Moonspear teekon by night

maybe someone who wants to join moonspear? but anyone is welcome! :)

Charon had seen Moonspear a couple times in the day now, but he wanted to stick around to see it at night, too, to solidify his decision to settle upon it. Tomorrow he'd return to his home -- no, to the bay, for this was now his home -- and gather the rest of his wolves. Help Thistle move her herb stash. Make sure they brought everything useful from it and empty the food stocks. Tonight, though, it was just him and the stars.

The yearling hadn't gone this far up Moonspear just yet, but he wanted to see how far he could go up, and if there would be a point where he'd actually be able to touch the moon. Probably not, he thought, for he had never heard of anyone who could touch the moon, but Charon wanted to try and see how close he could get to the stars and moon nevertheless.

After climbing for a bit, Charon took rest upon one of the plateaus that jutted out from Moonspear's jagged sides, a small clearing that overlooked the eastern side of the valleys. Ears perked forth as he admired the nighttime view of the darkened valley. This moment of silent contemplation reminded him of his night at granite gate (and if Dhole'd show up this time around too, he certainly wouldn't mind), but his feelings were all different. There was no more melancholy and he did not miss his home this time. He was home.

Since we just don't have enough threads together! :P

Floki had spent an entire day at Moonspear, acquainting himself with its lower reaches. He liked the protection that the forest at the base of the mountain seemed to provide, and he had woven along nearly every path that he could find. But when the sun began to set, he realized it was too late for him to head back to Stavanger Bay. He was an outrider-in-training, but he wasn't quite confident enough to traverse unclaimed land in the dark.

So instead, he went up. He followed a trail into the upper reaches of the wooded area, until he emerged out onto the rocky face of the mountain. He began to ascend the slope even as dusk settled around him and stars began to twinkle faintly overhead. The boy felt a little anxious about spending the night alone, although a familiar scent soon flooded his nostrils.

He immediately started tracking Charon, moving carefully across the unfamiliar terrain. It would take a period of adjustment to get used to Moonspear's unpredictable landscape, though exploring in the darkness was especially nerve-wracking. "Charon?" he called out, his voice reverberating back to him as he clambered out onto a ledge. The walkway widened and he spotted his brother, reposed and gazing out over the wilds.

Since Charon had accepted him into the not-yet formed pack, Dash had felt no need to leave the mountain. He had stuck around to explore it, find its nooks and crannies and secrets. And he found something out: That he loved the mountain. There was something about it that made him feel primal and possessive. He guarded this mountain like his life depended on it. And, it kind of did. He knew without a pack, surviving the winter would be next to impossible. And the pack that was soon to be formed wanted this mountain. And, so, he would protect it.

A deep, guttural growl came from from his throat when he spotted the two. But, it was just for experience. He knew these two. Still, he stalked them. He needed practice if he was going to defend this territory, and what better practice would he get than on his pack mates? He made his way to another ledge above the pair, careful not to make any noise.

He crouched down to his stomach, crawling slowly to the ledge. When he was sure they were distracted, he moved to let his head and front paws hang over the edge, looking down at them. They couldn't see it, but his tail was wagging.

never too many threads together ;D thanks for joining guys!

A voice echoed behind him, and Charon turned his head to look in its direction. Flóki's form came round the corner and onto the pathway that lead up to the ledge he had settle on, and Charon's tail wagged a few beats in brief greeting. "Hey Flóks!" Flóki was always a welcome sight, especially since Atreyu and Thistle were still grumpy. Charon'd noted that Atreyu had followed them at a distance, and Thistle was probably still in Stavanger Bay lavishing her last days as Alpha of the Bay. Charon was looking forward to being in his new home always. He was tired of all the travelling, and he had already decided that this was his home. Amekaze liked it too, so the impatient yearling didn't see why they should wait any longer.

"The view is pretty amazing out here," Charon told his brother, not realising that someone was sneaking up on them. "Check it out!" Sure, it was dark, but still beautiful. Charon mentally noted he should return here during the daytime sometimes to see the view. Still, the stars and moon displayed over the Wilds made for a beautiful view. Charon didn't yet notice that someone was right above them, absorbed into the conversation with Flóki and feeling off-guard despite his own possessive feelings over Moonspear.

A few steps closed the gap between Floki and Charon, and the younger of the two flopped down next to his brother. He propped himself up on his elbows, turning his gaze outward. Although it was dark, he could still see for miles; the Teekon Wilds spread out before them like a map.

