Lost Creek Hollow been a while since we met

A light snow had begun to fall at some point shortly after his acceptance into Lost Creek Hollow — that was the name of the pack that had taken him in, he reminded himself. Given that Lagon enjoyed thinking of himself as a productive creature (even if it wasn't always necessarily true) he strove to get to work almost as soon as the initial meeting had been concluded. Granted, learning the lay of the claimed land he would call home from this point forward was mostly self gratifying it was something he was going to have to do anyway, at some point. After all, being a “newcomer” only lasted so long and he didn't want to awkwardly have to explain to anyone that he was lost. That would be humiliating eventually. Perhaps it was just sheepish now though generally understood given his few hours of being a member of the Hollow pack. Even so the newly appointed Theta wanted to get his priorities in order and hammered out. Learn the land — in progress. Find a den, et cetera. Maybe grab a bite to eat, and contemplate what he wanted to do as far as trades went. 

He thought caregiver might be cool; specifically puppysitter. He was used to taking care of his “younger” siblings — if a few hours after his birth as the first born child could consider them younger. To Lagon, whom was often put in charge of them by Seoul or Sveinx, a few hours was enough. While Lagon had never actually been around small pups he didn't think it would be any different than keeping his three siblings, all with headstrong personalities vastly different from his own headstrong personality under control would be that hard. It was something to consider, and perhaps bring up with the Alpha pair at some point if he was serious about it.

Perhaps one of the Mercenary specialties would be cool, he considered as he kept up his path, pausing briefly to shake the accumulated snow off of his fur. He wasn't large, nor did he appear to be overly intimidating (he wasn't), and his area of expertise was speed as opposed to brutal attacks; but that didn't mean he couldn't hold his own (or so he liked to believe anyway). In fact, he'd gotten so caught up in contemplating which trades and specialties he could pursue so the Hollow could best make use of his personal skills that he had ceased to pay attention to where he was going, and forgot all about trying to make a mental map of his new home, leaving him to wander what was definitely aimless.

He pushed himself further than he had dared to go previously and for a change, was only met by the faint protest via a hitch in his gait. Whether or not he had hit some ceiling threshold of pain had yet to occur to him, nor would it. There was a little room for doubt in his mind that he would pay for his adventure today and that particular payment would come due tomorrow. For now, he simply took fleeting advantage to openly meander, consumed wholly by restlessness that prompted him forward.

As a more familiar trail opened itself up to him, he found he traveled down it more out of memory than truly seeing. It was a strange thing, Mordecai realized, to be left with the sight of just one eye. He found the absence of depth to be discomforting, but the adjustment came easier than he had wondered. So far, he hadn't had the entire misfortune of misjudging where he was headed, but he also hadn't gone rushing into things either. It was a slow road to go along, but one he could not turn back from much in the same way he found himself continuing on there.

Those thoughts were left to scatter when the appearance of another entered his sight. At first the flash of dark hairs made him wonder if he was about to come across Ilya, but the size was all wrong. This wolf was larger and much in the way that he had been moments ago, evidently lost in thought. He moved along a trial that crossed with his own, and when the timing seemed right Mordecai barked at him. It was as much of a call for his attention as it was to stop him, though the approach that he made came leisurely and wary, but not lacking in authoritative posture. The unfamiliar male was upwind and Mordecai found he could not suss out whether or not he was yet another new face, or someone trying their luck.

Simultaneously the bark broke Lagon's focus upon his thoughts, alerted him to the fact that he wasn't as alone as he'd been moments before, and brought to his attention the fact that he'd been paying zero attention to his surroundings and that he'd gotten himself lost. Startled, he spun to face the source of the bark, pupils blown wide within their pools of mahogany red irises as he studied his companion, recognizing and accepting the dominate posture with one that was accordingly submissive. Smoky black ears slicked back to sheepishly rest at half mast atop his skull as he glimpsed at Mordecai like child caught stealing a treat from the cookie jar. Except, in reality, Lagon hadn't actually been doing anything wrong. Still, he shouldn't have allowed himself to be so flippant ...especially since it was his first day. Which meant any first impressions he made were likely the ones that were going to last.

Sveinx had told him once that first impressions meant everything — whether that was true or not (because until a few hours ago he'd had no cause to mind much about first impressions) Lagon supposed he was about to find out. “I'm sorry,” The dragon blurted out, just in case he was in the older man's way with his lollygagging about; or in case his lollygagging would earn him a reprimand of some sort. He didn't know the wolves of the Hollow well enough yet to be able to form a judgment either way. “I was attempting to learn the lay of the land but I started thinking about possible trades I could go for and basically ended up paying no attention and got a little lost, I guess.” Mordecai hadn't asked for an explanation (yet) but Lagon thought it was best to offer one, regardless. He was new to this “join a pack on your own” thing. He'd been born into Naga Veil Forest and in that respect he'd simply been grandfathered into everything. 

