beast than her mother. Her father was a well-spoken man, at least, but she had adopted the accent of all those not foreign to the land within the North. She was multilingual, speaking in all tongues of Inuit. They were similar, as Spanish and Italian could be, and so it was no problem when speaking with different branches who typically had a different primary dialect of it.

Iluq revealed nothing else yet, as she felt oversharing could be obnoxious and she wanted to deliver what answers she could give only when asked. Not so that it felt like speaking with her was pulling teeth, but so they would not feel she assumed anything of them. But she herself revealed nothing of her knowledge of Tartok, which a scarred wolf passing through had revealed to them upon a mission to share of an additional, newly-formed branch. She had not caught his name, but he had mentioned a name familiar to their mother. Your sister, she had expressed to the cubs in Inuktitut. A sister they had yet to meet. It mattered not. There were many with the name they did not yet know... but they were family all the same. A powerful name that was well-traveled yet not well-known unless one had faced them. Iluq kept low, and did not look to either of their eyes. She did what she could to make it abundantly clear she was not here to fight.

[size=small]The harmony of their song faded into nothing and anticipation settled. He was all too familiar with the plot of welcoming newcomers. The only plot twist this time was that he was now on the other side of it. Frankly, he wasn’t all too fond of it. A call was quick to fall upon the pair and all they could do was wait in silence for somebody to come to them. In the meanwhile, he adjusted himself accordingly, drawing himself to a respected position. Neither of them were here to be imposing or overbearing and he knew nothing good would come from strong body language. His eyes danced from the horizon to Iluq, wondering what was running through her mind. [/size]

[size=small]The pair didn’t have to wait too long for the pack members to arrive and it was as the two drew near that Iluliaq drew his eyes away from the two and at a respectable height. He could faintly smell the scent that they had seemingly followed, but there was also the fragile accent of newer lives. He made note of this and held himself accordingly and waited. [/size]

[size=small]Iluq did the explaining and the brute looked to her, nodding as if to agree. He too wasn’t going to pour out the contents of his life’s story just yet. No, he would need more information before they got that information from them. [/size]

My posts are probably gonna be short while I'm at work so I don't hold the thread up! Sorry!

 

The wolves of the Spine were the very wolves that resided here, of course, but Nanuk found no reason to tell them this. Not yet. Instead, she gave a short, concise answer. "They survived." Her tone was guttural, not quite growling, but not the smooth baritone of her usual conversation. She did not growl as their actions did not yet warrant it; deference and respect placated the Beta for the moment. 

Months had passed since the storm and so the question they asked was one that told the polar bear someone had spoken about their presence there, that perhaps these wolves had been informed about the storm that had driven them out. So she countered with a gruff "Who's asking?"

Haha! Same. Quick post before work!

The non-aggressive and compliant posturing of the wolves before them was much appreciated. He'd been growing tired of those defiant few who wished to push their bounds. The bull headed were vast in number it seemed, or at least, many of those tempted their borders. He was pleased to discover these two were respectful, but he knew the tides could change so while mentally he relaxed a bit, physically his stance was just as unyielding as before.

The female spoke. It seemed the pair was tracking them. Curious. Something of a pessimist when it came to strangers and their borders, alarm flitted through him briefly as Nanuk parted her mouth to speak. No wolf or pack liked a stalker. The feeling of knowing they'd been tracked was equally unsettling. Still, Nanuk spoke and Iqniq found no fault in her words. He let the words settle as their white warden spoke again.

Iqniq turned his gaze in her direction, deferring their attention towards the beta. Nanuk's words were fair. They echoed the questions he held within his own mind and he did not find any reason to repeat the same. Who were these twin wolves upon their borders and why had they followed them here? All good questions. All things he wished to know.

The words were met with ample interest. They survived? Their vagueness, in itself, was telling if only in a manner that one truly looking might recognize. She sought to share a meaningful glance with her brother, but thought better of it lest they thought they conspired against them. No... she looked to the large paws of the wolves before her, thoughtful. How to go about this? It was their first time, and there was a certain way to... but, the ceremony of it all needed to be as vague as anything in case they were wrong.

So, at the question, Iluq looked to the forehead of the wolf who had spoken, meaning no disrespect to the alpha male, simply believing the one who spoke to be the figure of authority here. Obviously, the way the man carried himself meant he, too, held authority. She was mindful of this, though did try and discern who was who here. Ah. It would be easier to address the wolf asking the question.

