Sleeping Dragon it exists in a finished world, beyond the reach of common sense

Seageda had been around for generations, long before Thuringwethil was called to lead, but it had been on shaky ground for a few years at that point. Her ascension to leadership was unsteady and when their leader passed away and the spirit chose her, she put everything by the wayside to lead. Everything has been laid out for her, generals and second hands, and her army had been strong. Starting Sleeping Dragon from scratch has only been proving to be a little out of her element. The scuffle with the lone straggler days ago proved to be one stepping stone in the way. Those of this land would know her name.

The dark woman doesn't expect Gyda back for a few days at least but she wishes for her safe return, waiting for their lives to begin. The three of them would not be enough to hold their ground on the mountain. She did not have an army to back her up if there's a threat.

A chill runs down her spine as the wind whips by her, sending a fresh dusting of white snow peppering her back. The sun is making its way down and Snacha would likely be looking for her--or at least waiting for her--back at the meeting site. She'd let the young wolf have her space to familiarize herself with her new home knowing they wouldn't be too far from each other. With one stretch of the border she hasn't done, she hits the base of the mountain that borders the valley before she makes her way up to her companion.

@Lucani :)

Lucani was at a loose end. She had been a lone wolf for a few weeks now, and although food was scarce and the cold chilled her bones in the long nights, the only thing that really damaged her was the lack of company. Lucani defined herself by others — she loved their stories, their lives, their impact on the world. She saw herself as somewhat secondary to all that, and although that might sound extremely self-deprecating to some, Lucani was not meek and self-loathing. She simply found others far more fascinating than she found herself.

She hadn't had sight nor sniff of any other wolf for over a week now, and it made the days so long and lonesome. It was Winter and the way was rough, so the absence of wolves didn't surprise her, but boy was it grating. The tall female was left alone in her own head, dwelling endlessly on how her departure from her last pack might have had a negative effect on those who remained. She sighed, and her breath emerged in a smoke-like form. She felt very grey.

The lands she'd been passing through were grey too, but the more she travelled South the more she felt herself enamoured by the surroundings. White mountains rose like Gods and the river she'd been following sparkled with diamond-like frost. As the sun began to set, Lucani neared the base of one of the great mountains, and hesitated in step... she could smell wolf. Perhaps even the first scents of a claimed territory.

Daring not go any further, the towering female came to a complete standstill — and that was when she saw it. A shadow, lanky but impressive, quickly distinguishable as a female wolf with a confident step. Through sheer desire for company, Lucani called out without thinking: "Good evening there."

Heda had gotten a good feel for the areas surrounding Sleeping Dragon. The valley offers a good expanse as their front yard with a river and stream to the back, bordered by a rise and glacier. The geyser offered warm, radiating heat even in winter and she can’t wait to defrost her limbs and warm back up. It would be several nights before Gyda returned and Snacha’s warmth will be all that is offered.  As eager as the young girl is to do her bidding, she keeps herself distanced because their lives are not the same anymore and her rule has weakened.

Thuringwethil turns her head at the sight of another approaching and her own gait slows, steeling her front right leg. The pressure causes her teeth to grind against one another but her expression remains blank as the other comes to a stop and speaks. She dips her head just slightly before she rests with her head high and shoulders put back, disguising whatever weakness her wound presents.

“Hello,” she finally says once she’s evaluated the wolf.  Tall at the shoulder, perhaps even a few inches from her own, but her build has thinned out from the winter.  Thuringwethil’s had as well but she came from a home where her meals were never infrequent. The last few weeks had been hard on her as well but her reserve had been saving grace. “Can I help you?”

Most would find it difficult to turn away from the regal landscape now clearer than ever, but Lucani was already far more interested in the creature that stood before her. The long shadow had advanced, having — thankfully — responded to Lucani's greeting. She was a young thing, this black wolf, but gave off an air of polite dominance, which Lucani accepted unconditionally.

It was clear to her there was pack territory nearby — perhaps very nearby — and the stance of this stranger made her authority clear. Of course, there was also the possibility that this wasn't a pack wolf at all but instead just a rather assertive lone wolf, but to Lucani, who very much admired such things in a young female, was content to submit to this nonetheless.

Her muzzle lowered, her ears flattened, and she assumed a neutrally submissive stance, not quite acting the Omega unless the stranger's response demanded it. "I don't want to be a burden on your time, young friend, but if you have a moment perhaps you could tell me a little about this area. My name's Lucani, I'm from up North", she added.

