Moonspear like the vapor of a vale

In the foothills and the lower mountainside there was a drizzle, damp and dim beneath the tree boughs.  At the middle reaches, the slight rain became slick and treacherous, a fine sheen of ice.  At Moonspear's heights, though, there was the lightest fall of snow.  There one would find Tehama, if any were seeking her, which surely none were.  It was a late grey afternoon.  Te had not yet found herself any particular den, and so she couldn't yet be missed from such a home, and she had not yet met so very many of her packmates as to have anybody seeking her out for any particular reason.  She'd been busying herself with small hunts, seeking to fill the pack's caches, and with exploring the mountainside.  Soon enough she intended to see if there were any larger task she could fill or role she could learn, as hunting became less plentiful and the world turned to scarcity, darkness, cold.

But for now, she simply sat and rested on an outcropping well above the forest line, where only a smattering of small trees dotted the landscape and a great cliff descended beneath her and another rose behind her.  Something of a natural staircase etched over eons into the rockface had brought her here, and the woman was pleased to find that her upbringing among such jutting rocks and hazardous enscarpments was serving her usefully once again.  It would require a slow and careful descent later on as the temperature dropped precariously, but for now, the tawny lady wished to watch the snow fall.  She was at peace, full of feelings of belonging.  Powder snow danced down.

Hydra had not missed the scent of Tehama upon the caches she contributed to, though the matriarch had yet to meet her just yet. Having found her daughter and claimed the Glen shifted her priority, and it turned now to getting to know the faces she had yet to. There were two within the mountain claim that she did not yet know, and this darkening hour she sought one of them. The trail of Tehama was strongest from where she had been to start, and so it was Tehama she pursued. The path she had taken was not one many would opt to, and Hydra was made aware then that Tehama was no stranger to where Moonspear had made their home. A kindred spirit, then. 

Snow danced slowly downward, but it never lingered long upon the matriarch. The heat of the woman melted the fragile flakes that did find their way to her furs, and she was not at all bothered by the snow. Accustomed to winter and its approach both, Hydra was reminded by the weather of all that would come in these next months. They would prevail; they always had, in all of their years here. Hydra would again see to that for as long as she lived. 

Before long, Hydra saw the newcomer (to her, at least); they sat, poised in restful repose, and Hydra observed their tawny furs from the distance she approached from. They looked small from here, and even as Hydra bridged the gap between them this observation was not amended. There were few small wolves in these Wilds, Hydra found. They were either large, or absolute giants—for her own part, she was perfectly average. 

Settling mutely alongside her, Hydra gazed upon her dominion that lay outstretched beyond and before them. Not wanting to disrupt the quiet, Hydra contented herself with the silence for a brief time. Introductions could wait a moment longer—her ears caught the sound of howling from beyond. It sounded an awful lot like @Altair... and so Hydra tilted her head up to join in his song, voice amplified by natures stonework surrounding them. 

I TRIED TO MAKE THIS PRETTY TO MATCH UR BEAUTIFUL WRITING but I am nO GOOD AT LANDSCAPES

<3<3<3!

Tehama was so captivated by the tiny snowflakes held aloft and swirling in the currents of air that she almost didn't catch the distant sound of a howl.  Briefly, she perked her charcoal-dusted ears in its direction, surmising it was a distant Moonspearian or a Glen wolf.  Either way, no cause for alarm; to the best of Te's understanding, the Fireflies were a branch of Moonspear's reach, a consolidation of her pack's power within the region, and no threat whatsoever.  The petite lady might have set aside her thoughts of anything but the enchanting weather just then, if not for the nearly silent arrival of another in her peripheral vision.  

Pacified by the overwhelming scent of Moonspear that accompanied this wolf, Tehama remained where she sat, turning only to look upon the other female in unspoken curiosity as the onyx woman howled in turn.  The sound of two voices, one abroad and one right here, mingled in the Mu's awareness, filling her senses.  Watching in silence, she recalled the nighttime howl that had laid claim to the Glen, and wondered if this, then, was Hydra.  The Alpha she had not yet met, but whose scent along with Dirge's was the glue that melded together their pack's every scent, on every border marker and rendezvous site.

In recognition, Tehama flattened her ears to her nape, and dared not interrupt the other's song.  She only listened, with rapt attention, and gazed upon speckles of snow that clung to the black she-wolf's fur and glittered like jewels before melting away.

