The Sunspire and his apologies come early

Before long the boy is too tired to tell which way is which, and he has been trawling the lower reaches of the mountain's hilly range for hours. He thinks about returning to Ravensblood and pleading for further aid, but the thought of grovelling to Constantine makes his heart turn to steel. He relents in his quest only when the scent of wolf greets his snout; the markings along the ridge are fresh but he is too tired to recognize many details. It isn't a singular scent either - there are layers, as if someone has been by recently to reinforce a fresh claim. Screech feels a touch of hope, and he plants himself near to one such marker, confident that he's found what he has been hunting for.

it wasn't terance who had marked that border-- surprisingly-- but he was coming that way while on a patrol of his own. he spotted the wolf from a short distance, though he'd scented him earlier. his eyes narrowed curiously, and then he picked up pace, making his way to the wolf with a light bark. 

of course, terance didn't recognize that this was the same wolf that had potentially killed galaxy, but the sight of his missing eye was... alarming, at least. terance held a straight face, tail raised and posture tall. "can i help you?" he asked, not sternly, his gaze shifting over the male curiously.

It was bittersweet to be faced with yet another wolf; on one hand the oncoming stranger was unknown to him and carrying a defensive posture. On the other, Screech took a sharp breath and knew he had found the right place because the dark cloaked guy carried Rannoch's scent. Still, the boy reacted with apprehension and skepticism.

"I'm looking for Rannoch." Not you, in other words. He didn't say anything but there was a look to Screech that almost said, 'who the crap are you?'

his eyes narrowed as soon as the stranger spoke. something about his tone was off-putting with terance, and he immediately decided he wasn't sure he appreciated it. but he was looking for rannoch, and any friend of ran was a friend to him... so terance tried to ignore it. "he lives here, runs the place, actually. i'm terance, his beta," he said, trying to get a good baseline. he expected this guy to share with him who he was as well, and offered a small pause for the guy to do that-- should he choose to. 

"i'll call for him," terance said anyway, and after giving the guy another look down, tilted his head back and called for @Rannoch.

This was his beta? He didn't look that impressive to Screech; the boy sized him up with a quick glance and then, when given a chance to introduce himself he said, I'm family, which by default made him closer than the wolf so eager about his superficial title. A moment later Terry was calling for Rannoch so he was quiet.

Internally Screech was still reeling over the fact that his friend would choose a darkie as anything high in rank; although he wasn't about to face Rannoch and tell him what was on his mind (that no dark wolf could be trusted) he knew that this mountain would become his home - so he could find a way to make Rannoch see his error in other ways.

How hard could it be to take over as Beta? Clearly Screech wouldn't have to try very hard considering the weak ass competition.

family. terance was family, and... "you don't look like cypress," he responded, rather coldly now. rannoch had described his brother multiple times to terance, and this guy was not it. he didn't know of any other family that was so important to rannoch they'd come looking for him. no one rannoch had ever mentioned, that was for sure. therefore, this guy was not that important. regardless of what he said, terance was much closer to rannoch. blood or not. 

despite his optimism and trying to like the guy (for rannoch's sake), terance decided rather quickly that he did not like this guy. in fact, he wanted him to leave, right now. but he would wait for rannoch regardless-- just out of respect for his friend. 

feeling agitated, just a bit, terance straightened up a bit more, his scarred shoulders squaring.

Rannoch returned Terance's call almost immediately; he hadn't been doing anything particularly compelling when the Beta's summonings had reached him. Rannoch threw back his head and howled to let both wolves know that he was on the way. 

As he approached, Rannoch sensed an unexpected strain between the two wolves. His mind quickly raced as he sought to identify the wolf keeping Terance's company, and soon found himself all the more surprised to see that it was Titmouse. The plot seemed to thicken at this recognition, and Rannoch couldn't help but feel uneasy about the situation he was entering. Despite his unease, Rannoch stood tall and masked his anxiety; he'd find out what was going on in time.  

"Titmouse?" Rannoch asked once he stopped beside Terance and cupped his ears towards the yearling. "What are you doing here?" , he lowered his voice, "Is everything okay?" 

When Rannoch arrived Screech was fully devoting his attention to him. With a bit of a puff to his chest and an easy swagger, the boy approached his friend and said, "I left the forest pack. I couldn't stop thinking about finding you and Liffey so I hunted you down -" he was glad it hadn't taken very long and that he was still in one piece (relatively speaking). The still-kinda-fresh flesh wound on this throat still stung but at least he hadn't lost another eye.

"You have room for me, right?" It wasn't like Screech to be so presumptuous; he wasn't trying to be pushy about anything but he knew that leaving Constantines group may have burned a bridge. "I miss you. And you're family." 

Well ... As close as he could get.

before the guy could even answer his well-aimed shot, rannoch appeared, and the stranger completely ignored him. but rannoch dropped some information that was, quite frankly appalling. "you're titmouse?" he asked, brows furrowed, though he didn't expect an answer. titmouse was not family, regardless of his innocence regarding galaxy. he simply wasn't. 

the raven-furred beta was suddenly angry, and almost angry at rannoch. "your family lacks respect and common courtesy," terance said directly, to rannoch, titmouse did not deserve his time of day. terance quickly assumed that the alpha would let him in among their ranks, because that's just how he was-- and terance had too much respect for rannoch to fight him on the issue. and so he was suddenly done. with a look at rannoch that demanded he speak to him after this whole ordeal, terance said "i need to finish my patrol," and then left.

