Redhawk Caldera california dreamin'

Lex is going for the Outrider trade and he's also unaware of the recent struggles with those on the borders of packs, so if he's run off I completely understand. :) (excuse the crappy post, I am a tad loopy on main peds pain meds from back pain. xx; but I wanted to get it up to work on his trade) @Elwood:  We talked about a thread if you want this to be it. :)

Since Moonspears’ birth, Lex hasn’t really left the land.  He travels along the borders and will occasionally go into neutral territory to follow a particular scent but nonetheless he didn’t stray too far.  He wants to make sure his home is safe and protected since they were new but after a few weeks he decides to venture out with the intention of information others of their home and getting information about others, if they feel so inclined. 

Life on the mountain had gotten easier, patrolling the borders gave him a good layout of his land and his legs aren’t nearly as tired as they ascend and descend the mountain.  The perseverance paid itself off with strength.

He heads south, aimlessly wandering until he catches wind of strong scent markers and definite borders of another pack, another mountain.  He keeps his distance, safely, and adjusts his posture to show he means no harm should he run into anyone before he’s ready to call.  With his tail low, lazily waving bath and forth, he moves along the border as he builds up his courage for the call.  

Lex lifts his nose and calls for anyone in the area, gentle and nonthreatening, he hopes, and when he finishes he takes several steps back to his distance respectful.

Oh my goodness, I got this tag the other day but then totally forgot about it! I'm so sorry! x_x @Lex

It seemed that there was some kind of illness making its way around Redhawk Caldera -- Elwood couldn't pinpoint who had passed the germs on to him, but he was definitely feeling its effects. His sinuses were congested and his ears felt like they were stopped up, which made the sound of the howl from the borders seem almost muffled. Although he was under the weather, he was still looking for any excuse to keep himself busy and away from the rendezvous site where his family now resided; things still weren't quite right with Finley.

He moved towards the outskirts, though his pace was slower than normal and he stopped frequently to sneeze or cough. By the time he reached his destination, he was short of breath and running low on patience; had the stranger's posture not been so deferential, he would have bared his teeth and sent him on his way. Luckily, the pale-coated wolf appeared to be non-confrontational and showed no signs of aggression, so Elwood sniffled and mustered up something of a smile.

"Can I helb you?" he asked, wincing at the sound of his own voice but maintaining an authoritative stance nonetheless.

No worries!

Lex didn’t mind waiting, but this is new to him.  He didn’t frequent other packs often but his old him, he knew everyone within a wide radius, but here he knew no one.  This one he suspected, based on Wildfire’s direction, Redhawk Caldera. He couldn’t make a bad impression of himself to a packmate’s family, even if they all weren’t in the same region.  He just doesn’t know how long he’s supposed to wait; he can’t make it look like he is stalking anyone.

When a wolf does approach, a little slow at first but Lex doesn’t voice his concern.  He does, however, take a step back when he hears the wheeze each time the other wolf takes in a breath.

“My name is Lex,” he begins, keeping his eyes carefully averted, but he kept interest into the other.  “I come from Moonspear.  The result of Stavanger Bay and the Sunspire.  I wanted to bring that information formally.”  

Oh, boy, did he feel awkward.  He rolls his shoulders, a little uneasy.  

“And I’m new to the area.  It seemed like the best idea to learn the community.”

The other wolf took a step back, although Elwood couldn't be certain if it was to avoid the spread of germs or simply to show respect for the pack's boundaries. His head was much too muddled to think it over, so instead he focused on the stranger's words. Lex, Moonspear, Stavanger Bay, the Sunspire. The mention of Moonspear piqued his attention -- that was where he and Wildfire had rescued Finley. Not only that, but it was where Wildfire had relocated.

"Danks for sharing that information, Lex. By dame is Elwood, I'm the Beta male," he said, pausing to sniffle before continuing. "By niece, Wildfire, is actually one of your packmates," he added. Tilting his head with interest -- and immediately regretting it as he felt pressure in his sinuses -- he pressed for more information. "Can you tell be bore about what happened with Stavanger Bay and the Sunspire?"

Lex blinks a few times when the other wolf speaks and feels the urge to put a little more distance between them.  He hesitates, listening to him—or trying to in an attempt to avoid watching whatever he had—and perks to attention with Wildfire’s name is mentioned.  He recalls her fondly and offers a smile in return.

“I’ve met Wildfire.  She’s got potential,” he tells the wolf but recalls hose tense Wildfire had gotten when he asked about her former home.  

His expression returns to something more neutral as he’s asked for more information about the merge.  Lex considers the question, thinks of what Charon’s advice had been:  heroes, adventures, dragons.  Elwood didn’t want to hear that.

