Lion Head Mesa Rules were meant to be pushed and pulled

(( @Relmyna !!!!!  If this isn't good lemme know and I can move it or something :D ))

Colt hadn't been in the Caldera long, but there was a thick edge of tension to it, seemingly surrounding troubles with a nearby pack.  He had no intention of approaching too closely, but when curiosity came a knocking, well... what was he to do?

Besides that, he needed to get to know these stomping grounds if he was going to call the place home.  In complete denial of this being any sort of excuse to procrastinate introducing himself to the new pack, he ducked out, heading for the area to the northwest of the Caldera.

When he reached an interesting looking rock formation, he stopped for a break, carefully picking his way up the side of it to see what may lay on top.  It took all of his concentration to try and find a path, but still, when he was a ways he reached an impasse.  Hmm.  His eyes narrowed as he appraised the rock around him, looking for a passable place to continue the upward climb.

so sorry for the wait on this!

relmyna had grown accustomed to departing blackfeather now — she returned often to the glowing altar, for it had begun to soothe questions that would otherwise go unanswered. presently, the disfigured woman had strayed to an oddly shaped stone formation, drawn to its existence. perhaps it was curiosity, or something else.
relmyna did not care; she gleefully drew her thin body into its reaches, muzzle trailing against its surface to take the scent of wolves. had the glimpse of another not been had, the tyro would have continued up — however, the presence of a young wolf not far from her frightened relmyna.
she knew well what sort of reaction her scarred muzzle engendered in others, and could scarce bare it. at once she turned, poised to dash away, but her foot kicked aside a rock into another, and the patchwork wolfess froze in horror as the sound echoed loudly in the small space.

((No worries!!!))

Colt's sights honed on a ledge that would allow him further progress upwards, and he poised to jump, but at that moment a clatter nearby forced his ears round.  Curious, he looked aside, and instead of proceeding up, leapt a small ways down.

"Not that I mind an audience, but who's there?" He called out, smiling slightly despite the edge to his nerves.  There was no indication of whether this company was friendly or not, but he assumed if they weren't, he'd likely be in trouble already.

relmyna did not want to answer, but the inviting tone of the boy soothed her despite herself. and so she inched out from where she was half hidden, head dropped below her sharp-boned shoulders, tailtip moving gently at her heels — she wished for him not to see her as a threat, despite the ugly scarring of her muzzle. the tyro hoped it was not visible, not yet. 
pinning her ears back against her skull, relmyna waited to see what the young wolf would do, or say.

Whoever it was did not answer, but they did come slightly into view.  It was too hard to distinguish much, but he did not move to approach.  They seemed apprehensive and he did not wish to seem threatening.  He wasn't in the mood for a scrap today.

"Friend or foe?" He asked instead, smile evident in his voice.  Perhaps they couldn't speak?  But the fur on the back of his neck rose a bit all the same.  After a few friendly encounters here, the initial silence was a bit unnerving.

he continued to speak to her, and relmyna felt her gorge rise with disgust and fear. yet she straightened somewhat, giving the boy what sound she could make: a strangled whine that came from the depths of her throat. it was not wolflike — it othered her in ways even her scarring did not. but she knew the language of one's body; she swept back her ears and swept playfully at the earth with one forepaw. 
perhaps the young wolf would not regard her with disgust; relmyna swallowed and waited for him to interpret her gestures as friendly. approach, her haunted eyes invited, albeit with great wariness.

The sound she made threw him off, and his fur rose at its strange quality. Was something wrong? He thought perhaps she was injured, but her gestures indicated otherwise, and were measured and calm.  He didn't know where the fuck that noise had come from, but now he was definitely curious.

"Y'know, you-" he stopped when he got close enough to see some of her face, and his eyes widened.  "Shit." Someone had done a serious number on her.  "You look awful.  How'd that happen?"  He stepped sideways to try and get a better look.

if she had any hope, it was dashed by his next words; relmyna wilted from the boy, her shambling gait shifting her to one side as he drew closer. yet, let him look — it did not hurt him to gaze upon her twisted scars and torn lip, her thin bones and decrepit pelt. he himself was handsome, hale in his youth. he had not meant to speak so hurtfully, and yet the tyro did not know if it was hurt she felt. she longed simply to leave this place, and never return, but not until he'd had his fill of observation.

