Hoshor Plains Some people feel rain, others just get wet.

@Inari

Steady found himself traveling south of the pack lands, making sure to steer clear of the Neverwinter Forest borders. He, Mason, and Krypton had yet to properly introduce themselves to their new neighbors, but Steady knew it needed to be done. He would rather make allies than enemies, and the sooner the better. He would have to get with Krypton soon to see if she had spoken with Mason about it.

It wasn't exactly a day for traveling. The spring rains were steady, though not too heavy. Steady sat back in his haunches, tipping his nose to the sky as the rain pelted his coat, eventually getting through the first layer and weighing it down. He closed his eyes, silently wishing the rain could wash away his pain and heal his heart.

Knowing that soon, he will need to find Blackfeather's Woods to hopefully locate Cicero, he is pulled to the western side of the Sunspire down into the flatlands. He does remember the directions, still, but with it being a road untraveled, he cannot help but be uncertain. Maybe.. it would not be a bad idea to go there early.. He travels delicately with distinct trepidation in his pawsteps forward as he seeks any trace of familiarity, even beneath a steady shower of rain. The silvered loner is not bothered by that, at least and continues on.

Inari's ears cup forward, and a dark silhouette appears in his line of sight. His route was already aligning him with crossing paths and by now, he fears that turning away may only rouse more suspicion in him. So, he approaches slowly with his posture low-slung, but curious of the unfamiliar presence. He chuffs softly and keeps several lengths of distance between them until he knows how the stranger may receive him.

A chuff got Steady's attention, and he opened his eyes, turning his head in the direction that the stranger was coming from. The white-silvery male stopped a respectable distance away, and his body language seemed to convey that he meant no harm. Steady's tail wagged back and forth on the ground, though it could only be determined from the grass that it moved. Hello, I'm Steady, from Silvertip Mountain, he offered in a friendly greeting, expecting the other to introduce himself, as well. The wind was dead, and so Steady couldn't determine if the stranger smelled like a pack or not. 

It wasn't often anymore that Steady met new wolves except on the borders of Silvertip. It was almost a new feeling, seeing as how he didn't have to be automatically on guard, if the other wolf wasn't aggressive, anyways. The large, dark wolf didn't really have much to worry about, given that most took one look at him and thought twice about messing with him. Those who chose to take their chances didn't walk away clean after a fight with him, either. However, if given half the chance, Steady would rather help a wolf than harm them.

His eyes stay on the dark wolf, noting his size and deep darkness of his plush fur most of all although intently avoiding his face. Inari then wants to relax more at the sound of a friendly greeting, but he still proceeds carefully. The mention of a mountain does.. vaguely interest him. It is one of the very few pieces of the original search he still can keep in the back of his mind.

"Inari," he provides in return with a quick gesture towards his chest -- himself, of all things, despite his sometimes detachment from the matter. His posture stays right on the edge of a somewhat submissive neutral but slowly, he may warm up. "Of nowhere right now.." he adds softly because this seems like something he should give as the black male -- Steady, rather -- since had done so readily for him already. "Which mountain is that?" he asks with a subtle inflection of genuine curiosity.

Steady stood and closed some of the distance between them, his tail swaying back and forth in friendliness. Nice to meet you, Inari, ​he replied. The other male confessed he was of no pack at this current time, and Steady took that as an opportunity to question him. Is that by chance or by choice? he asked. 

The stranger asked about his home, and Steady turned his head in the direction of it, gesturing with his nose. That large one there on the horizon. It doesn't look too big from this distance, but it's a good size,  he said.

The dark wolf appears comfortable as he exudes just enough friendliness for this encounter to not make the sterling loner feel overwhelmed. He does not have it in him to quite match the warmth he had, but he swayed his tail gently and bows his muzzle as to if say likewise. A good encounter is useful to him and meeting decent company is not something he should shy from.

Inari, however, does momentarily glance away at his question and his ears shift towards a splay. "A little of both," he decides to answer with a low sigh. Chance landed him here, but his choices keep him on his own because so far, luck has been just kind enough to allow him to survive on his own. He doesn't want to rouse the pack wolf's suspicions in any way, so hopes an in-between answer works well enough for him.

