Greatwater Lake calling

Marek had set out well before sundown for the flatlands, hoping to meet up with Koontz whom he had met a few times before. He enjoyed her company, and hoped to develop a friendship. It was difficult for him to place just why she intrigued him, it was not an attraction in the physical or emotional sense, or in plain terms love. He did not feel that head over heels puppy love when it came to gray-scale girl who was about half his age. Perhaps it was her introverted personality, it so sharply contrasted his quick witted tongue. Not to say the girl was dull, or dim witted, in fact he found her highly intelligent. She interested him enough that a twenty or so mile trek felt like just a mile. The solitude of traveling in the night was refreshing to his mind, it allowed him to recall the events of the last month or so, and his feelings on the region he was beginning to call home. The only shock of the region he truly was trying to embrace was the temperature shifts, just the day before it had been sweltering in the swamp, and now as he traveled across the flatland toward the lake of his destination, it was cool, bordering on cold. He couldn't complain of the cold, he'd grown in cold and was enamored with it's bite. It was the heat and humidity that he would or should grow accustomed to with time. Coming to the east of the lakeside, Marek leaned his head back and called for Koontz. He knew that he was likely waking her and many that were close by in the early morning hours, but it was a new day and there was much to be done and not a moment to waste. .

In the days following Dragonwatchers' genesis, Koontz worked without much in way of reprieve, spending her time patrolling the borders or exploring the territories that bordered her own. Eventually, this caught up with her and a blanket of exhaustion nearly smothered her. Not long after parting ways with Rainier and Carolina, she crept into the foothills north of the lake and fell fast asleep. Although she knew she must return home and begin her next patrol, she slept soundly through the night, finally waking only when an unprecedented morning chill nibbled at her.

Blinking sleepy fog from her pale eyes, Koontz groaned and sat up. She bolted to her feet when she realized that the long shadows cloaking the lands indicated daybreak. The others would wonder where she was; they might even worry at her unexplained overnight absence. Still groggy, the young she-wolf began to lope toward the plateau when a summoning howl pierced the early morning stillness from the entirely wrong direction.

Freezing, Koontz listened to the beckons. It took her several beats to place the voice. It belonged to Marek, a lone wolf she'd met for the first time not long after discovering this majestic parkland. She'd bumped into him perhaps once or twice since then, though she hadn't seen him since herself and Ariston had decided to settle down on the plateau and found the Dragonwatchers. Although itching to get back home and resume her duties as Beta, Koontz could not resist returning Marek's call. For one, it was the polite thing to do, and for another, she wanted to spread the word about the pack.

"I'm coming!" came her short howl of response as Koontz turned and began to trot toward the lake. It wasn't hard to spot him in this flat, open space and the hoary she-wolf soon closed the gap between them. She held herself respectably but neutrally, her tail waving amiably as she came to a stop a few feet from the large white wolf with mossy green eyes. Koontz didn't know him that well yet, so she did not touch noses with him, instead offering a low woof of salutations.

"Good morning," she said to her acquaintance. "What can I do for you, Marek?" she questioned, since he'd called for her specifically.

It wasn't long before Koontz's reply had him settle and wait. He might have dozed for a few seconds when he heard her approach. His green eyes quickly sighted her and he grinned warmly, in a friendly sort of way. Marek liked to keep track of his acquaintances and this was no different. He'd been kicking it up a short distance away, and was happy with his current accommodations. Eventually he knew he'd make friends but it was always nice to hang on to friendly faces and conversations. Nice to see you, Koontz! I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important, I was hoping to catch up. He didn't want to come off creepy or anything, and he was pretty sure this didn't count as stalking since she had the opportunity to decline his request for her presence. Surely, she had noticed that the surrounding area was changing, there were some influx in arrivals, and some packs that were forming or otherwise altering their locations as packs did throughout the year. There was never one story, and he hoped that she could fill him in on her neck of the woods. He would gladly return the favor.