Rannoch did not immediately speak. Instead, he listened to what Titmouse and Terance had to offer. From the sound of it, things weren't starting out on the right foot for his former ward. He frowned, unable to hide his disappointment in what Terance told him; family or not, the wolves of Sunspire acted with respect, and Rannoch wasn't ready to accept somebody that was going to throw off that balance. 

"What just happened?" Rannoch asked, his voice void of any blame. Before he could answer the question he had been asked, Rannoch knew he needed to know Titmouse's perspective of what had transpired.

Upon learning Screech's name (which he really needed to address with Rannoch and Liffey - he didn't want people to lose respect for him because of a silly name like Tit) the dark wolf looked aghast, protested a bit, but eventually departed. As the proverbial dust settled around Terrance's departure Rannoch turned his confusion upon the boy, who had taken on a dumbfounded "what the hell?" kind of expression.

Whatever. Good riddance. Except, he couldn't say that.

Who was that guy? The boy murmured, but then shook his head and looked at Rannoch, eager to impart his side of the story - something no Moonspear wolf had ever allowed. I told you, I was looking for you and Liffey. I found that guy instead, told him I was family... He seemed pretty peeved to begin with. Maybe he didn't trust me? He shrugged. Are all your friends so grouchy? Tit -- er, Screech, asked rather pointedly, not missing the fact that Rannoch and his friends had all come from the same deplorable place - Moonspear.

The boy's eyes lit up then. Was he --- is he Hydra's brother?

"That guy is my Beta, lead guardian, and best friend," he informed Titmouse, his expression stony. "And if you want to join my pack, you will treat him and the rest of my wolves with respect." Rannoch didn't like how Screech was talking to him. 

One detail of Titmouse's story stuck out to Rannoch— the matter of his name. Rannoch could imagine that a lack of information could annoy Terance."Did you tell him your name?" Rannoch asked, his expression softening as he voiced his speculation, "Or did you just tell him that you were family?"  

The boy sighed, and resisted rolling his eyes despite the great big urge. He needed this - he needed Rannoch to be on his side and he needed the protection of the pack. If he couldn't have that, then he was risking it all for nothing. Being here was dangerous for him, a fact that he couldn't forget.

Okay, so I was a little quiet on the details. But you saw how he reacted when he did learn my name! Screech was trying to play nice but it was getting pretty hard to keep his cool; even now, after everything, he couldn't stop the baseline of his personality from showing. He was really selfish and he sounded like he was on the verge of a tantrum. Just breathe, kid. Rannoch is family. Sorry, he murmured, and looked at the dirt. I was kind of focused on finding you again, but I'll... I'll be nice. At least whenever Rannoch is around.

Rannoch could understand both of their perspectives. But, ultimately, he knew that was Terance who was in the right.  "Well, then I can understand why he must have been frustrated. It's his job to make sure that Sunspire is protected and you weren't helping any." There was no criticism in his voice; Rannoch hoped that Titmouse would learn from this. "Next time, you should give any wolf you come across at their borders some more information, and show a little more respect with your posture," he advised. 

Rannoch nodded when Titmouse promised that he'd be good. "If you were any other wolf, I would have chased you off myself." But he wasn't. He was family. "But, given the fact that you are family, I will give you another chance. I know you can do better, Titmouse." 

"You will be Sunspire's Omega until you prove yourself otherwise. Should I hear of you making any trouble in my pack, there will be consequences. Understood?" 

To say he was surprised (or even a little hurt) was an understatement. He looked almost like someone had slapped him in the face after hearing Rannoch's verdict, but he had to accept it. He was getting what he wanted - a home. He'd just have to work on everything else (which also meant he could figure out the darkie problem on the way).

Um.. Okay, he agreed, head bobbing. His tail whisked lowly. Should I... Apologize to your friend? The offer was there to mend whatever he'd ruined, but Screech wasn't really expecting anything out of it. He offered more out of propriety and to seem like he was trying.

Rannoch smiled; Titmouse seemed to ben learning from his mistakes already. "Yes, please," he answered with a wave of his tail. 

Titmouse agreed to the conditions and was apart of the pack now; Rannoch motioned for him to enter the territory with a jerk of his head. "Want me to show you around?" he asked.

Screech was no longer in a mood appropriate for spending time with others; he thought of various ways to ass kiss his way out of his predicament but the only option, really, was to seek out Terry and.. Deal with that mess as quickly as he could.

Plus this was Rannoch talking. The boy had spent days hunting him down and wouldn't let himself fall victim to the disappointment he had begun to sense. Maybe Redshank had been right about him - but time would tell.

He doesn't think for long and nods, the corner of his eyes creasing as he smiles, "Okay."

Titmouse's smile was contagious, and Rannoch couldn't help but mirror the expression. "Alright," he said, and leaned forward to nudge his former ward's cheek, "Let's go." 

With their plan set in motion, Rannoch led Titmouse further into the territory. He showed the Omega all of the locations within their claimed region that he thought would have been of interest. When they were done with the tour, Rannoch lifted his head and announced the news to the pack — that Titmouse had joined their ranks as an Omega — before he went on his way. 

Although Titmouse had had a less than favorable introduction to Susnpire, Rannoch was confident that he would find his way in time.