Nova Peak operation ground and pound

Quite often during his routine patrols, Cambria came across evidence of wild pigs along the northern fringes of the rise. After a particularly dull circuit this afternoon, he decided to follow their trail, which led toward the neighboring grotto. There, he spied a whole sounder of them rooting around in the mossy undergrowth.

When they drifted further east, he skulked after them. The Dragonling didn’t deign to hunt them on his own, though he was curious where they were headed. From a distance, he watched them bed down in a thicket growing at the foot of the mountain that towered over the rise’s northern view.

The Blod backtracked toward the grotto but rather than turn toward home, he sniffed his way around the base of the peak’s western flank. On a total whim, he pushed through the woods and began to scale the mountainside. Cambria didn’t go far, pausing on a ledge just as soon as he cleared the treeline.

His two-toned gaze naturally flicked toward the familiar hillock to the south. He scanned the stretch of grass and trees between the two mounts. He saw no movement, though Cambria took a seat and kept watch for a while. It was certainly a unique vantage point to keep vigil on the Redtails’ territory.

An hour passed, then two. Cambria yawned. Deciding it was time to head home, he rose to his feet and gave his white pelt a shake. The wind picked up with impeccable timing, blustering away the cloud of dust that rose from his fur. He chuckled at the sight, though the sound died in his throat as he suddenly detected the stench of decay.

saw this in thread rq's so I'm hopping in <3

Waawaashkeshi's travels had been nothing if not tiring, yet her spirits remained high. Tail waving high she followed the flocks of birds as she spotted them, taking in each place she visited with care and curiosity.

Now her grumbling stomach had brought her here, the scent of wild pigs on the air. She knew better than to hunt such a creature alone, but she hoped to find the leftovers of another before resorting to the killing of a member of the flock - it would cause them to scatter, which would make following much harder.

Nose pointing into the air she gave a slight opening of her mouth as a breeze flowed by. Decay.

A sour smell, but curious nonetheless she began to follow.

Happy to have you! :D

He arched his neck, turning his snout into the breeze. His nostrils flared as he sifted through all the scents, though none was as strong as the odor of rotting flesh. Cambria huffed as he swiveled the rest of his body into alignment, picking his way across the rugged foothills. The yearling was a seasoned scavenger. Even spoiled meat was meat.

His nose led him to a rough dugout. It looked to him like a den of some kind. Cambria halted and eyed its mouth warily, his nose still twitching as he studied the scents. The smell of carrion was coming from inside, he realized, and his pale tail switched. Perhaps this was an abandoned cache?

He prowled closer, mismatched gaze fixed on the gloomy interior. It took his eyes a moment to adjust. When they did, he still wasn’t entirely certain what lay at his feet. They were remains, to be certain. But the size of them—and the canines curving from the exposed jawbone—told Cambria he was looking at a predator. If he wasn’t mistaken, he was looking at the corpse of a wolf.

His mouth went a little dry. Cambria slid backward a step, though his eyes lingered on the carcass. He had no appetite for the flesh of his own kind, though he was curious what had killed this wolf. He looked around as if he might see the culprit despite the long-dead state of the remains… and went abruptly rigid at the sound of approaching footsteps.

There was a clear pep in her step as Keshi followed the scent, the promise of a meal on the other end fueling her deer-like stride.

Finding what appeared to be a den on the other end failed to discourage her. She was quick to stick her head in, though she was hit with the scent of another as she did - the sight of a pale dove-white boy surprising her.

Worried that she had intruded, she would not let the silence hold. Glancing to the ground she spotted what she assumed was the source of the smell - however her eyes had not finished adjusting. She could not see what it was.

"That's quite the catch."

She lowered her head. Now was not the time to show confidence.

Within moments, a wolf materialized, her golden fur quite the contrast against the rocky backdrop. Her markings immediately reminded him of @Etienne, though what didn’t make Cambria think of him these days? The yearling blinked at the she-wolf, clearing his throat and then, after a brief delay, pulling a face at her remark.

He didn’t dignify it with a response. Slowly, he pulled his eyes away from the living stranger and gazed at the dead one again. Cambria wondered again what might’ve killed him. And how long ago had it happened? There was very little flesh and fur still clinging to the bones, though scavengers had likely hastened the decomposition.

I wonder who he was, he murmured, retreating further and looking to the she-wolf again before adding, More importantly, I suppose, who are you? And what brings you here? Cambria only paused briefly before offering, I’m Cambria, from the rise, and gesturing at the southerly hummock.

She was puzzled by the comment, still under the assumption that they were discussing prey. "I am Waawaashkeshi." She avoided formalities for the time being, moving her head forward to get a better look at the source of the smell. Her nose scrunched and her eyes widened - that was no prey, that was a wolf if her eyes were not misleading her.

Now she understood what the stranger, Cambria, had meant. "..I came searching for something to eat." Her ears twitched. "That is a wolf - not something to eat." Technically true - though not very helpful.

"You didn't kill them did you?" A fair question, she thought.

He had never heard such a complicated name before. Cambria repeated it in his head a few times, wondering if he could manage it aloud. Before he had a chance to try, she said not one but two things that struck him as quite silly.

He’s been dead for quite a while, he pointed out by way of answer.

This poor wolf had likely died before he’d ever come near Redtail Rise or the surrounding wilds. Cambria mused about this for a moment, suddenly wondering if the Redtails might know about him and his fate. Supposing he’d lived here, that would’ve made them neighbors.