"I love it here already," he replied, unable to mask the excitement in his voice. The view was just one aspect that he enjoyed. The mountain itself made him feel powerful, a stark difference from how he had felt alongside the ocean. The huge waves had made him realize just how small he was, especially after it claimed Jorunn so effortlessly.

He thought he heard a growl, but he looked around and didn't see anything. He failed to check overhead. "Do you hear that?" he asked with a sidelong glance at Charon.

His black coat and experienced stealth was in his favor. When they didn't notice him right away, his tail began to wag more. The youngster heard him, but didn't know where he was. He wouldn't play this long, not wanting to frighten them. He chuffed, giving away his position.

Once found out, he turned to the left, knowing there was a steep path that led down to their ledge. He took it, sliding a little, but landing on his paws before them. His tail and ears dropped in respect to Charon. "How's it going?" he asked casually.

"Me too," Charon said after he nudged Flóki's shoulder in greeting. He looked out over the great Teekon Wilds in front of him. Having lived all his life in Stavanger Bay, it was almost a little surrealistic to glance upon a land from up above, if not for the fact that Charon had already seen the map played out from a different angle when he had been stuck at the Sunspire. It was ironic to think that his fight with Dante had brought them all this, indirectly.

Flóki asked if Charon heard something, and his ears turned backwards to listen. There was a light brushing sound that then sped up. "Yeah, what's—" A chuff directed Charon's attention upwards, and as he looked up he saw Dash there. There were glimpses of his coat as he started to go down the side to reach them and eventually hit the ground, standing next to them. "Great!" Charon looked back towards the great display of the Teekon Wilds and said: "Just look at this view. Amazing, isn't it?"

The sound of sliding rocks confirmed Floki's suspicions. The boy's hackles raised and he bared his teeth in a grimace as he looked up and over his shoulder, preparing to spring into action. He didn't know what kind of wildlife prowled the mountain at night, but he was willing to fight for his new home.

Luckily, it turned out to be only Dash, one of the newer recruits. The fur along Floki's spine smoothed almost instantly, and his tail gave a gentle wag. He didn't know the dark-coated male well, but since Charon seemed to trust him, Floki had no misgivings. "Hi, Dash," he said, then turned his gaze back out over the sweeping panorama.

His entrance was a surprise, especially to the younger male of the pair. Dash lowered his head when he realized he had gotten his hackles up. He hadn't meant to put them on edge like that. Floki recovered quickly, thought, once he realized it was him. Dash's tail wagged briefly, "Hey, Floki, hey Charon," he greeted them. His attention was diverted to the scenery, which he didn't usually pay much attention to. But, in an effort to be included, he responded, "Yeah." Well, not much of a response, but Dash wasn't used to making small talk.

His mind quickly moving on, he asked the pair, "What are you two up to?" Were they here for good? Was Charon finally moving his pack, and Ame her pack, here? Dash couldn't deny he was beginning to feel a bit of a restless itch.

Charon was eager to get things in motion, eager to move here for good; he didn't want to waste any more time in a place that he was going to move out of anyway. Didn't want to waste any more time being Beta when he could be Alpha. He chuckled when he noticed Flóki had been rattled by Dash' surprise, though made no further mention of it.

"Enjoying the view out here." Charon smiled as he briefly looked over the nighttime Teekon Wilds scenery. "I was thinking of my mom. She's up there with the stars." Charon glanced up at the starry sky. He could barely remember what his mother looked like — except that she had been white — or what her personality was like, but somehow he still thought of her and his other relatives a lot when he watched the night sky. He suddenly thought of Levi, wondering if his brother was still around somewhere. "As a wanderer, have you heard stories about the stars, Dash?" asked Charon, a hopeful edge to his voice. He was always eager to hear more stories to add to his collection.

Floki followed Charon's upward gaze. He hadn't heard him talk much about his biological mother; in fact, Floki often forgot that they weren't related by blood. Charon had been one of the few consistent presences in Floki's life, and he saw him as more than an adopted brother. He was much closer to Charon than he ever had been to any of his other siblings; he had older brothers and sisters that had left Stavanger Bay before he was even born, and Jorunn, Ragna, and Kaylan had all disappeared along the way.

He wanted to ask Charon more about his "real" mom, but sensed a bit of wistfulness in his voice and refrained. He also wasn't sure if the soon-to-be Alpha would want to talk about it in front of Dash. Instead, he queried, "Is Ragnar up there too?" He then shifted his gaze to Dash, curious to hear him answer Charon's question.

