Broken Antler Fen I thought of you when I heard that song

The lake had stretched out across a great deal of land. Pyramus had spent the better part of the day venturing along its shores and plucking up fish where they swam too close to the edge. He’d feasted until he felt fat before he realized that he had lost his sense of direction.

Thisbe had been left behind in the forest. The dark she-wolf was waiting for him to return with prey before they would both press on in search of something else.

When Pyramus scented the markings of a pack, he approached the borders and sniffed cautiously. The wetland was a curious place for wolves to have settled. He wondered if there would be many there who were like him – halflings.

roswell isn't much of a fighter; clumsy with his too big paws that make him anything but effective ( which also tends to hinder his hunting at the moment ) and that wasn't where his true interests laid anyway. but, being coy and cunning in his plight to convince others of 'magic' that he swore he could sense in their claim isn't very contributing. now that he was older, the decision to balance out his trades seems practical. necessary, even. so, he takes to patrolling the borders despite that he knows he's not much of a guardian yet.

he marks them because that's what he knows how to do without proper training elsewise.

it's how roswell's spent majority of his time thus far doing. it is only as he approaches a stretch where a stranger that didn't smell quite wolf draws his attention that things become truly interesting for him. he lets out a chuff, approaching with weary caution.

A chuff was issued and drew Pyramus' gaze toward a figure who was young, draped in various hues of cream, white, even splashed with granite and ginger. If the wolfdog didn't know any better, he might have believed he'd found a kindred spirit. 

Paramus waved his tail in greeting, a lightness slipping into his snowy paws. The wolfdog spun in a single circle before barking back a greeting of his own.

the stranger looks softer than any wolf roswell's ever seen before and he tries not to stare at the subtle differences he makes mental note of. he does, however, draw in a soft breath and puff himself up to his full height — as if that would make a difference. he was painfully and obviously young ...playing adult where he really had no right to. roswell watches as the other spins in a circle, curiosity furrowing his brow; pace slowing upon his approach. hiya. roswell greets. this is brecheliant. he introduces, summoning his best 'guardian' voice. how can i help you?

A charming smile found its way to Pyramus’ lips upon hearing the greeting.

Hiya, the wolfdog returned with a soft chuckle. The wolf was friendly, which was not entirely a surprising thing to find but did leave Pyramus feeling bolder than he might have been otherwise.

Is this your pack? How many have you here? he asked immediately upon hearing that the land they stood upon the edge of was called Brecheliant. It was a curious name, for a halfling from Gallo Sheep Farm.

emboldened by the fact that the stranger isn't laughing at him; roswell puffs up further a bit like a wolf version of a peacock, eager to test and explore this newfound, budding skill as guardian. yeah, it's my pack. well not his; he wasn't a leader but he was born here and thus it was his in that sense. uh, roswell falters for a moment, considering and counting quickly in his head. uhm ten. eleven wolves counting me. would he have been older and knew a bit more about patrolling he might not've given that information so freely ( despite that the size of the pack could easily be discerned from the scents of the borders ).

i'm roswell. he introduces. who're you? are you looking to join? he asks the questions a bit rapid-fire, not really giving much leeway for the stranger to respond to them.

Impressive, thought Pyramus with a perk to his ears. The young wolf was quite helpful with his answers.

At the mention that there were roughly eleven wolves roaming the fenland, the wolfdog grinned. His tail swung joyously from side to side as Pyramus peered into the peculiar terrain. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen and the furthest thing from the farmland that he had encountered since leaving.

I am Pyramus. I travel with Thisbe, but she is in the wood that way, the wolfdog gestured toward the forest where he had left his dark companion. Does your pack accept our kind? Halflings?

when roswell finally quiets; eyes of goldkissed champagne settling upon the stranger as he waits with answers for his rapid-fire questions with baited breath. pyramus, he introduces himself as.

pyr...ah...mus, roswell sounds it out, cringing in the hopes that he didn't entirely butcher it. uhm, can i call you pyr? the starry eyed child asks; keeping the fullness of his new friend's — because they exchanged names and thus they were friends in his mind still full with childish innocence — name close.

there was an unspoken power to names; a tickle of magic that roswell feels feathering in his throat. nicknames, kept the full force of it at bay. you can call me roz. he offers in penance for the potential butchering of pyramus' name.

