Emberwood the uneasy life of the wanderer

located on eastern fringe, all welcome

The vault of heaven was an ivory winter! The sleet's geildness only made him ague! This algidity could only portend, no, affirm...!—
the young boy could not help but recoil from the understanding of winter's annual visit. Snow was regularly despised by him, snow silenced the life itself, the mellodious birds had fled south on the frigid winds; if he had wings wouldn't he as well? Winter scorned travelers and confined them all while keeping life under it's mercy.

The memory of his sister's torment was all too fresh. Getting thrusted into the fold of snow, having it agitate his eyes, and everyday was a hardship bearing the cold. He silently lauded his father for his thick coat passed down unto him. The aspiring scout could not express so for his feet. 

Bored of the wood, he began to investigate the birch trees that seperated them from the marsh they used to reside attentively; searching for any sign of tresspassers. While he was in a low position of leadership —leadership nonetheless— he'd hoped for more action and debate between the council. No hunts have been enacted by Ibis, not even a meeting for the entire pack;
his purpose seemed...meaningless. Out of place. Loose. 
There were many words to describe it, yes.

The beuatiful black striped spires of wood allured him from his mind; he estimated this is where the border should end — before the slope towards the trees he'd not been so fond of, and downwards into the marsh's enveloping, murky greenery...

after the breakdown but before meeting easy. i really need to work on this timeline lmao

the days spent within the territory no longer felt unbearable. each tomorrow seemed to melt into the yesterday prior, so instead of being constantly reminded of her confinement, she had the option of simply ignoring it. yes, ignoring the cage that pygmalion placed her in. bhediya would say that she'd been forced, but when the door was opened, she'd walked in by her own volition.

and then there was awol. they knew little about one another, a fact that bhediya assumed was due to the boy's aloof demeanor. it was caused by arrogance, a side effect of youth, but one that he would likely come to grow out of. 

avoiding him wasn't an option. they were both leaders of this pack so they needed to have a basic relationship, at the least. besides, bhe felt that awol had a strong future as a leader either here or elsewhere; he needed guidance, lest he lose himself to the title.

after a moment's thought, bhediya approached. fatigue was obvious in her expression, though she tried to mask it with a smile. what're you up to? she asked in an attempt to spark a conversation.

timeline wise pour moi, after this! also he's in his feelings lmao

It wasn't long after comtemplating the roles of the council, the magician (mage?) had appeared. Awol turned his head scarcely to catch an aloof glance at Bhediya. When Ibis was concerned, he was willing to bear his fellow leaders. But otherwise...

"Nothing much. I honestly wonder what we plan to do with these 'borders'. Everything feels like disarray; during the howl we were a unified force, but now we are wandering shades in the forest, aloof with each other," he replied, exasperation tainting his curt speech. That is partly my fault...aren't I part of the leadership?

"No group hunts, no meetings...," he huffed once more at the faint scent marks. "And no border. Anyone could waltz along into our forest, I wouldn't be able to defend our caches, because I don't know where in hell they are! Don't you feel restless, our pack going nowhere — figuratively and literally? I said I would rest before journeying again, but the group really needs everyone at the moment," Awol shook his head. "But I don't know how to really scout, just run all over the valley and make a few enemies."

A short sigh escaped his dry lips. "I don't want to doubt, but do we really know what we're doing?....Sorry for acting ragously on you...it's complicated. I feel useless."

most of what awol said was forgotten immediately after. the issue wasn't disinterest, but the genuine inability to pull herself from the dissociative state she'd entered. still, bhediya tried to pull together the pieces that she was able to retain.

i feel useless, awol admitted. it was a sentiment that bhe could relate to. being able to empathize with packmates was what made her a decent counselor, after all. you got us our first alliance, right? the meeting with kavik and ibis floated in and out of view.

that's impressive. i've been to almost every pack and still haven't had the courage to ask for one. courtfall, blackfeather, rusalka, kaistleoki, easthollow; had she really been there? another round of trips was in order, she thought. how did you do it? 

it was just a ploy to get the boy talking. bhediya knew how to ask for an alliance, but awol seemed like the pretentious sort. she thought that he might benefit from a brag session. we can walk and you can mark the borders. get some stuff off of your chest while you work.

 

@Ibis — I hope it's okay he marks the trees with the flower symbol shown in the pack page? (PM)

The young boy was quite aware the smaller woman had made the righteous efforts to cheer him up, but his ears frayed in remembrance of his encounters. His countenance morphed into a look of faint ire. The way she emphasized her meekness in the face of the bearing the role of an ambassdor was less then believable;
he would have to be less than as well.

"I simply asked, they agreed, and I left," he murmured as he narrowed his eyes, somewhat contempously. "I'll take you up on that offer." Perhpas not to converse, though. Awol swiftly turned 'round somewhat northwards, starting to mark the first tree. If the woman thought he was going to excrete in her presence...

"On the topic of borders, why don't we just mark the trees with a symbol? Give me your thoughts," the yearling inquried with a new definite spark in his eyes. This was much smarter, and permanent for generations to come...

tough cookie. bhediya hadn't expected their encounter to go smoothly, but she also hadn't expected it to go like this. she couldn't be upset, instead sharing an inward laugh. you make it sound easy. 'cause, when put like that, it was easy. 

awol spoke and there were certainly thoughts to be given. i think it's a good idea to supplement a scent marker. at the end of the day, a carving wasn't going to stop anyone with half a fool's determination. it did sound pretty. it's my first time hearing an idea like that.

