Porcupine Ridge immortals

@Thorin I'm not the fastest/bestest at sprees but we can give it a shot if you want!

Rue climbed the narrow pathway up to Porcupine Ridge, her footsteps leaving a fresh trail in the newly-fallen snow. It was a quiet morning, the air as still as it was cool and crisp. The honey-eyed woman had awoken with the singular desire to gaze out over the vale from her favorite spot on the ridge, knowing that the landscape would be untouched and pristine at this early hour. Something about bearing witness to that kind of perfection enticed Rue like nothing else, and she hurried forward with a jovial spring in her step.

He had gotten himself in a bind traveling this far up the mountain.  The cold suited him but the heights sure didn't; he'd grown up in a forest by a river, where the nearby mountains were considered treacherous as they'd been held down by some other family that his own had been on shaky terms with.  Even in his weary days as a traveler he had yet to cross a mountain, for the foot of a mountain always seemed to be a sprawling pasture of green filled with prey and water as clear as day.  

But he'd wanted to see the sunrise from somewhere up high to see if it looked any better than it did from the ground.  He wanted to know what the trees looked like from above.  The sun had already risen (although just barely), but it would be a while before the sun melted the thin layers of ice on the higher rocks.  Climbing here was too treacherous for a novice like him.

Disappointed, he turned around and nearly slid, then paused at the crunch of snow.  Hey, is someone out there? he called, tail waving behind him.  I seem to've gotten myself into a bind.

Rue's ears flew to attention as a voice pierced the still air. From what she had experienced so far, the ridge seemed to be a popular spot for gazing, but for some reason the young woman had imagined she would be alone so early in the morning. 

Although her muscles seized up initially at the sound of a masculine voice, Rue was able to relax as she registered the friendliness of the unseen man's tone. Not everyone was out to get her, she had to remember that. 

"Just me," she answered tenatively. "The trail is over here, if you follow my voice." With the all fresh snow, it was likely that the owner of the voice was having trouble locating and/or staying on the trail.  Luckily, Rue had come this way multiple times in the warmer seasons; that was really the only reason she was able to remain on the trail herself.

"You're not stuck, are you?" she added, remembering how she had gotten herself in a bind the first time she came up here. There was a note of worry in her tone as she addressed the unseen man-- the ridges were steep in these parts and sheer drops edged up against several sections of the trail. If the stranger was off-trail, he could be in some danger of slipping.

"The trail is over here, if you follow my voice."  Well, shoot, was that why it was so slick?  No wonder.  Alright, he called bac while rolling his eyes at his sheer dumb luck, unsure of just how he'd gotten himself in this mess.  Some scout he was, but it just proved that he had more to learn... or whatever.  Learning more about his surroundings was far from his biggest fish to fry — he'd have to make it out alive and (hopefully) uninjured to learn, well, just about anything.  

"You're not stuck, are you?"  He looks around then back at his feet.  No, 'least, I don't think I am.  It's just slick. Couldn't she run on out here and see for herself?  I'm gonna start headin' towards you now.  Which he did.  Headed down was not as easy as going up, because if he slipped then he'd have a lot more than a cracked chin (which he did indeed have, from when he'd slipped before) to deal with.

He wasn't stuck at least; that was some relief. That meant Rue (hopefully) wouldn't have to leave the trail herself in order to help the man. From the direction of his voice, it sounded as if he was further up the trail. Rue continued picking her way up toward the summit, stopping when the silver man came into view.

"Oh! You're really close to the path," she said reassuringly, smiling as she addressed him. She hurried over to stand at the spot on the path closest to stranger's location, so he knew where to aim his progress. "The path is right here. You got it," she encouraged him, hoping to sound more confident than she felt. If he rolled an ankle this far up the ridge, she really didn't know what they would do.

Lucky for Ruenna, it was too early in Thorin's story for him to roll an ankle — his player isn't that cruel.  He chalked it up to good luck, since he doesn't know anything about this fourth wall.  He's assured when she comes into view; he visibly releases a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, then chuckles good-naturedly at the realization.  Why, thank you, he says as he reaches the path, Don't think I could've done it without you.  What're you doin' all the way up here this morning?  Now that he was close he thought he could smell pack on her, but he hadn't come close enough to the Plateau to scent its borders and hadn't come close enough to the Wall to look down upon them.  You from 'round here?

Rue accepted the man's thank with a smile; she was just glad to see him safe, truly, as was her relieved player behind her own fourth wall. 

"I was on my way up to the ridge. For the view of Northstar Vale," she explained. Figuring he must have been doing the same, she asked, "Did you catch the sunrise up there?" She wagged her tail, recalling how lovely the vale was in the morning light. 

"Yep, Blacktail Deer Plateau," Rue answered his last question, nodding over her shoulder in the direction she had come. "If we follow my trail back down the ridge, we'll be right up against the packlands." She added with a smile, "But don't worry, you'll be safe with me. I'm the Beta, Ruenna Redfern."

