Moonspear wilding like that coyote

Weather: Cloudy​; 23°​F.
Location: Along the southern-most borders.

Rannoch recognized the constant trend of change in the weather. The air had grown cold enough to seep through his pelt, and Rannoch realized that the pleasant weather that had graced the Teekons as of late would quickly be gone. Rannoch couldn't help but sigh as he considered this fact; he would miss Autumn, and felt as though Spring couldn't come soon enough. 

Rannoch was alone with his thoughts as he traversed along the borders. He had recently parted ways with Terance once the pair had deemed that the boundaries of Moonspear were well-tended. The two young men had begun somewhat of a daily tradition; a chance meetup along the borders had blossomed into a routine of patrolling together in the morning. Rannoch welcomed the company of the dark-furred guardian and cherished the time that they spent together. 

With his mind still involved with thoughts of Winter, Rannoch his meander paused to sniff at the ground absently. Once he was satisfied with the absence of any strange scents, he lifted his head and promptly marked the earth to strengthen the smell of Moonspear's claim. With his job done for now, he began his patrol once more.

Day had him out along the borders once again, the temptation to wander beyond them great. He had a number of times now but never too far, never wanting to risk that he was about to go belly-up on the promises he had made. What few times he had been proved interesting enough, but there was just as much to be discovered within that he wondered after. For a change of pace he opted to go along the southern border, his interests locked to the land beyond and wondering what may have been there. Some large game would have been nice to find, something to make into a better contribution than the wild fowl and hares he had tucked away into more known caches.

Plus, he thought, the borders would bring about faces he hadn't encountered yet. He still hadn't met Hydra's mother and from what he could tell of the muddied scent markings, Moonspear was well guarded. It flourished for winter, even if he had stayed out of sight and mind for the most part. Hydra would find him when she wanted and he suspected there were few places he could have tucked away that she wouldn't discover him. Not that staying out of sight and mind was his end game goal either; Dirge knew to contribute, he needed to mesh well. He had to play a part.

And as it were, such an opportunity arose along the next bend. The unfamiliar wolf was headed towards him, nose to the ground—Dirge chuffed once in greeting. His tail wagged easily but low; there was no telling yet where this fellow sat in the hierarchy, so he wouldn't go aggravating anyone yet.

Rannoch's head lifted at the sound of Dirge's call. The voice that had summoned Rannoch's attention was one that he didn't recognize, and when he looked at the individual in his path, the Delta realized that he had no idea who the wolf before him was. Despite his lack of certainty of Dirge's identity, Rannoch perked his posture and moved to clear the distance between them. 

"Hello," he greeted once he had stopped before the Lambda, his nose twitching as he examined the other's scent. It was evident that this wolf was a member of the pack; the earthy smell of the mountain had already added to the foundation of Dirge's odor. To Rannoch's surprise, there was another distinct scent that stuck out: the rugged perfume of the pack's Beta. 

"Friend of Hydras?" he asked with a smile, his tail wagging from its poised position in the air.

His call was well recieved and the wolf that approached seemed just as friendly. Like Dirge, he was draped in an earthen coat though his seemed to reflect more of the stony backdrop they had than the decaying leaf litter. It was a change from the usual company he had as of late, perhaps even down to the demeanor of first impressions.

"Of a sort," he replied with a wave of his tail. "She talked me into joining up with this lot for the winter." And in a way he supposed that did make them friends. Friends themselves were not in large stock for Dirge either, who had spent more time in the company of family than anything... and truth be told had he thought about then the reality was that even now this was no different.

"Seen anything of interest out here yet?" He pushed right along with their budding conversation, already trying to glean snippets of what he hoped would be useful information. "I'm guessing you've been here longer than I." Probably better favored than some wayward dispersal like him too, if he had to wager unspoken.

Rannoch nodded, satisfied with the information that the newcomer disclosed. If Dirge were a friend of sorts with Hydra, then Rannoch felt as though he could be trusted. "I think you made a good choice," he quipped. Rannoch had learned firsthand of how cruel the Winter could be without the support of a pack, and he was happy to be settled no that the colder months were inbound. 

"Not yet," replied Rannoch. It had been a relatively quiet morning, and he was thankful for a break from all the excitement. "But, you never know what we'll cross now that I've said that," he mused with a wag of his tail. 