pyramus mentions a woman by the name of thisbe though she is absent; though roswell's gaze follows the invisible path that that pyramus' gesture creates. a frown tugs at the corners of roswell's muzzle at the word 'halflings' immediately thinking it's an ugly word.

course we do! roswell blurts out, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world; the quirk of his brow saying 'well, why wouldn't they?'. let me call! he says on the next tumbling breath, excitement coursing through his veins at the thought that this is his first real act as a guardian — the thought that he might earn a scolding for being at the borders by himself not yet making itself present.

our leaders are @Teya, and my dad, @Eljay. the line between adopted and otherwise had long since been erased as roswell name drops eljay after the title of 'father'. though he does not forget ibis — his birth mother — maia and eljay had stepped into the roll(s) with her untimely death and were his parents as far as he was concerned.

roswell's childish howl trembles over the treeline; thin and reedy and not yet harboring the strength that it would in a few months time; echoing back at him in the distance as he waits with barely contained joy; trying so very hard to keep up some semblance of appearance of cool, calm and collected.

Pyr and Roz, the wolfdog repeated with a slippery smile. His too-clever eyes danced over the young boy once more before he nodded his head swiftly and dipped his torso into a playful bow of sorts. I rather like the sound of that.

Curiouser still, young Roswell was fast in his attempt to remove the stigma behind wolves of Pyramus’ blood. The wolfdog’s smile spread like wildfire across his features, but he did nothing to diminish what the younger figure had said. It was not until Roz had offered to call the leaders of his group that Pyramus felt a lurch in his stomach.

Yes, very well. I would be honored to meet them.

The wolfdog’s mind traveled to Thisbe for a burning moment, worrying for her on her own. The insatiable desire to meet the leaders of a wolf pack washed over it as Pyramus looked to the fen for the two who might approach. The wolf Eljay would surely be proud of his son for watching their borders so carefully and with such kindness.

teya was once quite prejudiced against dogs and those mixed.
her time at the helm of brecheliant had taught her self reliance and pragmatism. what mattered most were bodies, and those that hunted.
roswell's summoning pulled teya from the water. sparing a moment to shake the worst of the brackish liquid from her pelt, the raven arrived to see a not-wolf creature standing before one of their young children. she came to the boy's side, tail swaying but eyes hinted at a warning if anything should go amiss.
"i teya, raven of brecheliant." she glanced between them, waiting for roswell to inform her as to the nature of this call.

it is teya who approaches at his call and roswell's tail wags at her approach, licking her under her chin; a mixture of submission to her and affection. in the presence of the pack's raven as she introduces herself to pyr as, roswell draws in a deep breath and steels his shoulders, chin jutting up to resume a 'tough guy' posture ( or what he thought was such, at least ).

this is my friend, pyr, roswell tells teya. and he has a lady friend — though in reality roswell hadn't asked whether they were friends or siblings ( oops ), that he's traveling with. they're lookin' for a home. basking in the fact that he wasn't chased off and told to go back to the safety found deeper in the territory emboldens him.

A woman approached the two men, and she offered an introduction – Teya the raven. Pyramus found this curious. She looked an awful lot like a wolf to him, so he simply brushed the thought aside. Unless the wolf sprouted dark wings and took to the trees, he did not think that she had meant it to be a literal statement.

Roz was quick to offer an introduction and submissive display. The wolfdog watched with a wavering tail and a smile.

I’m Pyramus and I travel with Thisbe, but she is in the forest that direction, once more, he pointed his muzzle toward the wood where he had left the dark figure. Roz told me that your pack does not hold hatred toward halflings. Do you have others here? Like me?

roswell licked her chin and teya smiled down at him. he was a good kid. pyr — pyramus, spoke of a companion called thisbe.
to his question she shook her head, but there was a kinder light in her eyes. "you be the first," the raven offered. "can you fish? hunt? we live close to water here. you learn it, there is place for you and thisbe in brecheliant."
she thought of eljay, hoping that she was doing her auspex a good justice with her questioning.

with the initial and greetings out of the way — roswell barely concealing his cringe as pyr uses that ugly 'halflings' word again — roswell opts for silence. his job, he thinks, is rather complete here ...but he does not keep going. he hangs around, curiously watching the exchange — taking mental notes of the questions that teya asks. skills, he sums it up to. skills were important to brecheliant and that everyone contributed.

he isn't sure that it will ever be his duty to be asking those questions someday, at least bearing the authority that teya and eljay wielded but it he tucks the process away all the same. even if he was never a leader at the very least he knew the basics to ask should he feel the need to entertain strangers at the borders until a leader approached and took over.