Dash sat back on his haunches. It seemed the conversation was not going to move beyond the scenery and the sky. He honestly didn't understand what the big deal was, but his stance on the subject softened a bit when Charon spoke of his mother. Dash knew that could be a sensitive subject.

His soon-to-be leader asked him if he had heard any stories about the stars. Dash couldn't honestly say he did. "Um, no, I didn't really... hang out with many other wolves." Or any at all for that matter. Dash led a very practical life, one centered on staying alive. He had never stopped to think about how nice the scenery was, or if wolves were living in the sky with the stars.

Even the young one, Floki, asked about someone living up there. Dash hadn't a clue on who Ragnar was, and he was feeling a bit out of place, being the only one among the trio that didn't really follow the conversation topic well. Still, he tried to listen.

It didn't even occur to Charon that it might be weird to mention his biological mother to Flóki, since they shared a mother, too. Flóki asked about Ragnar, and Charon looked thoughtfully to the sky. It was unfortunate that Dash didn't know of any good stories regarding the skies. He seemed like such a social wolf that Charon hadn't realised in how much solitude he had lived before joining with Charon and Amekaze at Moonspear.

"Yup," Charon said. He thought of when Dhole said that different wolves believed different things, but Charon liked believing this. It was comforting. "He's probably looking down at us rigt now, being proud." Flóki was growing up, and Charon was finding his own pack; Charon felt that Ragnar only had things to be proud of. "And Jorunn, too. I'll bet he's out there, watching over, thinking of us." Charon had no idea that Jorunn was perhaps actually out there (though a little lower than he thought), very likely not thinking of them. It was a comforting thought to the yearling that his dead relatives were out there watching.

Dash admitted not knowing much about the stars, which Floki couldn't fault him for. He didn't know anything about them either, really -- Charon's mention of his mother and Ragnar's presence in the night sky was the first he had heard of such an idea. But he found that he was comforted by that thought, even if it might not have necessarily been true.

He frowned, though, when Jorunn's name came up. He tried not to think much about his long-lost twin, and when he did, he preferred to consider that Jorunn was alive somewhere. But Charon's words only made him realize that it was a very real possibility that Jorunn had passed away. This made the boy's heart twist, though he reassured himself by thinking that at least Jorunn was with Ragnar. He wasn't alone.

The Xi hummed thoughtfully, but did not say anything further, instead just turning his gaze skyward. His blue eyes reflected the little pinpricks of light.

Dash didn't quite understand the conversation topic, especially since he'd never had anyone he cared about enough to wonder where they went after they died. He thought about his family, sure, but as the pack they were before the family disbanded- not as where they might be now. So, it was difficult for the dark male to empathize with his two pack mates, who had lost loved ones.

Dash was generally a mature wolf, but he had some pent up energy since he wasn't doing his usual traveling every day. He went down to his belly, bored with the conversation, then laid on his side. Tilting his head, it brought his maw close to Floki's front leg and he attempted to mouth it. He hadn't played since he was probably Floki's age- eons ago, it seemed.

A moment of silence fell across them, and while Charon was often one to start talking and not sense any of the necessity for silence, he wasn't this time. He stared out into the open lands, enjoying the scenery and mulling thoughts over in his mind, until he heard a playful sound from his side, where Dash had initiated a moment of play with Flóki.

Charon hesitated a moment, considering going for some rest for whenever he'd need to return to Stavanger Bay so they could start collecting everything there, but then he decided to join in. He had a lot of pent up energy, what with this move going on, anyway. The yearling distanced himself from the edge of the plateau a bit more, moving to Dash and Flóki's other side in a slow gallop, and then he curled down into a play bow. He moved to grab Dash's ear while pawing at him with his good, left paw while a playful growl rumbled in his throat.

The feeling of Dash's mouth on his leg surprised Floki, and he looked to the dark-coated male with confusion. At first, he didn't understand what he was doing. Though he was still a puppy, Floki hadn't played in a long time, other than the occasional wrestling match with Charon. His opportunities for such social development had vanished along with Jorunn, Kaylan, and Ragna.

But when Charon got up and moved around them, positioning himself in a bow, Floki connected the dots. He grinned then, his tail thumping the ground as he jerked his leg away from Dash, simultaneously taking to his feet and reaching around to nip at Dash's tail while Charon went for his ear.

