Horizon Ridge just put a pin in it

@Banner

Maybe joining a pack hadn't been the answer to all his problems - and yeah, he knew that most of his problems had been caused by leaving a pack, but really. Really. Hadn't he been having the same problems before all this, too? Prolems, problems, problems. How many times can I use that word without feeling ridiculous?

Once was enough, he decided. It was silly to dwell on such things - look where that'd gotten him.

Grayday stared moodily out over the Barrow Field, not quite in a bad mood yet, but the feeling was creeping. He'd wandered away from his new pack the day before, after deciding that he could use some fresh air and a break from trying to catch a glimpse of Adeline, the resident pup. His short walk had quickly turned into another journey of epic proportions, and a part of him wondered if he would even be returning to the place that had so kindly taken him in.

I have to, you know. Because I made that whole speech about being loyal and true.

He didn't feel very loyal and true. He didn't feel much of anything, except mild annoyance with himself and a little bit hungry. The gray wolf rose and shook off his pelt, telling himself that a nice snack would take the edge off of the day.

She'd spent the day moving toward the coast - not intentionally, but the short female had wandered in a Westerly direction and didn't have any real reason to alter her course.  Exploration could do her good, anyway, and it wasn't like she knew the areas around her home very well.  Banner had kept close to Marauder's Keep in general, but lately there was a definite tension within the pack and she didn't feel entirely comfortable taking grand, sweeping adventures far away.

But then she'd spent some interesting time with Octavia's son and she suddenly felt at ease.  For now.  Until her brother gave any indication otherwise, she'd keep to herself.  Need to know and all that.  The less drama for her, the better.

This ridge looked like it had seen better days.  She observed the area with critical green eyes, noting that the rubble might have been a grand, solid statement at one point.  That, however, had been many moons ago.  She shrugged as she moved along at an even pace.  That was life.  A figure uphead caught her attention and she sent out a low woof in greeting.  He seemed caught up in his thoughts - perhaps doing a bit of brooding? - and Banner didn't want to catch him off guard.  That wasn't ever a good idea.

Before he could think overmuch about which direction to hunt in - and truly, returning to Silvertip had been pacing at the edges of his mind - a soft woof drew his attention from his musings. A stocky shewolf stood a respectful distance from him, kind enough not to try and catch him on unawares.

He gave a friendly flick of his tail in turn, and adopted the classic sphinx position to indicate his willingness to play nice. Grayday was a peaceable wolf, after all, and rarely felt the need to stop and make trouble.

However, he did wonder where this loner was headed - as far as he knew, only Silvertip and a whole lot of nothing was in the direction was she heading, and he couldn't help but wonder if that was her destination - Silvertip, of course; not nothing. A bit curious about whether she knew any of his pack and feeling that it was his duty, as a member of said pack, to vet any passers-by that might mean to harm his ilk, he decided to speak up.

"Where are you headed?" he asked in as friendly a manner as his current mood allowed. Being who he was, it was a rather more friendly greeting than most might expect from a stranger.

Ah, a friendly wolf!  Always a good thing.  Banner nodded her head and approached him, coming to a stop a few feet away.  She positioned her body so she, too, was looking out over the field and sat back smoothly on her haunches.  It struck her just then that pack life had brought about a bit of confidence in social situations.  The Banner of several months ago would not have stopped to be sociable.

"Nowhere, really," she responded.  She gestured back East in the direction of Marauder's Keep.  "Taking a stroll while I'm away from home, I guess."  Though the distance was a bit farthar than a simple stroll.  Er.. right.  Weird choice of words.  Banner grimaced inwardly and added a shrug to her statement.  "Sorry.. Um.."

Well, so much for confidence.  The dark brown female deflated a bit, her posture less straight than it had been just moments before.  It'd clearly take much more time than a couple of months for her to get back into the daily ins and outs of social graces.  That, or a prevailaing awkwardness was destined to be ever present in her life.  She looked to the gray male and offered him a half-smile in apology.  He was much more collected - most wolves were.  Ah, life.

Sensing at once that there was nothing nefarious about this wolf, Grayday allowed himself to deflate. He listened to her words, but watched careful as she gestured back the way she'd come. A home? Day took a deep whiff and discovered the scents on her fur - not a lone wolf after all. Just alone.

