Two Rivers Isle i learned the voices died with me

For @Burke and/or @Malice :0

 

There were new scents in Two Rivers Isle: scents that hadn't been there when Arturo had departed from the territory he had grown attached to and had sought to claim for himself and his empire. He scouted for other locations, of course, but this was the place that spoke to the gangster. Apparently, as it would turn out, he was not the only one that it spoke to. His hackles bristled along his spine as he strode through the forest, detecting the scents of adults mixed with those of children. Very young children. He had left the territory only for a week or so ...but it appeared as if this had been enough time for it to catch the attention of another. They had more than he but this did not deter nor frighten the Fearghal monarch; and he was not as alone as he appeared, he reminded himself. He had struck a deal with the sea titan Skellige, after all.

Yet despite the ferocity that burned within the depths of the fiery red-orange gaze of the coywolf, he loosened his tense shoulders with a few rolls as he moved towards the woodland's heart, his fur still damp from crossing the river. He was a business man, after all. This could simply be another transaction and if it couldn't be resolved through negotiation...then, well, the gangster knew how it ended largely depended upon what happened within the next moments (hours?) to come. Yet surely if he could twist his meeting with the sea titan that had been hell bent on eating either the vole he'd caught that day or Arturo himself then he could surely strike a deal here, as well; but Arturo was not arrogant and did not dwell upon any sort of impending victory. Time would tell.

Arturo's steps drew to a cease and when he reached the woodland's heart he tipped his head back and let out a summons to those that would call themselves their small band's leaders.

Burke instantly lifted his head when he heard a howl inside their territory. Though the male know very well it was not theirs yet, they would need to scent mark more of what they saw as the borders. The collected male instantly trotted forward. He had Aerowyn in the back of his mind, he could always call her if there needed to be taken drastic measures.

The docked male moved towards the howl at a brisk pace. His docked tailed up, so used to taking the leadership role it was most of the time up. Perhaps because of its short size he liked to carry the little docked tail up. Burke approached the loner and stopped at a common distance. Burke knew he did not have the power of a full pack but he did not know the motives of this wolf. He kept his muzzle low to protect his neck, if the male might be unstable and wanted to attack him. This male across from him might as well be a new recruit to their pack.

"These lands have been claimed by me and my pack. If you are open for joining then we are able to discuss some things, otherwise I will have to ask you to leave." Asking was a big statement. Burke was planning to remove him if he did no go willingly.

The howl rang out, and Aeronwyn sat bolt upright. She had been in the process of exploring some of the island, and some odd creature in the bottom of a murky puddle had caught her attention. She was considering eating it, but it had an odd look about it and Aeronwyn thought that it was very likely it was poisoned or otherwise unedible. 

But now her paws set into motion, toward the howl, toward the being that had wandered into their lands. For in Aeronwyn's eyes, they had a full claim over these woods already, and tresspassers were not acceptable. No, this would not do...unless, of course, he could be persuaded to join them. 

She arrived at Burke's side silently, like a wraith, and eyed the other with suspicion. She stayed silent, however, waiting for his reply.

The gangster did not appreciate the display of dominance from the male — though it was admittedly lacking with the bizarrely short tail of the one who asserted himself as leader of their small band. Hardly anything of a band in the coywolf's mind but he kept this assessment to himself. As the territory was still free and the fact that Arturo had intended to claim it first kept the gangster from budging from the neutral stance he bore. He did not submit but he did not enforce his own authority, either. They were two men talking business though this had the air of being determined to head sour very quickly. Not all business deals went smoothly and sometimes they sunk to the depths of an wrathful sea...but as nothing had yet to truly start Arturo did not err to the side of pessimism.

The words that feel from the larger male's mouth left the coywolf feeling bemused. This stranger was not the first titan that Arturo had dealt with ...although the Fearghal could not help but amuse himself for a few silent moments by wondering how well he would fare — and the spectre of a woman who hovered on the sidelines — against the sea titan Skellige. Arturo hoped to never have to unleash that beast from it's chains...having no doubt that the massacre that sea titan would leave in his wake would be ...messy, and Arturo didn't like messes. He had the disadvantage of being smaller than the self proclaimed leader but Arturo had not built his empire by being the muscle. He had wolves for that — such as Skellige. He had always prided himself on his assertion of being the brains of operations.

