Stone Circle he's got a face to make you fall on your knees

For anyone from Silvertip/Stone Circle! Specifically @Steady because eventually Srir will want to talk to a leader.

Sriracha had tarried in the mountains. He did not think his wandering idle, in fact it was a fruitful excursion detour, as he found no other packs on this side of the mountains. So, satisfied that none would fight his claim on the wood, Sriracha turned towards home, where his friends and followers lived. He hoped that Xan would be back by the time he returned and eagerly awaited their reunion and news of how the boy's trip had gone.

Yet Sriracha's return trip turned suddenly and unexpectedly complicated when he stumbled upon a scent marker that had not been there before. Further snooping revealed that a border had popped up from seemingly nowhere. Annoyance gnawed at him, for he thought it very rude of them to settle down without even speaking to him. But he remembered that he had been gone, and did not know what had happened in his absence from the grove. He resolved to be friendly, and sat himself down a safer distance from the borders before he howled, calling for any who lived in this newly claimed land.

Hello! :-D

Steady was working diligently on the borders, marking heavily and spreading the scent that let everyone know who came upon it that these lands were taken. He hadn't expected any sort of problems, since they wouldn't be sharing a border with anyone. He was surprised to here a call at his newly-marked borders, since next to no one would know that they've moved. 

He quickly retraced his steps to the stranger, his head and tail held high to reflect his rank, but his tail also waved back and forth, showing his friendliness. He gazed upon the black-masked stranger briefly as he came to a halt. Hello, can I help you? He wasn't sure why the call, and he wasn't one to make idle chit chat, since most wolves called for a purpose.

Valette was not much of a border patrol type of wolf. She focussed on organizing the hunts of their pack and keep track of their food supplies if she was home that is. Steady could also send her on a mission. Yet seeing that one of her missions just ended now she had some time to get adjusted to their new home and take new insight of these new herds.

However since the disappearance of Ezekiel Valette was more interested in being around the borders and looking for him. The girl had been with Steady, mostly to have her focussed directed somewhere else and since Steady proved to have a calm effect ton her. She followed him when a howl was sounded. She was curious what to expect. Now for once she saw the other side. Instead of knocking on a strange border herself someone knocked on their borders. How interesting.

The dark female watched the other's stance, which seemed respectful, or at least friendly. She relaxed a bit. The girl stood next to Steady but a little behind him to show that she was not equal to him, but there to have his back if the stranger would think of doing something crazy.

Two wolves arrived, one after another. They bore some resemblance, and Sriracha immediately assumed they were related, though he said nothing of it. What if he was wrong? Then that would be really awkward and would really throw a wrench into his plans. So Sriracha held his tongue in that regard. Sriracha smiled genially and bowed into submission fit for a wolf of his situation. These wolves, or at least the male, were more outwardly friendly than any leaders he'd met thus far.

Hello, he greeted in return. My name is Sriracha. Me and some friends are settling down a little to the north of here. I wanted to make you and yours aware and offer our friendship. He played it off like he wasn't here by accident. Chance was just as good a reason as intention.

Had the stranger voiced his assumption on Steady and Valette being blood related, Steady would have felt proud. He knew how hard Valette worked for him and her family, and there were even inclinations in the back of his mind that told him she would be an excellent fit for Beta. No one would deny it, lest they wanted to incur his wrath. But, he still had hope that Ezekiel would return. And, though, he knew the pair was close, he didn't want Ezekiel to think he had simply replaced him, and so quickly. 

The stranger, named Sriracha, informed him that they were settling down nearby, and wanted to offer friendship. Steady outwardly sighed in relief, and gave him a smile. Friendship was always better than war, in his opinion. I think a friendship sounds like an excellent idea, he agreed aloud. My family and I are not generally fighters, unless we have reason. We've just moved here to get away from a crowded area, and it is not my intention to step on anyone's toes, he explained, hoping that their surprise claim wouldn't be cause for friction between the packs.

Valette was interested to see a meeting between two alphas. The girl keep her hazel green eyes on the other with the masked face. Such interesting markings! She liked them. When the stranger told them of this name and that he seemed friendship Valette relaxed a bit more and stepped forward now it was established that Steady was her leader, or at least higher in rank from her. Valette's tail swayed lightly.