"Relatives," she decided would suffice. So, either this would be enough to warrant them a direction to travel toward... or, it would warrant a more detailed query, one that one of their ilk could answer. When asked to one of their own, it would be a meaningful question... but when asked to a stranger, it would go over their head. Iluq awaited, unknowingly holding her breath while maintaining her respectful demeanor. It did not matter how strong she and her brother were. The two wolves here had a pack at their back, and they only had one another. Strong, to be sure, and battle-savvy... but against a pack, there was little point in picking any fights.

They were alive. A slight edge of curiosity flickered in his dull eyes as he lifted them to Iluq's. He had so many questions, just as his sister had. Were these wolves apart of the Spine? After all, there was one that mirrored their own physique. The other? Surely in structure he did, but his pelt bore different colors than he was used to. He was tongue-tied in the moment, silent as ever. He was already a wolf of very little remarks, but with the mystery hanging in the air, he did not know how to reply. 

Relatives. He exhaled softly, relief sweeping over him as his eyes fell to the other's paws once more. He was quick to nod in agreement to Iluq's answer, affirming that it was true. Despite it all, it was the truth. They were relatives, after all. The answer had just merely mirrored the vagueness that had met their inquiry. He said nothing else and instead held himself, wondering just what was going through the other's minds. He knew the dance that they were partaking in was dangerous and he knew that one misstep could bring them much pain. This was not their territory and they simply did not have the benefit of numbers. It was merely Iluq and himself against the rest of the world. 

He added nothing to the conversation and instead held himself as he had once expected others to present themselves when they were at his border. He wondered what would come of this, but knew that it was best for his sister to do the talking.

Flipping Iqniq and Nanuk's posting order around as previously discussed. Nanuk will follow after Iq!

He listened as the female spoke. One word. One clue. The wolves of Tartok were not necessarily a wordy bunch, but they held their own codes and secrets as to how to reveal themselves to one another. Was this pair from a distant extension of the branch who resided here? He couldn't not tell, not from the few words that passed between them, but the possibility remained.

Iqniq glanced towards the male. He'd said nothing during this conversation and had instead deferred to the female in his company. He found his silence curious, but said nothing of it. Turning his gaze back towards the female, he posed a question instead. "What makes you think your relatives withstood the storm?" There was no need for more words. He'd set up that question carefully. Their response would determine what happened here.

He asked an important question, one that would shift the tone of their conversation when they answered. Both sides were reserved in the amount of information they gave but even that spoke volumes for the mostly quiet quartet. Were they relatives or relatives? Only their answer would reveal this, as the ways of Tartok were such that specific answers were warranted when certain questions were asked. We can, we will was certainly the most notable but the strong survive was just as important for the wolves of the North.

She met Iqniq's glance but let her attention focus on the others again, waiting. She noticed the male's silence but thought nothing of it. Some wolves were good with words, and some preferred not to talk, and that was fine. She could be talkative, but others had to earn it first. It was their body language she was watching, waiting to see if they would prove themselves worthy of even full-fledged conversation instead of this vague and elusive stuff.

Ill watched, listened. Even when she felt her brothers gaze, she did not look, not yet. The question asked was a fair one, and one she had been near-expecting. Alertly, Iluq tilted her head and thought of how best to word it. She earned her fathers eloquence... he was well-spoken, and while she could be blunt, his silver-tongue was something Iluq also had learnt to wield despite seldom needing to. 

"My family is strong," she responded, "It is no wonder they would survive it—only a matter of where they survived." That, she felt, was enough. Properly vague to the point that it needed to be, where it would go over his head if he did not know, but they would understand if they did.

There isn't much more I can see him doing! Sorry it's so short. 

---

They were strong, but strong was just the tip of the iceberg in Iluiaq's mind. He thought the world of his family, but he would only express such expressions through dedication. His eyes danced as he turned to his sister, nodding as he had before. "The strong survive." He remarked, the deep baritone of his voice humming in the silence between the gathered wolves. There was nothing else for the large wolf to remark upon, so he fell silent again as a slight smile formed upon his lips. Hopefully, he had given the other's all the information that they needed.

He asked his question. The female spoke once more. He listened carefully, noting the way she shifted her words to accommodate their creed, but indirectly. He shifted on his paws. Her tongue was silver, but perhaps too much so. The way she spun them suggested she might be a stranger fishing for the right combination of words to validate a false claim to the Tartok name. Her words unsettled him. With little ones further up the mountain, he could afford to be picky and he was tempted to turn them away.

