Redsand Canyon Friendship

for @Germanicus but AW <3

The run-in with the stranger had put Alys on edge - or was it her hormones? As she passed through the sunspire, her thoughts lingered on the life growing in her belly, as well as the future for her family. Thus far, everyone she'd met had told her, the vale was too large of a home for two wolves, and the intruder made the matriarch wonder if everyone else was right. She didn't have the numbers she would need to protect her land, and so, today, she visited the soldiers of Mereo. Alys was more than happy to ask for help, and so when she came upon the borders, she let loose a call for Mereo's leader. She would sit and wait patiently, every so often letting her gaze fall back towards the vale.

The more she thought about it, the less enthused Towhee felt about any plan that involved leaving Mereo. Her top priority was caring for Ruenna and her pups. She liked to think she might still have the chance at a litter of her own somehow, but she slowly made up her mind to show her best friend the same support Rue had always happily given her.

Pushing the entire matter from her mind for the first time in several days, Towhee focused on her patrol. She didn’t hear the call, of course, but she saw the familiar figure waiting politely at the borders. The Praefectus raised her head and hastened toward Alys.

Alys, she greeted in her usual timbre, what brings you here? Towhee thought of the trespasser in the vale, though that had been some days ago now.

Kallik tried to answer any call from the borders as long as he was close enough to do so. Today, he was patrolling one if his usual routes when he heard the howl from a stranger.

The scutarius quickly made his way to where the call had come. Towhee beat him there, so he arrived silently at her side. He said nothing yet. He preferred to be the silent guard rather than the one asking questions.

Alys saw Towhee, and then a male she didn't know, though she dipped her head to him all the same. "Towhee, it's good to see you again." She smiled, then answered apologetically, "I'm concerned for Kinfolk - that male's trespassing has Kailoh and I on edge, and in my condition..." Alys chuckled softly, gesturing to her abdomen, "I can't patrol nearly as far or as often. I hoped to speak with your leader about an official alliance." It would at least be a start, to have those to call upon in times of need.

Towhee shifted her weight when Kallik appeared at her side. He always seemed so cold. She made a goofy face at him just to see if it would bring about any kind of reaction. Probably not.

Soon, her attention returned to their guest. Of course, within moments of making up her mind, something like this would come along to test her resolve. The instant Alys mentioned a need for guardianship, her mind flew to her recent conversation with Germanicus. What if Towhee went next door to lend a hand? She could offer her services in exchange for a particular rank and breeding privileges.

Whoa! Hold your fuckin’ horses, Towhee caught herself. She grimaced inwardly. Maybe the issue wasn’t as settled as she liked to believe. Now fuckin’ focus… jeez, Louise…

I can call him, the Redhawk offered after taking a moment to gather and sort her thoughts, and I’m sure he’d be amenable, but I’m not sure how an alliance would help you very much, practically speaking. I saw that guy, by the way. His name was, uh… Kjalarr… and he was here looking for recruits for his coastal pack. I told him to get lost, but… it was really just lucky that I was there. You need dedicated guardians in your ranks, Alys.

Towhee's silly face would be met with a slight frown and then a blank expression as he turned his attention to the stranger. This was not the time for games. 

It quickly became apparent that the two knew each other, so Kallik relaxed slightly, though no one would be able to notice. He still stood silently and listened to Alys as she explained the reason for her visit—someone had trespassed on their land and they didn't feel safe; she wanted an alliance with Mereo. 

Towhee was right, though: they needed their own soldiers within their ranks to be truly protected. Mereo may not be able to make it to them in time if they had more trouble. It was not necessarily his problem to worry about; he had enough of his own.

Silent still, he would wait for the imperator to be summoned.

Alys sighed softly at Towhee's words - she knew she was right, but loners were clearly hard to come by, if the coastal male was all the way in the mountains. She didn't want to leave the vale - especially not with her pups coming so soon, but the fact was, she just didn't know what to do. Alys turned her sunny gaze to Towhee's, expression embarrassed and apologetic. "I know you're right. I... there was one male, Derg, who wanted to stay through the winter, but I've not seen him since, and..." She paused, sighing heavily. She rolled her shoulders, then muttered, "You wouldn't happen to know anyone looking for a home, would you?" She was beginning to grow desperate.

Alys’s pointed question prompted her brain to begin yelling again, though Towhee quickly rerouted it to less selfish avenues. She remembered saying to her brother and his son, “If you guys decide Mereo’s not a good fit for you, you could consider joining up with Kinfolk in the neighboring vale…” But if they decided against settling in Mereo, wouldn’t Emberwood make more sense than Kinfolk?

Her mind turned toward Mereo’s ranks. Aside from herself, would anyone even consider relocating to help their neighbors? Furthermore, would Germanicus approve of that? Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to urge Alys and her mate to simply come here, instead? But, of course, there was their unborn litter to consider, pitted against Mereo’s couples and the pack’s resources. Maybe Towhee should direct them to Emberwood? Could they use a few warm bodies?

Towhee realized she’d gone silent for quite a while, pondering everything. She drew in a breath and sent up a call for @Germanicus, unaware that Alys had already summoned him herself. Perhaps the Praefectus’s voice would lend some urgency to the situation. In any case, the three of them definitely needed the Imperator’s opinion on the matter.

Kallik thought this particular ally was awfully needy. He wondered what the reason might be for offering them the alliance in the first place when they weren't yet established enough to keep their own claim safe. He supposed the imperator had his reasons—likely thinking of the future. Being allied to a pack in the vale would be beneficial, but he wondered how much Germanicus was willing to give to get Kinfolk to a place where they were an asset instead of a burden. 