He chortles softly.  Well, I might've if I'd-a been any good at scaling the mountain.  Didn't make it in time. Sun's still low though, if you were interested in headin' up there with me.  Better to have a guide that seems to have done this before than to forge it out on his own.  I came from that way, he motions, So I never came across your borders.  It's nice to meet you, Ruenna.  I'm Thorin Whitemane.  He clears his throat and takes a step up the trail, looking over his shoulder at this something-or-other deer Beta.  So, how 'bout you tell me more a-where you came from?

Rue blinked, a bit surprised that after his experience the man was willing to go back up the ridge. "Sure, if you don't mind," she replied, recovering quickly. She nodded in their direction of travel before taking the lead. 

"That's a tough climb," Rue commented when he indicated the direction from which he had come. She knew of no easy way up the ridge other than the path she had taken. 

She looked over her shoulder as the man introduced himself. "Nice to meet you too, Thorin," she said with a smile. "Blacktail Deer Plateau," she repeated the name of her pack, happy to provide Thorin with the details. "It's a beautiful territory west of here, on a mountain plateau overlooking the Whitefish River plains. We live off the nearby blacktail deer herd. It's a good life. Peaceful." Well, it was peaceful when leaders weren't falling in love with each others' mates. And when people weren't getting their tails ripped off by cougars. ... So yeah. Peaceful.

"How about you, Thorin. Is your home around here?" Rue returned the question conversationally.

Bound and determined to see the sun's ascent from a better view than this one, he continues along the path with ease.  It was certainly a better trek this way than the way he'd come from — if he'd known there had been a path already beaten down, he would've done that.  His ignorance around mountaineering certainly shone through.  He lets out another laugh at her comment.  Sure was, he confirms, meeting her eye as he trails in tandem up the mountain.  Sounds like a good time, he says idly, wondering if it'd be a good place to settle down over the winter.  Are you guys full up?  Got room for me?

Are you from around here?  He shakes his head though she likely can't see it.  I'm from far out east.

Rue looked back over her shoulder with a smile, enjoying Thorin's easygoing presence. She liked hearing him laugh; she realized with a pang of sorrow that it had been a long time since she had heard such a carefree sound... life in Blacktail Deer Plateau had taken a rather serious turn as of late. 

"If a potential recruit has a good heart, and he knows how to make himself useful, we can always find room," Rue assured Thorin, an amused twinkle in her eye. "Why, would you know someone like that?" Rue turned back forward to hide the very un-Rue-like grin breaking across her countenance. It seemed that Thorin's lighthearted attitude was catching. 

He was from the far east? "Me too, originally," Rue commented with interest. "Born in Red Fern Glade." It was unlikely the man had heard of her tiny natal pack, unless maybe he had been part of one of the packs that made up the Glade's expansive network of allies.

There is a part of him that likes making young, pretty girls smile, and with an affable sway of his tail he shrugs his shoulders.  Well, maybe, he says, pretending to think about it.  Tell you what, if I find anyone that fits the criteria, I'll send 'em your way.

And then he had to really think.  It sounded like something he might've heard before, but he wasn't quite sure.  Eastern Bend, he offers, giving the name of the river in which his natal pack had begun.  Small world.

"Much appreciated. You'll be doing my job for me," Rue replied, tossing another amused look over her shoulder. When was the last time her heart had felt so light? And in the presence of a strange man, to boot. Perhaps she was finally growing into the confidence she had always assumed she would possess as a pack wolf of respectable standing. 

Rue's ears lifted as he gave the name of his birthpack. "Sounds familiar," she said, voice surprised. "Indeed," she agreed, it certainly was a small word.

"Hopefully you departed on better terms than I did," she mused, only realizing a split second later what she had implied. "Not that I-- I mean.." Rue searched her brain for a suitable ammendment. "There was just.. an accident. And someone had to take the blame." Her voice was offhanded, which would hopefully reassure the man that she wasn't some kind of... traitor or lawbreaker or something.

He takes her admission with the same carefree stride as he has everything else thus far (though some part of him is glad she isn't said traitor or lawbreaker).  Mom and Pop are nice and all, but there's only so much there for you when everyone's older 'n you and you're related to everyone, too.  It had been easy enough for him to leave.  Hey Ma, hey Pa, I'm gonna go out and see the world.  They didn't mind too much.  

More seriously, It's not like you killed anyone with your own tooth and claw.  Not that he'd ever seen any wolf kill another wolf with their claws.................... where did that expression even come from?  Well, you seem nice enough anyway.  It seemed especially out of character for her to turn around and push him straight off the ridge, at least.  Accidents.

Thorin didn't seem too thrown by Rue's little slip, thankfully. The young woman honestly couldn't believe she had let something like that out-- usually she was so careful with words. It seemed that the more she tried to hide and bury her secret, her shame, the more it struggled and attempted to burst free. Oddly though, Rue didn't feel more ashamed for what she had told Thorin, as she might have expected. She actually felt... better. Lighter. Had she been going about things all wrong, then? Perhaps you didn't move on from the past by burying it deeper and deeper... perhaps you moved on by exhuming and exposing ugly truths, denying shame the power it once held. 

