Moonspear Where Devils Tread

Rodyn had heard what Moonwoman had said. Of wolf that had threatened her. That Sialuk was gone on a journey. So with heavy heart, he moved towards the mountain. He wished to do something, anything before he was to leave on trading ventures. He felt selfish for leaving. And yet Moonwoman had asked this of him.

Had given him her blessing to do these things, it would bring strength to Moonglow. Thought it left him feeling odd too. That he was leaving them to fend for themselves. They would be fine he reasoned, and yet at the same time. He did not know if it would be of help.

Sandulf would be there. Sandy would take care of them in his stead. Even though they were not his to take care of. He felt a responsibility of them all the same. They were Samani's family and also his found family.

The past few days Paeon had been climbing the Moonspear mountain. Starting on its West end attempting to reach its peak. New to Teekon she was unaware that she had taken 'the long way' and that approaching the mountain from another side could have been quicker. She spent the first day fighting through the tangled woods of the mountain's lower slopes and most of today watching her step carefully as she maneuvered around the jagged edges and terrain of the mountain.

Her thinking was that this mountain would be her first challenge in this new region. Concurring the tallest mountain she had seen thus far, while also taking a look at what was around her and planning where she would like to go next. As she made it to the top she was rewarded with a smoother surface. A sign of relief escaped her chest once her paws were upon it. She looked out and saw an almost exclusive mountain plain open for her enjoyment.

Filled with glee she cheered "Woohoo. I did it!" easily heard by anyone nearby and perhaps those down the mountain.

A noise came to him upon the wind and he shifted and loped in that direction. Stopping short at the sight that met him. Clearly a femme had conquered the mountain. He stared at it, and then looked behind him at the way he had come. Why hadn't she taken the easier way? Was she not certain of the footfalls of others before.

She was speckled in blacks and golds. He dipped his muzzle towards her. Yellow eyes taking her in. Hello. What brings you to the spear?

He looked around, anxious thinking it was someone near the borders. Was she friendly with the male that threatened Kukutux. Because if so, he would have to have some words.

After her burst of joy, she stood for a moment looking at the ground and catching her breath. Her ear twitched at the sound of a stranger's voice. She turned her head in his direction and laid eyes on his large dark red and brown frame accented with patches of black. His eyes a yellow that completed his color palette of a dark autumn night. Paeon thought for a moment how much better he might look come fall. 

He dipped down his head to her and offered a polite greeting all the while keeping her in his line of sight. "Hello there," she responded with a smile on her face lowering her head in return and lifting her right paw slightly before continuing. "The spear? Is that the name of this mountain? If so, it is quite aptly named given how sharp and piercing some of those rocks were getting up here." she stated with a sense of humor. "I'm new to this region and thought it might be nice to get a better sense of my surroundings as well as partake in a physical challenge. What about you?" 

She looked over the male and saw that he was not as fatigued as she was. Perhaps he had gotten up the mountain sometime before her and already had had time to rest.

Rodyn could remember well how hard it was to have climbed the mountain at first. He had grown accustomed to it now as much as he was up and down from moonglow to hunt and fish.

Rodyn was proud of his pelt, found joy in it. He liked that he was an autumn wolf, that he could boast a fur bespeckled with one of his favorite seasons. His parents had even made sure to only allow autumn wolves. It had shown promise. He saw now how foolish it was to be so enamored with pelts and colors.

Rodyn chuckled slightly. I am Rodyn Ardeth I hail from pack Moonglow, further down the mountain. The spear is rough, but it does test you well. Makes you realize a few things about yourself and the way you view things. Perspective.

He shifted. But you know there's an easier way up? Right?

Rodyn from Moonglow she thought to herself. From the way, he spoke Paeon was sure that he had been up the mountain before. He mentioned how the climb was a way to test yourself and change your perspective. A challenge of physical and mental ability. Hearing this Paeon lifted her head a bit and took a mental note of this achievement in her record.

'But you know there's an easier way up? Right?' "What?" she questioned coming down from her mental high horse. "Like a climbing technique or...?"  she continued, unsure what he meant. There were only so many ways to climb a mountain. Apart from falling down it up was up.

Rodyn had traveresed the mountain with Sialuk. He had seen what she saw. It made sense to him. He looked back the way he had come and motioned with his nose.

If you look closer there's a path way that others have tread that goes up. This is a sacred place to moonglow, where they began.

There were many ways to climb a mountain both metaphorically and physically. Easy and hard ways, all sorts of ways. He wasn't a mountain climber, he preferred forests and fields, but he did understand that there was a type of happiness and accomplishment one could get from climbing their mountains.

As Rodyn spoke and gestured to a path he had taken Paeon trotted past him a few paces to get a better look. There was indeed a path taken and created by others. The pack of Moonglow must really like this mountain, then why was it that they didn't make their home here she thought to herself. But the more dominating thought in her mind is that she had made the challenge more difficult. She felt both proud of her accomplishment and her ability to do what others had with more difficult obstacles, but as many others had climbed this mountain she knew that reaching its peak was low on the scale of impressive.

