Sunbeam Lair i sang in my chains like the sea

With the encounter with Sleeping Dragon behind him and his claim more secure, Sriracha set out to continue his mission. He had yet to visit the mountains, whose peaks rent the sky and pierced the clouds. They were ever on the horizon, blue teeth against a blue sky. As Sriracha grew near they resolved themselves into the stone faces that they were and he picked up a number of scents, all converging into one path. He followed these until they grew so strong that he knew he neared a border, though among the rocks and ridges he could see nothing.

Rather than draw near, too near, he sat where he was and sent his call from there. He sought any who would come to see him, though in the end he would need to speak to a leader.

The call sounded, and she approached, new to these lands but not new to their traditions. Her sister was rendered incapable to attend by her children, and her mate was by her. She would approach and ask of what this one wanted, and then she would call for Ukko if the need so arises. She makes her way there in little time, moving in a quick lope, and the figure of a red male, a mask much like that of a raccoon adorning his features. He waits beyond the borders, not testing the validity of their claim, for this she is glad. She crosses without hesitation, slowing gracefully as she approaches. 

Piercing green optics survey him, scanning over him curiously. Her stance is not hostile, yet her ears and tail is raised to half-mast, as a meeting by her tribe's borders requires. "You called?" her voice calls out as she halts a short distance from him, soft and lilting yet reaching out across the space between them effortlessly.

His call is answered quickly. A woman approaches, though Sriracha had not seen where she had come from. It was like an itch to know that a pack was near but not being able to see it. They could not live among the inhospitable rocks of the mountainside, could they?

She was made of the very stuff of the mountain, granite and slate and grey, grey rock. Yet she was not like the sharp ridges, hostile and dangerous. She was soft, her voice like birdsong. At her coming he bowed his posture to reflect that of his position: a foreign leader. I did. Are you leader here? I'm here to talk peace, make arrangement, stuff like that, he said, only after he recovered from the sight of her beauty. She was a pretty little thing, fresh out of adolescence, if Sriracha's inkling was correct.

Avannon as usual was late to reply, arriving after someone else. Her blue eyes landed on Hisaya and she flicked an ear in greeting. Catching the man's last words she spoke up, almost immediately "She is not, neither am I. If you will wait with one of us, Hisaya or I will go grab someone. Unless you think it better to call someone?" she greeted, and then turned her head asking Hisaya for her opinion in the matter.

They were of equal rank and it would not do for her to assume charge in a situation like this. The pallid female sat down, her gaze flicking over to the male once more. She studied him, examined his posture and blinked once lowering her head as she recognized that of a leader. From where she was unsure, for he had no smell of a pack coming from his pelt that she could smell.

She was about to speak, when another suddenly arrived beside her and immediately took over. Annoyance frothed as she turned her gaze, suddenly cool, on the other, and surveyed her. She recognised her as the woman from the borders the day before, and her annoyance faded. Perhaps it was brought on by being in the bottom of the ranks again, though not an especially prideful woman, at times, hubris took the better of her.

She turned her gaze to the other, and spoke again, attempting to rid the annoyance on her expression."Greetings. I am Hisaya, an this my tribe, Ryujin. My sister is leader here, as is her mate. I shall call for them, should you so wish." she said, not knowing the other and feeling this a poor time to meet her. But the male wished to speak with, and thus she lifted her muzzle, letting song rise toward the heavens in a summoning for @Ukko or @Asterr, until she dipped her muzzle and let the final notes of the call fall prey to the heavens. Her brief annoyance had quickly faded, and she looked toward the other questioningly, not knowing her very well as off yet, and then toward the male. "Do you seek to settle nearby?" she asked, as his diplomatic presence hinted as such.

Around her children had the dragoness’ body been wrapped, offering them her warmth whilst they slept. Every now and again she’d nosed over them, checking their breathing and temperatures to ensure that they were each well. Just as she’d finished doing so, a howl had echoed throughout the lair, making her ears perk. The voice belonged to an unknown being, she was certain of that, and seemed to be requesting the leaders. Having kept herself within the den for the majority of the day thus far, she was somewhat eager to see what was going on outside. So, she’d told Ukko that she would check things out this time, nudged the girls closer to him, and then departed from the den. A moment was taken to stretch out her limbs and muscles before she’d set off, forcing them to wake after having been stilled for so long.