"I've been out for most of the morning, though," and surprisingly, nothing had seemed out of the ordinary, "But, I'm not opposed to continuing along for a while longer if you'd like to join me?" ​

It was probably a good sign that the resident border patrol hadn't seen anything—the substance they both sought at that very moment were two different things entirely. Besides, noisy borders seemed an annoying concept. But winter was only beginning it's wind up pitch for a lengthy nine inning stretch, and the likelihood those quiet borders would eventually have strung out vagrants stood to rise. Or at least that was the thought that came to Dirge, who retained such notions as he swept to the side to let said border patrol come to him with an agreeable sway of his tail. It was far easier to go back the way he had come and make the rounds that way. That and fresh eyes never hurt anything either.

"Well, I'm hoping to find sight or catch wind of some larger game," he spoke, clarifing what his interests were. "And the bigger the better. Wouldn't hurt to make a good impression and all. Quiet borders could favor us, no extra competition," and such was concluded with a flash of a cheeky, toothy smile. Dirge knew he could play fetch and retrieve on hares and stoats until spring thaw but that was... boring. Variety was the spice of life! And it wasn't just the variety he sought either, it was ever earning and keeping his place that he wanted. Even if it was for a short span, he felt it necessity to be done. It was the only angle he knew so far and Dirge was not yet brazen enough to go about it in leisure yet.

Rannoch nodded aprovingly as Dirge spoke of his intentions. "I'll help if we come across anything," he offered. Rannoch's hunting skills were mediocre at best but, this factor didn't discourage him from participating when the opportunity arose. 

The thought of food drove Rannoch to lick his lips as he turned from his companion and towards the trodden road before them. With a goal in mind, Rannoch was anxious to get moving again. He gave in to temptation readily; Rannoch pressed a step forward suddenly and hoped that Dirge would follow his lead.

He followed without a word, falling in line just past the shoulder at first. This gait broadened shortly thereafter and Dirge spread out to let narrow trees pass between them. It was a comfortable distance, one that allowed him to let his gaze roam the varied terrain for signs of what could come about. But this silence was not meant to last as queries simmered on his tongue, figuratively turning to smoke as his mouth opened to voice them quietly. Better not to reveal their location if something of interest was lingering.

"So, have you been here long?" It was something of a personal question and that he realized, but the wolf seemed easy going enough to accept it. Being well received was half the battle and so far Dirge felt he had taken those victories with relative ease. Hydra seemed particularly fond of him for reasons he hadn't quite pinned together and as it were, neither of her parents had come down from on high to decide his services were no longer needed. His tenure with Moonspear was only beginning; he sought to find the right lot to sup with by way of observation and conversation.

"Not long," he replied with a shrug. Rannoch felt settled within Moonspear; he was conscious that there were others that outranked him in tenure. 

"I remember when you were accepted," he disclosed, "But, that's all I really know about you." He turned to face his packmate with a smile. "Would you mind telling me a little about yourself?"  Despite their intentions of tracking down larger game, Rannoch saw no harm in getting to know the newest recruit.

The answer seemed vague, but time was a relative, fluid thing. Dirge was not unlike others of his shared blood—time simply was not accounted for beyond sunrise and sunset, and of course the changing of the seasons. Despite the vagueness, it did tell Dirge enough once the follow-up statement came along. Long enough indeed; it was just as evident that his counterpart was better settled. He seemed more natural in his comfort, if nothing else.

"Seems we have equal knowledge of one another," he stated with a thin smile. "What would you like to know?" He had no intentions of laying his life story bare for the world to pass around, but selective questions were far easier to answer. Perhaps this was part of his integration as well, another voice on high to pick him apart and decide if he was worth his weight in potting soil. He would choose his words carefully.

Rannoch was humored by Dirge's observation; it was nice to think that they already had something in common. 

To Dirge's question, Rannoch mused with twitching whiskers, "I have a lot of things I want to know." He felt that there was much to learn about Dirge, and he wanted to leave the conversation considering the recruit as more than just an acquaintance. "But, let's start with this: are you from around here?" He took a cautious approach to inquire about Dirge's past, as he didn't want to bring about any negative memories.

Yes, this is what this was—he was a puzzle out of a rummage bin from an unmarked box. The time had come to flip the pieces right and try to piece together the whole scene and pray all was there. Rannoch had opted to start at a corner, and as it were the corner was often the foundation of where the rest of those pieces would lay.

