Falls of the Hinterlands and if i took on the planet

He didn't care for being away from the mountain for more than a short foray, but, he came determined and tracked south along the waterway from the lake, keeping to his original mission. Most of his travels so far hugged the fringe of the mountains most of all, but that was just where he was comfortable, and where he was able to not think about weighty thoughts and simply cover ground. Thanks to this, he made good time for someone who didn't range much at once. At least he knew the landscapes from bits and pieces.

The dark Ostrega was still high enough on the elevations to see the tops of the trees that made up the Copse, where he last knew the Firebirds claimed. Given winter, he doubted that changed, so he kept going. 

From near the river that made the falls, he decided he was content enough with this proximity and tipped back his muzzle to howl out a note to see if Clover would hear it by chance. He didn't think he smelled her anywhere nearby on the breeze, but.. worth a shot, when he had little to lose except a breath. Then.. after a long listen to only silence and distant birdsong (a happy reminder that spring was coming), he started to pick south again, moving on a slower trot this time as he closed in on just due east of the Firebirds' roost.

He loitered more now in these spaces he knew in less detail, zigging and zagging to sniff and see, then eventually called out to the blue skies again--this time in a more general sense--an open, friendly greeting to any Firebirds in the neighborhood, and if they might know where Clover was... (not that this was urgent or even important, by any means).

Clover had arrived as a bright flash of lightening, but had disappeared from the horizon just as quickly. The only difference between Finley's daughter and the natural phenomenon was that there had been on thunder afterwards. So, it was very curious to Wraen, who happened to be hunting on the Eastern borders, when she heard somebody call for the young Blackthorn and, when no answer came, call again for anybody else.

The Sovereign happened to be that "anybody" and both out of sense of duty and general curiousity, she quickly located the source of the sound and came face to face with a familiar black form. Not Arthur, but his brother Jarilo, who had taught her about Meteorology last summer. A pleasant fellow and interesting one to have around too. "Welcome to the fringes of Firebird claim, Jarilo" she greeted him from her side of the river and waited for him to acknowledge her too.

The winds carried back nothing for him, not for any lack of trying on his behalf either, twitching his own ears constantly even while the rest of him seemed to focus on other things. Nothing.. even as he continued picking along, step after step. It happened to finally be the sight of Wraen's arrival on the opposite bank that truly let him know someone had heard him at all. He perked up his head and slowed to a stop for her.

The sway he put in his tail said he was happy to be acknowledged, and maybe a touch relieved. She was a familiar enough face for him. Wraen, hi, he greeted back, lifting his voice enough to share it as he passed a sharp, but thorough look over her. The Ostrega had not seen her since the summertime, and did not entirely piece it together that she was root cause of some of his younger brother's woes (too tied up in his own to get into those depths lately). Jarilo, on the other hand, knew she was company he could handle. How've you been? he asked, friendly, for favor of distraction that focused on her before him.

It was interesting to compare Jarilo with Arcturus now that Wraen had got the chance to meet the former again. They were similar in looks (all black wolves look like one another, but her keen eye was set on more miniscule and hardly traceable qualities), but the way they carried themselves was entirely different. Where Jarilo's younger brother was like a man in a straitjacket (and having worn it for most of his life, had got so used to it that he no longer knew, if he should strive for freedom), then the older Ostrega brother was comfortable in his own skin and... completely normal. Like a regular person, because different standards for normalcy apply to Ostregas in general. 

"Another winter has passed, I survived and so did my pack," Wraen told him. "And you seem to have fared very well yourself. Still doing the weather-watching?"

The comparisons she drew between him and his dark brother were of no concern to him. He was from a little bit of a different time than Arcturus was, least as far as Moonspear and its founding parents was concerned. It was Jarilo's own largely ill-fated middle litter that had probably been the catalyst for many things they all felt for moons after, not that he had ever felt any blame for any of it.

Always good news to hear, he nodded, letting the soft, slow tail wave continue on. He didn't consider himself particularly close to the Firebirds, but they were of no harm to him and he respected the longevity, so he was glad to hear winter had not snuffed them. Wraen's outlook seemed pretty positive, really. I feel like I have, all things this winter considered, he agreed, a distant look in his glance then; it had not been the simplest of times, given the notes nature had played them. And I am, of course, though I could do with more weather to watch than just clouds, snow, sleet.. the same old stuff we've been looking at all winter, he listed his complaints. But, spring would bloom in the time to come. It would be thunderstorms and hot humid days before they knew it.

