Arrow Lake as bellow

Eriol stared up at the looming peak in the distance, outlined at present by a range of striking purples. The sky was waking up and Eriol, having ran all night, would have preferred to be winding down. He wasn't finished, yet, however. He was keen on finding new life in this land - joining up, getting in with the crowd and establishing himself. Like a real man, an adult. He was young but he was pretty sure the first step to independence was servitude to a stronger, more dominate creature.

It sounded right to him. He pressed on.

A multitude of anxieties fled from him when he ran full out - his stride long, effortless and swift. If he stood too still, he'd feel all of it buzzing in his mind. Too much too think about, too much to do and not do. It was almost altogether too much at times. When he ran, though, it quieted to a whisper and sometimes went dead completely. It was like a drug and he craved the relief. That was why when his feet drew nearer a scent barrier, he did not begin to stop until he had almost blown right through it. When he did put on the breaks, he skid a full foot before coming to rest - inside the border, that he could smell, but that wasn't important.

He'd found a pack. He craned his neck to see up the rocky cliffs but there wasn't too much to see from where he stood at their base. It didn't matter. Life was here and so was he. Without giving himself time to think or worry, without considering what else may lay within the land or any other opportunities, Eriol threw his head back and called - a strong voice for one so small.

Three of her children were now missing; she was devastated, the feeling intensified by the fact that the mountains were so dangerous now. They had been chased from their home on the lake by the earth's destruction of the peaks that surrounded it, yet she still found herself coming back here. She worried Ego might return to their now empty home and she wanted to make sure he had a scent trail to follow back to the hollow. Stigmata and Tahani remained buried here, and she was struggling with the idea of leaving them behind. But she knew it was what was best for the pack. 

Still, she patrolled through the territory today, searching for signs that any of her wayward children had been here. The howl made her freeze, and irritation flared in her chest. She still felt possessive over their old home, and she wondered who this wolf might be calling for. It was possible he was calling for the leaders of Diaspora, their scents still present along the borders, so she quickly headed that way to investigate. She saw the petite male standing near their old borders, and she trotted over and stopped in front of him, looking down to study him with a shrewd gaze. Who are you calling for?

ooc;
 
Crap. I forgot about the BWP. Sorry!!!

ic;

Having never seen the peak before and having approached it at the speed of a small bullet, Eriol hadn't really noticed how the mountain didn't look quite right. As he stood there now, looking up at it, he saw that to cliffs were ragged in a way that was not so natural. The air was stale - the scent not what he had thought when he’d first arrived. No wonder he had run right through the border, it was fainter than it should have been for a pack presence. Or what he thought it should have been - Eriol did not have a frame of reference. 

The anxiety creeped into the corners of his mind, then. It was like dark tendrils, curved into question marks and seeped in black tar. Had he made a mistake? He'd hardly make a decision at all but what if that one choice - calling for someone who was not there - ruined his chances of finding a pack for himself? Had he just screwed himself out of a home? What if there were bears that his stupid howl? Could he out run them? Probably, he was fast, but he had been running all night, what if he tripped or his body just gave up? What if he was eaten? Or -

The sudden (to Eriol) appearance of the she-wolf made him visibly jump, his jaw popping open as if he were going to yelp or scream. He quickly regained himself and snapped it shut before any sound could escape. His hackles bristled to attention, his posture growing defensive - he looked much like a pissed off cat. "Hey!" he snapped, unthinking, speaking without a single word passing through his brain filter "You scared the shit out of me! What is your problem?!" He retreated a few steps back, ears flat against his head and fur lying flat. His expression transitioned from one of startled aggression to nervous regret in a smooth, practiced motion. His head ducked a bit.

"Sorry..." he muttered, eyes flicking to the ground. He was pretty sure she had said something, probably asked him something. He didn't remember what it was if he'd ever really heard it at all. His mind swarmed with the dark energy of what he knew was a mistake. He caught the scent of surrounding borders emanating from the she-wolf and understood that she must have been from the pack. He flinched visibly. So they were not gone and he was such a great, royal fuck up.

No worries <3

His reaction was dramatic, and it irritated her further. She stared down at him disapprovingly as he puffed up and yelled at her. She didn't quite understand how she had scared him. He had called for someone, hadn't he? What did he expect would happen? The Kapitän watched, quiet and annoyed, as he deflated. Taki offered a raised eyebrow at his apology. She almost rolled her eyes and instructed him to get his shit together, but she decided that wouldn't be helpful. At least he seemed to realize his error before she needed to rebuke him for his overreaction and aggression. Still she stared at him, her expression cold and impatient. You didn't answer my question, she finally said. Who were you calling for? Repeating herself was not something she enjoyed, but she gave him a second chance to answer. Whether or not she would be willing to offer him any more of her time going forward depended on what his response was; a loner seeking passage into Diaspora would be afforded far more leniency than someone wishing to claim what she still considered to be hers.