LMFAO I LOVE HIM ALREADY
but on a more serious note it's entirely up to you if you want to decide whether or not he was informed about mordecai at the borders. even though i'm totally the one who accepted you ooc (you literally caught me online right before i clocked in for my first shift today!), it would probably make more sense if he had been accepted by harlyn ic; i opted to be vague here about that. >_>

Where he had hoped to simply gain his attention, Mordecai found himself surprised at the social fumbling that followed it. He closed in almost leisurely, though leisure really had nothing to do with it — that was simply as quick as he was willing to take it — and his ears slicked back towards his skull. He had startled the other and given with the blurting apology and what was left to follow it, Mordecai had an inkling that either Harlyn or Luke had found his one at the borders. Of course within a certain distance, that was fairly negotiable as well; the wayward wolf smelled strongly of the wilds, but also of their borders. The amalgamation of scents was hard to miss.

"Well," Mordecai stated as his ears came forward again, "you're still in our territory. So you aren't entirely lost, not unless you don't belong here." Though his tone was light, the words left plenty to be desired or drawn from. Still, the deference was good even if he wasn't entirely sure whether or not the yearling could place a name to the marred face he was... faced... with. While there was potentially room for better wording, Mordecai idly flicked his tail. "What's your name?"

aw, ty! <3 lol i was trying to be vague about it too but i'll say harlyn accepted him since it makes the most sense. c:

“I belong here,” Lagon responded quietly, softly. Beyond the fact that he would never just wander onto claimed territory unless he had permission or was apart of the pack, he wanted to ensure that he stayed a member of Lost Creek Hollow. It was an assurance and also a promise. Even if his words were empty now he did not plan on them remaining such. “Its probably going to take me a while to learn the territory,” He'd never been the best at memorizing landscapes. Scatha had always been his partner in crime in that respect — she excelled where he failed and vice versa. It was his sister he'd been the closest too and it was his sister that he shamelessly missed the very most. 

“I'm Ancalagon but everyone calls me Lagon 'cuz it's easier to say,” The young adult offered with a sheepish shrug of his shoulders.  He always went by Takehiko but mostly only when he'd been in big trouble — which comically was how he knew he was in trouble with his parents. It was the only time they called him his Japanese name. Honestly, the dragon wasn't very fussed with names: it could be the formal Ancalagon or the informal Lagon...or some other nickname. The preference was up to whomever was addressing him. “I'm going to assume that you're Mordecai, then? The alpha male?” Harlyn had spoken of him and of their beta Luke whom had a blue nose. Mordecai's lack of blue nose allowed for him to make his assumption based upon simple process of elimination.

The dragon spared a brief glimpse at Mordecai's face, fascinated and perhaps also a little grossed out by the lack of an eye, but in the interest of not appearing like he was challenging (because he wasn't), and because he didn't wish to be rude about it his gaze did not linger long.

omg this dreary-ass weather is making me so tired ;~;

Ancalagon, well that was certainly was one of the more unique names he had ever encountered. Of course, he had met his share of wolves that had names far more difficult to pronounce and admittedly, Lagon was a lot easier to wrap his tongue around. Then again, he had at least been named somewhat easily, though some of his siblings had their interesting names as well. Nevertheless, he did not dwell on naming conventions for very long as their conversation made to query.

"I am," he said with a nod. He caught the brief glance but determined little from it; such glimpses were commonplace to him, and perhaps Ancalagon was merely interested in making sure he had the right wolf (though admittedly, he knew it was more than that). "How did you come across the Hollow?" he went on to ask, weight shifting uncomfortably. The stiffness of his injured shoulder he could tolerate for only so long and perhaps to keep it at bay, he gestured that the yearling was welcome to join him. Staying on the move would tire him truly, but it was better than succumbing to limitations in his eyes.

I know the feels. The sun hasn't shown where I live in literally a week; wayyyy too overcast for my personal liking, lol. T-T

The older male confirmed that he was indeed the Mordecai and thus the alpha male of Lost Creek Hollow. Well, unless the Hollow happened to have another male missing an eye it was pretty hard to mistaken Mordecai, especially when he'd been informed ahead of time how to tell him apart from the others — even though Mordecai's posture had done that easily enough. Lagon was respectfully quiet and attentive when Mordecai posed his inquiry: wanting to know how it was Lagon had stumbled upon the Hollow, his smoky black ears cupping forth.