He did not share any of his inner monologue with Waawaashkeshi, though he motioned her further away from the lair as he said, As you said, we won’t find anything to eat here. And I would caution you to avoid hunting anywhere near the rise.

The Dragonling thought about the sounder resting at the foot of the peak, a little east of their current location. Supposing they might find a footpath leading down there, he thought the two of them might stand a chance at grabbing one of the smaller pigs. But even as the thought crossed his mind, he found it strangely repellent. Cambria realized he didn’t want to hunt with someone outside the pack.

Do you live around here? he questioned instead, suddenly curious if she might be associated with that river pack.

She backed out of the lair as he motioned, though her eyes did not leave the male. She did not wish to be near the decaying body any longer, so she had no objections. She nodded to his words; she would avoid the rise and be careful of any markers.

"I came from the north. I was born into the pack of the Summerwalkers." She responded to his question. There was no expectation that he would know of her birth pack, of course. "Only recently I left to follow @Nasamiituuq here."

Waawaashkeshi smiled at the mention of the name, lowered tail wagging. "She spoke of her home, and I wished to see it."

He guided Waawaashkeshi back toward the ledge he’d sat on for hours earlier. His attention remained trained on the sound of her voice as he motioned for her to take a seat if she liked. Cambria eased onto his own haunches, casting another brief glance at the distant rise.

Who’s… Nasamiituuq? he questioned a little haltingly, tripping over the pronunciation only a little. And where does she—do you both—live? Cambria tacked on in the next breath, guessing, The river?

Sitting down a small distance from the other, the question made her laugh. "Nasamiituuq is a friend. I couldn't tell you where she lives, I only know what she told me when she stayed with the Summerwalkers."

She knew very little, but for Waawaashkeshi that was the fun of it. "Her pack is called Moonglow. She told me that much."

She planned to use the little that she knew to track down her dear friend, with the assistance of the birds of course.

She gently corrected him. So she had yet to see her friend’s home. Waawaashkeshi knew its name, which she shared, but Cambria was left wondering if she knew exactly where to find it. He considered asking, then decided she must have at least a rough idea. Perhaps she was simply en route.

Moonglow sounds like an interesting contrast to Summerwalkers, he mused, though of course he knew nothing of either pack beyond their names. If you happen to be headed south or west from here, I can walk with you. I need to make my way back home.

He couldn’t offer her directions to Moonglow or even a temporary hunting alliance. But Cambria wouldn’t mind providing a bit of fellowship if they happened to be going in the same direction. He rubbed at a sudden itch in his nose as he awaited her reply.

An offer was made, and she was eager to accept. It would be good to have someone to speak to, even if it was only for a short while. "I would like that."

She smiled, tail waving as she returned to a stand. "Your pack, what can you tell me about them?" The question was proposed out of pure curiosity.

She wondered about their customs and traditions, the way they spoke and the demeanors they held. These were all things that she believed should be learned.

She readily agreed, so Cambria sought out the same rough path he’d used before to retrace his steps down the mountain. It didn’t take long to lead Waawaashkeshi into the grotto, where the ground evened underfoot and they could walk slowly through the trees. He wanted to get home, though there was no particular hurry. He didn’t have a curfew.

They’re—we’re—called Redtail Rise, Cambria told her as they approached a pool of water in the middle of the woods. What would you like to know? he asked, rather than voluntarily provide any particulars.

He was allowing her to ask questions of her own, and she would gladly accept. She tilted her head upwards, considering what she wanted to say. "Well, what are your values? The core of your pack."

She certainly didn't mind Cambria, so the rest of his pack couldn't be too bad either. Depending on his answer she may just return one day.

The values of a pack often defined the members approach to anything they encountered. It was an easy way to judge.

He bent down to take a drink, one ear tilted toward Waawaashkeshi so he could hear her voice over the sound of his tongue lapping water into his mouth. When he slaked his thirst, he raised his head and licked at the droplets clinging to his jowls. His eyes flicked to her face, then turned to peer thoughtfully through the trees.

They value fighters and hunters, Cambria said. They’re a lot more… primal than other packs I’ve come across. That was part of why it suited him: he had spent all his life honing his skills to survive. At their core, they’re a family. I’m relatively new, so that’s really all I know so far, and all he was willing to share with a new acquaintance.

He motioned with a pale foreleg. They had been walking due westward, though now he began moving south. The trees thinned as they approached the small strip of no man’s land in between the grotto and the rise.

This is where we part ways, Cambria said, long before they actually reached the edges of the pack’s claim. I wouldn’t go west. The terrain is very rugged and I think I’ve heard there’s a pack on the far side. I would go around the rise and continue south. You’ll hit a plain.

Where Waawaashkeshi headed from there was entirely up to her. Hopefully she would find her friend in Moonglow, though Cambria didn’t have the faintest clue where that pack might reside. And though he was a little curious to hear more about her destination, he opted against making further conversation.

I hope you find Moonglow… Waawaashkeshi, he finally enunciated, the tip of his tail wiggling when it came out relatively right.

There was a hint of disappointment in her expression as she was told that it was time for them to part, though she remained in high spirits.

She would heed his advice and follow the path his words laid out - if it went well then she would thank him someday. "Let's meet again, yes? When the time is right for it."

Before Cambria could have a chance to respond she began a swift trot in the direction he had suggested; around the rise and then south. She would do her best to remember.

Once she found Moonglow and learned what she could from them, she would visit. When the time was right.