"Good to know. I suppose it may have been too easy coming up this way. But going down on this path will be a lot more forgiving." she said taking her last glance at the path before returning to Rodyn. "So Rodyn. What brings you to the spear? What makes this place so special to you and your pack... and yet not enough to make it your permanent home?" she asked curiously. Her stumbling up this mountain was largely an accident although she did choose to climb it. She wanted to reach its peak, not striving to reach what was at its peak like her new acquaintance had.

He had not meant to limit or discredit her path. She had done well to take a path less traveled, and he necessarily didn't see anything wrong with taking a path that had been traversed by many, because everyone made their own way, even if they were on the same path as another. It was the way of things, life even.

Rodyn chuckled. It would have been, yes. But you wouldn't have realized how much you had to work and what you accomplished without it. And now that you have accomplished it, it makes for an easier time.

To my pack it is sacred. It is where the spirits speak to them. There was to be a sister pack here and there will still be with time. It just takes some time to form.

So moving to this location or having a second home here was in the cards for the pack of Moonglow, Paeon thought to herself. A sacred place where they could commune with the spirits. She thought it strange that although Rodyn spoke about his pack he did not include himself as he spoke about them. 'It is where the spirits speak to them'... not himself?

She thought she would dig a little deeper. "And what do the spirits say to you Rodyn? Do you hear them whispering in your ear as we speak now? Do they give you hidden knowledge of the world around us? Superpowers?!" she asked getting a bit excited near the end. She had heard of other wolves believing in some strange things so 'spirits' as an overarching whole wasn't enough to throw her off guard. What those spirits said and the actions of the wolves that listened is what really mattered in her mind.

Rodyn didn't discredit his leaders for their belief in spirits. And he supposed he believed too, but he was not a spirit talker, he didn't even try. He always figured they were better off left alone, if someone else wanted to mess with them so be it. He didn't.

Rodyn gave a small chuckle and shook his head. Oh no I don't speak to them. I figure they deserve to be left alone. That is a type of trade for someone more spiritual than myself. I listen to what my leaders say they say, but I do not ask after them myself. Seems like if you don't know what you're doing could cause some serious harm.

he didn't wish to get taken over, or have an evil spirit have him do bad things. No better to leave well enough alone. He was a hunter, so hunter he would stay.

As Paeon spoke her first thoughts were about the validity of this spiritual method. If Rodyn didn't speak with the spirits directly and simply listened to them through the words of his leaders, who was to say that these leaders weren't simply making things up to manipulate the wolves of their pack? She didn't discount the idea completely but thought that she would need some serious convincing before believing a message said to be from the spirits. Especially if the request was less than normal.

But she didn't press it further. It was clear that Rodyn had his beliefs and as he did not speak to the spirits he would not be able to provide evidence of them to Paeon now. "So what do you do Rodyn? For your pack I mean. Are you a scout looking over the nearby territories? A guardian ensuring the safety of your pack's holy site?" she asked curious to know what sort of wolf stood before her.

Rodyn was no fool, however, he trusted Moonwoman and she would not cause an issue where there was none, this he knew. So he also knew that she would not be one to use her spirit talking to her advantage in some way. She would deliver the method and what was needed straight. And if the want or need was different than Kukutux's own morals he would then question it.

Rodyn grinned. I'm a hunter and trader. I hunt game for our caches, and I trade the furs and other parts, stories, baubles whatever I may find for things we may need from other packs. I am also a scout.

He looked her over. What about you? What are your skills?

As he described his role to play in the pack Paeon thought it rather honorable. It sounded as though he was resourceful and did a little bit of anything for the advantage of his pack. They must be doing something right to have such a skilled wolf in their ranks. She thought for a moment if he might have any interesting wares or tales on him at this time... but she didn't have anything of value on her to trade for it she thought.

"Well, I haven't really narrowed that down yet... I know a thing or two about fighting, have some basic medical knowledge and like to adventure quite a bit. But I haven't had the time... or mission yet to hone into any one of them." Paeon was from a back of legends each a master in their trade. It was a requirement to join the pack or in her case to return to it. Living amongst so many skilled individuals she knew a little bit of everything but nothing extremely well. It was a bit embarrassing for her to admit that, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would be at that level.

Had she asked he would have had to tell her, he had nothing but a story. But she didn't so he didn't. Rodyn was happy to share his skills with his pack to help them survive and thrive.

Rodyn shrugged. It comes with time. I was a hunter, but didn't carry the trade. But once I had the pack to utilize my skills for I quickly attained them. Sometimes you simply need purpose.

His words aligned with Paeon and the words of others in her pack. Either as apart of a pack or happen stance on an adventure she would be challenged to make a difference. She will have been placed there to fulfill a purpose. She sought this out, but such things tended to find you, not the other way around. But being available and scouting to increase the chances of encountering such an event could be helpful.

“My sentiments exactly. I’m new here, but I’ll find my place in time. Sometimes you just hope you find it sooner rather then later. You know?” she said in an agreeable tone with a smile on her face.

The conversation she had had with Robyn had been pleasant and she hoped to have more like this in the future. “It’s been great meeting you Rodyn” she stated, ready to continue on unless he had more that he wanted to say.

Rodyn dipped his muzzle to the ground. Well met indeed Paeon.

He would shift and head back the way he had come. Sharing space for a time and then moving on.

thank you for the thread <3