Her muscles tense and she lifts her paw off the ground, half in preparation for an attack and half to ease the pressure from the weight; however, the wolf offers a submissive posture. A smile pricks at the corners of her mouth but she fights it, listening with cupped ears as the other explains. Another lone wolf and from the same direction she’d come but her scent does not bring familiarity but weeks on the move can erase the scent of ones home easily. It is refreshing from her former encounters that a wolf so easily submits and brings a little comfort to her body. It reminds her of home and the power she had there and what she doesn’t have here. Yet.

“I’m Thuringwethil,” she introduces, biting back her title. The wolf doesn’t recognize her and she doesn’t either so the information of where she’s from remains untold should there be any connection she missed. Seageda is to be buried even if it remains deep in her heart, buried deep upon her decisions. The young woman looks for signs of recognition of her name but continues anyway. “This is my home,” she says, pointing toward the incline of the mountain. “There are a handful of other packs south of here,” she says, recalling what little information Gyda has given her but she’s done little to investigate herself. “Are you searching for a home?”

The sociable lone wolf prided herself on noticing the emotional expressions of others, and she thought for a second that she saw a flicker of a smile on the dark stranger's features. But Lucani wouldn't be so arrogant as to assume she was correct in seeing it. It may well have been a trick of the evening light — or maybe just wishful thinking. After all, she had left all her friends behind. It would be nice to make a new one.

Thuringwethil was a beautiful name, but Lucani didn't recognise it. For a moment it seemed as though she should recognise it, but she was a stranger in these parts. She knew no one from around here.

Lucani could not help but be faintly surprised at the confirmation that this was indeed a pack territory. A part of her wanted to ask if its lack of complete scenting was due to it being brand new, but that would be a tad impatient of her. No doubt all the information she needed would be obvious in the end.

"I am looking for a home, yes", she admitted gently. She wanted to add more, perhaps in the form of a question or further statement, but she kept to the path of patience, knowing Thuringwethil would have answers.

It does not take long for the wolf to answer her question, confirming her suspicion. The wolf could choose to continue south to find their home but Thuringwethil wants to give her a chance to prove herself for Sleeping Dragon. Her condition already proved to be beneficial and with the help of her other followers, it wouldn’t be long before any she takes in to fill back out and be prepared for the harshness of winter upon them. Slowly, she nods her head again in consideration before she chooses her words carefully.

“This is Sleeping Dragon,” she begins. “We are new so if you choose to continue south for something more stable, I will understand.”. She can’t imagine she would settle somewhere as unsteady as the unknown but winter does strange things for them in desperate times. “But my companion and I both come from leadership, so success is within,” she explains. She and Gyda knew what they were doing, even if they were both young. Thuringwethil had led her wolves since she’d been eight months old, elders challenging her decisions for the first few months of her life but she always made the correct choices for the good of her own.

Lucani was too clever to not be at least somewhat sceptical — and it seemed Thuringwethil herself had smarts of the same kind. Both agreed (Thuringwethil verbally and Lucani internally) that putting your lot in with the first pack you encounter, and a brand new one at that, was not a great bet in the middle of Winter. But Lucani was all about mind over matter, and she already saw in her new acquaintance a good deal of potential.

It wasn't yet clear if Thuringwethil had been a leader in the past or simply meant that her parents had been leaders (judging by her youth, Lucani was tempted to guess the latter), but this did give an extra point of stability to this new pack called Sleeping Dragon. As for whether or not she wanted to join, Lucani was not entirely sure. It wasn't that she doubted Thuringwethil's capabilities, it was more that she wanted to be in a pack brimming with life and population.

But perhaps Sleeping Dragon would be exactly that, some day. And perhaps Lucani could help bring that future to harvest.

"Why 'Sleeping Dragon'?" she asked politely, intrigued by the name.

Thuringwethil turns her head away from her company for only a moment to look up the climb of the mountain, considering the question. Without Gyda at her side, she might reconsider the name to reflect her own culture; Seageda had been a rocky terrain that borders the ocean. Snacha’s home, Trigeda, had been a forest to the east, and part of her yearns for a piece of her home to remain but the attention from Seageda she does not wish to attract, at least not yet. Maungeda sits on the tip of her tongue and would break free if Gyda had no connection to their home.

“It is the name of the mountain. I don’t know it’s origin,” she muses, bringing her gaze back to her new companion. Gyda isn’t from her culture but she knows of it, as well as Thuringwethil knows enough of her friend’s culture, that combining them would be relatively easy with customs similar. Gyda had taken on a few of her own already and she knew she would acclimate to the vikings. “There is a small handful dedicated to the claim and with spring around the corner, we will only grow.”

As Thuringwethil tilted her black muzzle to look up at the mountain, Lucani followed suit, and although her head lifted somewhat her stance remained submissive. She was, at this point, committed to the act of showing respect to this young leader.