A soft inhale was given and let out. In truth, there was nothing all that spectacular about how he found the Hollow. With the odds of surviving the winter on his own against him, that in and of itself had made finding a pack priority. There were other packs, surely, but it happened to be luck of the draw. Lost Creek Hollow was the first pack he'd came across and he'd decided to learn what he could and ended up staying, liking what Harlyn had to say about the Hollow wolves. “It's not really dramatic or anything. The Hollow was the first pack I'd came across since entering the Wilds and I figured I'd ask about it and liked what Harlyn said and decided to ask if I could join.” And now he was here. It was probably a pretty standard response but it was the truth. Why move on and bother other packs when he felt that the Hollow was a good fit for him (and hopefully vice versa)?

The answer he received was a fairly standard response, not that he had anticipated anything different. Harlyn was admittedly the better recruiter than he, much more willing to take in the uncertain and awkward. He had never put much consideration into why he was not quite as decent, because once upon a time not that long ago he had been. When the Spine had needed wolves to bolster its ranks through the winter, he had sought them out. He had intercepted them. In the present day, he found that he was much more reserved, as though they truly had a right to be as picky as his tastes ran. That could have been chalked up to any number of reasons, none of which crossed his mind. Instead, a smile briefly bloomed at the mention of the lady alpha, and lingered with amusement.

"It's good that you happened upon us then," he opted to say as they moved along. "We used to have close neighbors, but their claims have gone silent now that the season has changed. You would have wandered for quite a while past us." He couldn't quite attest that he knew much about what lied north, though it had been the way he and his companions had made to claim that particular piece of land. He knew vaguely of the woodland claimed much further to their north, but had yet to discover it for himself; it was unlikely he would bother unless it turned absolutely necessary.

Of course, it may have been their lack of neighbors that had turned some of the other predators of the wilderness to them. From the bear that they had harassed away to the cougar that had intercepted him, Mordecai found that any thoughts of traveling too far beyond their claim right then and there did not sound appeasing. Not that he would find himself entertaining the thought any time soon. If anything, the only thought he entertained was the hope that Andalusia would find herself among them again, and in one piece from her travels.

Mordecai made mention that it was good that Lagon had came across them as he had, further offering the explanation that if he had not the dragon would have been wandering for some time before he stumbled upon another pack. Lagon offered a silent nod as they moved forth, the path unfamiliar and unknown to him. In this, he deferred to Mordecai, allowing the alpha male to keep a few steps ahead of him, both out of submission and because out of the two of them he knew where he was going. “I wonder what happened to them, the pack who has gone silent.” It was likely not anything they would ever know, lest they stumbled across someone who happened to have been apart of it. Lagon supposed that at the end of the day it didn't really matter. Their disappearance didn't appear to effect Lost Creek Hollow in any manner, aside from maybe allowing them a larger area of hunting grounds outside their own borders.

Lagon didn't spend too long contemplating it, however, for moments after he'd spoken his errant thoughts aloud he fell silent once more before his lips parted to inquire, “How long has Lost Creek Hollow been around?” He gave a pause before explaining, “I was thinking about going for the Mercenary trade and the Guardian specialty so I was thinking that knowing even the basics of the pack history might be beneficial.” At least when it came to inquiring wolves at their borders. 

Mordecai too wondered what had become of the packs that had more or less surrounded them. The valley to their south had been quiet long before the grove to their north, and the best he could suspect was that they did not like sharing their hunting grounds. Of course there were a number of reasons why either pack could have up and vanished, the biggest of those thoughts simply being the desire to go somewhere more open, much less impacted by competition. Disease could have ran rampant for all he knew, though the thought did not entirely breach through his thoughts. Instead, his focus shifted gears along with Ancalagon's, settling on the short history of their claim.

"Since the end of summer, more or less," he answered, taking into consideration what else the yearling shared. "We wanted to lay claim somewhere of our choosing, and this is what we decided on. Needless to say, we liked it, and others have found their way here like yourself." It was a concise if not vague history, avoiding bits and pieces of his choosing. Mordecai found that his leading tenure here was much the same as the Spine; he cared little about the past and what had brought them all there. In truth, he had gone because Harlyn had wanted it, content to share with her.

Still, a small smile graced his otherwise unappealing features for a moment.

"I'm presuming by you wanting to be a guardian that you have no issues in tending to the borders then," he went on, opting his way out of a historical conversation. "Right now, I'm sure we could use that." It didn't feel fair to him to saddle Harlyn or Luke with the task, though he knew the others helped in their own way. His hopes were that he healed long before the worst of winter set in, so that he would at least be able to resume his rounds and keep them solid. And of course, to be leery of the lands beyond their claim. Between the bear and the cougar, he only suspected things would be rocky to start with. The depth of winter would surely draw any other hardships to a head.