Anyway, he hoped it wouldn't seem too suspicious of him. You.. ah, probably heard. She's a friend--I was wondering if Clover still ran with you at your Firebirds? I knew she had before, he felt like explaining before this could go any further. He'd gladly talk all about the weather but this was kind of.. on his mind, since he was here and all and he had a good feeling she would have a way to ask sooner or later.

"Clouds are not the most interesting to watch, when there are plenty of them," Wraen agreed, casting her gaze up to regard the sky briefly herself. It was overcast now (unless it said somewhere in the earlier posts that it was sunny, which in that case let's assume that it got cloudy quickly).

"Clover was with us for a while, indeed, but she left soon after. Did not say a word to me, but, perhaps, she told something to her parents," that was as much as she knew. There was not much worry in her voice - had it been a puppy, she would have felt concerned more. But grown-up wolves could do all they pleased and she did not consider it her duty to herd them around.

"Was she a friend of yours?" Wraen asked. "If she stops by at any point, I can tell her that you were looking. I can't guarantee though that she will."

To his watch, it had been a rather cloudy winter and so far, these earliest bits of spring were carrying that trend onward with more snow, rain, blah blah blah. He wasn't opposed to cloudy days, knowing it was just necessary to the greater picture they were a piece of, but so many, so often, and so very constantly did make him miss the bright, blazing sunshine a bit.

On Clover, however, she gave her back a small nod as her details came forward--though were not quite what he hoped to hear. It had been just a whim that had spurred him to try to visit her at all, but he had not come prepared for that chance to not be perfectly present. Given what he did know about her family situation, he wondered if any of them did know anything.. but he worried he was not close enough to go prying around, asking. Wraen was probably as close to the matter as he was willing to get without a good reason shoving him forward (and he hadn't come up with a good one--not besides just wanting to see her?). I see--but yeah, she is a friend, he replied, trying to keep it sounding as casual as he hoped, though he kept a careful, subtle eye on the situation.. especially without knowing well the whole dynamic of the Firebirds, or Clover's family, extended and otherwise. I'd appreciate that, if you could--though it's not like I have anything important to pass along or anything. I'll keep an eye out too then.. I seem to run into her best when I'm least expecting it, he explained with a nod to not seem disappointed with the findings so far, all while weighing the options for the his next move.

"I understand," was all Wraen said in response. If Clover was a friend of Jarilo's than she did not need to know every juicy detail of "how"s and "why"s. She noted to herself that she should tell other packmates to look out for the Blackthorn girl too, though it was equally likely that she would stop by again at some point. They usually did. Or maybe another son or daughter of Finwood would know, where to look for her. 

"So, if you are not in any rush to leave - would you care to come for a walk with me?" Wraen suggested, not wishing to lose an opportunity to speak to someone outside her ranks.

There was silent gratitude that even he didn't realize the lengths of when she did not press that issue, and instead, simply said she understood. He knew he wouldn't have a good answer otherwise, so he had no reservations to move on along, stubbornly, reluctantly shelving his worries about Clover for the time being.

No, I'm not in any major rush, he shook his head, though he would not be keen to stay gone from the mountain for long. If the company was interesting and the distraction worthy enough, why not? I'll walk. I was thinking I'd circle back around towards south of the barriers, head back over the range that way.. he said, gesturing past the mountains that stretched on beyond, then quick to wonder what Wraen had in store, and what she might do with that information.

"Okay," Wraen replied and, if they so happened to stand on opposite sides of the river that created the natural barrier between Sun Mote copse and the free territories, she crossed the waterway and joined Jarilo. He suggested a new way back to Great Bear wilderness that she had not been aware of yet. Had there always been a path connecting these two valleys? 

"I usually trek North, when I want to get to the coastal area," she told. "I did not know that there was a shortcut South of here that led to Moonspear," she admitted.

