Phoenix Maplewood you are a forest fire, set the world aflame

The scents of the maplewood had faded drastically since she last stood in the territory. It still remains hauntingly empty, a skeleton of a former empire; a history she could not quite decipher. She’s past a few landmarks she thought might have been important, once upon a time, but are not lost and forgotten in the wake of safety. Relief had bubbled in her chest that day, when she discovered they were gone, but the warrior—and perhaps even Heda—had felt a little disappointed. Their wrath had not been met, they did not carry back a story of their battle to put fear in others, but for the time being no one had to know. 

The lack of bloodstain in the maplewood doesn’t make her victory any less important. They had fled because of her. Thuringwethil tries to play out the scene in her head had they not left, where blood would have been shed or bodies had been dropped, if they’d shown up on the Phoenix doorstep and met an army of wolves. She can barely decipher what might have happened but she moves, occasionally investigating a den or area that draws her attention for something she might could use. They wouldn’t have been able to carry everything in their possession, but she’d occasionally come across a few bones hidden away, a rotting cache forgotten, and a handful of dried herbs she has no clue of their purpose.

Zephyr was, per usual, out and about in hopes of finding a good place to settle. A lack of activity around the maplewood had caught the ebony males attention, and so now he was picking is way carefully through. It was clear there was a pack here not long ago, caches still full of now rotting kills and wilted herbs. What had happened to drive them out? Zephyr had liked this territory the first time he came upon it, but there had been clear borders then, not to mention activity. Something had clearly chased them off, and the curious coal wolf wondered if he'd ever find out. 
Luck would be on the massive males side, and before long an unfamiliar scent tickles his nose. Its a female, and fresh. Grassy eyes bright and perpetually friendly, Zephyr trotted cautiously towards the alphas scent with his usually peppy step. A dark female came into view, pelt made up of various shades of deep brown and eyes a slight grey. He lets out a low and friendly chuff of greeting, wondering if this female would be hostile towards him or become his next new friend. He held his body neutral but lifted his head to see her better, and his first thought lingered on her looks. She was very beautiful, but Lyric soon came to mind and he had to shut that thought down.

Thuringwethil isn't sure if the scents, however faded they may be, would be a deterrent for wolves passing by. She even considers Reek and his crew might come down after his call and see the wreckage left behind, but she hasn't noticed a trace of the dark male. He wouldn't find a body, but it didn't mean there hadn't been any, and his obliviousness is the thing she desires most. Wanting him to believe she tore his family apart, devoured his innocent children, in a further way to manipulate him from not taking the deal she offered. They could have had something great, but his stupidity would only destroy him.

A scent causes her head to turn, lift and square above her shoulders—dominant, as if she owned the land—and arches her tail above her spine. A neutral territory it may be now, but Thuringwethil's warning to the phoenixes, as well as any that may pass by, would not go unnoticed. For now, the Maplewood belongs to her, and she intends to keep it that way.

From where she stands, she watches the dark make. His scent is only vaguely familiar, reminding her of the wolves she'd chased out of her lands north of the dragon. They'd settled a little closer to the coast, far enough away to saris the young leader. Tensions are between them, but Thuringwethil and her group kept their distance and she expected the others to do the same. The other isn't close enough to Sleeping Dragon for her to deter him any further, but he does stand on her victory ground. Thuringwethil remains silent, observing his decisions from the distance between them.

Well, she didn't attack. Zephyr kept a neutral stance, tipping his head in curiosity. He did not submit to the dark female, but he did let her keep her space. An ivory smile split the crow black fur of his face, kind and open. It was clear this male wanted nothing to do with aggression in his stance and the calmness of his bright green eyes, but his well-muscled and scarred frame suggested that he was no stranger to fighting. He was a walking conflict, so to speak, but it bothered him none. Zephyr settled into a comfortable sit, blinking curiously at her silence. Such a dominant female was not going to back up her apparent claim with any words? Very well. The black male, right then, decided that this wouldn't be the land for him. It was gorgeous, plentiful in prey, and homey, but the lingering scents and obvious recent occupation was deterring, even if he wasn't more of a mountain residing wolf anyways. Regardless, he was SURE this was not anyones, or at least nobody that cared. Why else would the borders have dwindled, and why would there be rotting meat in all the caches?
       "Hello. My name is Zephyr."
He spoke only just loud enough for her to hear, a deep respect lining each meaningless word. Though he was  naturally dominant wolf, this was not his turf.... It greatly helped that this wolf before him was a FEMALE, though he couldn't even tell himself he'd have bothered with a fight with even another male.