"What's over there?" he asked curiously, having never had occasion to go that way before. This was the furthest east he'd ever gone, and really, it was more north of his territoy than anything else. He'd met precious few wolves in his wanderings, and he was a little surprised that another pack seemed to be so close to them. Of course, he did not know of Donnelaith, or of the budding pack that was currently settling at Stavanger Bay - much nearer to his home than Banner's pack. There was much he did not know - including the shewolf's name. "I'm Day, by the way," he added, "Residing at Silvertip Mountain - currently."

It bothered him  that he'd had to add the last word, but his overactive conscience would allow for nothing less.

"Marauder's Keep," she replied, grateful that he'd picked up her conversational slack.  Her pack was incredibly protective of their territory and didn't allow many near, but surely there was no harm in offering up their name.  Her gesture had been in a general direction back East - she wasn't worried about it, in any case.

"I'm Banner.  Nice to meet you, Day."  Her voice was low, as usual, and she nodded her head politely to him.  His comment about residing in his pack "currently" didn't escape her notice, but she felt it wise to not comment.  Banner didn't know if prodding a male she'd just met for information like that was a good idea.  Best not to get too far into that proverbial territory just yet.

Her front paws shifted a bit and he peered at the gray male, her wide eyes reflecting a guarded curiosity.  "I've never been to Silvertip Mountain - what's it like?"  The Marauder hadn't actually been to any pack's territory other than her own - trespassing was a serious offense and common sense beat back any social shortcomings she had on that matter.

A frown touched his lips at her question. What was Silvertip like? No true answer was forthcoming when he asked it of himself, and so he let his shoulders shrug to fill the silence, still thinking. "I haven't been there long," he said after a while, the words leaving a hollow feeling in his stomach. "I guess I've been keeping to myself a bit, too." He decided also to keep to himself the cannibalism he'd heard only vague mentions of. 'Current' pack or not, it would not do to divulge such secrets.

"What's Maurader's Keep like? It sounds... well, more interesting than Silvertip." He stopped himself just short of saying 'scary' - not a very dignified word. "Good hunting over there?" he asked hopefully, wondering if journeying east might be in his future after all.

He seemed indifferent to his home and, in a very small way, Banner could relate.  Those several weeks she'd spent alone during the famine had hardened her and caused her to keep walls up that she wouldn't have dreamed of erecting in her youth.  Life was quite different in a pack she hadn't been born into.  She offered him a small smile to convey that she understood.

A warm chuckle was her immediate answer regarding the Keep.  Truly, the short female held her home in great regard.  It was a sanctuary and, despite whatever discord had uneasily settled among their leadership, she felt safe and welcome.  "Good hunting, yes.  We're well taken care of among the willow trees," she replied, the good-natured tone of her chuckle living on in her words.  "I came at the tail end of the famine, so I'm still fairly new.  It helps to have family in the ranks, though."  The dark brown female shrugged.  She relaxed slightly, letting out a soft and relieved breath.  Maybe she just needed practice with being sociable.

"It's good to have family around," Day agreed at once, lacing his voice with unwitting vehemence. He was alone in this world, until he found himself properly bonding with his pack. Or another pack. Or this wolf beside him.

Anything was worth a try.

"D'you want to go on a hunt?" he asked after a moment, not quite sure he was really asking her. It seemed silly and a little desperate, now, that he was simply befriending anyone who happened to walk by. "If you're not doing anything, I mean," he added, unnecessarily. "I was about to go before I saw you." And company seemed a better choice than food.

Her tail thumped the ground once in appreciation for his statement.  Family was everything to her, especially now that she'd been reunited with her brother and sister.  Well, Cap had pulled a disappearing act, but Banner wasn't a stranger to needing a break every now and then.  She had Stark.  She always had Stark.  He kept her whole and focused in a way no other wolf had been able to manage - she spent every day being grateful to her brother.

Her ears perked at the prospect of a hunt.  The short female realized that she hadn't had anything to eat in probably a day or so.  It just hadn't been on her mind.  She opened her maw to respond but Day continued on with an explanation.  "I'd like that," she added quietly.  "Has anything in particular caught your eye?"  The lady Marauder took that moment to sweep the area with a critical eye, her brows furrowing.  This part of the mountainous region was new to her and she hadn't been paying any special attention to the wildlife on her walk West.  No, nothing was jumping out at her, but any nearby creatures wouldn't be overly enthusiastic at the presence of two hungry wolves.

"I think I passed a fresh trail a little over there," he said to Banner, once he'd gotten over his mild surprise at being taken up on his offer. He trotted back the way he'd come, nose to the ground as he tried to pick up the trail that his damaged eyes could barely discern. "Yep - raccoon," he confirmed upon rediscovery, tail flapping like a silver flag in the air. "It's a shame you can't reason with those little theives - it'd be useful to have a set of those hand-paws around," he mused, casting his eyes around for any sign of the creature before giving up and putting his nose back against the ground.

