Whitebark Stream You make my heart feel like it's Summer.

Night gathered, as sunset dimmed the evening sky in shades of cool mauve and dusky blues - littered in the distance by clouds reflecting warm hues. Artyom lifted his gaze to admire the view only briefly before he turned his face away and assumed his watch, trailing along a path already carved by the paws of packmates.

He wandered along the territory's Southern border, alert for intruders and particularly interested to check for signs of the golden she-wolf he'd found lingering at the maplewood's edge earlier. His thoughts turned to @Dawn as he patrolled, sniffing and marking as he went, and supposed he ought to use his encounter with the blonde rogue as an excuse to catch up with her in the morrow.

they are many, now; she's not quite sure when that happened. out of untouched snow; paths have sprung up, dens and caches and borders. her responsibilities have quite suddenly tripled, though she finds she hardly minds. she'd lingered that afternoon by the freshly-dug catch, conversing casually with whoever might stop by, though to her disappointment had failed to encounter the member she found herself most keenly interested by.  

evening finds her on the border, a failed hunt leaving her winded, with an odd kind of energy that has her adopt a quick lope. fortune is on her side, perhaps, for as she veers back toward the border, panting, (she'd managed to stray into the maplewood, lost in her thoughts) she spots a familiar golden-touched figure. 

she chuffs, a low, warm greeting; and slows as she approaches. the huntress falls into step beside him, brushing against his shoulder in easy greeting as canting her head slightly, as if to ask, "well?" grin curves her muzzle, and she asks, "had to fight off any trespassers, yet?" 

The sound of another's approach lifted Artyom's golden ears, one of which swivelled atop his handsome crown in the direction of padding paws. He paused to turn toward it, a fond shine to his earthen irises as his gaze finds the ashen features of his aspiring Alphess. With a friendly sway of his tail, the hunter happily allowed her proximity by leaning into the touch to deliver a playful nip to her nearest cheek cheek.

"Not yet," he answered, striding forth once more to resume his patrol alongside her, "though I did cross paths with a she-wolf in the woods." Artyom lifted his muzzle, glancing out toward the nearby forest (and let's just pretend he fills Dawn in on that because Rebel has no idea how that thread will progress lol).

He returned attention to his sterling companion, "the evening is treating you kindly, да?"

his news is received with an interested flick of her ear; a half-conscious glance back toward the wood. she probably makes some comment, maybe even hums, but her brow definitely furrows and she decides to ruminate on the information he offers. 

to his question she nods, muzzle curving. "things are coming together quickly," they had a good group, and were quickly taking up the markings of an established pack. and then there was the matter of bhediya (since I just realized that thread is set before this one) "and our numbers have doubled, it seems. bhediya—my father's mate, once—has joined with her group from the mountains." she glances to him, asking then for his option. "when morningside lived on the plains, we claimed the maplewood as out hunting ground. I am considering doing the same now, with our numbers—but doing so might antagonize our neighbors." the situation with Siarut and his group certainly could have gone much worse than it had, and she was unwilling to invite the same.

Her news of recent arrivals was well-met, and he dipped his pale muzzle in acknowledgement. "This is good news," he commented lightly, content to hear that their numbers had risen so swiftly and thus, their claim would be better supported. Artyom was curious to meet them, as well as those already settled within Whitebark's territory that he was yet to happen across, though presently his attention remained with Dawn.

"Are there many?" Neighbours, he meant. He'd picked up on scents belonging to only a couple of different groups in his days' of travel before finding Dawn and her budding pack, though he did not think them close enough to truly consider the maplewood their own. "We could always reach out to them, if it is what you wish," he hummed softly, wondering if perhaps other packs held land in an another direction. "Make our intention known, gauge their opinion, and go from there?"

"a pack called Legion, to the south. a man called Kaertok leads it, from what I gather," she replies, gesturing to the nearby jut of rock that rings the side of their territory closest to them. she nods, considering. "should we decide to, it would be wise to tell them out intentions before laying any claim." 

"before that, however, I want to better our relationship with them. as close as they are, I don't want to risk things going south." poor relations with another pack were manageable when a few territories lay between them, not when their claims nearly edged onto one another. "the man I met with at the borders was looking for a girl, and a pack. if we could find them, it'd be a good first step." she suggests, glancing to him. a gift, for a chance for their claim to be heard. 

a thought comes to her then, and she considers. "we could claim the maplewood together, perhaps. both our hunting grounds would benefit, and the claim would be stronger." they'd need a far better relationship first, though, and the potential for members of different packs to clash in the shared space could incite heated tensions.

Legion. Kaertok. The names meant nothing to him and struck no memory, though he mused that he should tuck them away in his mind for a later date should any alliance (or the opposite) come to fruition. Artyom was not a violent creature, so he hoped Whitebark wolves and those of this nearby claim could at least maintain a civil relationship.

Dawn seemed a little uncertain about stepping on any toes, so the golden ranger sought to reassure her with a playful bat of his tail against a sterling flank. "If you would like to to accompany you on a visit or if I can help in any way," he told her, sincerity in his tone as he made to exchange a glance with her, "just say the word."

his offer is accepted with a nod, grateful smile. "we could go together, when our claim here is official." she suggests, glad at the thought. but alliances, recruits, caches and borders are all she's concerned herself with for the past week, she longs for something simple, fun. 

with a sideways glance and a grin, she announces, "I'll race you—" a pause, while her gaze skips over the suitable landmarks up ahead, "to that ridge, over there." she wants desperately, suddenly to stretch out over the borderline, run for the joy of it and the drum of her feet against the groud. but she waits, and her gaze moves once more to her companion.

He nodded, a quiet agreement. It would be a good attempt to further strengthen the bond they'd begun to work on, the silver Alphess and her gilded ranger. There was still so much to learn of her: her vast family here in the Teekon, the places she'd seen, the things she held dear to her. A mystery to him, one Artyom felt determined to discover.

Dawn presented an opportunity for fun, shooting him a confident grin with a gleam of mischief in her eye. His tail lashed behind him, enthusiastic to accept her proposal: "I will accept this challenge!"

And they were off, a pair of carefree creaures that darted through the snow, void of responsibility for just a short time. Artyom, though swift on his ivory paws, was no match for the nimble Alphess, who tore ahead with remarkable ease.

When the race was over with a clear victor, the golden ranger and his leader laughed together as they paused to regain their breath, content to simply share in one another's company.