Sleeping Dragon Weave a secret

@Dio – Mercenary thread, maybe? ^^

It was once already that he’d told himself he wouldn’t take any late night adventures anymore, which should have been enough for him to listen. Yet, it was out and away from the den that he’d gone long after the sun had set, sure to regret his decision in the morning. For the time being, he was content, enjoying the night’s breeze and ignoring the fact that he’d be tired the next day. As he walked through the territory, that didn’t seem to matter, anyways. All that was important was that the stars shown overhead and he knew where he was going, having their light and his knowledge of the land to guide him. Far from any water had he kept himself, too, Freyja’s words not so easily forgotten.

Neither towards the borders nor back in the direction of his family’s den had he trekked, the journey having led him deep into a woodland. At some point, he’d passed the tree from which he’d stolen the leaves of a poison ivy plant, but had ignored it; the memory of his constant itching had been enough to make him steer clear of it, recalling how unpleasant the whole experience had been. Along the way he’d stopped frequently, and his most recent of pauses had yet to reach an end. Rather than continuing right away, he’d settled down for a small break, the time being used to decide in which direction he might next go as well.

All had been well on his watch. Perhaps even bordering on quiet, for the standard set around the Dragon at its norm, anyway. He found his routines coming and going without alarm, and it's.. good.

But he's been around long enough to not be fooled into complacency. Winter creeps, slow but surely. The days are growing shorter and a distinctly autumnal crispness to the air, even on the muggy nights that linger sometimes, so he has to wonder.. for how long will all be relatively easy. He knows, deep down, that he's feeling an extra unease -- last winter had been bad for him, personally, despite it leading him into the commander's pack in the end. The scars remained, and he's not one to forget easily anyway.

He still cannot manage to settle down for the evening, and it's only getting later by the moment. He'd left the borders hours earlier, trying to wind himself down then, but even dipping further into the territory, he couldn't seem to find it in him to just decompress in full. His paws itched for motion, looking to outpace his meandering considerations and his long, sweeping strides take him deeper into the moonlit woodland with an eventual plan to return to the borders, but elsewhere this time. On his way out there, he finds trail of the boy who had been keen to Portia. The guardian decides to follow, all while wondering what may have him out at this hour. So he let curiosity have at him.

He weaves further into the trees, alternating between sniffs and seeking a visual confirmation of the youth. In time, he gets what he wants. "Hey," he offers before his approach can draw any closer, and slows his steps after.

As he’d rested, he’d thought, pondering any number of things. The direction in which he might next go, what his sisters were currently doing, and on went the list. More often than not, the night was silent, peaceful and lacking in any major disturbances. It was enjoyable to him, resembling the boy himself for how often it was without sound. Of course, the crickets chirped and the bats loosed their screeches every once in a great while, but he’d noticed that, as of late, their frequency was decreasing significantly. Less and less crickets sang their songs through the darkness, and even fewer bats seemed to slice through the sky. It’d bothered him at first, for it was different and worrisome, the cause for the creatures’ seemingly sudden disappearances being something that he’d not been able to figure out. Yet, as the days went by, he’d grown accustomed to it, having even gone so far as to accept it; nature was doing just as it was meant to do, and his subconscious self had come to realize that.

Swiftly had his night been altered, a new sound—a voice—having filled the once empty air. It’d not been recognized, initially, his memory of the male having since grown faint. Yet, upon turning to look towards the speaker, he was made aware of who he was, suddenly having been able to recall the moment when they'd met. It was Portia’s special friend, the man with invisible children, and so he’d been able to keep himself at ease for the time being. Still was he wary of the other deep down but, on the surface, he did his very best to hide that fact. If his mentor was able to get along with Dio, then surely he was a good wolf, and so the boy felt himself to have little to worry over.

Verbally, the greeting had not been responded to, for reluctant was he, still, to speak towards the warrior. A slow swish of his tail behind him had, however, been offered in place of words. Whilst he’d not made a move to further close the distance between them—Dio was far too unfamiliar for him to feel comfortable doing so—Hvitserk had stood up and positioned himself so that he was fully facing the other. He was then made to wonder what would come next, specifically whether or not an attempt would be made at returning him to his family’s den. At the thought, he’d tensed, readying himself to spring into action just in case.