Colt didn't have the grace to feel bad for the reaction his words garnered; he'd always been thoughtless in his remarks.  But he did move closer, and as she stood still, he took in her awful appearance.  He did not shrink away from it; injuries like this had obviously come from a terrible accident or a magnificent fight, and both of these interested him a great deal.  She didn't answer; it occured to him that perhaps she could not.  Too bad.  He would have liked to have heard her tale.

"Do you need anything?" He asked finally, taking a step back to appraise her fully once more.  It did not appear as though she did, but he felt the need to ask; he was a decent sort, despite his earlier remarks, and the question was well-intentioned.  He didn't really expect an answer to this either.

and he was kind.
relmyna was ashamed at once for the tears that threatened to abruptly sting her eyes, and then decided it did not matter. he would not see her after this. and so she did not hold them back, but kept her thin muzzle pointed toward the ground, sparing him the full grimace of her grieving face. 
in truth, she knew not why she felt in such a way — the ragged wolfess was silent in her agony, and perhaps in time he would grow too fraught with discomfort not to leave her, a monstrosity newly weeping saltwater.

He was taken aback when she started crying, but age had matured the response.  Instead of awkward, he felt a bit of understanding; he wondered if she even had a pack, or who the last wolf she'd spoken to was.  A few years ago, Colt would have made an excuse and bolted.  Now, he simply sat down, a short bit off, and his ears tilted back.

"So you cannot speak.  Or choose not to.  But I am guessing you know this place."  He looked at the Mesa.  "I've heard about these woods.  I wanted to see what they were like.  Curiosity, all that."  He flashed a smile. "Not too cheery a place, but this interested me.  Thought I'd see if I could climb it."

He wasn't sure why he continued to talk; but it seemed for some reason the right thing to do.  Likely little of it was of interest to her, and perhaps she'd move on, thinking him odd for sharing such mundane things with a stranger.  But he liked to chat, and if she couldn't bring herself to, he'd at least make one sided companiable conversation. Besides, he generally assumed that other wolves enjoyed his company.  It was a delight, after all.

the tears abated as soon as they had come; relmyna blinked through wet lashes as the young wolf began to speak, his voice oddly gentle, rambling. it removed the focus from her shame and placed it on his intentions for this place. relmyna was suddenly and deeply grateful, and glanced in the direction he did, clearing her throat quietly with an odd soft light entering her eyes. a thought — the tyro stepped gingerly past him, and turned to glance over the sharp bone of one shoulder; perhaps together they could climb?

At first he thought perhaps she was finally leaving, and his curiosity gave him a twinge if regret.  She didn't speak, so it wasn't likely he would find out more about her, but that didn't mean he had discounted her company yet.  They were close to enemy territory; she could even be one of them.  He shrugged that thought off.  Nothing for it now.

But instead of continuing, she glanced back, and he suddenly understood.  Apparently she knew a way up? Or was looking to explore as well.  Either way, he was game.  "Alright, lead the way," he said, positioning himself to follow.  Perhaps this was a stupid risk to take, following a wolf he barely knew in a climb he had never taken.  But he'd always been a risk taker.  It was in his blood, after all.

relmyna gave a quick smile as the boy deigned to follow her, and then glanced upward. there were footholds here; she reared up, placing her small paws against the rocks, and lifted herself quickly to the lowest ledge. looking back at the yearling male, the tyro set her feet again. it would be slow and arduous going, and would hopefully burn from her the energy that clawed too harshly at her belly.
had she the words, she would have asked the boy his name, made some small and light conversation; as it was, she could do no such thing, and so settled for sending him warm glances of encouragement from time to time, carefully moving ever upward.

She climbed aptly; doubtless she's done this before.  He followed, somewhat more awkwardly, much to his chagrin.  The second time he slipped he cast a sheepish grin back up, shaking his head.  "Rock hopping isn't a specialty of mine, surprisingly enough.  Gotta be bad at something I suppose."  