She sang, the note low, long, and crooning. When it dwindled, it was carried onward by the rocks surrounding them; it took some time for the sound to completely fade. She gazed sidelong at Tehama, wondering if she might join in the song with her, and encouraging her with a low and inviting rumble before once more calling to the Wilderness beyond them in solidarity to all that they had here. Hydra had yet to know Tehama truly, but she was family even still to the matriarch. She only hoped that Tehama might share the sentiment and sing with her. 

At long last, the matriarch let the song continue without her voice as once more the rocks surrounding them and the wind with it carried her voice on and on. Turning to look more directly at Tehama, Hydra's tail swayed some. The silver-eyed she wolf was lovely to behold, and Hydra was equally pleased to see the other was more weathered than several yearlings that had come to join. No less lovely for that, it only seemed to enhance her appearance.

She did not yet note the others scar, on the opposite side of her—but it would have done nothing to change Hydra's thoughts on the tawny woman, who was surprisingly smaller than she. Most all wolves seemed to be of the larger variety, where Hydra sat on the average side on the spectrum. Tehama was petite, and as Hydra's eyes looked her over she noted the shift in pattern near the left shoulder. It was with a critical warriors eye that she looked, but there was no telling whether the woman recognized there was anything there at all—and if she did, her gaze moved beyond it too swiftly to be thought much of. 

Tehama, to Hydra, looked as hale and healthy as the rest of them on their better days. I am Hydra, she introduced, voice lowly, Queen of Moonspear, and the Glen, she drawled with a wave of her tail. And the Wilderness, too—in time, that much would be evident. You will have to forgive me, for taking so long to meet you. My daughter—she had gone missing, and I admit that was where my priority fell, beyond patrolling and aiding in the Glens founding how I could. I am glad to meet with you now, though, she drawled, leaving a space then for the other to introduce themselves as the snow fell slowly downward.

Phone post so not pretty but I wanted to reply!

Hydra's invitation could not be denied. Tehama lifted her head, joining a mezzo soprano counterpoint to the song that richocheted from the rock face behind them and out into the Wilderness. It was the irresistible base instinct of the wolf to howl, to strengthen and announce the family bond, be it blood family or found family.  Inside, Tehama felt a warmth kept seperate and sheltered like a fragile ember from the cold world. It was a sense of belonging both within the pack and upon this mountain, and in loyal service to this woman. Hydra and Dirge possessed Tehama's quiet loyalty now in a way that Thousand Rivers' Alpha had never bothered to pursue; he was too concerned with his own kin to get to know the refugees from Mount Mirror, and the attitude sowed division amongst the two portions of the pack who might under different circumstances been strong and united.

Tehama let Hydra take the lead in their howl as if it were a waltz, following her notes, keeping up without any attempt to outshine the dark queen, and closing the aria at the time of her choosing.  It was a surreal moment, seeming quite far removed from her several moons of wandering with no destination in mind. Now, she had hardly wandered abroad from Moonspear and was quite content.  Tehama tilted her head forward, ears pricking, to listen to Hydra's words as her breath misted between them. Tiny snowflakes flurried with the weight of each word. 

In due course Te's features reflected placid attentiveness, then concern at Hydra's daughter going missing, followed by relief at the past tense that implied her return, giving way to gentle understanding and a smile. "There is no need to apologize. It has clearly been a busy season for you and for Moonspear." Whatever she had expected upon meeting Hydra, it certainly wasn't the Alpha asking her forgiveness. Tehama was glad of being noticed, glad simply for the gift of the woman's time. The Mu didn't think it was an accident that Hydra had found her, so high in the reaches of the mountain, and only hoped she could make the meeting worthwhile for the other woman. "I am Tehama, ma'am.  It is a pleasure to meet you."

She beckoned out towards the Glen with her dark nose, glistening in the cold. "Firefly Glen is becoming a strong addition to Moonspear's reach-and just before winter, to ensure more resources in the coming moons."   She hadn't given much thought to the politics of the area, nor what friend or foes might exist out there. Now she did ponder, and knew that Hydra could likely tell her about the dynamics at play. She was rustier than she would have liked in those diplomatic skills, but perhaps it was like riding a bicycle.