The woman does not particular expect submission from wolves outside of her pack anymore. She’d learned, over the first few months of her residing in the teekon, that these wolves did not know her. Did not know the spirit within her. Her title struck fear back home, the legacy of the Heda for generations residing within her, and her own training had brought her to be able to withstand and house it. When the male does not submit, it doesn’t surprise her, but his casual stance—even moving to sit—unsettles her. Acid flicks at the back of her throat and she debates her next move, careful and calculated of a ruthless warrior with kills beneath her belt.

He speaks and her own slate eyes narrow, just slightly, but his intentions in this territory does not seem apparent. A curious loner is all she’s able to decipher, and not a former Phoenix returning to reclaim what they fled before war. She debates speaking, and for a long moment she is silent and scrutinizing his size. Even if he is large, she does not fear him—just as she had not Warbone and the way he’d carried himself as if he’d slain all from battle. Her training began the day she’d been taken away from her mother as a babe, training she only remembers in muscle memory, and had warranted enough kill marks upon her shoulder for proof.

“Hello,” she says, voice smooth and even. “Why are you here?”

Zephyr keeps his calm eyes trained on her, and so he notices her behavior. She was not happy he was here, but it further proved his thoughts that this was unclaimed land. No wolf would stand idly by while a stranger sits around. Not a warrior either, and by the looks of her build and scarring she was familiar with the ways. The sullen female did not force submission, though she looked as though she was thinking about it, and for that Zephyr shifted again. He got to his snowy stockings and stepped to the side as to not directly face her. His grassy orbs never left her, and his voice was still just as candid and warm as before.
     "I reside in Seadog Sanctuary, but I've been looking to start a pack. This place caught my eye at first, though now that I'm checking it out I find myself not so impressed. Why are you here?"
He had every right to ask as she did, and blinked expectantly for an answer. If he was giving out information, then why wouldn't she? He'd noted that she hadn't given her name, and was already feeling like she would not be his next friend. Was she not going to talk like a civil wolf on neutral ground?

Zephyr confirms his location and she thinks about the two leaders. One drastically different than the other but nonetheless foolish in their decisions. She’d successfully forced them away from claiming too close to her own mountain, and while they are far enough away from her now, she’d still hadn’t had a pleasant run in with them when she’d seen them last. Even with tension between them, there is minimal hostility—not enough for Thuringwethil to want to push them out even further. 

With his intentions stated, even if he’s not impressed, she lifts her nose a fraction more. The Phoenix wolves have been gone a week and vultures are already picking at the pieces left behind. Thuringwethil takes a deep breath, features remaining stoic and her posture unwavering. “I am here to make sure the pack I drove out of this land is still gone,” she says simply, dangerously. The minor details of her victory remain unspoken, that they were already gone when she arrived with her army, and letting the stranger know the risk of settling here might be too high for his taste.

Thuringwethil isn’t above driving out another if she has to.

The female makes a bold statement, but he's not all that surprised. The wind brought her scent to him, and he could tell she was OF a pack. Her dominance hinted towards being an alpha, but the comment drove it home. Why else would she be driving packs away? He kept his stance neutral, but he could practically feel what he assumed was her growing agitation. Was it time for him to depart? Nah. Nothing bad seemed to have happened yet so why not see if she might relax a little? The risk didn't worry him, he trusted that if he found wolves to follow him that they would also fight with him. The location itself wasnt worth fighting for, however. No point being dominant in a place he had no interest in. He kept the conversation going for the sake of his curiosity, but tried not to push too much.
            "Congratulations. Is this your land then? I apologize if I'm trespassing, but I scented no current borders."

sorry she's not very nice 8)

Is it your land then?