Still a little uncomfortable speaking about the weakness, Grayday decided to keep his bad eyesight to himself, and instead focus on the scent of the trail.

Banner followed behind her companion, careful to keep a few paces distance between the two.  She didn't want to get all up in Day's business and risk offending him.  The short Marauder spent time mostly around family, so personal space wasn't a social point she'd been practicing lately.

Her ears perked up at the mention of a raccoon.  Hm.  It was much later in the day than she'd realized - the sky was slowly beginning to change color and it looked like dusk would be upon them soon.  Perfect.  If Day had seen a raccoon in the morning, she'd give the hunt a second thought due to those little masked bastards only being truly active at night.  "Perfect,"  she confirmed.  Their hands creeped her out, but as long as the rats were big enough, Banner didn't give it much mind.

Her black nose hovered just above the dirt as she zeroed in on prints.  "This way,"  She veered off to the right, flicking her green gaze to her grayscale company and gesturing him along with her dark tail.  These prints would lead them right to what was hopefully a fat little meal.

There was little to be said after that - and Day was not at all bothered by it. Hunting usually called for silence anyway, and he'd hate to scare away a good meal. Especially since it would proably be Banner doing most of the tracking, at this point. It was too dark to see, and although he had a good nose, it was important to look out for tracks in these situations, too.

Whoops - that way, he thought as Banner dove off in another direction, giving proof to his unsaid thoughts. He promised himself that he'd be helpful when they found the creature, to make up for her picking up the slack, here.

In the end, though, he spotted the creature before his attention had to be directed toward it. To him, it was just a fat filver blob in the moonlight, but the scent it gave off made it clear that it was what they'd been hunting. It hadn't seen them, yet, but that would soon change - and they couldn't let it scramble up any of the trees around here.

With a flicker of his eyes, Day asked his silent question. Plans, or just attack?

The fat little thing hadn't noticed them yet - excellent.  Banner slowed considerably, her pawfalls becoming measured and careful.  The loose rocks around here were a larger hinderance than usual when stealth was required.  Luckily they'd wandered a fair bit away from the main part of the ridge where the rubble thinned out.  Hopefully they'd keep the element of surprise.

The short female met the question in Day's eyes with a nod.  Two wolves against one raccoon?  Attack!  She grinned at her companion, white teeth almost gleaming in the darker light.  One look back at their prey told her all she needed to know - it still looked blissfully unaware of the danger lurking a few feet away.  It was quite stupid for such a small animal to be so ignorant of its surroundings, but she wasn't complaining.

Banner let out a sharp breath and darted off to the side, her maw low to the ground as she moved to tightly circle around the masked creature in an attempt to force its scrambling retreat right into Day's path.

Leaving all the tip-toeing to Banner, Day laid in wait for a moment, ready to spring the second the raccoon noticed that he was not alone. Banner's menacing would keep its attention just long enough for him to close in, and by then it would be too late.

It was over in a quick leap-leap-SNAP, and then Day held the limp, heavy form between his jaws. He gave it a couple firm shakes just to make sure it was dead before digging in and snapping away one of the back legs. He'd come back for more once Banner had gotten her portion, but - having no idea when the shewolf had last eaten - Day was happy to keep his distance, for the moment.

"Nice job," he said when the leg was gone, coughing up a hunk of damp fur. "And thanks for the help - my eye sight isn't too great," he admitted.

His attack was perfectly timed.  Banner watched as he shook the raccoon, snapping its neck cleanly and without preamble.  A low woof of congratulations accompanied her wagging tail.  She was sure to wait her turn before moving in to tear some meat off the masked creature's other hind leg.  She wasn't overly hungry and didn't want to take more than she needed for sustinance - hopefully Day could find someone in his pack to share their bounty with.

"Likewise," she said, running her pink tonuge over her lips to clean up stray blood from her meal.  "Do you have an injury?" she asked, taking a good look at his eyes for the first time since they first met.  They looked a little cloudy, which seemed odd to her.  Banner had no experience in eye-related health, so she didn't know what that meant.

It was funny that he'd never really talked about it, before. By the time it began in earnest, he'd been far from his family, and anyone who might truly know the cause of his ailment. He'd gotten through most of his travels with interacting too closely with anyone, and his pack did not seem interested in knowing the story of his past - perhaps that was for the best. But it wouldn't hurt to talk about it, now.

