Moonspear I struck a match and blew your mind

@Slavik @Llewellyn @Amekaze @Hydra  Maybe let Slavik post first? <3

The trip up the mountains towards Moonspear had taken longer than she had originally anticipated, mostly because as they made there way up one of the range's steep, narrow passages, it had started to snow, forcing them to take slower, more careful steps as the ground grew slick. The night was cold, and as the snow collected on her sandy coat, its frigid moisture sank down to her skin, chilling her deep into her bones. She looked back every now and then just to make sure her friend was still following. She was thankful he was here and she wasn't making this trek on her own. They had followed the mountains from the coast, eventually finding the opening that would lead them through the peaks towards the place she hoped to soon call home.

It wasn't long before the scent of wolves grew strong, and Speedy knew they had arrived near the borders. She took a second to shake the melted snow from her coat before lifting her nose to the sky and releasing a howl. When she looked back, she offered Slavik a quick smile before looking back towards the borders for any sign of movement.

Slavik’s journey around the Wilds with Speedy was coming to an end, after their beach trip he’d agreed to go join the Moonspear pack with her. He still thought about Sunspire sometimes, and how he really had been thinking about joining them. But Speedy didn’t express much interest in the Sunspire mountain pack, and he wasn’t that picky. He thought on the plus side about Moonspear, hopefully they would become like a family to him too. He was sure it could be done, he was already close with at least one other member.

The day they arrived at the mountain it’d begun to snow. The first snow of the year, which had to be a good sign. They’d arrived just in time. The sky pillar looked beautiful with the white powder cascading around it, Speedy had made a good choice. He followed her through a mountain path, snow collecting on his golden blonde fur and his black nose, which he licked at constantly as the cold made it dry. This was the first snow of the year, he’d forgotten how pretty, and also how frigid. Though walking close to Speedy helped some, so he fell into step with her.

When they arrived, Slavik first acquainted himself with the scent, then released his howl along with Speedy. He glanced at her and was met with a smile, which he returned and let his tail begin to wag. Then all they could do was wait.

Not one but two howls rise up in the frigid air, and Llewellyn's ears shoot upright. Ceara is still on his mind, the wheels of his mind turning, seeking ways to deal with the Blackfeather wolves, but this is a voice that seems familiar--at least one of them. The prince makes his way down the mountain, skidding a little in his impatience, and bursts from the alpine forest to find a pair standing behind the border, looking expectant.

"Speedy," Llewellyn greets warmly, a smile in his eyes as he looks at her. "You made it without a second to spare," he adds sardonically, gazing up at the flurries. He cants his head toward the male, taking in his gilded locks, the brightness of his eyes. "Who is your friend?" he inquires, sounding less than enthused.

It isn't as if Llewellyn wants her to himself. Honestly, he does not know where they stand. She is kind enough, but terribly strong-willed, and not in the self-assured way that marked women like Ame and Hydra. She is young and naive. But he cannot deny that he cares for her, and to see her with someone else she has picked up along the way sparks a sort of burning envy in his chest, enough to make him avoid the other's gaze.

He looks away, up the mountain, waiting for his queen to arrive.

She was staying busy.. far more than she really wanted to keep track of these days, which welcomed the first snows this far down the mountain of course. Thankfully they had not amounted to very much so far. Instead, only enough to coat the scenery, and keep it particularly picturesque--which was fine, she could cope and welcome it to a point, even, as some rite of the turn of the seasons. It was bound to happen sooner or later.. but she was sour that it had to be now.

Naturally enough, the skeptic in her kept a suspicious eye skyward now too while she wondered that this wasn't going to be all. It was still cloudy.. but the days to follow would have to tell the whole tale.

She was distracted from her pause by the pair of howls, and was obliged to answer to see if it was even worth her time. She kicked up to a new trot, and started on in that direction. Ame tried to shake the overcast mood on the way, and went with debatable success.

Thankfully it was a pair of loners.. mindful of her marks, and Llewellyn, so Ame forcibly shelved her concerns about what may or may not come, and had to focus on them instead. Her tail curled tall and with nothing yet said--since conversation was already underway--she joined up with them to find out more at some point.

(tiny edit to account for this being after cerb returns)

Her return had held much pomp, but little fanfare (yet); she had wanted to rest with her sisters after their long journey home, and be sure the others that had come with them integrated well within their lands. Her family had been the first to know of the return of she and her twins, and she idly sought out the golden prince that had occupied her thoughts as the strength of his own scent remained. Hydra was grateful for his remaining here, and her tail swayed as she followed his trail. 

