Dragoncrest Cliffs I heard we're friends

The 5 month old Rise boy wanted to explore. Explore farther than he had before. So he decided to try and make his way over to the pack of Sapphique, a pack he'd heard was a friend of theirs. He wondered if there were other puppies there for him to play with, his age or older, or younger, Sky didn't care. So when he got close to the water and the cliffs he knew they lived at, he started to look around for someone of that pack.

There was an odd scent. Another wolf, not of Sapphique. Intruder! Astera wasn't particularly aggressive, but this was her pack's land! She barreled out of the bushes, attempting to push the wolf over, and pin him to the ground, a trick she often used on Ravin. Who goes there!

Redsky's fur bristled at the hostility he was met with. When he was suddenly bowled into he stumbled, barely holding his ground because this girl was only somewhat smaller than him. He thought the Rise and the water wolves were friends! they'd hunted together when he was young! but then he realized this girl was also only young, probably very close to his own age. So maybe she didn't know. "Relax! I'm from the Rise! We're allies! Friends!" He said, stepping back from the aggravated girl.

miette bumbled after astera, her steps only becoming hurried when she noticed the scent of another. intruder? playmate? miette’s thin ears cupped.

astera stood over something — someone — her posture rightfully protective. miette drew alongside her friend, her eyes wide and voice a hushed-whisper. a trespassah? what should we do wit him? she gazed to the hapless boy, her face bright with a sudden idea. i know! let’s draw n’ quarter him! dat would make de tresspassahs think twice ! miette had no earthly idea this meant slicing and dicing — but she was game for anything at this point. including a lil’ beheading.

She had almost pushed him over. But "almost" didn't make the cut. Astera glared at the larger wolf, violet eyes defensive of her territory. He wasn't lost, he had come here deliberately. Something she would not tolerate. Her dual toned gaze unnerved her, especially his red eye. Trespassers are not friends!

As usual, Sobeille had followed her. Astera quipped a reply, not taking her eyes off the intruder. Yea! We'll leave his tail on the border. 

"Im not trespassing though! Our packs hunted together when i was like 3 months old! I was there! Please, get an adult before you attack me. They'll explain." Redsky said. If it came to battle he knew he could take them on but he didn't want to mess with allies. He let out a distressed howl in the direction of Sapphiques main camp, hoping to get the attention of an adult. "One of your pack members, Theo, was trained by my pack. His brother, Reki, lives with us. Any of those names ring a bell? I know Chacal." He said. "Well kinda, she knows my parents." He added

miette huddled close to her partner-in-crime, her gaze pinning redsky as firmly to the ground as astera's paws did. her eyes narrowed in suspicion; he knew a lot of names, but this could be a trap! he could have inside knowledge.

she whispered in astera's ear: let's pin his tail and de ears. in rough jabs, she poked at the boy's shoulders. shaddup! miette hissed as he howled. prisoners do not speak! get to steppin', trespassah.

The trespasser called for help! Astera barked in fury. Snitches get stitches! And he...lied! Chacal's my mom. Liar! You don't know her. Just because she was allowed on rise territory, didn't mean he was allowed here. Different places had different rules. She snapped at his heels. Listen to Miette! Perhaps they could throw him in the ocean?

A downright ruckus had struck the border of Sapphique today, and Maleah was not too fond of that. She trudges, tail high, toward the shrieking call of little Miette; trespassah!
Upon arriving at the scene, quite the sight laid in front of her. I'm from the Rise!
The Rise. She knew that name, she knew that pack; Masquerade came to mind, yes, and there was something else— no, no, she must be mistaken.
She clears her throat, appearing through the brush in a nightwoven flurry. Miette, Astera, her voice comes out in a short huff; doubtful, of course, that they'd listen, but perhaps it was worth a shot. let him speak. You're from the Rise? honey-lemon eyes narrow in suspicion. He is young, visibly; was he lost? What are you doing here? Can we help you?

Finally. An adult. “i came because i knew were allies, and i just wanted to meet some pups my age. And i guess i did, but not in the best fashion” Sky said, giving the girls as glare. “I am Redsky, son of Avicus.” He told her.

snitch! miette's gaze flared with dark fire. liar! she crowed alongside astera, crowding the young boy.

something in the atmosphere changed; maleah -- her usually welcome sight was met with a practiced coolness. he be trespassin'. she informed the fun-sucker with a huff, her smoky stare resting on the boy that had almost become her future soup. trespassahs had no rights! she wasn't going to listen to nothing he said. PIN HIS TAIL!! miette raised her paw in a fist, roaring as she reached for redsky's tail.

Maleah arrived at the scene. Astera turned around to look at her, as Miette stated the cause of the disturbance. It was in that moment the dark wolf bolted. Astera screeched after him, running at top speed. Get back here!!! The sea wolf's lack of strength made up in speed and stamina. She would surely throw him off the cliffs now. The pale girl lunged to grab his tail, in hopes of stopping him in his tracks.

So he knew where he was. That was a start.
The girls claim he is a trespasser; which, perhaps, he might be. But Maleah had seen more than enough needless violence in her day, even from reckless tots.
That's enough, she warns with a stern curve to her tone, eyebrows raised sharply as if to say I will tell your parents. you can tell someone they shouldn't trespass without threatening to rip off their tail.
Star-colored gaze then turns to the risewolf; Redsky, his name is. Does she know you're here? Maleah chuffs. You can't cross our borders unescorted, ally or not, kiddo. Friend doesn't mean we don't have boundaries. Besides, her paw raises to point indignantly at the troublemakers. not everyone is gonna recognize you on first glance.