The mountain itself was magnificent in the deep rays of the sunset, and the moment Thuringwethil stated its name her imagination compromised to find that it suited it. Sleeping Dragon... great and regal, but dangerous all the same. Lucani returned her pale gold eyes to Thuringwethil. She got the impression that this wolf was an ambitious one, and that was not a bad thing. Far from it.

"Your pack sounds like an exciting venture, Thuringwethil. And as keen as I am to learn more about yourself and your designs for it, I imagine it's about time I proved myself to you rather than vice versa. I'd like to join, if you'd have me", she clarified. "What can I do to prove myself an asset?"

The smile that died upon her lips returns, this time evident, preening herself as Lucani compliments and dedicates herself to Sleeping Dragon and Thuringwethil. The wolf should follow Gyda’s inspection as well but the trust they had for one another, she doubts there will be any question. Lucani looks capable and has taken care of herself this far in her travels. She does not wear the same visage as warriors she has trained and trained with but her dedication sounds sincere.

“Good,” she says before jerking her nose for the wolf to follow. Thuringwethil needed to get back so Snacha does not worry much and in the meantime she can learn more about her new subordinate. 

She takes careful, calculated steps to hide the limp but but with close scrutiny it can be seen.  A healer in their mix would be good but Lucani’s trades are still unknown. 

“Your life,” she explains flatly, smile gone from her features. Thuringwethil’s jovial expression disappears and returns to the cool, steely gaze she had before. “Your dedication to this land. I do not expect you to know my culture but I expect you to learn. Gyda is my partner and there is plenty to learn from her and her ways, too.” Wolves listened to her back home, they laid down their life and went to war, more than once.  Go die for me.  “Tell me your skills.”

Lucani had no problem with Thuringwethil's blunt style of command — she was not put off by it, and had never been one to think that negotiations between an Alpha and a lone wolf should be rife with roses. She thought it admirable that one so young should hold herself with such confidence, and believed that her authority was not unfounded.

She was especially intrigued to learn that the pack was being led by not one but two females, and fully intended to say as much. Progression for young females was one of her key interests.

"My life", she repeated obligingly, and rose smoothly to join Thuringwethil in a walk, "is four years so far, all of them spent in a far-northern pack called Weatherside. I was a herbalist there, and content until a new leadership put into force a new, gender-divided lifestyle that disadvantaged females. I objected best I could, but ended up leaving in protest. So you see", she concluded as they walked further from the river, "I'm happy to find a pack founded by two females. It's promising". She offered a rare smile.

"I'm also happy to learn your culture, though I have to admit I obviously can't say at this stage if I'll take well to it, as I don't know what it entails. I suppose we'll have to see — if my skills suit your needs, of course", she added humbly. "My strength is as a botanist", Lucani continued, answering Thuringwethil's query, briefly turning her eyes from the black wolf to glance at passing foliage — "Douglas fir, foxtail lichen, lead lichen..." she identified each in turn, "I know my flora well, and I can also put medicinal qualities of herbs and plants to good use". Lucani had been quite the healer at Weatherside. She hadn't noticed Thuringwethil's faint limp at this point because she was too focussed on her face and words.

"I'm also as good a hunter as the next person, and some have told me I'm quite the mediator. But I should say", she added after a second, "in the interest of full disclosure, I'm a rather poor tracker. I understand a pack just starting out may be in need of a jack of all trades, and I feel I should be honest with you and admit I'm not quite that."

Lucani begins to explain her reasons for travel and she listens, carefully, as she moves. Thuringwethil coming from such a matriarchal society feels disappointment in the home her new subordinate had come from. She sees her wolves as equals, her soldiers were in all different shapes and sizes but in higher leadership, the women were the rulers. The spirit had always chosen a female and had never led her kin astray. Gyda’s home had come from a mix, currently led be her uncle. Thuringwethil left nothing to rule. 

“I think you will adapt well to my ways,” she begins, wincing as she steps on something that sends a wave up her arm. Biting through the pain, she continues: “They may be harsh, but they are fair.”

Thuringwethil takes a deep breath after a few steps, able to even out her stride so the limp is small. Lucani has gone on about her skills and she likes what she hears. It does surprise her, to a small extent, to hear about her tracking skills. She doesn’t dwell on it but keeps it in the back of her mind, stored away for another day. 

“You don’t have to be good at everything,” Thuringwethil explains. Healing and medicines had never come easy for her but she never needed it. Her guards had been specialized in more than just fighting. “A good healer and hunter will do us well.  And we can help you better your other skills.” Sleeping Dragon wouldn’t be a hungry stomach, absorbing and overworking her wolves for their advantage, for her wolves’ growth adds to the pack.

