Emberflame Ridge Take 'em with me to the grave in a suitcase

Maybe I could snag a @Tierra if she's in the area? <3 Only if you have time!

Today Mae found it in herself to press beyond the willows, ascending to the neighboring ridge. She'd taken a liking to the mountains. The views were breathtaking, the sloping terrain offering a sense of security she hadn't ever found in the valley. Here the trees were alight with autumn colors, a blaze of orange and gold shot through with darker patches. Some of the trees, Mae was learning, had been burned to a crisp.

That was weird. So she set about inspecting further, following the faint bitter scent of wood long since burned to blackness until she found another afflicted tree. Mae frowned at it. Then she started to circle the crispy tree, sniffing all around it as if she might find out what had happened this way.

Traveling alone was getting pretty old. It had to be, if she had regretted (only once or twice) sending what’s-his-face packing so quickly! Guy was obvi not worth taking along, but at least if she’d let him tail after her, she could’ve gotten him to maybe catch her something to eat now and again.

Whateverrrr.

Tierra let out a dramatic sigh (at least her fourth while on this particular ridge) and flopped down to stare out into the distance, close enough to see off the side without risking immediate death via freak accident. God, that’d suck.

There was no way she was joining Epoch; if she remembered right, everyone there was old and boring. That pretty much eliminated every pack in this area she knew. Why did she come back here again?

With another sigh (five) she kicked a rock off the edge with a forepaw and listened as it bounced once or twice before disappearing into the whatever that lay below. At least the view didn’t completely suck.

The sound of something falling stopped her in her tracks. Mae froze, ears twitching and turning to catch the sound more clearly. It was too sharp and not heavy enough to be a wolf, whatever it was. But she was curious.

Mae abandoned the burned tree and turned, weaving through the forest in search of the source. The dark figure she spotted in the distance was unfamiliar; no scents that she knew, either. Mae glanced in the direction of the willows, wondering if Boone and Reverie would take issue with a loiterer so close to their claim. Eh. Probably not. So she kept her posture neutral as she approached. Hey, Mae greeted as she drew closer, briefly looking out over the edge and wondering again what it was she'd heard falling. A rock, maybe.

Nice view. You seen any of those random burned trees? They're everywhere around here, Her eyes turned back to the stranger as she spoke. It felt weird, trying to strike up a conversation with a stranger for perhaps the first time ever. But if she didn't learn to form new bonds, Mae felt she would soon have none at all. It wasn't like she could go back to Swiftcurrent Creek.

Tierra was almost too caught up to hear the stranger approaching, but fortunately she managed to not (embarrassingly) jump at the voice. Instead she shrugged and lined up another rock. It’s fine, I guess. It’d be cooler with water.

This was her first actual company (that was worth anything, maybe) in a while. So she totally had to play it cool and not get all weird about it. She kicked the last rock out over the edge, then stood up and turned towards the stranger, looking her over before looking back in the direction she’d come from.

Do you live around here, or something? I used to come this way all the time when mom lived in Epoch. My weirdo sister used to need herbs from the trees down there. She gestured off the edge of the ridge, then got back to her watching. Whoever it was was okay enough looking - a little thin. (Not that Tierra was much better, or that this fair comparison would cross her mind).

I didn’t know anyone lived around here. She was sure they didn’t, because if they had, Germ totally would have made her visit them with some kind of gift basket too. Thank god he wasn’t around right now.

The woman didn't have any comment on the burned trees, but she had plenty else to say. Mae was a little surprised by that, but found herself grateful, too. It'd been a long time since she'd had a casual conversation with anyone, even those she knew.

Watching her kick another rock over the ledge, she realized that had been the sound she'd heard, and settled slightly. Yeah, I'm with a new pack - Hearthwood, Mae gestured over her shoulder toward the willows. They took me in when I was all fucked up. They're pretty alright. I'm Mae.