The manners of Tehama were impeccable; Hydra quite appreciated this, a woman who ever adored a sense of decorum. She was somewhat of a traditionalist, in that way—but far more forward thinking, and unafraid to get her own hands dirty to accomplish a task that needed doing. She wondered if Tehama was that way too; all the better if she was. She observed the emotions that played on the features of the woman as she spoke, finding herself all the more drawn to the woman for her kind responsiveness. The she wolfs understanding only further endeared Hydra to the newcomer, and Hydra was only sorry that she had not been able to meet her sooner. And so it was in earnest that Hydra returned her introductory phrase with, the pleasure is mine, with a gentle wave of her tail. 

Her eyes turned toward the Glen at Tehama's gesture, one ear trained still on the Mu as she spoke. A smile found its way to her lips, then, softening her features that for those outside of her claim were often solely severe and indifferent. When my firstborns... that is Atlas, Osiris, Vega, and Antares, she informed, looking back to Tehama for a brief moment before her gaze returned toward the Glen, beginning again, when my firstborns were born... there came a famine. Moonspear was fortunate to have fought well for those resources within the Glen, for the pack and our children to not go hungry, she remembered, and despite the darkness of the times there was pride in her voice that together... they had endured and survived. The hunting, even for Winter, was scarce. We have always considered the Glen something of an extension of our hunting grounds, since I was a girl and my own mother and father ruled this place... and that Winter in particular, I was glad for it. Of course that it was unofficial meant that others would try their luck... but it was often for naught, her gaze turned upward and watched a particularly thick snowflake spiral down slowly before her as she recollected that terrible Winter. Worse for others than for them, and for that Hydra was thankful, terribly enough. Her children were well fed and survived. Her pack, too. She had not a singular regret.  

I never minded that others might pass through, up until Mira was taken. And now Moonspear can be all the safer from such unsavory sorts, her tail waved, as she considered aloud, ...the children of the Glen can be reared upon Moonspear to be all the further from that sort of fate. More resources, still, and hopefully a better fortune for the rest, she drawled, looking once more toward Tehama. Hydra, most of all, wanted to keep her wolves and their children protected. The Glen and Moonspear were one and the same to her; they were all pack, all family.

Tehama hadn't expected the warmth that she felt from Hydra.  The woman was welcoming and earnest towards the petite newcomer, and it was clear from her words and tone that she adored her children and family.  As her story was revealed, it was made clear to Te that just as her own ancestors had claimed Mount Mirror, Hydra seemed to have inherited Moonspear from her parents' rule.  The dark leader was made for the mountain, and, it seemed, an astute decision-maker.  Tehama nodded at appropriate moments through the woman's recounting, her approval growing as Moonspear's future fortunes were obviously Hydra's focus.  The Mu couldn't deny that the talk of children specifically pulled at a tender spot within her breast, for she had not considered the possibility of procreation as a possibility for so long. (She gently laid aside the rising half-formed thought of another dark-pelted wolf with jade eyes.)

Yet Tehama had tethered her loyalty to Moonspear and its service, so whether the future of Moonspear contained her own blood offspring or not, its good fortune and continued prosperity was her own. 

These thoughts swirling lightly in her mind like the little flakes of snow that surrounded them, Tehama said, "When I first came to Moonspear, I didn't know if my stay would be for the winter season or for good.  But I've come to love the Mountain and those I've met within it, and I hope I can be of service as long as you'll all have me."  She was sure that Dirge would have reported to Hydra upon bringing her into their fold, and wanted to ensure the ink-hued queen knew where her new recruit's loyalty lay.  "You are a pragmatic leader with clear foresight.  You do what you must to keep your pack and your flesh and blood safe."  Tehama dipped her tawny head, a moment longer than a nod, an expression of respect for the woman's position and for Hydra individually.  

Training her silver gaze back toward Hydra's features, Tehama asked, "Is there strife among nearby packs, further abroad than Firefly Glen?  My path into these lands was from the south-southwest.  I passed by another pack but did not encounter them, and my other acquaintances along the way were loners."  She had felt utterly safe and sound since arriving within Moonspear's stronghold, but she had begun to feel the tentative desire to explore the surrounding areas, and wondered how safe she truly was.  "Surely Moonspear's numbers and strength are well-known in the area?"  Would belonging to this mountain fortress offer a measure of security and safe passage outside of their borders?  "Do we engage with neighboring packs... politically?" She bit her tongue then in an attempt to not swamp Hydra with many questions all at once; she let her existing inquiries lay between them in the cold air.  Her silver eyes glimmered with renewed interest in the possibility that her childhood education, previously collecting dust, might yet prove useful in her new homeland.

