Sunset Valley her hands know violence but there is a different dream in her heart

This post is extremely vague and crappy, plus I'm tired,
lmfao. The tags are for visibility but you two can join or cameo as you please. @Jhala. This is also set sorta between sunset valley and nova peak.

There had been no time the next morning to find @Magpie and discuss her dreams with her, to even give her the information to consider, because she found @Gluskap ready to go and @Dio soon after. It would take time to get to their destination, especially if the first place they go doesn't have what they are looking for. They move north of he mountain and through Sunset Valley and to the edges of Nova Peak. Gluskap deviates from their path toward the bracken woods. The new onset of green had drawn his attention in hopes of finding something, and in the distance she sees Dio covering his ground. Thuringwethil, however, remains close to the mountain to keep an eye on any approaching grotto wolf that might show their face.

She's certain, with the wind and where she stands, there's another distance that her scent will not carry over and she gives several fleeting looks between where she sees her healer disappear into the tree line and Dio stand still in her view, just in case. Tired and weary, her back legs shift and lowers into a sitting position—a rare occurrence away from the safety and comfort of her home—and continues to watch the horizon before her.

Freedom. 

or at least, as much as she could muster. The Grotto was at her heels as she padded forward. Keksheph can't bother her here, and she doesn't have to worry about failing anyone. Here she is free do as she pleases-- she can hunt whatever, fight whatever, do whatever she wants. However happy she is to be free of Reek's new queen, she worries about the wilderness. She hasn't truly been outside any borders in ages-- it feels strange not to be protecting anything. She pushes the negative thoughts back as far as they can go, trying to enjoy the little bit of fresh air she found.

As she moves, she finds the scents of a handful of wolves-- maybe two or three, she can't really tell. The one nearest to her she soon sees, and her ears flick forward with anticipation. She lowers her head slightly and stares, her tail low but wagging slowly. She means no harm-- wants no fights-- but not everyone is so passive. She does not realize that these are the Dragon wolves that Reek and Tavi mentioned not too long ago-- she'd never been taught their scent, and never ventured toward their pack.

i'll cameo as i feel like it so reference him existing all you'd like

Dio maintains his watch as travel pulls them onward across the landscapes. It's all come about rather quickly, but, he is hopeful on this trip and interested in what it may yield. With greenery beginning to return, it is easier to feel just a little lighter, and not so reminded of the tight tuck of his waist at every waking moment.

Gluskap does what he needs, and Dio does much the same in his own way. Thuringwethil doesn't need him mere feet away at all times, so he's comfortable fanning out when it is appropriate. But, he's never very far -- and when he spies the unknown female closing in on the Heda's location, he drifts back in a little closer with his ears forward and lips drawn into a tense frown.

The winds tip gently in his favor and he can smell, if only for a breath, that her scent vaguely reminds him of the Grotto wolf. Other than that, nothing about her is anything he can recognize and her posture suggests neutrality. So, his stare is stern and body imposing, he settles a handful of lengths away to watch this unfold. He allows her the distance he does for now, but he intends to make it it clear that he'll take it away the second things go south.

When she sees a wolf in the distance, near the grotto, she silently curses herself and the two off in the distance. If they hadn’t had to stop, they could have been long gone by now, and so she turns her head to search for her own two. A low chuff escapes her, a warning to keep an eye out, but Gluskap is out of sight still and Dio is already heading in her direction. He doesn’t close to space between them but it wouldn’t take but a few seconds for the wolf to come bounding up to them.

Her head swings back to watch, the figure growing every few seconds as she approaches. Thuringwethil doesn’t recognize the features that begin to materialize but her posture doesn’t change, even on neutral ground next to the enemy. Slate eyes search behind the woman, looking for signs of others that might follow her even if it doesn’t appear they are close behind. Between the three of them, and enough warning and their distance, she’s sure they can at least get away.

“We are just passing through,” she tells the girl, half statement, half warning.

His spindly body was quick to come and go from his leader's side. The coywolf would dart away in search of something he was certain to need, only to return to the dark woman's side with some form of greenery clasped in his jaws. He would require several trips to carry it all back to the pack, but once he had completed his task, Glu would have a great stock to line his den. His sister would have been proud of the knowledge she had passed to him in their time spent together. While he often wondered where she was, Gluskap was certain she was safe. Kaliska had an alluring presence. He could only imagine others doting after her to eventually find her more sour than anticipated. 

While he had set off towards the foliage - what still remained and some of what was beginning again - in search of birch leaf. While it would be a troublesome task, he knew it would be beneficial to have it around for minor pains in the limbs and trouble in the bowels. The only concern was the great lack of leaves. Nose to the earth, Glu scouted for his leaves. Every so often he would turn his sharp little eyes to his leader and the stranger that had come upon them. In that moment, they were not his concern. So he continued to skirt about beneath the trees. 