The dark Ostrega gave her time to make her way over, then, once she was near enough, he turned on in earnest. It's in the mountains, he supplied with a smirk, naturally not one to look at that terrain as deterrent. South of the barriers though.. it comes across south of that big lake on the other side, he went on with for details, maybe a little surprised that she didn't know, but supposed not everyone combed the mountains like his family did--so maybe the best trail through wasn't always so commonplace. So heading north is the more straightforward route, sure, but I haven't circled down that way in a while. May as well, while I'm about.. Which made now a good time to change that while he was out and his efforts to visit a friend were thwarted. He rolled his dark shoulders, and kept heading onward. 

So what else has kept you busy lately? he asked, attempting to be conversational, since he didn't quite know what else he should wonder about when it came to her and the rest of the Firebirds. His interests were broad, at least.

Though Wraen had very strong skills of visualization, she could not picture the path Jarilo described for her. To her the mountain range south from the Falls of Hinterlands was high, solid and not conquerable. For a moment though she wondered, if the Moonspearan had willingly chosen to misguide her, but she dismissed the idea. Why should he do that at all - of all threats and enemies his pack could have, hers were the least likely or possible. 

"We had a youngster of ours that disappeared without a trace south of here. At the time he had joined a pack that had got trapped within a territory that had only one exit. It got blocked during an earthquake and it got un-blocked, so to say, during another one few weeks later. The boy was nowhere to be found and, though we have not heard from him ever since, we still hope that somehow he got away. Perhaps, the road you describe could be such," she explained.

"Elfie is his name and he has a very unusual russet pelt, inherited from his mother Wildfire. Just in case you happen to run into someone like that," Wraen added, though the odds were just as likely as in Clover's case.

He could divide his attention between the details that soon came forward about a missing youth, and the road as it wandered on ahead of him as he kept moving on along. As he digested this news, his ears had splayed outward. There were a few matters to be unpacked here among the pieces of information to use. First, prioritizing the youngster in question (sidestepping the mention of Wildfire, a name he knew had old history with his family but not really his business sorts..): I'll keep an eye out, he assured, thankful for a description already--and one that seemed notable enough, although it did not match anyone he had seen in passing yet. Regardless, since he thought lightly enough of his acquaintances with a few Firebirds, he didn't think it would hurt him any to be decent about one of their wandering young..

Perhaps the mountains had helped their Elfie escape. He wasn't going to mention what an alternative was though.. that the mountains were not always so kind, or even passable, especially to the inexperienced. But maybe the kid had been lucky. Jarilo believed it was largely up to the individual. Someone tenacious enough could figure it out. I'd say it's possible he found his way out through the mountains somewhere--and who knows about what new paths any earthquakes might've opened that even I don't know about. Hopefully something worked out, the Ostrega chimed, trying to be encouraging despite all the realities of life he had seen play out. Then again, he had been surprised plenty of times too. But only one exit to a whole territory? he asked, a bit incredulous. Though I guess it'd be easy to keep track of, until it.. backfired.. he supposed, but this was from someone raised up with lots of room. Good thing that unblocked. Is that pack still there? he asked, brow quirking at his silvery companion then, hoping they were smart enough to take that hint before it cornered them for good.

"Half of the pack dispersed, the other half joined us. It was quite a logical move too, considering that we were sister-packs before. That is - there were a lot of related wolves in both packs," Wraen finished the story and then let her gaze trace the ridges of the mountains, wondering briefly, if and how Elfie could have got there and got over to the other side. Or whether the boy had met his end somewhere along the way. 

"What about Moonspear? Are you planning to sprout mini-spears in the valley?" she returned to the conversation and smiled at Jarilo, thus indicating it was meant as a joke.

He was not a frequent participant in the business of other packs, especially ones that didn't cause problems for them, so these details were filling in with some fun facts for him. Makes sense, he agreed. Good thing they had an opportunity like that. Probably made a stressful time.. a little better. It sounded like to him the very best use of a sister pack in a time of need like that. He then wondered if they would split up again in days to come--but that wasn't really his concern, most likely.

As for Moonspear, he chuffed a soft laugh. Anything's possible, I'd say.. he drew off with a suspicious smirk to say he wasn't being serious, but honestly, no, there were no concrete plans he could speak upon. If it was possible, and worth their effort, he could see it happening one day down the road given the right causes. Really though. I just know I plan to stay put, Jarilo drawled. It wouldn't be him--at least, not as he knew now. He was too attached, and comfortable, which were both things that apparently mattered a lot to him.