Rue nodded in understanding. Thorin's backstory was not an unusual one; at least not for the eastern packs as Rue had known them. She had vague memories of older siblings who had departed Red Fern Glade with paws itching for travel. Other siblings and cousins had married into nearby packs, and still others-- the more charismatic ones-- had started their own packs. This was the way of the world-- a small, natal pack did not remain small by retaining all of its progeny, after all. 

No, she hadn't killed anyone with her own tooth, and certainly not her own claw (what a grisly, grueling process that would be!) and she likely never would. Not if she could help it. "No, never had the stomach for any of that. I'm profoundly grateful for the Plateau's mercenaries, because I know I could never.. do what they do." Rue could hunt with the best of them, tear prey and even other predators to bits... but she'd never been able to handle the taste of another wolf's blood on her tongue. The mere idea of it made her shudder. 

The path widened as they neared the Porcupine Ridge overlook, and Rue slowed to allow Thorin to walk beside her, if he so wished. "That's the overlook, right up ahead. You can see all of Northstar Vale from that point." Rue looked up to meet her new friend's citrine eyes, her own honey gaze warm and bright with anticipation. Although she had begun the climb with the intention of appreciating the view in solitude, she thought she might enjoy sharing the view with Thorin even more.

He nods.  Not really my kinda thing, either. He'd never been about that life, although he could hold his own if it came down to it.  Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure if he was really good at anything.  He liked kids, and although he'd never had any of his own he'd reared many of his nieces and nephews.

He meets her eyes briefly before his gaze flickers to the ridge.  Mind keepin' me company?  She said she'd come up here to see the sunrise, but now that it was already up he wasn't sure if she'd want to stick around.

Ah, a kindred spirit! Blacktail Deer Plateau was home to many mercenaries, so the potential recruit's pacifistic inclinations didn't trouble Rue in the slightest. Rue found herself thinking that the presence of another gentle soul in the Plateau would provide.. a breath of fresh air, so to speak. She might have gone on to ask the man what "his kinda thing" was exactly, but it seemed they had arrived at the overlook. 

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it," Rue replied with a smile, leading the way to the overlook. The quiet, snowy landscape spread out below was just as glorious as anticipated, especially with the sunlight spilling over the peak of the distant Sunspire mountain. Despite the breathtaking scenery, Rue found her attention drawn to Thorin's face rather than the vale below. She had seen it all before, after all, and oddly enough she was more excited to witness Thorin's reaction than she was to feast her eyes upon the beauty herself.

It was better than he could've ever imagined.  He could tell from where he stood that the vale was vast, but beyond that was a spire so tall that if they scaled it, they might be able to reach the stars.  I... he trailed, taking in a breath and swallowing.  We were never allowed to climb the mountains, he says, turning to look at her and finding that she's already looking at him.  I've never been up this far.  But he doesn't have the words to place the beauty of what's laid out at his feet; he's always been too simple for that.  Thank you.

Thorin's reaction did not disappoint. Rue felt her heart swell as the view took Thorin's breath away. With such an appreciation for nature's beauty, he was indeed a kindred spirit, that much was clear. 

The woman's ears flattened in suprise-- had this truly been Thorin's first mountain ascent? This was the highest he had ever been? "Then stay," she encouraged him, voice soft and understanding. "Stay as long as you can. There is no magic that compares..." She fell quiet, her scout's soul understanding how important this moment was for Thorin. She would allow him some privacy to breathe in the scenery and bask in his accomplishment.

Rue leaned forward with the intention to nudge against Thorin's shoulder in farewell. Instead, found herself brushing her muzzle against his cheek; a much more intimate caress than she had really been intending. She pulled away, just as surprised by the touch as Thorin would (likely) feel. "There, that.. should make sure no one from the Plateau gives you trouble." Rue swallowed and looked down, hoping her voice wasn't trembling as much as her heart.

With her scent upon him, Thorin would be able to follow her tracks in the snow back down the ridge and through the plateau, which would make for a much easier descent than his previous attempt. Carrying the Beta's scent would also allow Thorin to remain in the Plateau's territory if he so chose, for as long as he so chose. Rue found herself hoping that was what he might choose. 

"You're welcome," Rue answered with a tenative smile. "Until we meet again, Thorin." She departed with a nod, feeling instantly colder the moment she drew away from her new acquaintance's side. She suppressed a shiver as she gave Thorin one last, farewell nod before drifting back down the ridge in solitary, quiet contemplation. 

Saw a window to wrap this one up, which I thought might be best in light of recent plot points (I'm guessing it makes the most sense in Thorin's timeline for the two of them to separate at this time). Please feel free to tag Rue whenever/if ever Thorin decides to come to BDP!