Stone Circle Whisky’s good proofing water. Tells you who’s real and who isn’t.

@Xan @Laurel @Charles @Aislinn

simply because i haven't had the chance to thread with any of you... ever, but it's AW so come one and all!

It was early. Much earlier than any reasonable person should be up. But as usual, Siarut was wide awake. He had managed a few hours after leaving Oryx by the streams edge, but Sia knew there would be no more rest. Regardless of the hour. So as quietly as he could, he rose from Nanook's side and ventured out into the crisp morning air. Everyone had been very respectful of the new family, giving them space to feel more comfortable. It was still a task to convince himself to head out on patrol, but he was determined to get back into the routine of things. Sia was glad that Greyback had resumed his position as Patriarch, giving Nanook and himself enough of a break to take care of their children.

The path he took was well worn and easy to navigate. The ground damp, rain had come in the night. He was glad to find the weather being helpful for once. The rain ensuring the risk of a fire was reduced. Siarut made his way toward the stones, pausing to look down over the plains. There were Bison up and about, grazing contently. He was itching for a chance to participate in a hunt. He had yet to have the chance despite how long he had been here. Something to mention later, he filed the idea away. He resumed his journey, heading down and into the plains.

Though he was a year old now, Charles didn't feel very a-year-old. He felt like he was still a little pup a lot of the times. He was always told what to do. He wasn't very useful, not so far, though he had done a little bit of patrolling. Until he figured out that that was just something good, but like, average-good. Charles only wanted to do exceptionally good things, so that others would see him, or bad things, so that others would see him.

Mother seemed exceptionally cranky these days. A few weeks ago she had had a weird smell around her and she had snapped at him, even attacked him, though when he showed submission she left him alone. Charles couldn't tell if she regretted snapping at him or not. He could never really tell what was going on in her head. That was one of the reasons he always did what she said, because he was afraid of what might happen if he didn't.

With his gangly yearling body that had yet to fill out a little more, and his coyote-like features, Charles looked more like a coyote than he probably would ever in his life. He had yet to figure out what that might mean for his future interactions -- all he knew was that he had really large (some might say prodigiously large) ears and that was funny for some.

Charles navigated past the grazing bison, looking up at their immense forms and admiring how their muscles rippled and how big they were. If only he were so big. Then he would never have to submit for anyone. He could just stomp all who got in his way.

But as it were, he was gangly and smallish and awkward and not very strong at all, so he would just have to do with submitting when he got in trouble and taking shit from everyone else. It just wasn't fair. Charles noticed another who was at the stones, which was where he was headed. He stood still for a moment, not far from the bison who did not seem to perceive him as a threat at all -- even to them it was obvious that he was weak and could not best them on his own -- and he waited to see if his pack mate -- or so Charles blindly assumed, though he did not know the wolf -- would notice him.

iris i am so sorry for the delay! thank you for jumping in!

At first he thought it was paranoia. It wouldn't be the first time he thought eyes were watching him, and he doubted it would be the last. But the itch persisted, it felt as though insects ran along his spin. With a suspicious eye, Siarut surveyed his surroundings. The scent of the bison and the recent rain making it difficult to detect a strangers scent. It wasn't until his olive gaze landed on the boy that Siarut realized it wasn't an imagined feeling.

Lifting a brow at the yearling observing him, Sia almost miss took him for a coyote. He was small and held an awkward air about him. With slightly narrowed eyes, the northern man realized he had never met this kid before. Being so deep in the territory, Sia doubted he was a stranger. No loner would wander so far without being noticed. Right?

"Who are you?" His voice was gruff and rather rude, but he didn't particularly appreciate being spied on.

no problem - as you can tell by this reply, i'm pretty slow at times myself ^^;

Bat-like ears erected when he saw the eyes on him and the other wolf approached, closer and closer. Charles nervously licked his lips, not a voluntary response but one that drove him instinctively as the larger wolf approached. It wasn't unusual that another wolf was larger; most were. This wolf was buff and strong like the bison, Charles deduced, and he felt a pang of envy as he watched the strong, confident strides the wolf approached with. He felt the urge to roll on his back and show his neck and stomach, but he resisted the urge. I'm family too, he thought to himself, I deserve to be here. And I'm not a pup anymore. Maybe if he kept telling himself that enough he might start to believe it one day.

Up close the other seemed even larger. As he was asked for his name, Charles felt the urge to lie. But not because he wanted to see if he could fool the other. No, it would be a poor lie, or maybe even just a rude remark, something that would make the other strike at him. And would he, then, just like mother, take him to his chest and whisper soft sweet words into his ears? Charles didn't think he would. But he still felt like being bad and getting punished, for some reason.

In the end, after an unusually long silence (though Charles did not perceive it as such), he said: I'm Charles. I'm family. He wasn't really sure what that meant. He wanted to ask the pack mate for his name, too, or maybe even equally intimidatingly ask him 'who are you', but he didn't. Instead he just licked his lips, betraying his nervousness, while his tail hung low at his hocks in a silent sign of submission for the much older, much larger male.