She spots another one, just barely, in the corner of her eyes. Her body tenses and she lowers her head again-- but this time the stranger speaks. Jhala hesitates to respond, unsure if the stranger will allow her through or if she will force her back towards where she came-- surely not, if she is just passing through. The young beta dips her head. "Sure," she says, acknowledging the woman's comment. "Me too." It was here that the girl pauses, her head raising slightly. Where is she going? Jhala cannot tell which direction this woman came from, or in which one she was headed. If they were to pass one another, the three wolves would be headed straight for the Grotto. She does know know if she should be cautious, but she takes the safest route.

"I uh-- where are ya headed?" she asks the woman, giving her a small smile and a gentle wag of her tail. Perhaps the stranger didn't want a conversation, but it was best to ask. "I'm partova pack that's just uh--" what direction? she pauses to gain a sense of appropriate direction before she continues, "--south uh-- south-west of here," she finishes, letting out a heavier breath of air. "I wouldn' get too close, if I were you."

Thuringwethil watches the girl fumble a little and early on she realizes the other doesn't know who she is or where she comes from. She wonders to herself if Reek's lack of communication with his members he has been prone to is the reason for her ignorance or if she's new to his ranks, but either way the information lays tucked away. One of his weaknesses, the young leader has come to observe, and one she knows she can use the their advantage. Their own scent is distinct, easily explainable, and they aren't far enough away yet to wash their pelts of soot and sulfur.

"Just through," is all she answers with an indifferent shrug of her shoulder. She leans on nonchalance to avoid anything serious, something aimless that makes it easier to have lack of an answer. Thuringwethil even smiles and eases her posture into something more lax. She swings her head toward Dio and waves him off easily to assure she is in no immediate danger, then back to peering the way the girl came. "What's so bad at your pack?" she decides to ask with a slight tilt of her head.

just having him scuttle around the area for now... i'll probably post off and on

For a moment, the skeletal little coywolf found his ears swiveling to meet the conversation that was taking place between the dark alpha and the stranger they had happened upon. His brows were narrowed over sharp yellow eyes as Glu peered savagely at them, interest ever present on his face. It seemed that the Heda was either attempting a go at small talk, or she was interested in something about the grotto wolf. He decided he would search for his herbs closer to their bodies in hopes of eavesdropping on their bits of conversation. As was typical – or seemed to be – for the cream-hued guardian, Dio had not spoken much at all. He remained a stoic statue, watching over the inky leader with a strange intensity. Gluska could not deny that the wolf was diligent in his task.
 
With a small smirk, the coywolf darted into the rattling branches of the brush at the base of two very large trees. His eyes scoured the floor of the wood in hopes of seeking out the leaf of the birch or lavender – if he found himself lucky enough. It was not altogether likely that he would come across the soothing plant, but if the green was slowly returning to their lands, he would be quick to find it.

The young beta straightens gently as the other shows no obvious signs of agression or hostility. A male appears, but Jhala does not get a good look at him. Instead she cranes her neck slightly as the other female waves him away-- she wonders if this woman is a leader of sorts, curious as to what she leads. 

"Same as everyone else, I guess. But the alphas dislike people to be so close-- ya know," she says, shrugging. She wants to share about Kekshit-- the new alphess of the grotto, but still holds too much respect for Reek to give away too many details about the pack. "You smell like you're part of a pack," she comments, shifting the conversation away from the Grotto. "Could I ask which one?" 

The stranger stays neutral, and Dio remains as his. The conversation trickles onward and while the topic seemed like small talk at first glance, somehow he finds it easy to remain invested. Perhaps a piece of why it feels so easy to stand guard over the inky commander. He decides to consider that at a greater length later on at another time. For now, he's busy listening, watching, waiting.

A hint of his attention flickers to Gluskap only momentarily. Dio continues to see his comings and goings as normal and while he is most comfortable at arm's length of the coywolf, the golden mercenary sees the value in his sort.

Anyway, the exchange between Heda and stranger stays simple and business related. Dio continues his silence. What Thuringwethil wants her to know is all she will get.

The wolf gives her a generic explanation, little she feels she can work with, and her slate eyes soften as well as the rest of her body. Mimicking genuine curiosity would require more than she's used to without sacrificing Dio and Gluskap. She can mask her own intentions, especially one on one, but without prior planning, the more wolves involved can get her in trouble. She doesn't press the matter of it, not directly anyway.

"I suppose I would be the same way," she says with an idle flick of an ear, a foreign smile former on her features as she glances at Dio. A mask of care and love with softened eyes before she turns to the grotto-gal. "I guess it just sounded worse than it is," she says and chuckles, wagging her tail before she shifts so she can better see her companions. Gluskap comes in and out of view from the tree line but he's distracted enough.

She moves on to her own history and she gives an idle shrug, glancing past her to the horizon beyond before settling on the ground.