Suddenly an idea came to mind. They just moved away from overcrowding, and she would dislike to move again. Perhaps they should prevent overcrowding here if they were friendly than perhaps they could work together. She cleared her throat, unsure if she was allowed to speak. She decided she was bold enough to do so. "If you offer friendship we could maybe construct an alliance or deal so to speak? I mean, like my alpha spoke about, we moved away from overcrowding. We could work together to stop that from happening here in this region." She hoped the other male would understand she was saying. She was pretty sure Steady would be open for such a deal seeing he disliked the overcrowdedness of before a lot. "I'm Valette by the way. I am the Ranger/Messenger so you will perhaps see my face in the future," she smiled.

The meeting seemed to be going well, and between this and his meeting with the wolves of Ryujin, he was once more feeling confident in his abilities as an ambassador. Good, good! Sriracha said. 

I've been doing scouting of my own, he said. If they were looking to avoid overcrowding, they'd come to the right place. Sriracha decided to share what he knew. There are no other packs in this valley, just the two of us. There is a pack in the mountains, they're friendly enough. North of my claim is another pack. Less friendly, but sensible still. That's all I know of right now. His welcome at Sleeping Dragon had been unorthodox, to put it kindly, but time would heal all wounds, and the commander of that land had been willing to talk peace.

Sriracha misunderstood what Valette meant by preventing overcrowding. You guys aren't the first pack I've come to with this offer. I want for my pack to be friends to all, and if not friends, then not enemies. We're not going to take part in any conflicts, if that's what you mean. We're not going to help you drive anyone out. There was fire in his voice, he was offended that they might take his offer of friendship and speak of alliance. Only wolves that expected or sought war needed alliances. Keep your alliance. I want nothing of it.

Sriracha explained he had been doing some scouting of his own, and admitted there were no other packs in the area. I'm glad to hear to it. It will be nice to have a little space to ourselves, he said with a chuckle. While he certainly wouldn't mind Sriracha and his pack where they were, he hoped it stayed that way for a long time.

Valette moved forward, and his ear flicked towards her to listen to what she had to say. While she was not technically a leader, she had proven herself an adept pack wolf, and he was interested in what she had to say. Apparently, however, the guest at their borders was not. 

Steady himself may not have one hundred percent agreed with Valette's form of alliance she was insinuating, but he didn't agree at all with the way Sriracha responded, and he showed it. His ears perked forward in a show of aggression, and his bared his teeth to the male. He took a step forward, a warning to Sriracha. You do not come to my borders and speak to my family like that. If you were not interested, a simple "No." would have sufficed, he replied, his voice laced with tempered anger. Steady did not want to make enemies so soon into their new home lands, but he refused to let anyone disrespect his family. If this is how you act, then I don't want your friendship, anyways. 

Valette watched how Steady reacted rather hotheadedly to the visitor which wasn't very in line wit his name. She had to mentally chuckle at that. Valette knew that Steady took his Guardian role very seriously and she respected him greatly for that. The young female decided that she perhaps needed to mediate. However she did like that Steady was protecting her. She didn't want to be disrespectful towards him either.

She cleared her throat. "Perhaps friendship is a bit of a large word right now. Perhaps based on other events we can really say we want to be friendly towards your pack. But you can't blame us for wanting most of the valley for ourselves. We will chase away wolves who will try to have their pack here for the sole reason we don't want to move because these lands are overcrowded. We will accept you and your pack in the North of this valley and shall not bother you unless it serious or will have impact on your pack too. Mere acquaintances. How does that sound for the both of you?," Valette spoke. Not wanting these males to declare enemies on each other before testing the waters. Perhaps friendship was a bit word for the both of them.

"Though I must admit that I felt a bit attacked by your words while I was not out to offend you. My tone was respectful throughout in my opinion. If you want to be a friend to all you might want to consider not reacting in the way you did," she spoke calmly. It was just some mere advise. She was not judging him, she just hoped to be helpful.

The moment the words were out he wanted to take them back, but that was not how the world worked. They hung, a tangible thing between him and these pack wolves. He grimaced as Steady spoke again, his anger a mad dog tied on a thin rope. Sriracha's chest burned with flash-fire anger, and only the thought of those that were trusting him back in the grove could reign him in. Damnit, he hissed under his breath, which he fought to gain control of. A few, deep breaths steadied him, and with a determined huff he squared himself.