He's not been the closest to the pups personally, and so, it's noteworthy how much he's grown already since they'd last met. Dio remembered his wariness about him at the meeting, contrasted by his keenness towards Portia which is worth keeping in mind. It was very little to work with but still, not impossibly so. He does still have to remember -- puppies grow up differently, nature versing nurture constantly yet always so fast. The golden guardian has little doubt that the commander seeks to keep their strengths and interests honed to a fine sharpness. However he does not know where this boy's lie, but it's high time he delve a little deeper if he can. Since he's evidently cozy in Portia's company (Dio knows they have that in common at least), he has to wonder.

"See anything interesting out tonight?" he asks in an effort to test the waters while taking a few small steps closer. His stance had settled into a proud yet comfortable neutral, a happy default of his after all, and he did not intend to impose unwarranted on anything despite a curious tilt to his head.

He did not know Dio. He knew of him, and that he was a friend of Portia’s, but that was it. Aside from that, the older male was a complete mystery to him, and he didn’t like that. In order to be near to someone and feel comfortable, he needed to know them by more than just their name. He needed to know that he could trust them, whether it be with something as small as his voice, or as great as his life; it was important to him that he not feel on edge when in the company of another. It made him curious about the elder wolf, wanting to learn more so that he wouldn’t have to worry over what he might do. At the same time, though, he didn’t want to get close enough to actually learn. Hvitserk was content with the friends that he had, really, so was there a need to make more? The question was a silly one for him to ask himself, for he knew that it was necessary for him to come out of his shell more. Those beyond the pack could be looked upon with distrust as much as he wanted, but it was different for those within the pack. In the back of his mind, he knew that he needed to find it within himself to trust them, in the very least, since they were all there to stay.

A question brought him back into the real world, where he blinked and then shook his head. Nothing of interest had been seen, it was just a regular night for the young viking. If he had seen anything out of the ordinary, then it hadn’t been interesting enough to leave an impression, and thus was forgotten. Off of the words and onto the man had his attention been pulled, the steps taken having been noticed. No matter how small they’d been, it hadn’t mattered. Still had the hairs along his back and neck started to stand on edge, whilst his legs and tail both stiffened. As usual, his muscles tensed in preparation for a pounce, since it’d quickly become his go-to for instances such as the current.

Dio finds himself well-aware of his shortcomings. Reading pups was not true among his greatest of assets. It's been a long time, and these are different times. He's not some roving bachelor honed to a wildly sharpened edge of freedom, nor the beta upon the prestigious rise melding his influence with theirs. Above all, he's even less connected by obvious bonds to these pups immediately, and neither do they truly have any obligation to deal with him. Even Gyda had never grown beyond a respected acquaintance (not in the way he had grown towards Thuringwethil especially). Her cubs, much the same -- The agouti-marked boy is largely a mystery, and it's at least a two way street..naturally enough because Dio's been busied elsewhere most times. But he is interested in them, especially now that they're getting older.

The gona fans his ears, then exhales slowly. The answer comes as a negative and he doesn't really seem to warm up to him any. "Too bad," he hums. Dio's posture stays slack, but he doesn't go out of his way to bend and otherwise solid stature. Seeing Hvitserk look poised to pounce or flee, he can't rightfully tell, gives him a bit of a mixed feeling. "Well, I'm not feeling ready to turn in for the night yet myself.." he said with a thoughtful lilt and glanced around the surrounding night, eerie in its own right but he's very comfortable among it. "So I was thinking maybe a quick patrol, and you're the first anybody I've seen. Want to come?" he offered.

If not, it would at least be Dio telling him he'd be on his way soon enough.

Hvit remained cautious, but grew interested in the male as he’d spoken. He hadn’t been to the borders since Thuringwethil had taken him. It hadn’t gone too well, either, as he’d not listened the entire time. It made him wonder if this was a test of some sort, a way to see if he was fit to go patrolling in the future. The more he thought about it, however, the less concern he felt. If it was a test, then so be it. He wanted to visit the borders, so, for the time being, caution was thrown to the wind. Hvitserk slowly fixed his posture so that he was standing more normal, and then nodded his head.

