King Elk Forest fukurō

@Cyprin because @Célness doesn't work she too fancy ;o;

Kiyoshi had chased after the scent of his brother for what felt like ages. He had crossed areas that he never believed Toshi would have crossed, but he knew the aroma of his sibling well enough… he knew that the darker brother had gone somewhere they were not supposed to. It was only natural for the stoic young boy to follow, only so that he could make sure he did everything to keep Toshi safe. Their mother would surely be worried sick, but the dark-eyed pup was determined to get back to her in a timely manner.
 
Trekking into a handsome wooded area, Kiyoshi peered up at the trees above him and sniffed at the earth near his paws. The scent of his brother had softened and faded; he was afraid he would not be able to chase it much further. Feeling somewhat frustrated by the case of his disappearing brother, Kiyoshi found a quiet little area and plopped to his rear to think.

Célnes, and the others assumed to be, were rather dutiful for the next couple of days marking their territory. Especially since the Firebird confrontation, they needed to make it known that this was their land. There was also a few pieces she noticed that was nearby, and directly streamed into King Elk Forest, but she wasn't sure if it was safe yet to try and claim those as well.

For now the focus remained for Kingslend to claim their forest. 

Upon this marking and scenting, she came across an unfamiliar scent. It reminded her of Toshi, but she hasn't seen the fellow for too long. The elken woman simply assumed he wandered back to his family after needing to make sure with him. The Déorwine would've thought it was Toshi- but the appearence differed just a bit.

But they were still gray.

Célnes approached with a smile, "Are you lost?" her fire-lit eyes gave a look around, "this is claimed land. It's dangerous to be alone."

It didn’t take long before a strange woman approached him. The natural reaction would have been for the young boy to shrink and to become less of a burden on her, but instead he pulled his crown upward and peered into the woman’s eyes with a complete lack of emotion on his features. It was evident in the boy’s body language that he was tired from traveling, but he did not seem frightened of the new companion who had found him in the wood.
 
She informed him that he had wandered into claimed land and that it was dangerous for him to be alone. Kiyoshi knew as much as it being dangerous, but he was rather surprised that he had stepped into a pack territory without recognizing the harsh scent markers around the area. The boy flattened his ears to his crown and breathed softly.
 
“I am looking for my brother Toshi Draconid. Please can you help?”
 
Formal, deadpan, but when Kiyoshi looked to the woman, it was clear that his one goal was to find his brother.

The land was so newly claimed, she wouldn't surprised if no one smelled so. It was only a day or so ago did they officially swarm the forest, and frantically try to make the scent theres. Though Célnes was definitely not expecting visitors so soon, and especially so with familarity.

"Ah, you're a Whitebark pup," the woman remarked with a widened smile, "he was travelling with our group for some time- and memories serve he was to ask your family to come join us. Has he not returned?"

The last time she saw the boy was at pack meeting where Célnes formally tried to accept the grayscale kind. The boy remained silent, and she understood that so. However ever since she did not see his face. It was simply persumed he wandered away with the family.

“Kiyoshi Draconid.”
 
The boy corrected her almost immediately upon being called a ‘Whitebark pup’. The correction had not been done to insult the woman; he simply wished for her to address him by his actual name instead of the place where he had traveled from – the place that was no longer a home. As she had continued to speak, she stated that Toshi had traveled with her group and that she had believed he’d returned home to collect his family. The dark-eyed boy frowned thoughtfully and turned his gaze back in the direction he’d traveled from.
 
“He is gone,” Kiyoshi remarked, his tone bordering on sad. This would surely break their mother’s heart, and the young pup could not imagine the lengthy journey home to see her… to tell her that Toshi had gotten lost somewhere and they would not see him again. Then, the boy looked back to the tall woman in front of him and wondered what he was supposed to do.

He was different from Toshi in the sense of more stoicism. She raised a brow and only gave a small chuckle to the persistance of his name, "I am Célnes Déorwine, a previous member of Whitebark Stream. I believe we did not met while it was still active." To be fair though she also did not stay for long. There was only a handful of members she could count, and only one pup in particular to have met.

"What are your family's plan? I do extend a paw to come to Kingslend, as I offered the same to Toshi."

Ah, so she had been a member of their shared pack. It made more sense to him that Toshi had struck a friendship with someone who had belonged to the ranks of the stream pack. This cleared those thoughts from his mind and helped him understand that she had simply struck out on her own. She sought to create her own pack after the fall of the other. This was a noble goal. 

When she asked what the family had planned, he turned to look back over his shoulder again. Mother should be coming, he explained evenly. When he turned back to face her, he realized that it was far more likely if Toshi was to return, he would seek a familiar place. Being with the wolves she called Kingslend would be their best chance to find him again. We could stay? Join your pack?

"Of course. I welcome you to Kingslend." She could never deny more numbers to the ranks, but also had sought Toshi's family a while so-go. She found if she brought him the rest could come, and it simply meant more power to the name of Kingslend. Perhaps a greedy goal, but in the end it still let a family lay claim somewhere for the winter-time to come.

"Germanicus is here as well."

Thank you for showing kindness, the boy said to her with a deep bow of his head. He had been raised right. He knew to show respect to both his elders and to those who offered unwarranted kindness to him. 

The boy did not think he knew the Germanicus. The sound of whatever that was felt very foreign to Kiyoshi. He simply refrained from addressing it.

"We only have one rule however," she warned, "we do not hunt elk here. We respect them so- that is all I ask of you for joining." While a serious tone was to the mixture, she offered a smile and tried to nudge him gently with her nose. There was no turning away, but she knew the family would have trouble enjoying them so, "allowing of anteredless, but the horned are untouchable."

Especially if they touched the elk. The best help she could give, was to ask them to respect the culture.

"Find your family and tell them they are welcomed."

The boy listened to her as she explained the one rule of her people was to bring no harm to the elk with antlers. This struck the boy as an oddity. They were wolves, no? Kiyoshi did not feel it was at all appropriate for him to ask the woman why she had a particular spot in her heart for prey. He hoped that there would come a time when he simply would understand. The thick young child knew this much, he would not have been able to bring down an elk of any size at his age. She needn't worry about him violating their sacred pledge. 

I will go find mother and bring her to you so that she can make this promise too, the boy spoke to the woman before finding the weary ache in his young frame. Could I rest first?

"Of course," she said, "we haven't fully explored the territory. Feel free to claim a den if you find one." As the group has only just found where the High Elk claims, they too claim the forest. Though internal territories is still a mystery, and still to be discovered. There was the usual trees and burrows, a few streams to go through, but nothing of a notable eye as of yet.

Maybe the young family could find an appropriate place for children. Winter was coming soon, and then spring to hit. There would soon be children.. "If you need anything, please do find me."

The young boy nodded his head stoically to her, taking a small spark of delight in the idea that he could search for a den on his own. The forest would be entirely new to him. Kiyoshi had only gained familiarity with the stream that had been their home before Whitebark had disbanded. The terrain that had passed him by as he trailed after his brother had not really left an impact, but the forest… he was rather pleased with intended home.
 
“Thank you,” the pup remarked with a respectful bow of his head – formal and stiff in its delivery. He had learned well enough from his mother how to show respect to those higher than him. He knew the importance in a pack. With a soft breath, the boy flagged his tail and turned away from the woman who had accepted him to search the pack grounds.