"The famine wiped us out. Most left for new lands where they could find prey and those that stayed behind are likely to die. We couldn't afford to stay," she explains, and hesitates. Her face contorts a little. Pain, confusion. "I have... more going for me than just myself. It's just the three of us—for now. We hope to find a place not so... barren for our future."

Jhala snorts. "No offense, ma'am, but good luck. I haven't travelled far but from what I've heard, the whole Teekon is just as barren. You'll be goin' for a while," she tells her with a weak smile. "Like I said, my pack is just as bad, but I think being with a group is prob'ly the smartest move-- glad you've got your two packmates." Her tail wags slowly, and her eyes look past the woman to the land beyond. She wonders what pack she might've been a part of-- not that she really knew the names of any packs. 

Her ears perk, and her head tilts. "If you're intersted, I think there's some room in my pack," she offers. She mentions nothing of Kekseph and her strange ways-- but perhaps these people would be equally against the strange religion.

While her entire message hasn't gotten across, enough did to open up the pack-wolf a little. She doesn't tell her anything she doesn't already know but she keeps her features interested, a little, and frowns with the news. She herself doesn't know how far the damage goes, if it reaches a week or more worth of travel to effect her former home, but for now there is no way for her to know. A worry she sets aside for later because her ears sweep forward at the invite for the three of them into the Grotto. The genuine curiosity might give her a leg up in the situation, even if the purpose has a different intention than the innocent wolf before her.

"Well, maybe," she says quietly with a contemplative lift of her brow. Thuringwethil turns her head to look behind her, searching for sight of the others. Still, Dio remains in view and she can see a speck of the other through the barren trees. "We are all good hunters, for when the time is right, but I would like to know a little bit more, if you'll tell me."

Ambiguously, over the dark commander's shoulder, he gleans the information as well. It's nothing that really feels like news. But, from a tactical standpoint, he saw the worth. Everything, everywhere for miles it seemed, was barren. He'd never been more thankful for mere rodents on the Dragon's slopes than he was now.

He caught the dark commander's glance his way with an attentive tilt of his muzzle. The golden mercenary didn't move immediately, but after a few breaths, he strolled up a little closer. He said nothing and now sat there, his ears full-tilt forward. Most of all, Dio was curious to find out how much longer the Heda would keep this exchange going, or if there was something specific within it she sought beyond information about the pack the stranger offered. In whatever the case was, he was keen to play along and stay here until she was done.

Glu had gathered what he needed from the trees and the wood. The trees and brush were still relatively bare from the locusts, but he had managed to gather a few necessities that would help keep his stock full enough for a few, should they need it. After he had managed to collect his things, the coywolf teetered back towards where the Heda and the statuesque Dio remained. His sharp eyes caught sight of the other wolf, still maintaining conversation with their dark leader. Flicking his ears forward, he caught the very tail end of Jhala’s invitation to join their pack. A curling smirk crinkled his features and he sniggered softly, closing the distance that stretched between them until he was standing nearer to Thurin.
 
The woman was just finishing asking the stranger about her pack. Curiously, and without words, the coywolf male drew his long ears forward on his slender crown and tilted his head to the side, anticipating information to fall from the lips of the strange wolf. His eyes darted between the three of them.

Her ears perk up right away, and she nods a little bit. "Sure!" she says brightly, her tail wagging a bit. "I'm from the Grotto-- not too far from here. It's led by our alpha Reek, and his wife-- Kek..." she pauses, "His wife. We believe in some sort of religion, but I don't really believe in that or anythin'. I don't think it's mandatory to join it if you believe in somethin' else," she explains, rambling on a tad bit. In a last ditch effort to impress the woman, she puffs her chest out a little bit with childish pride. "We've got a lotta great hunters and fighters, and I'm actually the packs beta. Reek asked me himself."

It's funny, she thinks, as the girl's demeanor changes once she spins the conversation around. A moment ago she'd been reserved from saying anything but the moment her prospect has become available, she gets the information with ease. What really surprises her, however, is the drastic changes from within the grotto that she nearly breaks character to gawk. What had happened to the pregnant, for this information simply didn't add up.

As much as she wants more information, she bites her tongue for fear of knowing too much already and not wanting to get too far into it without a way back. Thuringwethil slowly shakes her head, and glances back as her companions have pooled once again nearby.

"I'll have to talk to them a little, but it doesn't sound like it's for us," she says with an apologize shrug, before looking back to her two. "Ready?"

Jhala frowns, but shrugs slowly. "Damn, alllright I guess-- suit yourself, or whatever," she says, her gaze shifting between the three wolves. For a moment she hesitates to leave, unsure if she should head back or keep moving forward. Just so she wouldn't be going in the same direction, she decides to move forward-- turn back later. "Be safe, nice meeting you people," she adds, dipping her head. Without another word, she begins to pad past them, once again contemplating life at the Grotto.