“Their neighbors were small with the onset of the coming winter.  They agreed to merge to ensure survival.  Led together by Amekaze,” he makes an effort to listen the woman first,  “and Charon. It seems promising.”

There’s a pause before he thinks about speaking again, hoping the information he’d delivered is enough to satisfy.  There isn’t many more details Lex would be able to offer. “Is there anything you can tell me about your home?”

The other wolf acknowledged that he knew Wildfire, even giving her a bit of praise. Elwood smiled; though Lex did not offer any further details on the former Redhawk and how she was doing, it at least sounded as though she was showing promise with her new pack. He hadn't had any doubts about her ability to be successful.

He then provided the information that Elwood had requested: the Sunspire and Stavanger Bay had merged due to their small sizes, and were now led jointly by Charon and Amekaze. Neither name struck a chord with Elwood, although he had met a handful of wolves from the Sunspire -- a young male named Summer and one of Peregrine's estranged daughters. He wondered briefly if either of them now called Moonspear home, but a tickle in his throat caused him to cough and the thought disappeared.

"We've lived here for about a year. Our leaders are Peregrine and Fox. They came from Blacktail Deer Plateau before founding Redhawk Caldera," he said. "Is there anything specific you need to know?" He would be happy to provide more information; it was beneficial to know about other packs living in the region.

Lex tucks the information away, wondering how much his own leaders knew of the pack.  Wildfire had her share and if they needed anything, they could ask her.  He only has the introductory information.  It isn’t secrets he expected to fall from Elwood’s mouth, after all.  It helps him though and so far he hasn’t been able to detect any hostility from the other male based on their alliances alone.

“Do you have any significant relations with other packs you can share?” he asks.  A vague question could lead to a vague answer but Lex can’t dig for information that’s not freely his.  “And where is Blacktail Deer Plataeu?”

Perhaps his next destination.

Elwood pursed his lips thoughtfully at Lex's next question. As long as he had known Fox and Peregrine, they had tended to keep to themselves, save for recruiting wolves to join their ranks. There had been tension with Blacktail Deer Plateau off and on throughout the last year, but beyond that, they rarely interacted with other packs. Theirs was an isolated existence, and Elwood couldn't say he didn't appreciate it.

"No, I don't think so. Peregrine and Fox don't really believe in allying with other packs," he replied truthfully. As for the second half of Lex's query, he squinted into the distance. A sneeze broke his concentration before he responded. "Sorry. I haven't been to the plateau byself, but I think it's a ways north of here."

Lex considers the information for a moment.  He hadn’t been much of the type to ally with another, neighboring next to anyone in particular.  Perhaps it had been the downfall.  Or even what caused him to last for as long as he did.  It’s an answer he’s never going to get other than what had already happened.  Elwood’s pack, though, seemed to thrive enough and for a while now, and he supposes it works differently for everyone. 

The large wolf shakes his head when the other apologizes, waving it off to no big deal.  

“Direction enough is good enough for me.”

He shifts his weight back to his rear legs in an attempt to leave, but he’s caught up in a second thought.

“Before I go, is there anything you need me to pass along?” he asks, mostly to make sure.  Surely they had their own wolves suitable to take messages from one place to another.

Elwood nodded, confident that Lex would be able to find his way to Blacktail Deer Plateau if he decided to pay the other pack a visit. As an aspiring outrider, he would need to map out the Teekon Wilds on his own in order to be as effective as possible; although Elwood had no desire to take up the trade himself, both Finley and Wildfire had helped him to become familiar with its requirements.

His ears perked slightly when Lex asked if there was any message that he needed to carry onward. He wasn't acquainted with any of the plateau wolves, but the corners of his lips turned up slightly as he said, "Just tell Wildfire that I said hello, and that we miss her here." His tail gave a gentle wave and he took a single step back, waiting to see if Lex was ready to depart before making any moves of his own.

Thanks for the thread. :)  We will need another sometime that's less "professional" 8).

Elwood offers only one message:  Tell Wildfire I said hello.  Lex nods his understanding and takes a few steps back.  “I will.  Thank you for your time, Elwood.  It has been nice to talk to you.”  His words are sincere and he’s thankful for the peaceful meeting between the two and, even if the pack didn’t ally with anyone, neutral is all he could hope for.  He didn’t want any negativity between his home and another, considering they had a mutual  relation.  

The large wolf lingers but only a moment before he turns and takes his leave.

Yes! :)

"You're welcome," Elwood replied even as Lex turned away. Although he had no reason to be suspicious of the Moonspear wolf's intentions, he remained near the borders until Lex was no more than a speck on the horizon.

Then, with a sniffle, the Beta pivoted and ambled back towards the slope, stopping along the way to sneeze and curse the sickness that held his immune system captive.