Heron Lake Plateau quam amoena

@Charley Pryor

though she could not fell it, eshamun nevertheless tracked an elk stag to a great plateau, if only to look at him. the woman's pregnancy made her restless; her slim frame showed more plainly the swell of her sides than it would upon a larger wolf, and she felt vulnerable because of this truth. but the melekh fashioned herself a confidence made out of the lies she told herself and molech's whispers, for the eight-armed one would let no harm befall her. she carried the seeds of the malkaria, after all.

the woman went down unto the waters and there she drank deeply, wading out into the shallows to cool herself and her great belly, which dragged at her with an uncommon weight and exhausted her more often than not.

After patrolling the full border, Charley found himself bored and antsy. There was little to do now that the pack was actually here, nothing other than the marking of borders and settling in. The King, for one, was more than happy with his life now, despite having half his sight literally ripped from him. Today, he just needed to stretch his paws, and with a howl to @Aspen letting her know he was leaving for a little while, he did just that. Would his Queen join him, he wondered? Sure, that left the Glade in the paws of his Gentry wolves, but what harm was that? 
He headed up onto the plateau today, sniffing around and following the scent of an elk. It was close, and before long he saw it. Flaring his nostrils, he debated calling for his pack, but thought better of it in almost the same second. They had bear meat and nearly full caches, and with Ayla's wounds infected that was very few wolves for the hunt. 
That, and another shape drew his attention. He turned in time to see her before she was in the water: her great swollen sides warned him to be careful, but nonetheless he meandered closer. For some reason, her scent was familiar, but he couldn't place it.

he was a wildly scarred man, this beast who came down the slope to look at her. eshamun was still quite unused to the vulnerability that the gentle roundness of her shape placed upon her. while she was not a commanding figure, she was able to demand fealty from those who followed with a glance, a gesture. she saved these for them, however.

the woman said nothing, however; she stood poised, placid in the water as a doe might be, her eyes trained watchfully on the stranger.  whatever threat he might pose, she was unafraid for the moment, her gaze as open and welcoming as the arms of the malkaria.

Charley approached with caution, and she too watched him like she was unsure. Not afraid, but ready to make her leave should he give her a reason to. The ragged-pelted man dipped his head in a show that he meant no harm, chuffing gently in her direction. A small but ever charming smile spread slightly over his face, but he came no closer than the shore a few yards from where she'd entered. 
                 "I'm Charley, Charley Pryor."
Suddenly, he recognized her scent: it was the group who'd been staying in Sun Mote Copse, just beside the Glade. Was this the leader? The King hadn't seen or heard of the group since moving here, and he assumed they were doing the same thing he and Aspen were: starting over and building their own pack from the ground. Nonetheless, they'd left him and the Court alone, and for that he was willing to be friendly. If this one was pregnant, she was either a leader or her alpha was clearly not overly dominant. 
                              "Are you a part of the group over in the Copse? I'm from Golden Glade, my wife and our followers have been trying to settle there."

he was a leader; that much she gleaned from the movement of his steps, the powerful ripple of musculature beneath his oddly colored coat. his voice was gentle, yet commanding, and eshamun knew it would inspire fealty in those he chose to follow him. she lifted her chin with a small smile as he drew near, and cupped his words within her ears.

"i am," eshamun answered, placing her gaze upon his own. "we are the malkaria, and i am our ekar-aji. my name is eshamun," she added. "i do not know of this place you speak, but it sounds quite beautiful." there were several groups settling in this area, it seemed. 

Eshamun was her name, and though to Charley it was an odd one, he found himself unable to really judge. Aspen really had done a score on him, changed him for the better. Not that he was perfect....
He didn't know the rank of which she spoke, but it was clear through her body language that it was a high throne indeed. The rounded woman didn't know where they were, and while it crossed Charley's mind to not tell her, he found himself pointing backwards at it, below the walls of the plateau.
              "Thats it, down there. We are just across the bog from you, the Royal Fire Court."
Turning his one-eyed gaze back to her with a soft smile, Charley came no closer. No need to make her nervous. Perhaps she would be willing to ally herself with the Glade? The more friends the better, for it meant less to worry about. 
                         "I pray you hold us no ill will."  

royal fire court. eshamun enjoyed the sound of it, and so gave a small smile and nodded at the man. he had but one working eye, and it added to the savagery of his bearing. the woman felt herself touched by molech in that moment -- she would remain here, and see what she might in regards to this pack. "the malkaria defend against threat, but do not attack," she said simply. 

she and her own would hold no ill will toward a pack they did not know. "and what is your way?" the woman asked, holding the man's eyes. were they a group of war?

The woman seemed accepting of a pack so close to her own, and it put Charley's mind at ease for now. They were new, forming: if they both made their claims official then he less enemies an tension the better. So long as they didn't cross into each others land, there would be no problem, if her words were true. Charley smiled, glad they shared at least one way of thinking. They met eyes, both apparently perfectly okay with showing their own ranks in neutral grounds, unphased by the others show. 
              "We are the same: if there is no threat, there's no reason to be one ourselves. Form alliances where we can. "

the canaanite thought upon the other's words, settling herself upon her haunches and watching the man with a warm light to her expression. the ways of the malkaria were widely unwelcome, and so she would not share them here. but an alliance -- it might strengthen them in ways remaining solitary might not. in another sense, she supposed, they could be weakened by it. 

"what do you offer?" she inquired at length, intrigued but careful. 

She was interested, and asked-but in truth there wasn't much the King expected from either one of them. They were new, too, and had very little to give with such small members.
             "Nothing other than space, truly. Act as if each other don't exist. We are new: but I also have many who need to learn. Healing, for one. Perhaps there is knowledge to be traded?"

eshamun hummed beneath her breath, a little sound. "we have healing knowledge. i myself would like to be taught the lands by wolves who have traveled in it." her eyes held that of the man. "i have other secrets as well. perhaps we can negotiate these at a later time." her teeth flashed in a feral grin.

This seemed to please the mother-to-be, and she told him that not only did they have knowledge, but she wanted to learn as well. Alder had to admit, he liked this woman, their eyes locked not aggressively but with confidence. They both had secrets, and her own grin brought own of his own charming smiles to light. 
                      "You know where I am, should you wish to visit our borders. I'll be waiting."
Feeling their meeting coming to a close, the King gave her a respectful nod, never breaking eye contact. He didnt, either, even as he began to back away. Should she not argue, he would turn and stride back towards his home, tail waving in pride above him.

Last post from me- feel free to archive or wrap this up! :)