“Well,” Arturo drew thoughtfully, politely. He was a gentleman first and foremost, after all. “Now that complicates things as I have had my eye on this Isle for some time,” Arturo informed the stranger. In some ways, the directness was unwarranted to the gangster who found this both irritating and amusing. Admittedly, the coywolf had let his exploration get the better of him, and while he had met up with his oldest son, he knew he should not have ventured so far from the Isle; but this was more complicated than “you snooze, you lose”. Arturo's world did not work like that...and Arturo didn't lose. He took a losing situation and turned it into an ...investment of sorts. “You have what...three adults and two children? More or less. Very young, from the smell of it.” This Arturo knew well: for he, himself, was a father. “That's not much of a pack, and risky.” He spoke simply with a casual shrug: but no doubt this stranger knew that. “So let us discuss this like gentleman, yeah?” For there was no reason to be anything but cordial. “Tell me about this pack of yours, why you came to be, what you aim to become.” Arturo invited politely, because he was, at the very least, willing to listen.

Burke disliked to hear that this male wanted to claim this territory too, alas, that could only mean that it was a very suitable territory to live in. His face became a bit more stoic when the male inventoried with ease what the numbers of his pack were. The male couldn't smell much on him, but what he could assume from this male being here alone his gathering wasn't big either. Plus he was willing to listen.

Though talking about his past was difficult. They ran from their last pack and they did not want the brotherhood wolves to come out and play their dangerous games with them. Burke had no way to protect his family, yet. He needed the numbers and he was aware of that. Being so far away he hoped they started off small and then would grow out in a stronger pack. Burke nodded towards the male, both could not really use injuries. Burke thought it was not very smart to walk away from a claim, plus this male had not laid his claim heavily enough for him to notice it before.

Burke could start about how he was on the run and wanted dead by a whole pack. Yet, he found that such a thing might not be good information to share with a wolf that wanted this territory too. He might as well run into one and send them their way. "We are very private wolves, and we like our privacy. Another member of our pack found out that the river splits and goes around this peace of land, making it an island. That alone appeals to our nature of keeping others out. There is a direct border around our lands. Fish is abundant and me especially, coming from a fishers background, can be sustained by the river," Burke explained to the male.

"We like to keep our location secret and keep to our own. We fiercely protect every single one in our group, which might be common for all of those packs out there, but I'd like it to mention it anyhow. We also intend to have a council of wolves that are masters of their trades and skills. One that is wise in their trade will be extremely valued for their knowledge and loyalty to the pack.," Burke explained while looking at the other. "As you might have realized by now, is that I am not the youngest of wolves, but I've come with long term experience in leading a pack. That knowledge I intend to pass on to my son and a good Beta, or as we like to call it, the Lord's hand."

Burke cleared his throat a bit. "You are welcome to join and prove your knowledge in certain skills. Become a member of the Small Council." The male had spoken calmly throughout. He needed to shake off the hostility that came with the brotherhood. This pack would be different. He could keep his calm and discuss these things with this male. He briefly looked at Aerowyn wondering what she thought of all this.

For a moment, her hackles rose at the mention of pups. Was he threatening them? If so, why did he have to mention how young the pups were and how risky it was to settle here? But this would not be solved with flying claws and fangs, as Burke demonstarted when he begun to speak. She listened, ears perked, though her silver gaze she kept on the other male that had simply waltzed into their territory. As Burke finished speaking and turned to her, she thought she ought to address the male's earlier words. 

She spoke smoothly and evenly, words flowing from her maw like water. "You speak truly sir, when you claim our pack to be small. But it would be poor form to mistake small size for weakness." The pale wraith was already fiercely protective of the young ones. They were so strong, to have survived such a journey at such a young age, and Vassago, at least was growing quickly. Pyro was on the small side, though she was sure he would have other strengths to offer the pack. Perhaps he would be a diplomat, a thinker, as was his father. "Burke is wise, and a proven leader. I place my trust in him to lead us as he will, and my trust is not placed without validation."