These thoughts were all likely to stay thoughts, though he wouldn't mind learning the imperator's perspective. He was too angry with him now to seek him out for any reason other than his duties, so he would just have to speculate.

Towhee had nothing to add and called for the imperator. He guessed she wasn't sure of the right thing to do either.

two calls for him.

germanicus left his hunt at the second and arrived not long thereafter.

towhee and kallik stood regarding a young and pregnant woman. their posture was not defensive. the eagle stepped forward. it was perhaps the first time that he had flanked the young pale man since that ill-fated discussion.

"i am germanicus," he introduced to the unknown woman. "prafectus. what has happened?"

Once Germanicus was before her, Alys felt quite out of depth. Though their values were different, they were both leaders - or, in her case, she was attempting to be one - and as she looked at him, she felt her foundation shake. Even as she tried to plan what to say, she pondered one excruciating question: did she have what it took to be a leader, or were her goals set too high?

Alys fixed a smile on her muzzle, and she bowed her head to Germanicus. "I'm Alys, of Kinfolk. We had a rather bold trespasser a couple weeks back, but with my children coming so soon, I just don't have the energy to patrol." It had taken much of what she had just to climb out of the valley to come here. "I thought an alliance might help..." Her sunny gaze flicked to Towhee. Then, she cleared her throat, and said in a stronger, clearer voice, "And I was wondering if you'd come across any loners who might not be fit for Mereo. We'd love to have anyone in the vale, to be honest." She chuckled, a little sheepish.

Her lack of answer was probably answer enough, though after she caught her breath, Towhee caught Alys’s eye. I mentioned your pack to my brother and his son, but… She imagined they would pick Emberwood or Mereo over a random pack of strangers, to be honest.

The Imperator arrived, addressing Towhee. She opened her mouth but saw Alys begin speaking and shut it. Her eyes fixed on the matriarch’s face as she reexplained the situation to Germanicus. The Praefectus wondered if he might invite her family to join their barracks. She frowned, disliking that possibility. They had enough established and expecting parents already, including herself if she managed to pair up with someone…

She would’ve liked to help Alys et al, but not at the expense of everyone else in Mereo, including the unborn. They didn’t owe Kinfolk anything. It wasn’t Towhee’s call to make, in any case, but she chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully, orange gaze drifting from face to face.

I told Alys you would likely have no qualms offering an alliance, though it won’t do much for her, practically speaking, Towhee said to Germanicus before facing Alys and adding, The name of your pack implies you mean to stay small and tightly-knit. Maybe it’s just a matter of finding a smaller, more easily defensible territory?

Germanicus arrived and asked Towhee what was wrong. He thought the prafectus' solution was a good one. Maybe this woman't pack had just bitten off more than they could chew. They could find somewhere else until they grew bigger and stronger, and then they could return to the valley. 

Kallik had nothing to add; it wasn't necessary to. The imperator had things under control, so he would just stand guard while they discussed the woman's predicament. It was his duty.

it was not towhee who answered but the woman alys.

germanicus listened first to her and then to the praefectus. their minds were aligned. the woman's pregnancy and subsequent unfamiliarity with her husband did not make them good candidates for mereo.

"this pack is familiarized with most of the adjacent territories between both this canyon and the vale. when you are ready to search, perhaps a patrol of soldiers might accompany you for some days."

it would be good to send them on an excursion, he felt. the soldiers needed activity.

ending it here all, thank you for the thread! <3

Alys wasn't sure what she expected, but she supposed this was better than nothing. She would dip her head to Germanicus, then Towhee and Kallik, offering another smile. "Thank you. I should be getting back soon - my mate insists against travel right now, but I knew coming to see Mereo sooner rather than later would be in our best interests." It was always good to know one's neighbors, and at least Germanicus was willing to assist. She could see many simply turning her away. Sighing softly, the soon-to-be Matriarch rose to her feet, dipped her head in farewell, then took her leave, carefully following the trail from the canyon borders, through the sunspire, and finally into Kinfolk's valley.

Germanicus embellished on her suggestion, offering Mereo’s aid in the endeavor should Alys choose to go that route. Towhee’s orange eyes shifted from the Imperator’s face to their guest’s, a little wrinkle appearing in her brow when the woman pardoned herself to return to the vale. The Praefectus dipped her head, watching Alys disembark before turning to her fellow soldiers.

They should really consider relocating as soon as possible, Towhee posited with a flick of her tail, before she gives birth. It won’t be easy on her but it it’ll be a lot harder to safely relocate newborns… But she was preaching to the choir here, she knew. She exhaled, shrugged her shoulders and added, Anyway, I’m going to finish my patrol. I’ll see you two later.

The vale wolf stated she needed to return home and then turned to leave. 

He agreed with Towhee's suggestion, though they couldn't force the woman to do anything. They would have to figure out what was best for them, and that was not currently Mereo's problem.

He was willing to escort the woman back to the valley if needed. Kallik turned to the imperator. Would you like me to make sure she gets home safely? the soldier asked. 

He would turn and follow the woman if directed or head back to his own patrol if Germanicus didn't think it necessary to escort her. 

last from me

"yes, please do so," he answered to kallik's suggestion.

alys had been present and departed so quickly that germanicus could not make sense of her entire visit.

"i will join you," he told towhee. "we are of the same mind on that."

but mereo had no jurisdiction over such personal choices. 

the three would follow their respective tasks, and he would think of kinfolk in the days to come.