Whitefish River a thousand times good night

he's a ways from the borders

what had happened near the coast shook the one-eyed boy, and so he had retreated further inland. astara would follow; she always did. despite himself, merrick had come to trust her. there was a lust within him, however, one that could not be shaken, and soon his trail was marked with the flayed bodies of rabbits and squirrels, animals with their last wretched moments still writ upon their frozen faces.
but since the boy, merrick found he wanted more. it was with great merriment and no sense of self-preservation that he discovered, quite by accident, that his hunter resided upon the lake. and perhaps there also, the quarry that the yearling had realized too late he had lost.
the thirst in him grew; he hunched grimly in the shrubberies, wondering how best to slip through such defenses and seek the blood for which he longed.

she's on edge, expecting another shift in the earth beneath her feet, hoping for the far more unlikely event of her mother's return. atop of the boiling anger that's already begun building in her bones yet again, there's anger at herself, to, for even daring to hope. it'd be better if she hoped for just the opposite, but the fleeting glimpse of normality within her family she'd glimpsed is too enthralling to succumb to the anger entirely. 

not wanting to leave the borders once again, she settles for pacing them. the hours she spends furiously driving herself up and down them leaves her tired but has no effect on the anger, which only seems to grow hotter the longer she's alone. eventually, she leaves the borders, abruptly released from her trajectory, roughly trailing the river as she imagines all the things she'd like to say to Aure. Merrick grows nearer, but she remains unaware of his position in the bushes in her narrowmindedness.

Ira had been on edge. It was the only way to describe what she was feeling as the tremors continued throughout the week. They weren't strong, but something about them seemed sinister. The Constable had taken a few trips past the borders in case a heard of something did reside nearby, but her search always ended with what she started. Nothing.

The low rumbling had come early that morning, drawing her from her sleep and with nothing else to do she took to the borders. Perhaps she was too worked up over the noise, but she preferred to be safe rather than sorry. Coming to the riverside, the roan mountain wolf trotted to the edge for a drink until a scent washed over her. She quickly rose, eyes scanning the perimeter. It was the white outline in the distance that relaxed her. Isilmë, I was not expecting you out this far. In all honesty, the kid probably shouldn't be patrolling alone. She was not sure how she would handle herself should a real situation arise.If you want, you may join me on my patrols?

whoops shadow post let me fix

a sylph, wandering and pale, emerged from the packlands first.  merrick watched her with interest, perhaps moreso that of a boy swiftly moving toward manhood. and then another, tall, with a masculinity softened only by the spread of hips, the way she addressed the girl. 
he could hear neither of them, only the tone of the second stranger's voice, but it was not the warmth there that beckoned to something within merrick; it was the fragrance that the wind bore to his senses.
the boy, and what was more, the man who had hunted him in the cave. crouching to gather himself had become a commonplace part of merrick's dark ritual, and the prospect of death fired him more.
he cast about for what he might say, even as he watched the pair near him.
an opportunity presented itself in the form of a stoat wending its way through the undergrowth, searching for rabbits — merrick darted through a cover of twigs at it, sending the hapless creature into the open.
and he followed, drawing up with a feigned surprise and the sheepish expression of someone who has let something go missing. in the open, exposed; merrick let his ears fall back against his skull. "oh! sorry!"

Ira's voice has her turn back sharply, a forepaw hoovering above the unreliable earth. the girl neglects to answer save for an "ok," in truth, she'd rather have continued alone. her attention is drawn away again, however, by the staccato crunching of twigs and the brief rush of a hunt. 

she turns away from her mentor and blinks at the man that emerges from seemingly nowhere, hackles pricked and tail curled instinctively. he seems harmless, but her irritation coupled with her surprise at his appearance has a sharp "who're you?" tear away from her lips.