The boy was not harmed by her reply, and rather took it to heart. "If you're so insistent on scent markers, feel free to do so, while I work on the carvings then," he agreed with a mischevious smile. Awol then contemplated the markings and placement. The thought it was finer to leave it viewable, and shoulder height would suffice for any passerby;
he didn't know how to illustrate really, but the fine, simple icon of a four-leafed clover would do. 

His back turned to Bhediya and beginning his work, he assumed the female would like to fill the space with a conversation. How dreadful. "Is their news I haven't heard yet? Anything I should know about, really. I don't invest my time into the others' lives much," he chuckled at his last statement. 

that's a horrible quality for a leader to have, bhediya replied, subordinates are more likely to turn on someone who they don't trust. her tone was smooth, not quite scolding, but modulated to communicate the weight of the lesson.

after hearing awol's first remark, she'd decided to ignore it. however, a thought came to her afterward that made it worth revisiting. i don't mind marking the borders, she replied with a smile, that way, when a visitor meets me for the first time, they'll know my position. understand?

awol was a leader, but his insecurity held him back. bhediya continued on their path, finally circling around to his side.

The black lady couldn't see, but Awol's face had formed a cross expression. His marrow stretched in reaction, his skin forming a faint snarl, it did not last though. He had some control over himself. But he had made a miniscule attempt to converse, and yet he was corrected with her 'wisdom'.
What was worse;
her being right or him being insecure about leadership?

"I understand," he sighed grouchily. "It seems you have dabbled in the prospect of leadership. At least, I would assume so." Awol could not determine if she had experienced being an alpha, but it didn't seem so. 

"Why don't you tell me your story, it would be a start, correct?"

bhediya did not wince at awol's threat, though she did take note. he didn't need her to confirm what he seemed to already know. instead, she gave a nod of her head and continued to watch him craft. it would be a start.

the way that awol asked, it was improper, but pointing that out would've been petty. akuti? she would have jumped at the opportunity, but bhediya was proud of her ability to keep composure. what are you asking me to tell you? because she was sure he didn't care about her home life.

how long have you been scouting? if he didn't want to respond to the first question, bhe thought that he might like this one.

sorry for the short vague post! ;;

"I don't mean to argue, I honestly want to know," he countered. "Less than two months." He had finished his first icon. Upon realizing there had already been these clovers dotted on trees, that's why he chose that specific marking. He moved to the next one.

you're good!

there wasn't really a question of awol's honesty in bhediya's question. it was just... she genuinely didn't know what he was asking her for. to go over her entire life's story? no, but if that was the general area of his interest then she wished that he would narrow it down. she sighed, well, okay. i lived in the teekon a while ago. easthollow, you know it?

she shot an expectant look at her companion before continuing. that was my first pack. then, morningside. brining up the kids, it didn't seem worth it, so bhediya chose to withhold that part. i met ibis while looking for morningside, actually, but they'd disbanded while i was away. grayday was dead and the children were grown; it'd pretty much been just them to begin with.

two months? you're good for two months. bhediya had also been scouting for about the same time, she thought. it was embarassing to admit that her trades weren't earned until so late in life. i'm a counselor, too. do you have a second trade?

Answer he did receieve;
the ebony tinted woman apprise him of her past life, not antcipating she beared interrelatedness with Easthollow, of all packs. He drew a slight breath as his indented nail fell from the last clover, gazing upon its meager appearence. Despite looks it would serve its intended purpose ably — and life would be easier.

Awol was momentarily suprised by the fact that Bhediya approved of his short time as an aspiring scout. "My second trade, most likely a mercenary, I'm not good at much else," he voiced pensively. Sparring did not rbing him joy, but he was bent on self preservation — and the protection of his most valued. "Do think you could give my some tips on scouting? I'd appreciate it."

were they... were they getting somewhere? bhediya thought that she might have read the situation wrong but maintained her demeanor nonetheless. awol didn't seem like the combative sort, but she knew better than to judge by a glance. you know, kavik is a mercenary. you can ask him to spar sometime. bhe would volunteer if she knew half a note about fighting.

then, she was asked for advice. bhediya didn't have advice, per say, but she did have a suggestion. it'd be easier to just scout together than to give advice. i think... each scout has their own flair, you know? we should just learn each other's styles and maybe mentor one another from there. that way, they'd be killing three birds with one stone: scouting for the pack, bonding a lil', and helping them both advance their skills.

 

last post! thanks again, we can make another exploration thread whenever you feel!

It was to be antcipated;
the boy could not imagine the man occupating anything else. Mayhap hunting large quarry? The scarred boy had never bothered to be perturbed with Kavik's past life, but perhaps a stopover was to be had soon. "Thank you, perhaps we can scout somewhere together soon, it's high time I take a rest," he replied respectfully. 

The woman held more worth then what met the eye — he would be sure to remember that now.

okay :) gonna fade them with them patrolling, in case you wanna use this as a merc thread

rest; it was something that they all needed to further indulge in, bhediya thought. the determination of the pack leaders was admirable, but she knew they were tire out without a proper break. she nodded along to awol's words. 

for now, she said, we can finish this patrol. because awol was right: they did need a border. bad.