Roz was silent while Teya took over the interaction. Pyramus only glanced to the young boy every so often, most pointedly when the raven wolf asked if he could hunt or fish. The wolfdog smiled swiftly and nodded his head in a few swift bobs.

I’ve gotten quite good at small animals and I can get some fish when I try.

Pyramus wondered if this was enough to be granted admittance into the wolfpack called Brecheliant. The way Teya had spoken made it seem that if the halflings were willing to learn, they would have a place there.

I’ve never met a real pack. I can learn to be useful! Pyramus wanted to race back to Thisbe and tell her that he'd found a home, a real place for them. He wanted Roz to show him the best places in their territory. The overeager figure could scarcely contain his hips from swaying in excitement.

teya looked quietly at the wolfdog. he seemed eager enough to learn, if excitable. and he had already made a friend of daring young roswell. that was enough to earn some approval from eljay, the raven assumed. 
"eljay is our auspex. you will meet. brecheliant is family. i will show you to hunt in fen."
a pause, and then, "thisbe?" the violet lifted her ears inquisitively. did pyramus mean for them both to join?

it occurs to roswell that pyr's lady friend has been missing this entire time — though he had mentioned earlier that she was in the wood a bit away. when teya brings her up, roswell's ears perk and his gaze shifts between the two of them. he contemplates saying something — though it's not his place — warring with himself for a moment before sucking in a breath. you should call for her. if she's going to join too, teya should meet her as well. know her skills. roswell suggests before looking between the pair again; sheepishly this time.

Teya spoke further about a wolf named Eljay, who Pyramus was certain he had already met. The wolfdog did not wish to speak over the raven wolf, so he nodded his head and held his tongue as a dutiful pack member would. The sway of his tail had fallen into an easy motion that swung his rear half this way and that. The pleasant glimmer of his gaze was fresh upon Roz when the young figure spoke.

Let me call Thisbe. She is in the forest. I do not know how quickly she will come, but I will call- I’ll do it now, Pyramus stated, winking swiftly to Roz before drawing his head back and calling to the dark woman in the woods.

I have no idea where Thisbe's writing session at Redhawk Caldera will end up, so we can assume that she didn't get to Brecheliant fast enough for now. I hope that is alright for everyone. T.T

no worries at all!

teya nodded. "we wait for thisbe, but you are now eun liath in brecheliant." she saw no reason to turn the wolfdog away, and roswell had the makings of a fine guardian.
"do you have question about pack?" teya continued, her voice amiable even as the waiting began.
a small grin of approval to the boy.

the wait for the mysterious thibe seemed, to roswell ( who still harbored a child's impatience unfortunately ), to drag on. gradually, it became apparent that she wasn't coming. he bounced from paw to paw, unsure what to do with the impatience that settles into his chest and keep it from making him seem rude. uhm, roswell draws in a breath, trying to think of how to best keep things in motion. why don't i give you the tour and we can maybe go look for thisbe later? he suggests to pry, before peering at teya for approval.

Teya stated that they would wait for Thisbe and that in the meantime, Pyramus was permitted as a member of their pack. The wolfdog didn’t need to know much about his new home, only that they had willingly granted him a place among them. The halfling was touched, hopeful, bursting with the possibilities that had been spread before him.

Yeah, Roz! I think you’d be the best man for the job, huh? Wanna show me all the good places?

Pyramus grinned and waved his tail. He would have a chance to talk to Teya later, or he hoped that he might. There was no telling what the leader of a pack might busy herself with. Until then, the wolfdog was pleased to spend his time with Roz.

teya nodded. "roz will take you." she would stay near, for pyramus was new. but she found and felt no threat in the wolfdog.
with a nudge to the boy, the raven set off, woofing a farewell as she moved to continue her patrol and conclude with a hunt.