The call of another, however, gave her only a moments pause. She was certain she would find the man there, and perhaps her mother or her father, too; eager to come across their familiar features, Hydra was swift in altering her course to meet those that she had heard. 

Her proud stride shifts as she arrives before them, her gaze only for the duo at the borders. The scent of lavender drifts toward her, a sweet, soothing scent, and her eyes shift toward the scar she carries. Interested, but not yet enough to ask, her gaze then shifts toward the blonde. His furs are somehow similar to the princes, though less ruddy, she notes. He was a large wolf, larger than she herself, and yet by the way Hydra carried herself few could ever exude such a stature when they did not truly possess it. She shifts in a deferential manner to her mother, a fond nip to her chin administered as she at last pauses before the strangers. 

She had heard the golden Moonspearian speak in a manner that was familiar, though she had not heard the words in her distant approach, and so, like her mother, she listened for the moment so as to know the reason they had come for certain. The flurries that fell from the sky were not regarded by Hydra; they melted the moment they came into contact with her furs, and did not inspire her attention.

Cadwalader was the first to answer their call, and Speedy's tail wagged as he approached. Her cheeks heated at his friendly greeting, and she had to fight the urge to return the greeting with an affectionate nuzzle. Affection was not normally something she withheld from wolves she was familiar with, but she had trouble reading the golden male through his walls, and she was afraid of how much it might sting if he rejected it. So, she shuffled a little on her front paws and offered him an enthusiastic grin, chuckling a little at his teasing. That's my style, she replied with a shrug. Speedy had not missed the cool way he referred to her friend, but she just assumed it was because he didn't know Slavik. He was not overly friendly when they first met, either. This is Slavik. We've been traveling together for a little bit, she explained before turning to the molten male and offering him a reassuring smile. Slavik, this is my--friend, Cadwalader, she offered, pausing a little before the word 'friend' and causing her cheeks to heat again. Were they friends? She'd like to think so, but she honestly wasn't really sure what they were. Although, the empath intended to keep the promise she made to him.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of another; a sturdy, dark female. Speedy's eyes were immediately drawn to what appeared to be a scar on the woman's chest. She seemed powerful, and the healer wondered if she was here because she was in charge. She greeted her with a friendly smile and a bow of her head. 

Another soon joined them; a confident, inky female who appeared to be related to the first wolf in some way, at least judging from their appearance. Speedy greeted her in a similar way with a friendly smile and a bow of her head before looking back to Cadwalader for introductions.

The first to answer their call was a golden furred male, who seemed to know Speedy. He greeted her warmly, but turned to Slavik with a less than enthused vibe. Slavik dipped his head, wondering if the guy was just a bit harder on those he didn’t know. He hoped that was the case, cause he didn’t want to start off with a potential new pack mate on the wrong foot. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, he shuffled back slightly, letting Speedy take the lead. He’d never done this before and he didn’t want to screw it up. He let her do the talking, she introduced him to the golden male then turned and gave him an encouraging look. Slavik remembered why he was here and smiled back.

Nice to meet you Cadwaladwer, he said, with more confidence now. Soon they were joined by two more wolves, one who certainly was the alpha, and another of important stature. The two dark females seemed to be related, if not just very close. He, like Speedy, waited for further instruction for the leaders of Moonspear.

Oh, God. At Moonspear, he is Llewellyn and no other; within the confines of his borders, he has forgotten the name he gave to Speedy on their first meeting. He grimaces, looking from one to the other, before Ame and--

Hydra! His joy at seeing the dark woman obliterates any concerns he has of revealing his deception to Speedy, and his tail wags slightly without volition, eyes glittering as he nods to her. Hopefully, this means they had found their sister, and the trio are one again. He gives Amekaze a respectful bow of his head before inclining it toward the pair behind the border.

"This is Speedy and Slavik," Llewellyn explains, glancing at his queen. "They have come looking for a home. I can vouch for Speedy's good character," he adds, mouth quirking wryly as he speaks. "We are acquainted." He turns once more toward his. . .acquaintance? Friend? Well, he had healed her, after all. There is apology in his eyes when he continues, a sort of I'll explain myself later vibe to his tone.

"This is Amekaze, our alpha female, and Hydra, our beta," he says, "and here, on this mountain, I am Llewellyn. I will let the four of you discuss matters." Llewellyn steps back, looking vaguely uncomfortable, his eyes trained warily on the newcomer.

Her daughter arrived much as she does, and here among them, Ame eases comfortably enough when she knows her attention is better spent divided among the newcomers, and how it they tie into this.

