Swiftcurrent Creek something has to happen

tags for reference!

the idleness is beginning to drive panther, slowly, to madness. his strength has returned though he is still more rawboned than he would like to be, for though eating is easier and beginning to return to some nuance of 'normal' he at times still finds it difficult despite the thick, fresh raw pink scar tissue that has sutured the once scabbed wounds on his face, neck and throat. the pain has lessened to a more sickening feeling than anything else as the nerves, stubborn still cling to life as damaged as they were. he cannot stand the spine any longer. there is something dark about it, something that makes him want to avoid it. it is, after all, the place he died. not physically, of course ...but whoever panther'd been before the assumed fight and plunge to his near physical death was gone. those memories, that sense of identity: evaporated like smoke dissolving in the air.

his past was gone and without realizing what had been stolen from him he found it hard to attempt to mourn it. there was no sense in it, panther knew. his future was what was important now. forward; it was the only path laid before him now. he offered @Reiko his gratitude for saving his life and informed @Easy in the best way he non-verbally could that he was leaving the spine behind him. he was well enough for travel now and couldn't bear the swampy bowl any longer. he extended an invitation to join him and set off whether she was in tow with him or not.

panther's path took him north and he stops at the first pack he crosses, lured in by the scent markers though he is instinctually sure to keep a more than amicable distance between himself and their actual borders. it is here, panther pauses and hesitates. he knows that even though he can create sounds ( and even if he could muster verbal communication ) he does not have the power in his vocal chords to howl. not yet, anyway. perhaps not ever again. so, with little other choice he waits for someone on patrol to come across him.

It felt strange to think of parting with her friend after spending so much time together, but Panther didn't need her attentions as much anymore, and it was high time she get back to her own business. Still, she saw him to the borders of Swiftcurrent Creek, wanting to know where to find him if she ever had occasion to look him up.

"I have family here," she said to her friend, wondering if she might be allowed to look in on the pups that'd surely been born, by then. "A sister and a brother by bond, and some nieces and nephews, unless I'm terribly mistaken. Dawn and Aditya." With that, she tipped back her head to alert the pack, eager to see her family and wanting to be sure Panther got off on the right foot as well.

"What am I going to do without your handsome face to decorate my den?" she teased him while they waited, but she was clearly pleased that her friend was up and at 'em once more.

He still relentlessly searched for his missing children, refusing to give up even as the days continued to pass without any sign of his son and daughter. Kavik refused to believe he would never see them again. Sleep continued to mostly evade him; even when he tried, he was never able to catch more than an hour or two before his anxious mind pulled him back to consciousness. So, exhaustion was his new normal now, and it weighed heavy on his body and mind as he pushed himself along the borders, too hypervigilant to even consider taking a break from patrols or anything else required of an alpha, even with the added responsibility of helping care for his newest children. 

The scent of strangers momentarily distracted him from his anxious thoughts just as the call rang out over the territory, and he froze briefly to lift his head and draw in a deep breath to determine the direction of the scents. Quickly, he moved, trotting along the borders he knew so well. When he finally arrived, he silently approached, stopping in front of the scarred man and his companion. I'm Kavik, one of the alphas here. What brings you near my borders?

the gratitude that panther feels as easy accompanies him to the borders of the pack whose name was unknown to his void of a memory was immeasurable. admittedly, this would ( hopefully ) go a whole lot smoother with her help. though panther supposes its high time he tried using his voice, dormant as its been during his recovery he isn't so sure that his vocal chords will work the way they're supposed to. ...if they worked at all. not to mention his amnesia which appears to be rather persistent leaves him with a giant question mark on what skills he could offer them. fighting, perhaps if his scars and the fact that the other guy had ended up worse than him was of any indication.

though in all fairness he wasn't so sure that easy would be able to answer those questions either. from what she's spoken about their time together before it sounds as if whoever he was before wasn't overly forthcoming. easy speaks then, telling him that she has family here and panther hopes that this means that this will not be the last they see of the other. at her teasing question, panther gives her a devilish, toothy grin and a wink moments before the sound of approaching footfalls draws panther's attention with a cup of his ears, attentive, atop the proud crown of his skull and a shift of his body posture.

he's cautious by nature by knows the rules of etiquette at another man's borders and forces his body posture into one of neutrality and business-like respect. the ebony man that approaches from within the territory introduces himself as kavik and reiterates what panther had assumed from his body language upon arrival: that he was ( one of ) the alpha(s). the muscles in panther's cheek work as he contemplates the best course of action: trying out his vocal chords or letting easy do the speaking for him.

she would not follow him to the pack and eventually he would have to find his voice. a — at first it sounds more like a ragged draw of breath than a letter. a rasping, rattling noise like bones grating unattractively against each other. he tries again. a home. the smoky reticence of his voice is still very raw and yet lacking the rich baritone it'd once held; little more than a rumbling growl of a whisper. regardless, a man should be able to speak for himself regardless of how much of a struggle those two simple words were.