It occurred to her, perhaps a little belatedly, that she might try recruiting for the pack. That would be a good way to repay what she owed them, wouldn't it? You looking for a place? She asked first, because she didn't even know what this wolf's goals were. But she'd expressed interest — so that was a start.

Hearthwood. It sounded a little homey for her tastes, at least initially. The name brought visions of Epoch to mind, with its idyllic landscape and weird communal friendliness. Tierra was friendly, sure, but… like, arguing was natural, and the Epoch she’d built in her mind (and never stayed long enough to dispel or validate) never fought on anything.

Maybe. But I’m looking to do better than “pretty alright”, no offense. Tierra replied, conveniently dismissing that she’d just been contemplating letting go of her standards and joining a place just to have company. That was all well and good until it actually came down to it, but it sounded like this Hearthwood might need her more than she needed it. Right? New packs were, like, totally desperate usually. Maybe she could work out a sweet deal.

I wouldn’t mind meeting them. I’m actually an ambassador. She sat a little straighter as she said that, clearly expecting Mae to be impressed by the title. So if they, like, need any information or anything, we could totally swap.

And maybe they needed someone with her mad skills, badly enough that she could wriggle a rank out of it. Didn’t hurt to ask, right?

Well, Mae wasn't about to sing praises for those she hardly knew. She shrugged when Tierra said she was looking for more than "pretty alright". In her opinion, that was the best any wolf was bound to get around here. Her opinion of the valley packs was not a high one.

An ambassador? That's cool, Her interest was genuine, though her vocabulary was certainly lacking. The woman would soon learn that Mae didn't have high praise for anything or anyone. Bet they'd be interested. I haven't been with 'em very long but they're uh, they're practical I guess. Always busy getting some shit done. Not like things had been at Swiftcurrent Creek, with her father always off somewhere and leaving his children to Arric, and the rest of the pack a revolving door of strangers.

It's this way, Mae beckoned to her and turned for the willows. What's your name? It wouldn't look very good to show up at the border with a wolf whose name she didn't even know.

It was way better than cool, but she supposed she couldn’t expect those not in the know to know any better. These wolves sounded more boring the more Mae described them, and Tierra had to contain the impulse to snort when she called them “practical”. God, she hoped no one ever described her as anything close to practical.

Tierra. Tierra Redhawk. Normally she didn’t throw the family name in, but this time she thought twice and added it on. They had family literally everywhere; maybe someone had heard of it.

I used to be in Mereo, back when they claimed the canyon. But ever since Germy fucked off I’ve been doing my own thing. It’s whatever. Her tone made it seem like an explanation, though it really didn’t explain anything useful at all. Who’re you?

Tierra Redhawk. Mereo. Germy. Weird set of names, but Mae didn't comment on it. Name's Mae, She said, leaving her last name out of it for now, and then asked next: What was Mereo like?

She imagined it as a grand place, given Tierra's apparently high standards. It sounded faintly like the name of some kind of disease, if she was honest, and Germy did nothing to help her impression. Mae squinted ahead until she could just barely make out the willows. They were getting close enough to call out soon, but not yet. First she wanted to hear about this Mereo.

Intense. Everyone there was a soldier, so it was like, training 24/7. Unless you ditched, which I totally figure counted as training too. You had to be pretty smart about it or you’d get caught. Tierra opened up about it easily, albeit with a little artistic license. In her mind she’d been slick af about sneaking away; in reality, naps on the borders were hardly espionage.

We got to do guard duty for these rad parties in the desert though, for this dbag Pharaoh. He was totally fine, but so not worth it. At least, not like, long term. Dude was a complete dick. She was just glad Sybol was her first; at least he’d earned it, and treated her like he should. Goes to show that the Pharaoh wasn’t entitled to everything, god or not. Crazy too. He thought he was some kind of god. Tierra snorted.

Threw a crazy party though. If you ever get an invite, definitely go. She doubted they would, out here in their little middle-of-nowhere pack, but didn’t hurt to say it anyway.