Though, it is interesting enough already, and she nods gently with a quirk to her expression. She does not find an immediate need to interject--not right away, as Llewellyn sorted through some necessary matters already, down to a short introduction of all involved. Once more, she's grateful for him, and lifts her head a touch more as he stepped back once finished. "Greetings," she offered first, since she let the prefacing speak for itself.

"Seems you know the gist of it, then.." she smirked, and passed an obvious glance between Speedy, then Slavik. "So you are travelers? Why did Moonspear catch your eyes?" An acquaintance with one of their own was a start, and an appreciated thread. Was it all, though? And of course, this time of year? It was about to be no time to rove. She wondered, too, how they were linked and what sorts of aspirations the pair of them carried.

Hydra lingered, interested in the given moniker the Golden once-prince presented; she would inquire about it at a later time. The Beta, for her own part, was simply watchful. Her mother seemed to understand the duo had come to join, and Hydra had nothing to add, content to observe. She would only intervene if she needed to, but she enjoyed knowing those who may become of their ranks.

She listened quietly as the golden male introduced them, a little confused at the discomfort she noticed in his body language, and even more confused by the apologetic look he then offered. Her--friend?--whatever, that's what she was going to call him--Her friend went on to explain that the two females in front of them were the alpha Amekaze and the beta Hydra. Her confusion morphed into understanding when he finally admitted that his name was actually Llewellyn. Speedy gave him a puzzled look, pausing briefly before realizing it was her turn to speak.

She turned and dipped her respectfully at both women in front of her before meeting the alpha's silver-green gaze. We are travelers, but we're ready to settle in a pack. I chose Moonspear, well, because Cad--Llewellyn invited me here, she wasn't sure that was the best reason to choose place, but she wouldn't start things off with a lie, not that she really ever lied; what was the point? She had been offered a place in a few other packs as well, but in the end, the empath was drawn here. She flicked her golden eyes to Llewellyn a little awkwardly before moving them back to the dark leader. Slavik and I are both medics and have been surviving without a pack for a while, so we both can help out wherever we're needed should you allow us to join, she added, hoping that if her reason for choosing Moonspear seemed weak, that she and Slavik's skills would override that and show that they could be valuable members. She turned to the molten male then, a warm smile on her face as she waited to see if he had anything to add.

Slavik noticed the uncomfortable shift in the other blonde upon hearing his name, Slavik thought it a bit odd but he tried not to let it show. Cadwalader introduced him and Speedy to the leaders, then vice versa. The alpha was Amekaze, and the beta was Hydra, and Cadwalader was... Llewellyn? Slavik was very confused, the other male sent Speedy an apologetic look, and Slavik glanced between them, trying to see whether he was simply missing something. Oh well, hopefully this would be explained later, right now however it wasn't of utmost importance.

Llewellyn stepped back as Amekaze spoke, greeting them with a regal authority that Slavik felt inclined to respect with a dip of his head. She then continued on, asking them some basic questions. Once again Slavik let Speedy take the reins, especially since he had no true reason to choose Moonspear other than that Speedy wanted to go. She said it better than he could have, and he nodded in agreement with her.

Speedy introduced them as medics, Slavik was more of an aspiring medic than a fully trained one but he did know more than the average wolf. I'm training to be a medic, Speedy's more pro on that than I am. My main skill is hunting, he added on, his glance shifting from Amekaze to the younger version nearby.

He looks incredibly sheepish, dark blue eyes unusually dull as he meets Speedy's gaze. There is nothing really he can say to make it better--he lied, plain and simple. All he can do now is to explain why. Perhaps she will forgive him if she knows he did it to save his own hide, rather than anything to do with her.

For now, he watches the proceedings in silence. They are both medics, it seems, although the man is a hunter as well. Scrappy, the pair of them. He is still stewing slightly at Slavik's sudden appearance; for someone he has never seen before with Speedy, the two seem awfully close. He will reserve judgment for the future, but for now, he is not altogether pleased.

His eyes wander to Hydra; he is eager to speak with her, to inquire as to how her travels went. Perhaps he can talk with her about the war with Blackfeather, as well. He needs to know as soon as possible how much of a threat these wolves pose to his home.

For the moment, she was keen enough to sift through the curiosities of the other name, and all it entailed. The newcomers, regardless of by what moniker they knew her comrade, captured the present effectively--travelers, and both medics, too interestingly enough. Ame flicked a silent glance to Hydra when he said he was a hunter primarily as well. Winter made his timing good in that regard, especially when they could use fresh blood to hunt alongside them. 

As she considered Llewellyn a solid enough judge of character, if he should invite them, and to have them follow through enough to land themselves here--then already her ears were perked and they came to her good, albeit formal, graces. However the mountain needed the strong to last, and for her heart to fully be in it, she would always take longer than these introductions would allow.