Back in November Wraen had also wondered, what would Towhee do, when the spring came. Now, however, having acquaired the leadership position she had craved for so much, and surrounded by other friends and family, she seemed to have settled down for good. And - to be honest - if at first the Sovereign had had some reservations about sharing the throne with someone else, now she was so used to having all the Redhawks and Blackthorns around that she would be very sorry, if any one of the decided to split from the group and head off in the wilderness at any point. 

"Well, if I remember correctly, then Moonspear was no small place. It can host many people," she remarked. "What about the neighbours? Old ones gone? New ones have come in their stead? It has been a while since I went to the flatlands on the other side, things may have changed during this time."

Oh yeah.. space is no issue there, he replied with a short chuff. It had always felt plenty vast to him, even as he had grown and got to know more of it. Part of why he held fast to his attachments--there was so much. As for neighbors, our closest is just the newer bunch that has set up in Neverwinter Forest. They turned up earlier in the winter, lots of younger wolves.. he explained. Maybe they had started to come around before that, but honestly, he wasn't sure on the exacts.

Beyond that, there are the Nightwalkers well south of it all--they claim a forest south of the Caldera. Mercenary sorts, I've heard, led by a Warlord that take jobs for others.. he said, leaving it aside that they had remained in Hydra's favor as allies, likely called upon for interest in any darker deeds. His concise detail probably implied it was another group he only knew in a minimal sense because they had not stirred major trouble at home for them--which he appreciated in a no news is good news sort of way. So what about out west over here? I don't catch wind of very many packs beyond you Firebirds, especially lately; anyone out there? he said, gesturing off to the faraway horizon of the Tuktu.

Neverwinter forest? Wraen thought, if she had heard the name before or, whether she knew anyone from there. A face of a nameless young wolf came to her mind and she was pretty sure that she had met him in the vicinity of Moonspear somewhere. But she had already forgotten, what they had talked about. Maybe the pack was founded by him or it was just as likely that this was a different group of wolves.

"Mercenary sort? Hmm..." she made a point to relay these news to Maia, who was planning a longer trip in the Kintla flatlands and the wilderness. To be careful and watch out. "Umm... there have been groups of wolves coming, settling and then going. I can only be sure about my corner of forest, but the land is vast and I do not know everything that is going on in the rest of the hinterlands," she shared.

It seemed that it was the Nightwalkers' profession that what she found worth noting, and he nodded, though did not rush with further detail because he had little to give. Since they had not raised the red flags of concern for him, he didn't view the mercenaries as inherently bad, raised up among warriors himself, imbued with a healthy understanding of what it meant to earn the right to peace--but he understood too that this put him better equipped to deal with any cases that did go wrong.

Jarilo accepted her reply, though, despite his curiosities. Understandable--I have no idea what's out there even, let alone who's living there. Can't say I often have any business this way at all, he mentioned, not that he was often the roaming sort in the first place. A little scouting here and there, sure, but he didn't set out to make habits out of it. I'm not sure what else has gone on at the coast or in the other direction, further into the flatlands towards the Sunspire. I occasionally hear of some groups coming through so who knows what has stuck, he rolled his shoulders, largely indifferent so long as it all gave Moonspear a wide berth. Seems to be that most don't last that long though, he supposed, viewing it in the long run from up on their roost of a mountain. Time would have to tell if even their most recent neighbors would come to last.

"Yeah, that's the most interesting part," Wraen remarked on the matter about very few new packs making it past their first year. "One would think that with a solid core in the center - be it a family or like-minded people hanging out together, they would last longer," to be fair Sunspire had not been around for a very long time either, but they had moved to a different territory, while the founding members had remained almost the same. 

"I guess it's all down to luck and chance too," she mused. "Frankly speaking, I do not mind having less competition for resources. After the last season my conviction about this is stronger than ever," she said. "Is Hydra and her mate the only pair to have children this year or anyone else has risen in the ranks to have that privilege too?"