As he thought about what they might see—if they’d seen anything at all—he also wondered if he’d get in trouble. If Heda caught him, would that lead to him being snapped at again? Though he would remain with an adult throughout the patrol, it was still something to consider. Even still, his concern aside, he didn’t change his mind. If something were to happen, then he would figure out how to proceed whenever it did. For now, though, he just wanted to help out. Whenever Dio might move, he would follow after him, remaining a few steps behind the entire time.

Dio does not know the full extent of this cub's experience, but, if he can mind himself, the gona can handle a shadow. At best, the experience is good. It'll burn his energy, put it to decent enough use, and maybe inspire him to seek out even more. Dio has no reason to worry about the borders themselves.. they're well-maintained, and in the event of something appearing off, he'd ensure Hvitserk's safety first and foremost. Last thing he wanted was to lead the sterling viking's son to harm.

Which.. that type of thought lead him towards a new way to think about this entirely too much: possibly more importantly, neither does he know the range of his.. freedoms. Dio does not fancy himself a master at rearing the young sorts, but he's picked up enough experience to amount to something. He intends to draw from that if necessary.. although, it does occur to him that these Dragon offspring may be nothing like those brought up in the Rise.

It all boils down to keeping an eye on him and returning him to here in one piece. He swings his muzzle forward in a silent gesture of this way. In the next beat, he's striding off towards a heading of his choice -- south of here, generally. Hvitserk seemed to fall into step readily, albeit without a word. Dio lets that be for a while, but in covering some distance, he seeks some baseline after a glance over his shoulder. "Have you been near  the borders much?" he asked. He's eyes-ahead again just after with all his senses keened. He knows the nights well.

The possibility of danger lurking near to the borders was something that he’d never stopped to consider. Having yet to run into anything of the sort, his mind was often without worries and fears in regards to the outskirts of the territory. Never had he been to them without some sort of supervision, which had further increased his sense of security. That had allowed for excitement alone to reign over his mind, which had, in turn, kept him from falling behind. To the best of his ability, the young viking had kept pace with the adult, wanting to do nothing more than guard the territory on that specific night. The only way to make it better would have been if there was nothing else offered aside from silence, which hadn’t been the case.

Hvitserk had to consider his answer, his initial belief having been that either a yes or a no could fit. Only on a few occasions had the borders been subjected to his presence, but the times had been recent enough that he’d wondered if that might count for a yes. It was after some further consideration that he’d shaken his head, only to realize shortly after that doing so just wouldn’t cut it. It was dark and, on top of that, Dio wasn’t even looking his way. How was he supposed to answer now? The notion of actually speaking had popped into his head, but he was iffy about it. He’d needed to convince himself that his only option was to use his voice, for all other ideas weren’t at all possible. It was moments like those where he had a habit of wishing that his sister would be at his side always, for she was the one to speak the most out of the two. It was Freyja’s job to talk for the both of them, but she wasn’t there right then.

After swallowing down his uncertainty, Hvit said, “No,” and that was it. He had spoken quietly, as per usual, and had given his verbal response only once. It was doubtful that he’d give it again, too, seeing as he had disliked doing it the first time around.

Quiet, and only just barely there, the boy brought forward his no which left Dio to nod. While it was physically, very little said, he was sharp enough to see the many possible implications here. He mulled this quickly with a fleeting glance back. With still much to learn about the pack's young and their individual personalities, these were important notes to make -- even if it was just a start yet. He'd find the best approach with enough trial and error.

But now knowing what he did, he guided the path angling just a bit more now. "The part of the them I have in mind.. it can probably use its scents freshened up most of all," he mentioned. Unless the late night shift had something else in store, that was where he'd start -- and it sounded easy enough to explain. While not the most exciting aspect of border patrol, it was a pivotal foundation and, of course, always necessary even on the uneventful days. "So I want to look for places that smell a bit lacking. I don't usually find much disturbed there." he said, leaving the questions out and offering the briefing of it all instead to let Hvitserk do what he needed to with the information.

