Duskfire Glacier And not be so indifferent to the look in your eyes

His search for Tavi had been fruitless, however, Reek's trip away from the grotto was not without merit. His time alone, away from the territory, it proved a necessary distraction from the crippling sense of loss that had burrowed deep into Reek's stomach. It gave him the purpose that he had so unceremoniously lost with Tavi's departure. Somehow, it felt freeing to wander— if not only slightly so.

After not receiving the answer he had wished on the Emberflame Ridge, Reek proceeded northward after waiting around the ridge well into the night. He pressed forward at a steady limp in the direction of the grotto, however, he did not hold the intention of returning to his claim just yet. Pushing into the neighboring glacier, Reek proceeded with his nose pressed to the ground in search of any wolf's scent he could in the hopes he could drag someone back to the grotto with him to alleviate this membership problem.

On the outside, he still looked relatively lived in. He was a being of fly-away hair and scabbed over wounds -- a walking scar with a perpetual frown. A sight for sore-eyes such as he probably wasn't the best to trya and recruit wolves to the fold, but Reek felt it his duty to at least try.

a wild ishtar appears! i hope you don't mind us. c:

Ishtar had not strayed far from the glacier, drawn to the massive tower of sea ice and it's forest. It was free territory and though there were packs close by, close enough that Ishtar could scent them upon the winds the beast was bothering none and would continue to utilize his freedoms. Thus far, he'd seen no reason to veer off in search of any of the other free territories. There was fresh water sources for him within the Glacier's woodland confines and plenty of small game to keep him, at the very least, sated. He was a big brute and it took many small woodland creatures to fill him but for as large and powerful as he was: he was lumbering and stood no chance of catching any “big” prey upon his lonesome. Two would struggle with the task, Ishtar considered. Lest luck was a kind mistress to him and he happened to stumble across a fawn Ishtar settled, only because he had little choice. He could try to take down the sickly or young of a herd but if he was not successful it would be a waste of his energy — something that the beast knew he needed. The life of a wanderer was full of perils and he coveted his strength as much as he could in accordance.

A strange scent carried his way upon the wind and Ishtar's muzzle lifted and drew in the scent, assessing it with a flare of coriaceous nostrils. A pack wolf was within the Glacier's invisible territorial bounds. The pack he scented to the west of the Glacier, not the east he deduced. He gave their borders plenty distance habitually. Though it would have been easy for Ishtar to go his own way he felt the pull of curiosity and found himself prowling in the direction of the stranger's scent. Ethereal mint colored irises found him easily enough: an ugly thing the vain beast deduced, walked with a limp, covered in scars and his fur fly-away as if he hadn't kept after it, Ishtar observed. 

“You look like you've seen better days.” Ishtar spoke his observation out loud to the scraggly man, ears splaying to either side of his skull. Ishtar sniffed the air for a moment, gleaming what he could about the male from scent alone, though the beast left a wide berth between the two of them, a stickler for personal space as he was. 

Not at all! :P

It was not long until Reek caught the scent of another as he pushed through the glacier: the scent was of one who did not hold the cloying smell of other wolves on his pelt. Whomever it was who bared this scent was obviously on his own, which made him a prime target to be recruited into Reek's dwindling pack. Altering his course with a sharp veer left, Reek set out to pursue the wolf that had caught his attention.

They followed each other, it seemed -- meeting face to face at a fair distance, Reek was finally able to get a good look at the stranger. His build was large and imposing. Obviously, he was not starving from life on his own. In the time Reek spent silently observing, the stranger was the first to speak. His voice had a booming quality to it— a commanding, kingly air.

"You don't know the half of it," he replied, rolling his shoulders forward in a shrug. Reek looked rough and he knew it. He wore the lines of stress and the wounds of his failures across his face for all to see. The past month had been a goddamn emotional roller coaster, and all Reek wanted was to get off, but it still seemed to be stuck in a downward spiral. His best days, he felt, were far behind him.

It did not occur to Ishtar that his observation might have come across as blunt or any variation of unwelcome. Yet, the beast had not meant his words as insult. Vain as he was, the wear and tear that the stranger before him wore proved of survived struggle and strife, and Ishtar appreciated those that could survive. He was not without his own scars. The third degree burn scars upon his left hind leg would not so quickly be forgotten. No longer could Ishtar claim that he dwell upon them as he once had but their reminder was a constant one: the brand of the cinders and flame would never fade he'd learned during his time growing from boy to man. Whether the stranger took offense to Ishtar's observation in truth or not the beast was not to know for the stranger spoke in perceived agreement and offered a roll of his shoulders.

For a moment, Ishtar pondered in the silence between them. He considered asking if there was trouble he should be aware of but that would have created the invitation to be personal and Ishtar wasn't very good with personal, at least not to wolves he did not know. It had been easier as Alpha of Spectre Ravine...but he no longer shouldered those duties and thus was not inclined to share, nor did he particularly wish to hear revealing stories that did not pertain or effect him. That moment passed quickly, and Ishtar spoke his next observation, “You carry the scent of the pack west of this Glacier.” A subtle question lay beneath his words: why have you taken to the glacier? While it was true that Duskfire Glacier was a free territory and thus everyone and anyone had a right to haunt it (such as Ishtar himself enjoyed); it was Ishtar's sanctuary of choice for the moment and until he moved on to a different free territory Duskfire Glacier was seen, in his mind, as his for the time being, despite the fault in such thoughts.

It seemed the stranger's observations did not cease with gauging Reek's emotional state, because he was quick to notice the scent of the grotto that lingered on Reek's fur. It was bound to be faint by now after spending a couple days from the territory -- part of Reek was impressed that the stranger was able to notice it so easily. At the same time, Reek also felt a bit of unease. To recognize the scent so easily, the stranger must have traveled near the grotto sometime or other. Then again, the borders were well kept and Reek had yet so see any trespasser make it out of the grotto alive, so he shoved his unease away.

Nodding his head, Reek spoke, "I do." Motioning with his muzzle, Reek pointed west toward the direction of the grotto. "I lead the band of wolves that claims the grotto over there." The corners of Reek's mouth twitched as he remembered his initial intent of this little trip beyond the territory (besides finding Tavi). "Are you looking for a home?" he asked, making note that the stranger before him did not hold the scent of others.