Wraen touched upon something he often wondered too. You'd think so, but evidently it's not enough to help most of them set their roots down, he halfway shrugged. Judging by the amount of flux he saw, and even what he didn't see, anyway--and indeed, he did believe luck played into it, especially when they were all at nature's mercy for the good and the bad. But, it all concluded with fewer competitors for his family and that was not something he was going to question in any earnest depth. He had no reason to when it was in their favor. Exactly. It's good we can at least keep space between us all this way, he supposed openly, for he had no real need of more neighbors when more often than not, they invited trouble--eventually.

I'm hopeful we won't need to see a repeat of last year, he said, mixed emotions wanting to well when Wraen voice her conviction on the matter. It had only showed him that his mother had been right, that the mountain had needed to prioritize what was theirs, not bastard litters, or those born without the leader's sanction.. not when their own blood was right there, made of hungry mouths that were going to grow strong beneath their watch. Even taking in Dragomir and Isilmë had been something they had worked in their favor, and not at detriment to their own--in his opinion. Theirs are the only ones I can be sure of, and Moonspear does not have a history of many litters at once.. he answered, tip-toeing away from the reason Kukutux had come to the Spear: for a husband that he did not yet know what fate may bring. Time will tell, he replied, vague. What do you think will come of it for the Firebirds this springtime bloom? Jarilo eyed her, a hint of good-natured mischief to go with it; she didn't allude to any prior litters of her own despite her status among them, and neither had she ever implied having a mate to him.

"My co-leader gave birth to a healthy daughter and I have two high-ranked wolves expecting a litter later in spring," Wraen replied without hesitation. She did not consider her own infertility a matter that she wished to discuss with a distant acquaintance. It was a fact only Towhee and Arcturus knew about, which was ironic, because neither were her closest or the dearest. If asked, why was it so, she would probably reply that Regent understood and could keep a secret and as for Arthur... well, it was something he should not worry too much about, since it did not affect him at all.

"But things are looking way better this year than the last, where the puppies outnumbered the adults. Now we have plenty of older wolves and yearlings to take proper care of all that are born in the copse this season," she explained. "I am too all for less litters and better nurture than the other way around," Wraen added, feeling glad that she had somehow managed to keep the numbers under check.

That's good, he agreed. On all matters, last year had to be awfully stressful for you then.. he added with a hearty nod. From their newest births, those to come, and the fact that it seemed better compared to last year. He wasn't going to remark any more on what they had overcome from the year prior--when pups had outnumbered the adults--horrifying! Likely if his father had his way then.. maybe Moonspear could have suffered the same fate. But, his mother and Hydra kept that one at bay and for that, he was thankful, even if pups did eventually grow up into functional wolves; that just felt too risky to him when it was the custom he was raised in to have few litters and focus on them instead of sheer numbers.

Anyway: I don't want to draw you too far from home, and all. But I think my turn is coming up, he said, squinting off into the rises of the elevations. He could probably stand to pick up the pace if he wanted to make it home in decent time. Not that Wraen was not valuable company, he did have the sense that there were others who would need her presence more than him.

"Looking back - it probably was, but I don't remember it as something too awful," Wraen replied with a shrug and smiled. That first year at Sunspire had left it's glowing mark in her memory, the last one had not been that bad, even if managing eight puppies had sometimes been a bit of a struggle. Now, however, it had paid off, because they had plenty of babysitters to the new generation. 

"Well, I will leave you here then and return home," she said, taking Jarilo's remark as an indirect cue of him wishing to wrap up the conversation and hurry back home. It was probably a good time for her to pack up (figuratively speaking) and head to Sun Mote Copse as well. "It was nice talking to you again and maybe we will run into each other again sometime," she told, not realizing then that this time would come sooner and the circumstances under which it would happen would be far from pleasant.

Judging by her reply, she took it in better stride than he would have--most likely, but then again, he hoped to never need to find out the hard way what it was like to see the pack overrun by little mouths to feed. Regardless, he took that with a content nod, and moved his thoughts towards concluding their time for now; he too had enjoyed this, although it wasn't what he had come out here to do. A worthwhile distraction, and he had learned a bit about things on this side of the range as well. Me too, and I think we may.. he reasoned, hopeful enough to keep the option open. He might come back around to see if Clover was around some other time, but he wasn't going to hold out for that kind of outcome. It was nice to change up the scenery a bit, regardless.

So he offered some parting words, and caught any she wanted to give him in return, then was off on his way towards his home.