The short exchange was enough to tell her she was interested in seeing what they could do--and perhaps what her sons and daughters may be able to learn from them. She would not be wise to snub her nose at two able-bodied medics. Good. We should hunt in the morning, she said, eyes alight at the suggestion and hopeful. With an addition of two more, plus Behemoth's recent arrival and the fact that her youngest sons were looking to outweigh her soon, she had confidence that they could rally together something to help stock their stores and feed them all. But first: I think rain is coming, so, settle in should your loyalty be with us on the Spear. Skilled enough wolves can fit in, I believe. She wasn't keen to sugarcoat it since evidently, they were not for the faint of heart here sometimes, and at the same time, thanks to the faintest hints of faraway petrichor on the breeze, she wasn't intending to stall here.

Hydra was thrilled to hear of two more medics; Lyra could always benefit from learning more, and teaching, too, what the others might not know. Her mother clearly thought as much as well; she welcomed the duo into the fold, and Hydra grinned. Welcome, she spoke to newcomers. My sister, Lyra, heals others as well. I am sure she will be thrilled to hear of your  own skills, her ears pricked as her gaze shifted upon the hunter, mindful of her mothers passing gaze but moments ago. I am a tracker; perhaps you and I could combine our skills to find something worth hunting tomorrow, after you have rested some? She did not know how long these two had traveled for, but she did not want them to not receive any rest. Traveling had been tiring for Hydra, who had yearned for nothing more than to be home.

An amused smile crossed Speedy's face at the way Slavik had referred to her as a 'pro.' She certainly didn't think of herself as a pro, but she was working on it, although her mother had always told her that healers never stopped learning new things. 

The confusion she felt surrounding the fake name her friend had given her was soon forced to the back burner for now as the dark leader began to speak again. She would definitely be asking him about this whole name business later, but now wasn't really the time. She didn't want to make him more uncomfortable, and she also didn't want to be disrespectful to the leaders. 

The empath's tail wagged at the mention of hunting. She was excited to hunt in a pack again. She wasn't exactly the strongest wolf around, especially compared to the four much larger wolves standing around her, but she was quick, and she had learned that speed was just as helpful as muscle. She dipped her respectfully. Thank you. A hunt sounds great, she replied, eager to start pulling her weight.

The other leader welcomed them as well and mentioned that her sister was a healer. Speedy's ears perked, and she gave the other woman an appreciative smile. I'll be sure to introduce myself to her, thank you, she offered with a bow of her head. She was also glad Hydra seemed to have something in common with Slavik; now he would have a more equal hunting partner. Speedy shot him a small smile before returning her attention to the two leaders to see if they had anything else they wanted to add.

Slavik’s reaction to the mention of a hunt was similar to his friend’s, his fluffy tail began to swing to an inaudible rhythm that drummed in his heart. He was starting to feel a little excited, nervous still, anxious to be accepted, but excited about it all. Speedy thanked Amekaze, Slavik nodded along, Definitely, I’d love to, he added. His gaze shifted from the alpha to the beta, who addressed them both about her medic sister and then only him. A tracker, Slavik’s eyes lit at this. He was very interested in the trade, and would love to learn what she knew.

Sure, I’ll be ready anytime, he replied with a smile, his eyes falling back to Llewellyn for a moment. He wondered if the other blonde would have something to say, he still thought it troublesome how the other seemed to have an aversion to him. He hoped it was nothing personal, if it was he’d have to patch it up, as he didn’t want to start out with any bad blood. He followed Speedy’s lead then, and waited for any further instruction from the women of Moonspear.

After her, Hydra eased them into further details, all of which had Ame nodding softly. With that said, and her outlook good, she would look into other matters later. She glanced skyward habitually just to be sure her suspicions were still looking likely enough. Addressing Speedy and Slavik, she was going to have to give them the basics, and begin to have them as familiar here. Come with me, and I can tell you more, she said, gesturing towards a forest path leading deeper into their claim. It was still only at their fringes, but served as a good introduction to the ins and outs of what this mountain had to offer. Whether or not they would be familiar with the terrain, time would tell.

Turning next to her dark daughter, she nodded. Hydra and Llewellyn can finish the patrols. At least here, before the rains set in for who-knew how long, and afterward, her daughter could surely pass on word to them.

She would field their newcomers' questions, and give them what they needed to know. Never was the dark alpha all too generous on what she would share so soon.. but it would serve them well to know what they valued here, what they represented, and who was who. At least until they could find out more on their own--and she could do the same to them.

By the evening, the pack would have word of their new pair.. and Ame would see what came of it then.

my vague last here <3