Unlike during their training, the girl seemed to be rather closed off today. Perhaps it was due to her mother's absence, but Aure was due to return soon. She paid no mind, following the girl through the woods until a rustling caught her attention. Ira paused in her tracks with the desire to stand in front of the young squire, but alas she had beaten her to questioning the newcomer. She would stand in wait for his answer, he wasn't trespassing so there was no need for aggression, even if he was awfully close.

it was the girl who addressed merrick first, rounding on him with a bit of ferocity. he liked it immensely, and would have indulged a situation in which she could truly show him her teeth, were it not for the watchful eye of the woman behind her. 
”i’m notch,” the boy lied easily, ”and that was gonna be my dinner. been a while,” he embellished, punctuating it with a rueful laugh.
”i’m not too close, am i?” merrick inquired, glancing warily between the pair.
this close, he could see the flint of the girl’s stare, catch a whiff of what was definitely The Boy’s scent. and the hunter. was this where he had taken his family to recover? was this one any relation to them? 
merrick need only bide his time.

the boy introduced himself as notch, and seems fairly upbeat, considering he'd just lost his meal. as he asks his question, she takes in his scent, and intuition rears it's head. she's instantly more cautious, peering at his face, though he appears to be a stranger like any other. still, she can not ignore the bad feeling lingering in her chest, though she tries.

"no," she answers plainly, pointing back in the direction fro which they'd come. "the border's back there." she glances back at Ira for affirmation, suddenly glad she's out here with her. maybe Ira shares the feeling, maybe not, but in any case, it's good to have backup.

Throughout the encounter she had been rather quiet, then again Ira always was a wolf of solitude. Her golden gaze taking in the boy in case he tried anything. That, however, would be rather stupid considering his age and the numbers against him. They had a clear advantage. Alas, he seemed to really just be a boy who wandered too close.

Isilme had done a good job answering his questions thus far, but now it was time for her to step in. I suggest hunting away from pack borders. It's a good way to be mistaken for your intentions. The warrior paused taking a step forward to sniff confirming that the scent of other wolves clung to his pelt. You have a pack do you not? She didn't recognize the scent, but surely they could feed him? Something didn't seem right.

merrick was aware they did not trust him — he capitalized upon the idea that it was only his nearness as a stranger that kept them both on edge. his own inner churning; if they could sense such, he would be damned. the pair confirmed the borders, to which the one-eyed boy gave a smart nod.
" will. and i do," merrick confirmed, seeking another apt lie in the web of them, "but my leader ... well, frankly, he sucks at it. was hoping to catch something for myself and my sister," he embellished, thinking of astara with an inward flare of glee. 
"can i ask what this place is?" he inquired, turning his full attention to the woman under the girl's watchful eye. he'd proven himself as someone lost, with an interest in hunting, if not a fondness for borders, established the presence of family — a fair introduction for an individual seeking to recruit before winter arrived.

she fades back slightly all Ira begins to speak; she knows a learning opportunity when she sees one, and knows an attempt to question him, speak up now, would be puerile. she is surprised, however, to hear the man dismiss his own leader so easily, and can not help but ask, "why follow him, then?" a leader that can not provide isn't fit to be one at all.

his question goes unanswered, allowing for Ira to speak up instead.

What a strange kid. Perhaps he should leave his back if he's that concerned with the leadership. Winter will be here before they know it, but maybe he is mich too young to travel that much on his own. I see.

the constable glanced down to the white girl who seemed to be waiting for her to speak this time so she did. Perhaps you should seek refuge elsewhere then if your pack is not providing. As for us, we are a rather new pack so word is still traveling about us. Our name is Kaistleoki, and we are founded on the believe of new beginnings. In addition to that we make sure skills are of use and train kids from an early age and adults so both can hone their talents.

last from me! <3

"i figured it was better than nothing, at the time," merrick rejoined lightly, though he was irritated to be drawn deeper into the lie. attention given over to the older woman, he nodded sagely as she finished. "thank you," he murmured, not offering himself as a potential recruit. their conversation had gone on long enough — merrick had gleaned the information for which he had come.
"i'd best be off your borders, then," he added, casting the pretty girl a cheeky wink before turning to trot back into the forest's recesses, affable expression dissolving as the serpentine cunning flickered in his eyes,
a den of little birds to destroy.