Shy Deer Steppes It gets into your body

@Savik? :)

He could feel himself getting sick but before he got too far under the weather, Peregrine wanted to hunt. He set out from the foot of the caldera, heading due east onto the barren steppes in search of hoofed mammals to track. The Alpha wouldn't try taking one down by himself unless a rare opportunity arose; he just wanted to scout out any local herds, then collect Elwood and another hunter or two to get a quick hunt underway. The pack would fare better through an outbreak of pandemic illness if they were well-fed, or so he told himself.

So far, he neither saw nor smelled anything. The dark wolf cantered briskly across the sprawling plain, veering slightly north to slip beneath the shadow of the nearby mesa. He stopped to take a drink at a small pool beneath a bent tree, then was suddenly overcome by a series of seemingly unending sneezes.

The last few days had been treacherous, to say the least. To no avail did the presence of his packmates resurrect itself, most of their scents practically gone from existence. As planned, he decided to look for them. It wasn't the best of plans, actually it would have made more sense to stay and wait for contact rather than to wander the Teekon looking for the slightest sign that they were even alive. But he couldn't stand to sit still. There was still the question that he didn't dare to voice aloud. Were they- they couldn't be.. No. That was something he refused to believe. Maybe some had moved on, either way, he needed to know where the heck they were. 

He was a few hours into his journey, having took extra time to scout every hint of scent he could gather. From what he could see, elk or perhaps deer grazed in the area, also suggesting that a pack may reside somewhere near the area as well. With any luck, he could avoid the others entirely. He didn't know of any hostile connection Sawtooth had with the packs nearby, but either way, it was best to avoid contact that would possibly obscure his mission. His nose was pointed to the ground as his eyes scouted for signs of wolf life. Rabbit, coyote, deer, nothing. He was ready to give up when his nose twitched, the scent of another wolf nearby sent his ears perked up. It only took him a second for him to realise that the wolf was not from Sawtooth. Definitely not from Sawtooth. It was a scent he had smelt before, but not so much that he knew the name of the pack. If the male was alone, there was no harm in asking if he by chance seen or smelt one of his packmates around recently. Was there? It was his only lead.

Nearing the scent, he noticed a dark male ahead, one that reeked of power. If there was any Alpha, this was definitely one. Savik himself was quite large for his kind but the male ahead was easily intimidating. Yet, he would not be swayed. Instead, he approached with caution but respect. This was not someone he wanted to pick a fight with. It was then the male sprang into a fit of sneezes, the didn't look healthy at all. The last thing he needed was to get sick but he needed information.
"Hello" He spoke up, formally rigid (as usual) . "You uh, okay there?" He asked, not wanting to stay if something was ailing the male.

Sneeze after explosive sneeze burst from him. After the eleventh or so, they finally ceased and he could catch his breath. But a voice spoke, making Peregrine jump slightly. He growled; it was an automatic response after being caught off guard. He turned his good eye toward a burly black wolf approaching. He stiffened slightly, though he held any aggression at bay until and unless provoked. Going by body language alone, this wolf meant no harm. Perhaps he was just curious about Peregrine's sneezing fit.

"I'm fine," the Alpha answered, unaware of the large glob of snot clotted in his left nostril. It would begin to drip in the next minute or two... except that he sniffed thoughtlessly, sucking it back out of sight. "Are you?" he shot back a bit sarcastically, though there was no malice in his tone or expression.

Savik couldn't help but to internally frown as the male continued with his sneezing fit. It was as if he could see in slow motion the snot flying out of his nostrils, into the air he would breathe. At this rate, he was bound to already be infected by the explosive germs swirling under his nose.

Savik just about gagged at the sight of a giant glob of snot sliding it's way down from the stranger's nose. How did that even fit in there? Honestly, he didn't care to know. Shivering with disgust, he realised the proper thing to do was to point it out. Even if the sight of it made him want to regurgitate everything he had ate the last couple days.
Before he could, the man sniffed again. The glob disappearing back into whatever hell it came from.

He didn't take notice of the sarcasm directed at him, instead he answered with complete honesty. "I am fine, thank you. Have you happened to notice any unfamiliar wolves around? One's that carry a scent similar to mine?" It was worth a shot, regardless of the tone brought back to him.

The stranger ignored the sarcasm and answered straightforwardly. He then posed a question, which earned a quirked brow from the still-sniffling Peregrine. The mention of a scent prompted him to thoughtlessly inhale. Too bad he couldn't smell much of anything; his nose was effectively stuffed now. Wonderful.

"I don't venture away from home very often," Peregrine answered, just sticking to the facts. "So I can't say I have. And I can't really get your scent. Where are you from? And why do you ask?" Despite himself, he was intrigued.

Savik felt his hopes drop as the stranger didn't seem to show any sign of knowing anything about his pack.
"I am from Sawtooth Spire, i've been alone for a few days now with hardly a trace of their scent. It's like they just packed up and left" He sighed with a frown, but without any true emotion, He couldn't feel loss over wolves he didn't truly know, yet he found himself saddened by their loss of presence. If they had truly gone, he wouldn't waste his time wandering about lost, he would simply find his way once again. Maybe even join a new pack, one that guaranteed they wouldn't suddenly ditch him.

"And what about you, where do you come from? I've never smelt your scent before" He asked, as he inhaled the male's foreign scent. If he was to be alone from then on, he may as well ask all there was to ask about the different territories of Teekon. Instantly, he felt a sneeze building up inside him, causing him to give a small sneeze himself. Oh god, I hope not, he prayed silently in his head. The thought of the "blob" passed through his mind as a symptom if he himself was sick.