He merely wanted to catch up, a response that earned a flickering smile from Koontz that did not quite reach her eyes. Although she liked Marek and enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with him, she couldn't help the impatience that tugged at her, specifically in the direction of home. She shifted her weight, careful not to give him any indication of her restlessness. She put a little more effort into her smile and bobbed her snout at him.

"I fell asleep out here by accident and I should've been home hours ago," she said, "but I'm sure Ariston and Ray can wait a few minutes longer before they send out a search party." The twinkle in her pale eyes and the twitch of her tail gave away the joke. "It's good to catch up with you, Marek. Since I last saw you, a lot's happened. I helped Ariston found a pack, for instance. We're called Dragonwatchers," she shared, wondering quietly if Marek might have any interest in joining them, if he still wasn't spoken for.

Luck, it seemed had made it so that Koontz had been close by when he had called. However, he wasn't daft enough to not read in-between the lines of her words. Once they caught up, Koontz would return promptly to Dragonwatchers. He tilted his head as he acknowledged her words, remembering the names of Ariston and Ray. The white furred male wouldn't keep her too long, just long enough for the two to share updates. I wouldn't want them to waste the resources when you are alive and well! Won't you tell me a little more about Dragonwatchers? I'm settled over in Wapun Meadow with Alo Catori, and Ookaan at the moment, but fate is a fickle beast.. Ookaan was so far, home for him. Alas, he always added the at the moment for the time being. His residence in Ookaan and in aid of Alo was still new. If Koontz cared to share some more about Dragonwatchers, Marek was happy to share the basics of Ookaan.

Marek asked her to tell him more about Dragonwatchers and, of course, she would be happy to oblige. But the next words out of his mouth effectively distracted her and not because she was unhappy to hear that he was already committed elsewhere, after all. It was the news of another pack that piqued her interest greatly. Suddenly, her impatience evaporated and Koontz reposed neatly on her silver haunches, suddenly much more eager for this news exchange.

"Well, we're settled on Blacktail Deer Plateau," she told him, certain that he knew of the landmark, since he'd been wandering the area a while. "We're young for leaders but I feel we have strong core values. We're going to emphasize the importance of hunting and guarding, for instance. We're new and small but I figure our territory can support up to a dozen or so wolves in time."

She did feel a sudden jab of disappointment, knowing Marek was off the market, but that just begged the question, "What's Ookan? I didn't know there was another pack in the area. Tell me about it and your leader—Alocatori?" Koontz repeated back to him, having mistaken the first and last names as a single given name.

Marek observed how Koontz seemed to settle a bit when he mentioned Ookaan. He grinned at the thought that he would keep her company just a little longer, but reminded himself that manipulation was not a virtuous path and he needed to only tell the truth and not embellish. Ookaan is similar in that the basics of life are emphasized.Alo, the alpha believes in a virtuous way of life and in a god or deity known as Kamali whose beliefs I'm not too familiar with yet. I believe that Ookaan is young in it's founding. There are only three or four of us at this time, and only Alo that I have spoken with. But that is my fault. I've been busy scouting and avoiding.. Truthfully, Marek had avoided others for some time now. He was attempting to come to terms with his past decisions and actions. Koontz was a breath of fresh air though, as was Alo and he imagined that he found it easier to relate to the two females than with others because they were both... intriguing. They could hold conversations, and weren't just pretty little things. But in order to be successful in a pack setting, Marek knew that he needed to engage himself in social unity and form relationships.

When he indirectly corrected her about Alo's name, Koontz committed it to memory, along with the rest of the information he provided. Kamali? she thought. She'd heard the various names of various gods—Atka and Sos came to mind—but she'd never heard this one before. He mentioned that, like Dragonwatchers, Ookan was also young. Koontz wondered if there were any older, established packs in the area or if the park, up until recently, had been a previously untapped resource.

"Avoiding?" she repeated after Marek, made curious by this word. "Why?" she questioned a beat later, looking at him scrutinizingly with her pale eyes. That seemed a strange thing to do after committing to a pack. Koontz worried that her acquaintance would make a poor impression on his leadership, though she didn't say that yet. She wanted to hear what he'd meant first.