His minty eyes follow Steady's gesture and he peers into that horizon and nods. "I see," he says thoughtfully and finds himself thankful of the prompt, informative response. He will remember it, though, even if it is not quite what he seeks. "I was looking for a mountain pack once, but the name of yours is not seeming familiar," he shakes his head softly and inwardly feels a little somber at the mention of his search in past tense.

The other male confided that it was a mixture of chance and choice that he was in his current associations. Steady was doing his best not to be too nosy, but he couldn't help but see the opportunity of the situation. Are you looking to change your status as a lone wolf? he questioned, his head tilting with his curiosity. He knew it may be none of his business, and the other male was welcome to tell him so, but he had to at least try.

Inari confessed that it wasn't his mountain the male had been looking for.  Do you remember anything about the one you're looking for? Even if he was not looking to join Silvertip Mountain, a positive encounter could still be had. With their pack as small as it was, friends were always beneficial.

He takes a beat to decide how to word what he wants to say. "Not necessarily," is eventually what he decides on, but he knows it does not encompass entirely what he thinks about the matter and this lack of true conviction may bleed onto his tone to the most attentive of ears. He feels.. he is unfit for the role of dutiful pack wolf, not when he has to work hard just to remember his name on a bad day. Inari fears having his weaknesses cost him, or his pack -- his comrades.

Then, on remembering, his expression is decidedly furrowed. "Not much else beside the mountain claim and a black-coated female leading it," he explains quietly in a measured voice because as always, he does not intend to stir up too many other questions. At this point, he doesn't know if he's looking for his mother's mountain or his sister's and by now, on the back-end of all his forgetting, they've admittedly begun to bleed together. The description matches both and he knows he'd be glad to stumble across either of them -- but he feels deep down that he is far closer to one than the other just by the way it feels here. It's this vague hope that has him glancing towards the dark Steady, curious for any hint of recognition in any manner.

Inari didn't seemed to what to change his current status, and Steady supposed he shouldn't push any harder. He didn't want to force the male to join his small pack. If he was easier, and made friends, it would probably leave a better impression. Steady nodded, and let that part of the conversation drop.

Steady looked thoughtful for a moment, then realized he knew next to nothing about any of the packs in the area. He was a home-body at heart, and rarely traveled since joining Silvertip Mountain. Unfortunately, I can't help with that. However, we have a very skilled Scout in our pack that might be able to point you in the right direction, he offered. You're welcome to come back with me, or visit when you're ready, and call for me and Mason, he instructed, wondering if the lone wolf would take him up on it.

Inari has been so far removed from pack relationships that he has, unsurprisingly, largely forgotten about them. When steady mentions a scout, the silver loner is a little surprised by the offer at all. His ears splay and he senses the usefulness of it, but is he ever flaky when decisions like these arise. He's used to needing to be far more suspicious than this. "I will keep that in mind," he says with a gentle nod.

"I.. have something to do just south of here soon before I leave these mountains," Inari gestures lightly to the Spire looming nearby. He wants to keep his bearings and he's afraid that if he goes to Silvertip right now, he may mix himself up -- and things had been going decently for him for once, he's hesitant to change too much yet for fear of upsetting the balance. But it is something he wants to remember because that urge to find that place is still there, just a little buried at times. "My search is not exactly time sensitive, and I know my details are few. I would wish I could offer more in return." he adds and glances away. "Who is Mason?" he also asks, feeling that it may be good to know. One of the scouts, perhaps?

The rain seemed to be letting up, as now it was just a soft drizzle. The ground, soaked with water now, welcomed Steady's paws as they sunk in under his weight. He shifted, only to have them sink in again. Steady nodded to Inari, understanding that the other wolf had plans for just now. He admitted he wished he could offer more in terms of identifying the mountain and pack he's looking for. 