He felt his nose starting to tickle again and he plugged it in the hopes of staving off another sneezing fit. Meanwhile, the other male was imparting some significant news on him. Well, Peregrine supposed it might matter more to another wolf. The name was vaguely familiar—perhaps Wildfire had mentioned it to him before—but he didn't associate it with anyone he knew. He remained oblivious to the fact that the spire and the spine were one and the same. In any case, it really meant little to him at the end of the day, as did the news of their departure. The less competition in the area, the better.

And they had left behind what looked like a healthy young young wolf. Suddenly Peregrine eyed the nameless wolf with more interest. Perhaps one pack's trash would be another's treasure. Even as the thought crossed his mind, the stranger asked about his home. Then he sneezed. The swarthy Alpha smiled grimly.

"Redhawk Caldera. I'm its Alpha, Peregrine. You seem to be out of a home, right on the cusp of winter. If you have any skills to speak of, maybe you can return with me," he hinted with a flick of his tail. "Sounds like you might have already caught our plague, so you may as well," he quipped darkly, snorting, which caused a snot rocket to fire out of his nose and land precariously close to the other wolf's left foot.

And the Alpha was right. The winter was coming, much too fast for his liking. Frost greeted him every morning underneath his paws and the air became thick with arctic air at night. At the rate he was going, winter would break him without the usual comfort of a pack. He was a wolf of few words on a normal basis but he was never lone wolf material.  

Savik stiffened as the 'Glob' emerged from the Alpha's nostril, only to land centimeters away from his foot. Glancing every so slightly to his foot, he was met with the sight of a yellowish hunk of gooey.. something that he had never hoped to lay eyes on again. It took him milliseconds for him to quickly avert his eyes and slightly shuffle away from the mess. Turning his refocused attention back to the Alpha Peregrine, his demeanor instantly became serious. The question posed of joining the Redhawk Caldera pack was one he had to think about. It was obvious to himself he needed to join a pack soon but from jumping from one pack to the next without any real success still pained his mind. There was always the threat of pack extinction, yet was he ready to join again? It only took him a minute to realise where his future headed. 

"Yes, i'd like that. I'm skilled in hunting and tracking. Both wolf and fauna. I am not hesitant to fight, if needed. Despite recent events, I don't skip out on loyalty" He promised. Loyalty was something he treasured to no end. Sure, a pack would have it's scuffles and betrayal but he would never abandon those he pledged his honour and respect to.

If you're down, I can title you as a member of RHC!

They both stared at the glob for a moment, then the wolf surreptitiously shuffled away from it. Peregrine couldn't help but smirk faintly at that. Despite the friendly fire, he seemed interested in the Alpha's proposition. The smile faded from Peregrine's face as he stared shrewdly at the wolf, sizing him up even as he weighed his words.

"If your pack left you behind, they're the disloyal ones," he opined aloud. What sorts of leaders just disappeared without notifying one of their loyal members? Perhaps there was something wrong with him that they had not wanted him to come along? He appeared healthy and fit. "Hunters and fighters we can use. And I'm not feeling up to the usual interrogation. Come back with me, we'll see if you fit in among us and earn your keep. If you don't, I kick your ass out."

Hopefully this guy could deal with the swarthy wolf's frankness, else he would never make it in the caldera. "You got a name or do I have to come up with one for you?" Peregrine asked, motioning for his (hopefully) newest recruit to follow as he turned to head back to the pack's territory. Before he had even gone five steps, he began to sneeze again.

I'd love that :) Thank you!

He pondered the realisation of the Alpha's words for a moment. He had never seen them as disloyal, but the fact that they had left him without even a word made his heart turn cold against them.He would have never done something like that, no matter who it was. Hoshor, Sawtooth, now this. While he was grateful that the Alpha had even consider taking him in, he would be cautious for a little while until he could be absolutely sure that his fate wouldn't end up like the others had. 

The thought of getting kicked out made a chill go downs his spine as if his body and mind was bracing itself for the blow. Yet he knew that fulfilling his duties would never be a problem, quite the opposite. In his original pack, the only thing he did was over do what was asked of him and do what was not. With a nod, he accepted the Alpha's rule with no fear of disappointment. If he were an Alpha, his would not be so kind on the leechers no matter their problems. A pack worked together, regardless of what you felt.

As the Alpha started off, he followed close behind. Name. It had been changed before, without a thought. Would he be able to change it again? He had never been attached to what his given name was nor the one given to him by another. "I had a name, but it was changed by the pack I joined. I don't know what my name is anymore" He replied, truthfully. With any luck, he would get a new one, a better one.

When the stranger confessed he didn't know his own name, it surprised the sneezes right out of him. Peregrine wiped his nose and gave the other wolf a strange look. But then he began rubbing his hands together mentally. "Well, I'll name you then. I've had a lot of practice," he reassured the male. Sniffling slightly, he took another good look at his new recruit, then lapsed into a thoughtful silence. He liked bird names and he also liked Fox's habit of naming their kids after what they resembled. What bird, if any, did this guy look like...?

"Currawong," he announced. "It's a bird with a white mark," he explained. It was something he had once learned from his mother, March Owl. It had stuck with him because of its likeness to the word wang. "Come along, Currawong. Hey, that has a nice ring to it!" the Alpha said cheerily, right before making a disgusting snorting noise as he sucked back some snot. The remainder of the journey home would be peppered with such repulsive sound effects.

Last post for me! Feel free to post again and/or archive, then make some new threads in RHC and whatnot. Welcome to the pack! :)