Valette was the more reasonable of the two, but she was the subordinate. It wouldn't do to address the wrong wolf, but he wasn't sure which one was the wrong wolf. So he looked to both of them as he spoke. I'll take that, he said, nodding to Valette. Friendship won't be possible yet, I get that. Mostly my bad, too. Mostly, but not entirely. He'd offered them peace, a pre-emptive olive branch. They wanted to take the olive branch and turn it into a sword. We're not fighters, me and my friends. I've seen way too much of war to make them live through that. I'll take acquaintanceship- is that a word?- either way, I'll take that and peace over anything else. For now.

Sriracha wasn't going to give up hope on friendship, though he was not impressed with their insistence on claiming the entire valley. Nor was he fond of how Valette took it upon herself to tell him how to act. He steadied his voice again, though anger and irritation warred with his desire to protect his wolves. Sorry I lashed out at you. But if we're giving out unsolicited advice, I'd suggest you get to know a guy a bit before asking him to help you fight your battles, he said, if not calmly, then at least evenly. Our values are different. I can respect that if you guys can. Above anything else I just want peace for my friends. They all need it. His were the lost and the weary, the broken and the injured. He had promised them a home and peace, and he would do whatever it took to uphold that.

There were a few tense moments in which no one spoke, and Steady's eyes bared down on the other male, daring him to make one more wrong remark to Valette. He wasn't quite sure why Sriracha had gone off the way he did when things were amicable in the beginning. Did he not see they were friendly, and disrespectful remarks weren't needed? Steady fully felt he was in the right for coming to Valette's defense. 

She cleared her throat, and one ear swiveled towards her. In all this, she was still trying to be diplomatic. Steady didn't really like the path this conversation was taking, and remained quiet. While he was all for alliances, and understood Sriracha's stance on not fighting, only time would tell if the two packs would form any kind of relationship. At the very least, he knew Sriracha and his pack would not fight against them, since he was determined not to fight anyone at all. 

When a break in the conversation came, Steady spoke up. I don't think our values are vastly different. We live for our families, and for peace. The difference comes in the fact that I will fight if my family is in danger. I don't get pushed around easily, he said, his voice much calmer now. I think in time, we could revisit talk of an alliance. In the meantime, I can assure you we will not fight against you, knowing your position on the issue, he added. Sriracha was adamant about not fighting, and Steady would assume anyone saying otherwise would be false. I hope all this talk of fighting will never actually come to pass. We moved here to be peaceful and get away from the surrounding packs, not to start anything, he assured him.

Valette accepted his apology with a firm nod. She got advise back in return which she could only expect seeing she gave him some advise first. However she could not agree with it. It had been a mere suggestion from her side and if the male would agree then they could get to know each other better. Perhaps her own experience with this was lacking so she didn't not comment on it only respectfully nodded back. She could decide for herself if she would do something with his advise.

Steady was much calmer with made Valette more relaxed too. His way of speaking was assertive and it seemed that her solution was the best for now. She was glad that they at least got to work something out before they would declare their packs enemies. It seemed both males wanted peace which seemed to be the right thing indeed. She liked it. Valette found that she didn't have anything valuable to say so she stayed quiet for now. It seemed now it was up to Sriracha to agree and leave, however then a question popped up into her mind. "What is the name of your pack?," she asked. "So we know how to refer to your pack."

Sriracha looked between them as they spoke and found, despite his (unwitting) best efforts they looked upon Sriracha and his pack with only peaceful intentions. He relaxed, if only a little, as Steady spoke. Not all was lost, though Sriracha did not miss the alpha's jab at Sriracha's percieved weakness. Irritation flashed, but it was but a spark, and easily quelled. He bit his tongue and that was that.

Steady spoke truly, and in his final statement came a sentiment with which Sriracha could wholly agree. I hope so, too, hombre, he said. It's, uh, probably better if I leave now, though. Thanks for hearing me out, even if I was a dick. Sriracha shrugged and turned to leave, stopped only by Valette's question. We're Tortuga, señorita. And with that he left, giving a gracious nod to each before trotting off towards the home his heart yearned for.