Thuringwethil takes a moment to consider the question, finally giving herself a chance to look him over. His color and pattern reminds her a little of Magpie. She only has a silvered-white patch on her chest, often hidden by the tussle of the rest of her fur. The rest of him, as impressive as his size may be, he doesn’t seem to know how to hold himself to keep her interest longer than making sure that, even if she doesn’t verbally admit it, that the phoenix’s land belongs to her.

“No,” she finally responds with an indifferent roll of her shoulder, “it belongs to no one.”

Haha that's okay but Zephyr just has to try xD

Zephyr nodded and seemed to think for a moment, the maplewood forgotten. He liked this female, wanted even to become friends, but he wasn't so sure she had the same thoughts. He liked her stubbornness, and she was clearly an intelligent girl. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips before his easy, playful words. 
    "I suppose you won't want to be friends then."
Perhaps she would accept, but it wasn't likely. The big male would probably leave soon, sure that though this wasn't her land she couldn't be happy he was here.

The male’s comment catches her off guard but her expression doesn’t waver, remaining stoic enough to hide the sudden confusion. The leaders of the pack north west and herself don’t have the best relationship. Each time she runs into them, they are all rubbed the wrong way and left with a bitter taste in her mouth—she should have run them off farther than she had—and so she, instead, stays as far away from them as she can manage. If it came down to it, she would push them further back from her own domain, but for now, this male is the only other interaction she’s had.

“And why would I want that?” she decides to ask, wondering if the leaders of his pack has informed them of their relationship. He wouldn’t know her scent—maybe the way she looks, but that’s a bit generic—and so she keeps her tongue sealed on the matter until she’s presented with a good enough reason.

Well, it wasn't exactly a no. The dark female kept her steady demeanor, and it made Zephyr want to befriend her evermore. Calm, but not someone to mess with, not to mention her good looks: and she wasn't at all keen on even giving a friendship a shot. Damn. The ebony wolf shrugged, unaware of the thoughts running through her head. His bright emerald eyes were hopeful and wishing, but it had nothing to do with anyone but himself. He wasn't one that would do things out of bribery or temptation: not unless it was his own. Even then, he was a brutally honest gentleman, on top of having no reason to lie. Not that she knew any of this, of course.
      "I didn't think you would, but I couldn't just not ask. Just my own selfish wants, I suppose."

Unable to understand the point, Thuringwethil remains silent then. He gives her nothing to add to the inquiry, gives her nothing of value she could benefit from their friendship. Nothing from the sanctuary wolves is of value to her and so, she finds no desire to become friends with this stranger. Thuringwethil steels her jaw, feels the wind blow through her fur, but other than the ruffle of her coat, nothing else moves out of place. With nothing left to offer on either side, she waits until he moves first—she isn’t about to turn her back on a stranger in a territory she decided to unofficially keep for herself.

Zephyr kept her gaze for a few moments, soon realizing there would be no reply. Guess it WAS a no. There was nothing more to do beside leave, then, right?
       "Suppose that's a no then, very well. I wish you well in the future. If you ever change your mind, come find me beautiful."
With a wistful smile and a playful wink, he was easy to turn his back and trot back towards home. His mission today was accomplished, he knew now that the maplewood would be of no use to him. Having to leave behind Thuringwethil sucked, having liked the strong-willed woman, but staying and pushing futher might have angered her. Had he not had someone at home waiting for him, he might've asked to join her ranks right there.
This would not be the last she heard of him, he hoped, as he vanished into the distance.

Weve gotta do this again <3 It'd be funny if they just kept happening to meet places that were neutral to both of them! xD

Absolutely! :)

He speaks again and Thuringwethil slowly blinks enough of her response. She pays little attention to the words he offers while her only interest is making sure her message has gotten across. The maplewood would be vacant for sometime and a naïve straggler isn’t going to hinder her plans. She watches him turn then, and trot away the way she assumes he’d come from. Thuringwethil doesn’t move from her spot until he’s disappeared from view and she flares her nose for another scent, searching out the rest of the territory.