A way to trust the other male had yet to be found, but that hadn’t made him any less interested in what was to be said. Though Hvitserk needed to trust an individual in order to have an actual conversation with them, he usually didn’t demand the same in order to learn from them. As long as the information intrigued him, and the words were true, he could be taught by a total stranger and have no problems with the idea of doing so. Some distance was kept between them at all times, but the child was still listening and taking note of what he was being told. He appreciated the lack of questions being asked, too, even if he wasn’t exactly quick to show it.

Every now and again he would stop in order to survey his surroundings, keeping track of where he was just in case. If there were to be a disturbance—what sort of disturbances could be found anyways?—and he ended up getting separated from Dio, he wanted to be able to find his way back home without panicking. As soon as a potential route was mapped out, his thoughts made a U-turn and ran right back to the topic of a disturbance. Whether or not it was common to run into any issues whilst patrolling didn’t stand out to him nearly as much as the what-ifs. “What d’you do?” he asked, curiosity overruling his choice of silence. “When it’s disturbed?” The child knew what he was supposed to do, but what about the adults? How was the situation to be approached and then dealt with by them?

At all times, he keeps a glance on the pup as their path weaves deeper. He seems capable, keenly aware, so it's not that he's finding a need to be overly concerned. For a fledgling attempt out, it is definitely a good start. He doesn't mind that he seems most comfortable with a little distance between them, so it seems. He won't make him stay closer if he'd rather not. Dio trusts he can handle himself. He's content as long as he can keep an eye on him, and meanwhile make sure nothing dangerous sneaks up upon them or they become separated unknowingly.

He isn't the best as gauging his earnest interest, but considering that he's been mindful at trailing him, Dio suspects it tilts towards favorable -- or is wishful in thinking that it might be so. Maybe just subtly. He won't ask for too much and is glad to humor the questions. "Find what disturbed it," he replied, half pausing to scuff his paws into some loose earth after skimming his nose over it and deeming it not needing more than that. "It can be very circumstantial, of course.. and if you can't get a good scent, or it's not fresh enough to be worth tracking down, reinforce the statement as a guardian of the Dragon at least. Work to prevent worse from happening," he detailed. Ensure that their strength won't be questioned, lest they come packing a deathwish.

The answer received seemed obvious enough, but he’d still taken note of it. Whether information seemed like it should be common sense mattered not to the Viking, for he still desired direct answers. It allowed for him to better his understanding of the world, as well as learn about what he should expect in certain situations without any doubt. With so many possibilities existing for each and every situation, he liked to have as many solutions on standby as his memory might allow. The fact that he had to follow around a man that he was still iffy about in order to acquire a few reactions was something that he could look passed for that reason alone. So, when Dio spoke, he paid as much attention to his words and actions as he would had the man been Portia.

With hardly any pause after the answer had been concluded, Hvit asked, “What if you see them?” Whether he’d been given an answer to the question in the past or not hadn’t influenced his decision to ask it again. He believed that each adult might have a different approach, and so he wanted to figure out what each method was before deciding on his favourite—the one that he’d come to use someday. “What happens then?” he prompted, ever the eager sort when it came to learning. He looked forward to the answer that he might be given, ready to file it away within his memories.

considering everything going on lately, if you wanna fade this out, i totally understand *o*

Now that he was more understanding of the baseline here, he was settling into these sorts of questions more and more. "If you see them, make it clear that they've made their mistake. A possibly dire one," Which of course all rounded back to how circumstantial it was, and with eventual experience would come that ability to read then understand the situation quickly. The Dragon borders were high traffic and high offense, as already proven by their past aggression when it comes to those who foolishly disregard them. Dio knows those who disregard their boundaries have nothing good waiting for them, and so, his outlook on defending them remains one that doesn't have a lot of time for questions -- considering the sort of offense or not. This is their turf, so they make that known.

"Sometimes sight alone is enough to make it clear. Other times a chase, violence, who knows. Anything is possible, but a healthy defense and offense alike keeps a guardian prepared for any of it," he detailed as they steadily covered their ground. He'd field more questions as he come, doing his absolute best to make it straightforward enough to understand. But obviously these explanations were not his primary area of experience.

He roved on, dutiful.