It was sincere, for she had followed them here without complaint, had she not? She had respected and even sometimes admired the desicions and remarks Burke made, and if he thought this one a good addition to the isle she would not disagree.

The self-proclaimed leader spoke of them, that they liked their privacy and explained the Isle's makeup to the Fearghal though this was largely unnecessary. Arturo had, had plenty of time to explore the territory he had intended to claim before he had ventured off on his scouting trip and these wolves had come along. While the mechanics of their pack sounded like they might be well founded they, however, did not suit Arturo in the slightest. His fiery orange-red gaze stayed level as he continued to hold Burke in his unwavering gaze, the gangster's expression unchanging. The truth was a simple thing: Arturo, while at one point had came to the realization that he would need to join a pack to survive the famine, knew that to subjugate himself to a subordinate once more when he once reigned as Ceannasach was far from ideal. Yet, life had begun to breathe anew into the Wilds and he had intended to stake his claim only for his plans to be brought to an abrupt obstacle in his way: namely these wolves who failed to acknowledge that he had once held some sort of weak claim upon this Isle. He was a gang leader. He had done his time as a subordinate and would not humble himself before someone who made no effort to negotiate. It was obvious they planned to go no where, speaking as if their claim was already official, as if they held the only rights to the Isle.

For a moment, though a moment only he considered it. Weighed the pros and cons against one another. Arturo prided himself on his intelligence but it was equal to his resolve. He was not easily persuaded and the offer made to him was feeble in the gangster's mind.

The Ceannasach did not bow to those who stole from him, who did not intend to offer him anything more than any other pack in these Wilds would be willing to give him. His fiery eyes slid to the pallid woman as she spoke up, telling him that he should not be so quick to mistake their size for weakness. Yet, that was exactly what it was in reality. Should they be pitted against a full pack they would struggle to find victory. After she had spoken her piece his gaze flickered back to Burke, fixing him in a piercing stare. “No.” Arturo said simply. He knew what he wanted and to settle for anything less was to relinquish his dignity which he had managed to hold onto through the famine. He had not came this far to slide back down the ladder.

With that simple word spoken he turned and made his departure, crossing the river with ire seething beneath his skin. Arturo was not a man with only a single plan and for now, his first was abandoned for the next.

Arturo's exit

Burke was surprised that the male was quick to respond after his word and Aeronwyn's. The grey male found their story very convincing but it didn't seem like the male agreed with them. Burke watched him leave, looking a bit surprised at Aeronwyn but then shrugged. "Well that was easy," he commented but stayed where he was. He didn't want the male to come back.

In Burke's eyes this had been a negotiation, a friendly talk. Normally he would attack yet, now he hadn't. The truth was that it had been at the suggestion of the male. Burke was pleasantly surprised that maybe brute force was not the most ideal way of dealing with things. The male then marked the spot where the other perviously stood and gave a firm nod. "The land is ours. He can find another territory," he spoke to the pale female next to him.

After Burke made sure the other was not coming back he turned towards Malice her location. They would need to mark the borders more strongly if they wanted to have a good claim. He would tell Malice of this later.

@Aeronwyn you can archive it after your post!

He was certainly unimpressive, was he not? After all their words, their negotiations, all he had to say was no? Still, he was blunt and straight to the point, something that the wraith appreciated. Still, he had trespassed and yet they had offered him a chance into their lives, their pack, and he had refused. But the old Aeronwyn, the one that would have chased him down and fought him just for the spite of it was faded, gone. Now she simply listened to Burke's words as she watched the figure retreat, lost among the trees. 

She nodded, for Burke was right, this was theirs. And she would be damned should she let others disrespect that claim again. "He is foolish, not to accept such an offer." staring after him once more, she turned to Burke and offered him a parting chuff before melting into the trees once more. She would shadow the wolf, make sure he truly did leave their lands, and did not come back.