Asterr had crossed through the territory at a decent pace, then slipped out through the entrance and proceeded until the group was located; during her trek there, she’d heard her sister’s voice ring out, which had driven her to move quicker. Given the amount of time taken for her to reach them, she wasn’t the least bit surprised upon realizing that a conversation was already underway. What had shocked her, however, was the sight of Avannon. The girl would have expected her to stick to the inside of the cavern after what had happened, but there she was, out and standing before an unknown male. A look was tossed her way, but any thoughts that she might have had were dismissed and her sister then greeted with a nod of her head. Once she’d decided that the scene lacked a dangerous vibe, it was to their visitor that her attention was given.

“What business have you with my tribe?” inquired the girl, her tone gentle. There was no need, from what she could tell, to be wary of the other, and so she was relatively welcoming. Curious, too, was the chieftess, unable to help but wonder for what reason he’d summoned them.

Another woman arrived before the first could answer. This one was cloaked in white, her eyes a startling blue, and she offered to fetch a leader for him. However you see fit to get someone, he said, a response to both of them. It seemed a fair bit of trouble to go running off to find a leader when they could just howl, but every wolf had their ways, and far be it from him to fault them for that. (He also noted the name of the first to arrive: Hisaya.)

Hisaya was right on the money with her question. Sriracha nodded. Yeah, me and some guys I've found, he said, using guys as a gender-neutral umbrella for his followers. Not too close, but I want to be on good terms with the neighbors, so I thought I'd come let you all know. And almost as soon as he finished speaking, a third wolf arrived. This one perfected the black-grey-white scale the other two embodied, and he took satisfaction in the aesthetics of it. Also because they were all kind of hot.

Hello, he said with a bow, assuming by her posture and tone that this last woman led the tribe. My name is Sriracha. Like I was telling Hisaya and her friend here, me and some friends are looking to settle down not far from here. There's a good bit of space between us, but I wanted to let you know. Offer up an olive branch, you know?

Asterr's sister? Alright so now she knew Asterr's brother and her sister. The female in front of her was differently colored from Asterr however, unlike the male she had met before. Hisaya asked the man about his intentions, and his response showed that she had been right in that he wanted to settle somewhere.Speaking of the black female, Asterr arrived fairly soon and spoke to Hisaya. Avannon noticed the look that was cast her way, and met it with ease. Wondering why Asterr looked shocked she pondered over it for a few moments finally assuming that it was because she was expected to hide in the lair because of judas. The thought annoyed her but her face remained straight, no signs of annoyance or offense could be seen in her eyes. Just because she was attacked did not mean she wouldn't do her duty in helping protect the tribe. Though she way she'd been acting toward unknown males was rather off, she refused to look weak. Sriracha was his name he said, and he was looking to settle some distance away but was introducing himself. The gesture gained him a bit more respect from Ava though it wasn't nescassary for her to like him at all. She watched the scene unfold and waited for Asterr's response to Sriracha.

His casual words confirmed her thoughts, the woman of pale fur ignored, for now. Almost the moment the male, Sriracha, finished speaking, soft steps alerted her to another, the scent most certainly her sisters. Though familiar bonds were strong ,rank took precedence, and she humbled herself before the Dragoness. She dipped her head, eyes cast low in respect, and was silent as she spoke. It was no longer her place to interrupt, not know, for this meeting was a diplomatic one between two leaders. 

and thus she was silent, watchful, interested of how this meeting would progress. she doubted this would come to blows, the male seemed amiable, and yet she was not relaxed. Sriracha was a stranger, and it would be foolish to relax her guard completely.

The other females’ presences there were moved to the back of her mind, but not forgotten. As the male spoke, she’d not spared either of her followers another glance. Her attention was given to the stranger, interested to hear what he had to say. Her expression shifted from curiosity to surprise when he’d revealed his reason for being there. There was to be a decent distance between their settlements, and yet he’d come to meet them anyways. It was polite, she believed, the act almost immediately being viewed as something great. There were many out there that would never even think of doing as he’d chosen to; not even Asterr had done so back when the tribe had first been settled, despite how close the dome had been to another wolf’s claim.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Sriracha. My name is Asterr,” she began, then motioned towards her sister before pointing out the palest of the trio. “You know already of my sister, and with her is Avannon.” She’d not thought twice prior to handling introductions, feeling it best that they be gotten through immediately. “I appreciate you coming here to tell us of your plans. Just as long as your followers do not enter our home, I do not believe any conflicts will arise between us.” Peace was preferred over war, after all. If the other wolves were to keep from poking around the lair, then all would be well.