"I guess so," he said, feeling only mild discomfort at the prolonged eye contact. "There was a fire that swept through my homeland, and we all got out fine - thank the Calf - but I think I hurt my eyes. I would get infections in them on and off when I was little, and by the time that stopped, my vision was just a little fuzzy... and over the years, the fuzziness just gets worse," he explained. "It's not that bad in the daytime, but at night, it's kind of hard to see things much smaller than a raccoon."

It felt nice to tell the story to someone - though he wished now that he'd thrown in something heroic about saving a pup instead of the bare bones basics.

"What about you? Any cool scars?" he asked the female, edging back toward the kill when it didn't look like she'd be taking any more. Another leg would do it, and then he'd leave the rest for her or take it home for little Adeline. Even if he hadn't met her yet.

Banner listened with renewed interest as Day described his eyesight problems.  She had no idea such a thing could happen!  It must have been tough for him to grow up with infections and uncertainty and fuzzy vision.  A frown fixed on her maw, she responded,  "I'm.. I'm sorry to hear that."  It wasn't a smooth sentiment, but she supposed her awkwardness had its own kind of charm.

"You did a great job with this guy," she added with a soft smile, gesturing down to their partially-consumed kill with her maw.  "I had no idea." Banner shrugged along with her truthful statement.

Then he turned the conversation around and asked about her.  Well.. "Ah, no scars.." she began, averting her gaze from the raccoon and back in the direction of her home among the willow trees.  "Just.. anger issues."  She barked out a bitter laugh.  "Self-control, I guess."

He was familiar with other wolves' discomfort at his poor eyesight - such things could very quickly spell out death for an unfortunate wolf. But he'd done well enough on his own, and he had a family now - even if he was off to a rocky start.

"It's really not a problem," he assured her, accepting her compliment with a swish of his tail and a ducked head. For this reason, he almost missed the bitter edge to her words. Almost, but not quite. "Hey," he said quickly, not liking the tone she was taking - there was no need to beat herself up about it! "We all wish we could do the right thing 100% of the time, and for the record, you've been perfectly pleasant to me." It was the truth. He liked Banner - she was good company, easy to talk to. Perhaps that was because this was the longest conversation he'd had since leaving his birth pack, but the sentiment remained the same - he'd be glad to count her among his friends, and he would remember her when they parted.

Banner looked back to her companion, her expression slightly puzzled.  Keeping her distance from others meant that she hadn't heard anyone defend her behavior - the obvious exception being Stark, of course - and it was strange, to say the least.  Day's words were encouraging and incredibly kind.  He hadn't seen any of her rage, though, and she hoped he never would.  Controll was easier these days.

"Thank you," she said sincerely and with a soft smile.  Maybe.. maybe she could be social with other wolves and not have to worry about negative consquences.  Maybe she could branch out.  In time.

She looked back to the Keep with a yawn.  It wasn't too late, but she'd had a long day of exploring.  "I should head back."  she retrned her green gaze to Day with a shrug, the smile still gracing her lips.

Day wagged his tail, glad that his words seemed to have helped. At her mention of home, he glanced back in the directoin of Silvertip. I should get back, too, he thought to himself, tail still swishing as he imagined returning to the warm, safe smells of his pack. Somehow, he didn't feel quite so restless anymore.

"Me too, but hey - if you ever catch my scent, come say hi," he said sincerely. "Thanks for the hunt... and everything else." Let her figure that one out - he wasn't certain, but he thought they'd both gleaned someting from their short time together. He picked up the discarded raccoon carcass and gestured to her - Want this?

"Likewise,"  she replied, her voice light and friendly.  Banner had surprised herself today - maybe personal growth was possible.  Maybe she could branch out and meet other wolves without having to rely on Stark so often.  His plate was full with leadership duties, not to mention his relationship with Octavia and her son.  If the chocolate female could lessen his burden, even if only in this way, she'd work on it.  For him.

Banner shook her head at the offered raccoon, poliely declining the gracious offer.  "Bring it home to your pack - I'll get the next one," she urged happily.  And if he were still hungry, he could finish off the fat little thing himself.  "Have a safe trip home," she said with a smile.  Before turning to leave, she offered a friendly woof to punctuate her goodbyes.  With that, she headed back to Marauder's Keep.

Prize in hand, Grayday turned and headed back toward Silvertip, his tail swishing at the sound of Banner's parting woof.