Steady shrugged, and opened his jaws to answer when Inari asked who Mason was. He's the co-Beta of Silvertip, he explained. And the Scout that could help you. He's been all over these territories, and I think he knows quite a few wolves. Steady hoped Mason could, and would, help this stranger. For some reason, Steady thought any allies they could get would be a plus.

Inari nodded softly because the information comes readily after he asks. Co-beta, then.. which admittedly inspired a touch of wariness -- he especially did not want to take up the time of a wolf important to others with his personal errands when he had nothing to give in return. But, something about the offer still standing and knowing that he could.. if he ever wanted to, wasn't half bad. If he could go through with it, it could be a tipping point in the right direction for him.

Inari nodded his head. To know these territories better seemed daunting, and the silvered loner admired the ability of the other wolf to have such a mental map of that status. Or so it sounded like he did through Steady here, anyway. His interest in it remained and a piece of him wished he didn't still feel obligated to head south to the dark woods. "It is good you know someone like him. And he would impart his knowledge with a no-one?" he asked, with a tiny bit of lightness in his voice and tilt of his head. He was curious of the likelihood, though.

Sorry for the short post!

Steady thought for a moment, intrigued that Inari considered himself a no one, in his own words. It was true that he was technically a stranger, but in Steady's eyes, no one was a no one. However, he assumed it might make this encounter too awkward to dispute him outright. Instead, he said, I can't make any promises, but if you let Mason know I sent you his way, he may consider it. Steady certainly couldn't speak for his co-Beta, but he hoped Mason would help him out.

likewise! also it's always weird for me writing after an absence *wriggles*

Inari fanned his ears but dipped his head respectfully at Steady's words. He was not necessarily surprised, fully, but maybe just a bit towards the potential of generosity in others towards a loner like him. Then again, he was far removed from the more social beasts these days. "In either case, I do appreciate it," he said kindly. "Do your travels have further plans than here?" he asked when the subtle shift of subject occurred to him. Eventually he would move south himself, as he had already mentioned, but Steady's intentions out here did remains largely unknown to him -- then again, maybe it was not his business to know.

Welcome back!

Steady nodded, a soft smile on his maw. No problem, he replied easily. The white male then inquired as to Steady's travels. Steady looked around, thinking. The rain had eased up quite a bit, and he did need to find some food for the rest of the pack. I think I might head a little south, see what's down there, he replied. Little did he know, he would find more than he anticipated, though it wouldn't be a meal. 

He turned his gaze back to Inari. What about yourself? he asked casually. He generally may not ask what could be considered a personal question to someone he had just met, but the other male was asked, and if Steady was honest, he was curious as to the other's males habits.

The rain, and the wetness of his fur, had long since fallen out of his focus. He'd just grown used to it while he nodded along to the details he was so graciously given. "South as well, for a bit. I have.. a message to deliver, but after that, I may try to go more westward -- maybe towards the coast more. I honestly have not planned that far in advance, and I do keep feeling pulled back to this range for some reason," the pale loner gestures towards the Sunspire. But, he knew deep down that he could not loiter there for good. He'd have to do something sooner or later, although he would do all he could to ride it out as long as he could. Probably once he felt pressured by the presence of packs and pack wolves, or whenever the hunting forced him onward... he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

Inari confessed he, too, was heading south, and Steady nodded. Well, maybe that reason will reveal itself in time, he said. If the other wolf felt a pull to the region, surely there must be a reason for it. At least Steady thought so. 

He stood. I think I'm going to get going, while the rain had cleared a bit, he said. It was nice meeting you, he added genuinely. He didn't feel the need to remind the male of his offer. He waited to see if Inari said more before continuing his own travels.

He nodded. In time sounded good. It was better than never, and that, he could grasp onto for the time being.

Then, the mountain wolf began to take his leave. Inari understood. "Likewise," he said with a deep nod. "Thank you," he also added while he turned. To him, it almost felt out of place but he was genuine about it; Steady had given him the time of day and it was a strange feeling in his lonely little turn around the sun. He would also keep the wolf's offers in mind, and for that, he had to grateful.

The silver loner heads off, eventually moving back towards the Spire's foothills.