His skittishness, he wanted to lie, was the result of long travel. Not because of him. Not because of how little he knew or how naturally defensive he was - no, of course not. It wasn't his own flaw. Just the long days and nights seeking, sometimes at high speeds, sometimes with his brain at high speeds instead. He didn't explain any of this to her, however. He kept himself quiet until she implored him again. His head whipped back to her, eyes a bit brighter. Of course she'd come to see what he'd wanted - he'd called, hadn't he? On the border of her pack - for her! Maybe not her specifically but she was, in a vague way, what he had wanted. He was such a dumbass. 

He fixed himself back into a neutral posture, casting a quick glance at the shambled mountain before he answered her question with pure honesty. "Anyone." He said, then he thought he better elaborate. "Anyone from here, I mean. I wanted to join. If you guys are taking newbies." 

He seemed to relax further, finally answering her question after a few moments. She studied him curiously as he spoke, trying to decide if he was Diaspora material. He was young, not much older than her own children, and kind of small. None of that meant he couldn't be of use to her pack, though. Diaspora is always accepting capable wolves, she answered. Unfortunately, the quakes forced us from our home here and into the hollow to the south. She looked around wistfully as she spoke, gaze lingeringly briefly in the direction of the former General's grave. It was once our goal to control the entire range, but we will have to move yet again, as the mountains are not safe anymore. They would return, though, she would ensure that if it was the last thing she ever did. Diaspora's dream would not die. If you think you are up to the challenge of leaving the mountains with us in search of a safer place to live, then you are welcome to join us. she paused to look him over again before continuing. All new Diasporans are required to perform a task given to them by the leaders to earn a place in the ranks, the Kapitän explained. Mahler is the other leader, the General; either he or myself will assign you a task when we find a way for you to prove yourself. She raised an eyebrow. Knowing these things, do you still wish to join Diaspora?

The 'quakes'? Like, earthquakes? Eriol had been told about those but hadn't lived one, himself. He had barely passed the yearling mark, although if someone asked he'd lie his age up a bit. He had little in the way of experience and he tried not to let it show. As it were, it often did. 

Though the idea of earthquakes was definitely concerning, he couldn't help the swishing of his tail at the news that he might be let in. They did accept random wolves! Awesome! They just didn't live at the mountain anymore and Eriol could understand why. That was okay - he hadn't come for the mountain, he'd come for the family. Though the female said many important things, the younger only heard the parts that really pertained to him - as if they were highlighted and everything else was written in white on white. 

"Absolutely!" He barked the second she was finished. "I'm fast, I can travel well. I'll go wherever and -" he grinned, a bit toothy and wolfish "I will kill your challenge, too." He sounded confident but that was because, he had heard her suggest, this challenge was some ways away. For now, it did not seem like a daunting task. It was days, weeks - maybe even months into the future. When it was given to him, however, he might not be so sure of himself.

He looked back at her with a buzzy kind of pleased energy - in stark contrast to her own melancholy. In the deep recesses of his mind he felt a stir of anxiety for her response – would he be accepted or turned away? - but that bit of confidence still stood strong against all his flaws, if only for the moment. "M'Eriol, by the way."

His excitement was a little grating if she was being honest, but it was probably for the best. He was young and energetic and that would help him weather whatever was ahead of them as a pack; it probably wouldn't be easy. She wondered if he had as much stamina as he did excitement, but figured she would learn soon enough. She raised an eyebrow at him, regarding him as she would one of her children when trying to teach them something. Well, I suppose we'll see, she replied. 

She gave him a curt nod. Takiyok, Diaspora's Kapitän, she offered in return. With a lift of her head in the direction of the hollow, she added: Welcome to Diaspora. Follow me, and I'll lead you to where we are currently staying; it's not far from here. She turned and began to head back home, assuming he would follow closely. They were certainly in need of more wolves with winter and a possible move approaching, so she hoped he could back up his words; she didn't want to regret her decision to allow him to become a Diasporan.

He was excited - jittery with it, if he were honest. It was as if caffeine coursed through his veins - or cocaine. It was a second wind after his long journey. He noted her name with a swish of his tail and tried to commit himself to memorizing it. Where she pointed, he went and as she led, he followed. He didn't move too fast, careful to keep pace without surging ahead - he knew better than to do that, at least.

He had a pack! That was step one of growing up. Now, he just wished he knew the next parts.