Thankfully, instead of being annoyed at Dash's lack of attention and playful attitude, his packmates joined in on his play. Dash found himself surrounded, with Charon chomping on his ear and pawing his face, and Floki going for his tail. Dash swished his tail back and forth in effort to keep it away from the younger male while focusing his attention on Charon. He growled playfully back, rearing his head back to try and get his ear free. Then, he tried going for Charon's good front leg, and attempted to gnaw on it.

Dash found himself actually having fun. He had never been flanked by two wolves and not feared for his life. It took a lot for him to trust another wolf to this length, and he never could have imagined the peace that came with knowing someone had your back. He may not have trusted his entire pack yet, but he was trying.

Charon found sweet success as he grabbed Dash' ear, while Flóki went round to try and get his tail. A playful growl rumbled in his throat while his head was bounced up and down as Dash shook his head, and eventually the ear was released in favour of not getting dizzy.

Soon his paw was grabbed, and Charon decided to use the same tactic that Dash had moments before: he batted his paw up and down, shaking it around to try and get Dash to let go of it.

It became harder to pin down Dash's tail as it swept back and forth, but Floki kept trying, catlike in his attempts. He finally seized it between his two paws, though he released it again almost immediately. When he looked up, he saw that the tables had turned and Dash now had the upper hand with his mouth closed carefully around Charon's leg.

He didn't even realize that their play was beneficial to his growth and development. Not only was he strengthening his muscles, he was improving his limited fighting skills. This roleplaying was much milder than a real spar would be, but it kept his mind working as he contemplated his next maneuver. He took to his paws and circled around the older males, refraining from "attacking" again but instead watching as they wrestled.

Dash was successful in both getting his ear out of Charon's mouth and grabbing a hold of his paw. Unfortunately, the clever male used the same technique Dash had, and he was forced to let go of the paw. Floki caught his tail for a moment before releasing it, too.

A movement to his side caught his attention, and seeing that Charon was too smart for his maneuvers, Dash went for someone a little less skilled. Abruptly, he flung the front half of his body at Floki, making sure he wouldn't land on him, but tried to grab him with his legs. A playful growl was released from his throat as he enjoyed the moment of safeness with his packmates.

Charon didn't even notice that Flóki took distance from the playfight and merely observed for a while. His own tactic was a success though, and he managed to release his paw from Dash' grasp on it. Dash meanwhile turned to jump at Flóki. Charon observed a moment and, seeing they weren't close to any dangerous ledges, he threw himself back into the game.

It was Dash he went for once more — because where would be the challenge in defeating Flóki with a pair of adults? he looked tall now, but he certainly wasn't fully grown yet — and Charon went for his tail, which he intended to pull once he'd get his teeth wrapped (gently) around it to divert Dash' attention again.

Floki watched for a few seconds, his lips curved in a lopsided smile, but he soon found that the spotlight was turned back on him. Suddenly, Dash shifted his attention from Charon to Floki, and before the younger wolf really knew what was happening, Dash was pouncing towards him. He made an attempt to leap backwards and out of his packmate's grasp, but Dash lived up to his name and was too quick. He looped his forelegs around Floki's neck, successfully pulling the youth down.

The impact was gentle enough that it didn't hurt Floki; instead, he collapsed in a giggling heap. Meanwhile, Charon attempted to distract Dash once more by seizing the dark wolf's tail.

His pounce was successful and his front legs wrapped around Floki's neck. Any worry that he might hurt the youth was quickly dispelled by his laughter, and so Dash attempted to mouth at the youngster's ear and head. However, he quickly felt a pull on his tell, and his head whipped around to find that Charon had a hold of it this tiem. It didn't seem like wagging it would make him release it like Floki had.

Letting go of Floki, Dash turned towards Charon, putting a little more weight into this pounce since he knew his leader could take it. A playful growl was released from his throat as he halfheartedly attempted to pin Charon. Dash was still new the hierarchy of a pack, and he was careful to keep his movements in play so they wouldn't be misconstrued as a show of dominance. In doing so, however, he left himself open to an easy opposing move from Charon.

Charon managed to grab Dash' tail, but as he did Dash turned around and jumped him. Charon was quick to stand on hind legs to make himself tall and catch the jump instead of letting himself get overpowered. However, by doing so Charon unknowingly left himself vulnerable; he easily lost his balance and toppled over when Dash jumped to pin him, a moment that was accompanied by a low, soft growl to indicate Dash he'd better get off as soon as they hit the ground instead of actually pin him. Perhaps the years would wear down Charon's wariness for dominance, but as things were he was very fond of his position and instinctively defensive of it too; even if they were just playing.