It isn't long before she spies the path she and Snacha had traveled to meet Gyda a few nights ago. She jerks her nose in direction, turning to begin the incline. "You'll meet my second tonight, Snacha. And Gyda will return from her trip in a few days."

The tall wolf had faith that Thuringwethil knew full well about the subjectivity of fairness, and imagined she wouldn't use the word "fair" at all if Sleeping Dragon boasted horrific practices that weren't really fair on anyone. Lucani felt that Thuringwethil would be a strong-willed leader that insisted everyone pull their weight. That sounded fair to her.

The name Snacha was spoken, and Gyda once more — Lucani looked forward to meeting them both. But she was somewhat distracted from any further questions, because she had noticed Thuringwethil's wince. Pain was clearly radiating from her paw. "That sounds perfectly agreeable, but... I wonder if you might have need of my healing skills already, in fact", she proposed gently.

Thuringwethil took in a ragged breath when she comes to a stop, angling her attention toward the female. Snacha had done what she could to help clean it and keep it from getting infected but her knowledge of healing is limited to the battlefield instead of long term, as most of her warriors were, but Lucani’s promise of medicine could easily be put to test. With the sun setting soon, she adjusts her spot to keep the shadows from high on her leg where some of her fur is matted with dried blood and scabbing.

“I was attacked,” she tells her but does not elaborate. Her wounds were few and the wolf wouldn’t show his face anymore. “I have a few deep punctures up my leg,” she explains and noses through the fur to the break in skin into the muscle. Thuringwethil doesn’t bother to explain the fairly superficial ones on her scruff, for those would heal in time. “I just need to make sure infection doesn’t set in. Can you do that?”

The healer's mind was already spinning fast through memories and names of various herbs and plants that would do the trick. So far she'd only had a glance at Thuringwethil's leg — it'd be rather awkward to have a closer peek while they were walking — but apparently she'd been attacked, these wounds likely being teeth marks. That was enough for one particular flower to spring to mind.

The problem was... this was the first time Lucani had ever set paw in the Sleeping Dragon territory or the surrounding lands. She had no way of knowing for sure what remedies she'd be able to get hold of.

"Have you ever seen any coneflowers in the area? They're like large, colourful daisies, and I imagine you'd find a few in some of the woodlands around here, if a bit cold and drooped, growing from taproots. Especially if you've had any warmer days recently. I could bring you one of them to chew and it'd speed up the healing process, even if a bit of infection has already set in."

She gives the older woman and chance to evaluate her leg and figure out what she needs. Two punctures on the outside of her upper arm, as well as two on the inside, plus smaller marks from his teeth but they have already scabbed over. As long as infection didn’t settle into her muscles, everything would heal fine and her limp would cease. Thuringwethil doesn’t want to put more pressure on Lucani so she remains silent until she’s given a question.

“I don’t know. There’s a lot of flowers at the base of the mountain, in the geyser,” she explains. Thuringwethil can alter their walk toward where she’s referring to but her movements have slowed significantly. All she’s done for the majority of the day is walk the border, leaving her leg pulsing. The dark woman remains stoic in an attempt to keep the weakness hidden. “There may be some there. Otherwise it’s just dead grass and snow.” 

You're more than welcome to PP Thuring a little or just have Lucani go to the geyser alone and return, whichever you choose! :)

Thanks Mica! I'm not very good at ending threads btw, lols, so please feel free to do so however/whenever you'd like.

To be fair, Thuringwethil didn't seem the type to notice pretty flowers and remember where they bloomed, so Lucani wasn't altogether surprised that she hadn't taken note of any coneflowers, but the idea of a flood of colour near a geyser was promising. "With your permission, I'll go along and see what I can find. Perhaps meeting you later...?" Her question lingered, as if to politely ask for information about a meeting place.

Despite the cold, despite the wounds, despite the lingering guilt that remained at Lucani's abandonment of Weatherside, there was something very positive about this meeting. A new pack, a new life, perhaps a new friendship. Such was this atmosphere, Lucani felt optimistic that she would find a coneflower (all she needed was one), playing a small part in the story of the successful founding of the Sleeping Dragon pack.

Just writing this tiny wrap up before I'm sucked into surgery all day 8)

Thuringwethil gingerly nods to the request. The geyser is just around the bend that opens up into the mountain so she points her nose in the direction. While Lucani is gone, the young leader hovers where she'd been left and marks a few spots to bide the time. When she returns, she does as instructed for the flowers brought back and then leads her to the meeting ground where Snacha should return for the night.