“oh, no. i didn’t know that. i’m sorry. i thought we could just meet whenever. theo did it- he trained in my pack without telling anyone when he was young. i’ve heard of the stories.” Redsky said confused. “i guess i can leave then.” he said sadly. “i wanted to see the water-“

“i wanted to meet other pups. i thought it’d be ok-“ he added 

He started to head back, tail drooping and feeling embarrassed. and he didn’t want the girls to have been right.

miette lunged alongside astera, greedy for a new trophy to add to sapphique’s growing collection.

maleah stopped them both in their tracks. her voice carried an authoritative tone to it that cut right through any chance of fun, squashing miette’s excitement underfoot like a bug.

no fair! were all adults this BORING? miette huffed and performed the wolves equivalent of crossing her arms, shouldering up to her partner in crime with a sly glance meant to be hidden from maleah.

the trespasser’s head and tail drooped. miette waited for her moment to rise, breath baited.

Not fair! Astera's silky tail dropped. Whyyy! Whyy can't I rip his tail? She pouted dramatically, whining. He was a trespasser. Trespassers must be punished! As Maleah spoke, she glared at the young wolf, eyes hardening.

She noticed Miette's sly look. She waited for her signal to leap.

The girls pout; scorned looks shot both toward her and the boy Redsky. He, too, throws his own pity party. Children.
A lesson was to be taught here. For future reference, Redsky, her tone lightens, somewhat; clinical and guarded as it might be, some semblance of warmth lingered there. Sympathy, perhaps. when you want to visit us, or anyone, send a call at the border and wait. It's the polite thing to do, yeah? he was lucky it had been Maleah who appeared and not a ferocious mother willing to protect her children.
Girls, sharp nose points downward to the clouds of light and dark; huddling close to each other, sending what she assumed were crestfallen glances back and forth. we should head back.

“i barely passed the border” redsky muttered. “but alright. thanks. and please tell them ripping off an unknown wolfs tail without hearing their story first is not how to treat strangers — for their own good” he added, giving the girls a glare. then he trotted back towards the territory of the Rise.

astera had seen her look. miette hid the soft curl of a smile between her paws. she must look convincingly crestfallen, so maleah suspected nothing.

even despite her best attempt at acting, miette couldn’t hide the flare of anger to hear the boy mouth back to maleah, justifying why he’d come into their home! she inhaled and steadied her nerves, waiting until the trespassah had turned away and maleah guided them back to seaflower.

it was then miette made her move. she glanced to astera quick, attempted a distracting shove at chaperone maleah, and then turned towards redsky with a badger’s war cry. KILL DE TRESSPASSAHHHH!!

unless hauled back by their fun-police chaperone, miette had every intention of sinking teeth into the mouthy boy that crossed into their territory unbidden.

Astera glared at Maleah and the interloper. As soon as Sobeille pounced, she joined the fray. Using the element of surprise, perhaps she could push him over with her furious leap. Grab his tail! Two pups, defending their home, with little thought to the consequences their actions could cause.

The boy claps back; I barely crossed the border; which, admittedly, Maleah had not entirely expected. Her teeth grit as a grunt of disapproval airs from between them. That doesn't matter, kid, his pity-party was not about to sway her. It was true that their insidious plan of capture was, perhaps, not the best choice, but if he was going to throw backhanded retorts to a grown woman, she may as well have let them proceed. a border is a border.
Good day to you too.
As she turns to usher the children back toward the safety of central cliffland, she feels a bump against her foreleg that earns a startled huff. Blink, blink, and then the children bumble toward him in a flicker of red and white. Her ears cup forward before flicking back in a disgruntled airplane motion. I'm telling your mothers!
Was it even worth it to chase them?

Redsky felt the girls hot on his heels and he flattened his ears back to show submission. he passed back over the border before he turned around to face them. if they dared pass it he’d attack, because then it was defending his territory

a cackle slung from miette's lips as she chased after redsky. maleah's threat of telling her mothers did not falter the girl's steps - she was very much of the opinion bite, now, ask questions later -- and no amount of prospective punishment would curb in miette's glutton need for chaos.

the pair chased redsky handily. eventually the scent marks thinned; miette recognized they had passed the border some time before.

now the boy slowed down to face them. miette's steps slowed, but did not lose their resolve. one glance to astera was all she needed to confirm her partner-in-crime was serious about the toll that must be exacted.

give us your tail, trespassah, and we be sparin' your life. miette informed the boy in a tone that brooked no quarter. pin him to de groun'! miette instructed to astera, lunging with a battle whoop towards redsky's flank.

As they crossed the border, Maleah's threat was ignored. Sparing a moment to listen to Miette's instructions, she flew at the dark juvenile. They would have his tail, and he would escape with his life. It was only fair, a toll for entering their territory.

Of course she had to go after them. Of course she had to feel the ground harden as Sapphique's border falls behind her, and of course her lips had to curl back in a stern show of ivory teeth; to the boy, to the children.
Home. Now. her voice thunders in a depth it perhaps never had before; no more games. Her pace picks up in speed, a swift bow of thin, short legs; a black widow amid the thick shrubbery of the tangle.
If not stopped short, her teeth would clip in a gentle warning first to Astera, and then to Miette; and if she were lucky, she would form a guardrail with her lithe figure in between the boy and her girls. He's leaving. Let him go. We don't do this.