It was the male that saved them. He followed with the accurate combination of their words. At this, the breath he'd not realized he'd been holding suddenly left him. He was now free to answer their questions. Though strangers, these wolves were still family. However, since it was the male who replied most directly, it was to him Iqniq spoke next. "The storm flooded the Spine and we were forced to abandoned the territory. We've since relocated here." Sawtooth Spire was a far more fitting a location for them. That storm had been a blessing in disguise.

Their questions were answered. The pair of wolves had found them, just as they'd said they were seeking. Now it was only a questions as to who these two were and why the were looking. He asked as much now as he looked back and forth between them. "Who are the two of you? Why do you seek the wolves formerly of the Spine?"

Her brother said the creed, and it was this that soothed the alpha male the most. It mattered not what it was that put him at ease, only that he was put there. Iluq watched as he recognized them... which was more a relief than anything, because had he not grasped what she had said, or her brother had not clarified, they would have gone on their way. She had intentionally been vague... but realized the words tacked on by her brother made sense to be added. It didn't hurt, it appeared.

"I am Iluq Anneriwok," she spoke, letting her brother introduce himself if he so desired, "We come here for a new beginning. We were born North of here." Iluq knew if he recognized the surname in any capacity, he might understand why... and if not, her brother could clarify. She was silver-tongued, but that tongue did not always serve her so well it turned out.

The female’s words beat around the bush, a trait most Tartok wolves did not have though it was not unheard of. The male spoke to clarify and it was their saving grace, freeing Iqniq’s tongue and some of the tension in her shoulders. That she did not relax completely was typical but she let the female introduce herself, and to the other whether he did the same or not. New beginnings went only so far in Tartok but she knew that they did not turn away their family.

”Here, you are required to be Warrior and Warden alike. Earning the Tartok name comes after those have been accomplished.” It was something they wanted from all members of the Spire, honestly. If they did not all eventually become Tartok, they would be divided. Yet they had to prove themselves worthy, first. Whatever other trades they wanted to pick up and however else they wanted to prove themselves assets was fine with her, and probably Iqniq too.

She did not introduce, allowing Iqniq to do so for himself first and then if he didn’t cover her name, she’d pipe up again. Otherwise, the bearish female fell silent once more, ears perked to catch the responses given.

I think brother will be rejoining! I spoke with Chan and she can't rejoin this immediate second though, so just tagging an alt ending for him in the meantime!

Iluq listened with ample excitement to the pale bears words, though her face remained straight throughout. The yearling knew the trouble with emotions, and shunted them aside. She nodded, knowing those stipulations well... and agreeing with them. Her brother introduced himself next. Still, there was one thing that must be done. Something her brother and herself had discussed. "You have our allegiance. But my brother was given an additional task from Siku," she spoke. "We had heard of the storm. They wished to know if any survived it. If the branch here still existed." All of the branches knew of the others... for wolves like them, who relocated, and for when their was war, and a message needed to be sent in case assistance was ever needed. Their mother would be glad to know this branch still existed...

Before they were chased off, Siku had spoken of this days prior. While her brother would not be allowed back into the branch he had left due to the incoming future cubs, he would be received for this knowledge.

Sounds good! We'll just play it as Iluliaq returning to speak with Siku and he can rejoin whenever Chan has a little more time. Let's wrap this up, shall we? :]

The twins introduced themselves as Anneriwok. Chooses. Neither one was fully Tartok, but both were on their way if they so chose to remain a part of this world. He was optimistic in their seeking of a home here. Since his coming, he'd not met many wolves from the other branches and his curiosity was piqued. He reined back his interest if only because there were more pressing matters. The male would return to inform Siku of their survival. Very well then. A nod touched his muzzle, dismissive of the wolf. He could go and complete his task.

He spoke no more until Iluliaq had departed. He had some other goal and therefore was not privy to the rest of their secrets. As for the female who remained, Nanuk had already spoken of their requirements. Warrior and warden were the bare minimum of what they desired out of their family here. Protecting and defending were valuable things. They allowed each wolf to hold their own. The rest of their law was no doubt shared between the branches, but their territory and their number were things they would not share so freely.

"Come then," he welcomed, shifting on his paws as he turned to begin heading up the jagged, all-consuming slopes. "Welcome to Sawtooth Spire."