Hydra listened to her subordinate, pride swelling to hear all that was said. Unwittingly or not, Tehama had earned Hydra's favor in appealing to her ego. In the matriarchs eyes she felt that Tehama could see things quite keenly, and the woman could not help but hope her stay would be beyond one of lifes crueler seasons. My pack and my flesh and blood are one of the same to me, Hydra admits in a low breath, turning to look toward the other woman. While she had the benefit of many of her pack being related to her through this, that did not change Hydra's own thoughts on the matter that Moonspear is my family. You among them, she hummed, voice contrasting the frigidity in its warmth. It meant that she would do anything to protect Tehama, too. When Tehama looked to her, Hydra shifted her weight, ears cupping forward to listen even as another sound caused her attention to divide. Ascertaining it was caused by minor prey causing scree to fall passing through, Tehama had the rest of it soon enough.

Indeed, she drawled, a raven-furred, purple-eyed woman attacked my son; she is with a pack called Ursus. And Ursus, I hear, is a troublesome lot at its core. They attack those they believe they can best... children among them. And now there are wolves called the Saints, and I hear they are as loathsome a lot as the former. It would seem they have settled not too far from us, where Ursus is more at a distance. I would like to remove them, she drawled, though we have a common enemy... it was for this reason she had yet to do so, still in the contemplative stage of what was the best course of action that would keep her family safe, as well as the Wilderness. A saying rang in her head: any enemy of my enemy is my friend. But Hydra was not so sure she could befriend any prior to them earning some degree of her trust. 

Licking her chops, she drawled, I would like to think it is known, but fools are known just as well for testing their luck. I would not travel alone, she advised with a sigh. Mmm. We have a decent enough relationship with Neverwinter Forest; an understanding, if you will, that saying again rang in her head. And Mal... well, she did not dislike him as she once had. He seemed to be learning, and at the very least could understand why she was so aggressively protective. One could never be sure who crossed the border when a trespasser came, but with wolves like Ursus and Saints on the loose Hydra would give none the benefit of the doubt. Darwinism at its best, and she oft the deliverer of the worst. And recently, Redhawk Caldera have returned to their own roots. They have good wolves among them; Towhee is my sister, she drawled, voice not without a measure of pride there. Do you enjoy politics,  Tehama? she asked then, reflecting on the womans thoughtfulness to know... and eloquence.
: 

i thiiink this is dated before hydra gets more deetz about saints :thonk: also sry for delay, HOLIDAYSSSSS

*waves* I PM'd you on @Linda?  Hope that's the right way to reach you.

Tehama's ears cupped forward with interest to catch all that Hydra said, making effort to store the many names that drifted through the cold air in the dark Queen's voice.  Ursus.  The Saints.  Neverwinter Forest. Redhawk Caldera.  Towhee, Hydra's sister.  Tehama was faintly surprised to find that Hydra's familial empire extended further than their neighboring Firefly Glen, and resolved to learn more about their reach in the Wilds.  

But for the moment, the question was turned back onto her.  A sheepish expression flitted across Tehama's face.  "I learned everything my mother could teach me about politics," she said, "though in hindsight it's clear that our corner of the world was quite small compared to the Wilds.  There were only ourselves at Mount Mirror and our nearest neighbors at Thousand Rivers, and we had always been more or less allies.  So it was a hypothetical education."  The woman's gaze had become more distant as the current view looking out from Moonspear was replaced with the hazy memory-view of the view from Mount Mirror, but as she came back to the present, Tehama fixed her silver eyes upon Hydra.  "I would be interested in adding practical experience to that education," she admitted with a smile, and an optimistic sway of her tail.  "I'm sure there's much to learn here."

Hydra listened openly to Tehama, and with plenty of interest; with a decisive nod, Hydra drawled, I would like to see you put this into practice, too. Perhaps you and I might practice together, to start, she hummed, tail waving. Contemplating for a beat, Hydra opened up the floor with: alright—you are a representative of Moonspear, and you are approached about those we might call our enemies. How would you answer this? voice low and eyes bright with ample interest. For the remainder of their time together, the matriarch and Tehama would continue such dialogue. 

fader <3