A rather handsome wolf came to the borders to greet them. Easy wagged her tail at him and took a few steps back in deference to his approach. He was introduced as Kavik, one of the alphas, and Easy almost spoke before Panther did -- and then, all she could do was try her best not to look completely shocked. It made her glad, though, to know that he was still recovering well.

"I just came to see Panther off," she replied with another wag of her tail. "And to look in on my sister, Dawn, if at all possible. She should've whelped by now, I think." Belatedly, it occurred to her that she should've brought a gift along; what kind of aunt was she, coming here empty-jawed? "Actually -- I'd better hunt before I see her," she said, chagrined. "I didn't think to pick anything up on the way."

Confusion and a hint of concern softened his expression some as the strange sound came from the man. But, then he was speaking, asking for a home, and Kavik's gaze briefly drifted down to the stranger's healing wounds before moving back up to rest on his face. We are in need of hunters, he began. If you are able to help with that, then I can offer you a home here-- he paused, looking at the man's wounds once more before continuing. As long as whomever wounded you won't come looking for you. Normally, I wouldn't be as concerned, but we have pups here and their safety comes first. He hated to draw the line there, as he truly did want to offer this man a safe place to stay, but being a father and protecter of his packmate's young rearranged his priorities.

His companion began to speak, answering Kavik's next question by stating the other man's name. When she mentioned Dawn, he nodded. She and the pups are well, he answered first. You're welcome to visit her, he offered. Stay as long as you need. He thought she might want to help Panther settle in as well since she had taken time to escort him here.

hunters, kavik tells him. the pack is in need of hunters. again, as panther tries to shift through the void of his memory he is met with heavy resistance ...like a door sealed by magic that he habitually knows he shouldn't touch. regardless: he could hunt. that was little more than primal instinct anyway and he still appeared to have all of those. panther, not wanting to stretch the limitations of his vocal chords, contemplates giving a swift nod but the following condition requires something much more verbal: a confirmation that whoever did this to him won't be a problem.

i can hu— he draws in a raw breath. this was clearly going to take some practice. hunt. for a moment, panther's brows crease but smooth out soon enough. he does not know the true nature of how these wounds came about. that came with the vast and murky territory of a lost memory; but panther did know the the other male was dead ...whether from his own doing or the presumed tumble down one of the spine's outcroppings he wasn't told and frankly, hadn't cared enough to ask. whatever had happened between him and the male whose corpse had ultimately cushioned his fall was clearly over and never again to resurface: there was no point in mulling over it especially when he couldn't remember in the first place.

he is — a quiet breath is taken before he finishes, he is dead. these words are spoken slowly so he did not find himself struggling over them. curt and brash, perhaps but in this he favors a straightforwardness that cuts around the unnecessary use of words. the man responsible for the wounds on panther's face, neck and throat was not a threat to swiftcurrent creek. he wasn't a threat to anyone anymore.

as kavik addresses easy, panther's glacial gaze slides to the woman with a swell of sadness. he owed her and reiko more than he could ever repay and as the truth of the fact that if he was accepted into this creek pack that they would part ways ( even if she visited ) settles within his broad chest like a stone. he would miss her.

He watched as panther struggled to ensure him that he could hunt. He said that he could, and Kavik would take him at his word for now; he would know for sure soon enough. There were many small mouths to feed at Swiftcurrent, so hunting was done by someone every few days. 

He gave a curt nod in response when the recruit stated that whomever had given him his injuries was dead. He didn't know the circumstances surrounding his wounds, and he wouldn't pry, especially not here. All the alpha needed to know was that no trouble would be brought to the creek, and the culprit's death guaranteed that.

Then, you are welcome to join us here, Panther. I'll let you get acquainted with the territory, but I'm here if you need anything. He would seek him out eventually and see how things were going, but until then, he would give the newcomer space to get settled.