He he glanced back, out across the direction he'd come.  He did not think to introduce himself; he did think, however, to hide from her his origin.  He did not know if she was from the woods they were to war with, but if she was, they were enemies.  And just now, he didn't feel like drawing that line with her.  He'd take the warm glances instead, and enjoy a climb as acquaintances, strangers who had no ties aside from enjoying company.

"Do you.... climb often?"  He asked, concentrating on placing his paws as she had a moment before.

as they moved, the tyro thought of where she had learned such skills, and was shocked to find that her headache did not begin as usually happened when she tried to think of her past. at least, this had happened several times, enough to make the woman wary. but a picture emerged of mountains, her paws along the crags, the scent of a large black wolf.
she paused in time to hear the boy's question, and cocked her head to one side, glancing skyward in a show of consideration for his inquiry. she shook her muzzle with honesty; she did not currently climb, but was saddened by the fact that she could not convey she apparently had climbed before.

He grinned as he got the first real interaction from her of the day; a clear answer no, and for some reason it was hugely satisfying.  Perhaps because it felt as though she did him the honor of giving it; she could have disappeared into the shadows without even greeting him, as he might have expected from one who had been through what she apparently had.

"Could've fooled me.  I'm a man of the forest myself, but put a cliff in front of me, and something just goads me that I gotta at least try and go up."  He focused on his next step, back foot slipping a bit in a jarring way.  "Foolishness runs in the family," he explained, his heart pounding in a most delightful way at the feeling of having come so close to slipping back.

wrap up after another round? <3

the two of them got on well, relmyna supposed, finally relaxing in the boy's nearness. he was a harmless and gentle soul. as the tyro climbed, she tilted back one ear to listen, muzzle following in an instant; she whirled to regard him with an open and vaguely maternal warning as he slipped, and paused. 
heart pounding, the patchwork wolfess tossed the yearling a wry smile, finally emerging with a few more steps onto ground that was relatively flat, and here she sidled aside to give her companion room.

sounds good!

She whirled when he slipped, but he did not fall thankfully.  In his youth adrenaline sports like this had been his favorite pastime.  Now a tad more seasoned, he had grown a bit more cautious, but no less willing.  He wondered briefly if he could have made this climb without her there.  Likely not, and he was the more glad for her company.  Imagine Finley's face if he'd plummeted to his death a few days before they were to go to war.

The thought sobered a bit, but as he stepped up beside, any thoughts he had left.  It had been a long time since he had been up this high, and it brought back memories.

"What a view," he said, stepping up to look out over the edge.  It wasn't nearly so tall as the mountains, true, but the sharp contrast lent it a magnificent feel.

with the boy beside her, relmyna allowed herself the pleasure of glancing out into the open air, and was surprised immediately by the narrow, cold beauty of what she beheld before and far below. never in recollection had the tyro been this high — it was rather refreshing. quite taken by the sight, the she-wolf inhaled the free winds there and crooned lowly into the open space, the closest to a howl she would ever be able to offer. and as its echoes died, relmyna glanced sideways at her companion; perhaps he too would sing.

She sang out a note as they stood there, and Colt was hesitant.  He wasn't much of a singer himself, not without some reason to be doing it.  But in the spirit of a friendly exchange, which he guessed was maybe reason enough, he lifted his head and howled.  Not so loudly as to drown completely her quiet additions, but loudly enough to carry a bit on the wind.  If his voice had a bit of defiance in it, likely it was brought by the nearness to the edge and the knowledge there weren't likely many who would dare what they just had.

this seems like a good place to fade <3 feel free to reply again or archive; i would love another with you sometime!

the boy's voice was confident, edged in something reserved for young men. relmyna smiled as the echoes of their mutual call began to fade in the gentle air; presently she stirred at its edge, swinging her scarred muzzle 'round to catch the boy in her affectionate sights. thank you, came the tyro's silent missive, and after a heartbeat more, relmyna made to find her own pathway down to the more palatable ground.

yes please!

Her grateful glance was caught and he was glad; despite her terrible appearance, he had warmed considerably towards this stranger.  Or maybe it was because of it.  There was no need for his usual callous or casual facade here.

Shortly, anyway, it would be he who would be grateful.  On the climb down he would follow just as closely as he had up - possibly even moreso, as the descent would be even more harrowing.