"Not at all," Dirge said, trailing to continue, "I suppose I am a stranger in a strange place. Figuratively speaking of course. I came from the south, a place not unlike this to be fair." It may have seemed a vague answer, but truth be told Dirge did not remember every ramble stream or mountain range between here and there. The compass had spun every which way when the days had been long and the summer nights warm.

A sly smile flickered across his features; his turn to ask.

"What about you?

Despite Dirge's brief explanation, it was enough information to satisfy his curiosity. 

"I was born not too far away from here, actually," replied Rannoch, "in a territory named Neverwinter Forest." It had been long since Rannoch had been home and he dreaded his inevitable homecoming. Though it had been over a year, he was conscious of his curiosity towards the state of his former home. 

In an attempt to avoid any further questions about the past, Rannoch asked, "Now that your home is with Moonspear, what talents do you have?" It was evident that the subordinate was interested in patrolling but, Rannoch wanted to know more of what he could do for the pack.

Ah, so he was a native then. How delightful he thought, granted it was for his own whim than anyone else. Dirge hadn't had the foggiest idea where Neverwinter Forest was, but he had been there a time or two. In fact, it was the very place Hydra had encountered him, where the very journey he had embarked upon found a beginning. But that beginning had begun months ago; first when he had left the familiarity of Winterheart behind and again when he had met Charon in the glen.

"I fancy myself as a hunter," he answered. That had been his ticket in and he stuck to it. Dirge had been learning of the lower caches quickly, half of which battle had been determining what ones were safer than others. "But I like to explore as well. Not sure how that could be marketable, but it ties in with hunting. Wandering finds tracks, tracks lead to food." He ended on a humorous note, though it was a honest truth. He amended however: "But I am capable of doing what is asked of me. I don't make promises I cannot keep."

Rannoch nodded as Dirge spoke of the talents he could contribute to Moonspear; Hydra's recruit was promising and appeared to be a perfect fit for the pack. He smiled at this thought, and his tail wagged idly as he reflected on what had been said. 

"My wife likes to explore, too," Rannoch disclosed with a fond smile, "She's a trained Ranger. Perhaps you too could meet and discuss how she uses her love of exploring to benefit the pack?" 

There was a surprising turn to their conversation as Rannoch mentioned another. The title was not uncommon, but Dirge would not have considered him a settled man by any stretch. There was youth left in many of his features but to guess how close they may have been in age was not his forte. The thought of settling with someone seemed about as unlikely to him as it was to stay somewhere for the rest of his life. Like many things, he kept his thoughts to himself, instead making a thoughtful noise in his throat.

"I may have to do that sometime. Never hurts to learn the lay of the land from another." Nor would it hurt him if he didn't have to trade anything for the information either. This layover through the winter would be useful after all. While he was partial to the hinterlands, the rest of the valley and its plains he had come up through during the summer interested him. More than likely, Dirge would opt to explore them when the weather turned right.

Liffey had a spent a considerable amount of time ranging the territories that neighbored Moonspear and Rannoch was confident that she could teach Dirge a thing or two. Of course, their lessons would probably have to wait until Spring, as it would be foolish to learn the lay of the land in the midst of Winter. 

"There's a lot to see here," Rannoch remarked as he briefly recollected the diversity that the Teekon Wilds had to offer. "Did you get a chance to explore before Winter hit?" he wondered, unsure of how long Dirge had been lurking about as a lone wolf before he joined Moonspear.

"A bit of it, mostly along the coast and the forests over the mountains in the west," he replied. Those were the places he had lingered the most, letting the late summer roll into the fall before the inevitable winter had eclipsed warmer weather. It was there he remembered distinctly, though it was also where he had parted from Saor. She had wanted to continue their venture, but he had been held back by the very thing that had brought him here. These things, however, he would not be disclosing.

He hummed for a moment, still in thought.

"I also spent a bit of time in the mountains on the other side of the valley as well. It was brief, maybe in early summertime. So I know of the plains and river some ways from here. Shame the herds there don't come closer," he trailed off pensively. It would have been nice, but he was not blind to the mileage or the pack that lingered out there distantly. It would have been a fool's errand to stretch themselves that far.