It was clear that the last of the women to arrive was the highest ranked, the leader among them. That did not change his attitude towards the other two, to whom he cast genial smiles every so often as he and Asterr spoke. Great to meet you, Asterr. And all of you, he said. They were certainly a sight for sore eyes, three pretty women greeting him after some time alone. 

Asterr gave him her permission, or as much as he was seeking. With her blessing, he had accomplished all he had come to do, but it felt a waste to leave so soon. Still, he longed to get home. Thank you, Sriracha said. Now, I don't plan on getting into any fights, so I'm not gonna ask about an alliance. But I would love to foster a friendship between our packs. What do you say?

Avannon watched patiently, her posture not so much tense as alert. It seemed that Sriracha was a good man, although she got the feeling he was a ladies man of sorts. As Asterr introduced her, she dipped her head, letting it remain low for a moment before she lifted it once more, eyes connecting with him as a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She listened with interest as Asterr continued, giving her blessing for Sriracha to make his home nearby. Smiling fully for the first time toward Sriracha she allowed the tip of her tail to wag briefly as Sriracha spoke again. An alliance was mentioned but not proposed which she thought was smart in her opinion because they barely knew one another. A friendship on the other hand was proposed, which she had to admit she liked. Her opinion didnt matter however, so she looked to Asterr and waited for her decision.

I’ve permission to skip Thalia.

To give the male her blessing had been an easy task, and she was doubtful that the choice would ever be regretted. Her belief was solidified by his words, sharing how he possessed no intentions of getting into fights. It was good, too, that he’d not proposed an alliance, for she would have turned it down without a second thought. Such agreements were good when one of the sides partook in wars, but seemed, to her, misleading when a tribe spoke of wanting only peace. A friendship, however, was a different story entirely. Such was a bond that each side worked to keep strong, rather than a business arrangement. It was something that she could agree to begin, and was glad to do so.

“I believe a friendship would be pleasant,” the girl voiced. “I hope that we will be able to form a strong bond between our two homes.” Words were nice and all, but, only time could tell for sure if this friendship of theirs would survive and flourish.

Relief and joy mingled brightly in his smile. The women of this tribe (and hopefully the men, too) seemed to value peace and friendship. If they held these values to the same high regard Sriracha did, then they would get along well indeed. I'm glad! If you ever need any help, I want you to know that you can come to us. We have a skilled healer, and wolves whose potential is beyond measure. He nodded, paused, and then began to excuse himself. But I won't keep you, all of you, tied up here in pleasantries. If you don't think there's anything else to discuss, then have a good day. I hope to see you all soon! You'll always be welcome at Tortuga's borders. And if they had no more to ask of him, he would bid them all a polite goodbye and be on his way.

//last post for Ava.

Relief filled her face as she allowed a friendly smile to reach her lips she finally flicked her tail his way "Nice to meet you Sriracha" she said and her gaze flicked to Asterr briefly, as she dipped her head in her Leader's direction "If i may, could i go for a run to stretch my limbs and be dismissed?" she asked Asterr, not afraid to meet the woman's gaze anymore, but still keeping her posture in a respectful manner.

An invitation for them to visit had been given should they ever need assistance, which Asterr had accepted with a nod of her head. “I offer the same to you and your pack,” she’d added, having felt comfortable with doing so. If all of those that followed him were just as kind, then she would find no reason to turn them away, should they ever be in need of something. Perhaps they might even be able to gather together someday for a feast of sorts, though the thought was not one that she’d offer now. Only now had their friendship begun, and so it was not the right time to suggest such things. Besides, she had her children to think about; the dragoness wanted to ensure that the entirety of his pack could be trusted before she’d even consider bringing them around her hatchlings.

“You are welcome here whenever you would like to visit,” the girl stated. “I wish you safe travels.” She would not force him to remain there any longer than necessary. When his goodbye was given, she’d returned it and then watched as he’d taken his leave. Thereafter, it was to Avannon that she’d looked, concern in her gaze, though a nod was given anyways. When the pale figure had gone off on her own, Asterr motioned for her sister to join her, and then began the trek back to her den.