To Rannoch, it seemed as though Dirge had gotten a fair sampling of what the Teekon Wilds had to offer. Dirge had arrived at the Wilds at an opportune time. From what Rannoch had gathered, it seemed as though he had reached the Wilds during the Summer— and had favorable traveling weather to boot. 

When Dirge commented on the herds, Rannoch contemplated the thought. "I wonder if it'd be worth scouting out there come Spring," he considered, looking at his companion curiously. Unlike his packmate, Rannoch did not have the same experience with hunting; usually, he only targeted smaller game.

They moved along seamlessly, the borders quiet in their trek. Dirge kept his eyes forward, his gilded gaze scanning over loose stone as they passed through a rocky bout of terrain. The forest still offered its protection, though it also extended to whatever else may have lurked just beyond perception. These things he rarely gave thought; his confidence and company would only further supplement safety here.

"Time will tell I suspect, though it's a fair journey out to where they've been roaming. I've wasted the better part of a couple of days tracking them to come back empty handed," and as it were, one wolf could not dictate the direction of a herd. There was safety in numbers also. "Charon tells me they sometimes hug the forests here as well." That had yet to be seen, but he had been working a quadrant at a time. Where tracking bored him at times, exploration had whet his palette.

"Perhaps your spouse should join Hydra and I the next time we take a jaunt after some game together. More hunters make for better quarry so they say." It was then his gaze travelled to capture Rannoch's visage briefly as though it was an encouraging venture. Always paid to appease the higher ups.

The inactivity along their desired path allowed for Rannoch to enjoy their conversation; his eyes remained trained ahead as they patrolled.

As Dirge spoke, Rannoch actively listened to what was being said; his head bobbed when something of interest came up. When all had been told, and an offer was presented, Rannoch answered almost immediately. "We'd both love that," he replied with a wave of his tail. It sounded like it would be fun, and even though he wasn't the most talented hunter, it would do him well to learn by practice. 

"Also, my wife's name is Liffey. She's the Zeta here," Rannoch added after a pause as his mirth-filled eyes turned to regard his packmate.

Liffey. He could remember that. The drop of rank intrigued him but he made no comment; some wolves were proud of their achievements. He was simpler than that, instead preferring to figure who was who from stance alone. Complacency bred stagnation and sometimes, contempt for the more sycophantic of their kin. Though he had his ambitions, they had not been placed there; he had no desire for the likes of high titles. It was still something to note and he did so with a nod, concluding as genuinely as he could: "Sounds as though you have both done well for yourselves." In the end, as long as they all contributed to the pack, it wouldn't matter.

For him, contribution meant survival and safety in the insurance that he wouldn't be ousted in the middle of winter. With all that loomed on the horizon—things he barely knew and understood—it seemed a fragile balance. Dirge was unlikely to admit even to himself that he had a waivering trust in the wolves around him; he had been burned since his birth time and time again. It was in his nature to presume he was tolerated and this interaction was no different.

"So are you satisfied with what you have learned?" he asked next, that same composed smile unfurling to his features. He felt with Rannoch, he could gamble a bit with pointed questions. "I would hope you don't doubt my intentions." Even if he did, Dirge felt he would be aware. He would adapt, nevertheless, and aim for the best.

"Thank you," replied Rannoch with a smile. Having no other basis of Dirge's mannerisms, he was left to assume that his packmate was being genuine. Having no reason to dwell on the matter, Rannoch turned his attention back to their patrol. He lowered his head and sniffed at the patch of turf that had caught his attention; it appeared as though there was nothing peculiar about the way that it smelled. Satisfied, Rannoch raised his leg and marked the area. 

It was as Rannoch was urinating that Dirge spoke again. Though the Delta did not initially turn to meet what had been said, he felt surprised by the remark that Dirge had offered. It was a bold statement, and he felt as though it spoke to the character of the recruit; it was nice to see Dirge's true character appear so early in their relationship. 

"I'm satisfied," Rannoch replied as he turned to look at his packmate. "As for doubting your intentions, I have no reason to," Rannoch replied, "You were brought here by Hydra, and I have no reason to question her decision." He smiled then and offered, "You will do well here in Moonspear." 

The pair embarked on the rest of their patrol from there. Rannoch, who was eager to acclimate Dirge to the pack, provided all the information he could think of the information that would better prepare the recruit for his life within Moonspear. They spent hours talking, and when Rannoch was satisfied with what he provided Dirge, they parted ways for the day.