Stavanger Bay Take heed

The group had formed upon the beach without much fanfare from Tetsubo; this was to be expected. He met with the bulk of the pack during the ceremony and lingered in the background, staying attuned to their surroundings should things go awry - and he did the same thing now, pacing across the shore. The beast was heading for the outskirts to begin his first of many patrols, and was characteristically sullen as he made his way. There were many bodies here; Skellige was of utmost importance, but so too were the wolves that followed him. With a grunt Tetsubo worked his way across the sand towards the northeast, where he had yet to really study the terrain.

idk if this was aw or intended for someone else <3 let me know if i messed up by stealing it

Their claim had been solid, and all that was left was to make sure that their blessing went through without any issues; as long as the sea approved of their being in the bay, they would prosper. Skellige had set out to making sure that their borders were secured before he had wanted to call his wolves together for the ritual; they would be weak at this time and if they had suffered an attack, they were not likely to emerge as victors.
 
Trekking across the sands, the inky titan caught sight of a familiar figure; the slate coat of the dredge Tetsubo. Picking up his pace, the leviathan closed the distance between the two of them and drew himself alongside the quiet brute. “Tetsubo,” he breathed the man’s name with a quiet rumble of his voice. “How are you faring?”
 
Though the warrior was a quiet man, Skellige knew that his words would come when requested, and he did not mind the stoic companionship of the wolf.

(All good!)

There was much to learn of this place. The customs were one thing, and they would come in time, and yet it was the land which boggled his mind presently. With the ocean air coating every breath with the thickness of brine, rivaled only by the strength of the massive pine forest, Tetsubo had a difficult time adjusting. When he caught the scent of a wolf among all the chaos, he would have to pause and consider the validity of its presence. Having met only a handful of Skellige's devotees made identification a frustrating manner. How could he conceivably protect the limits of their holdings when he could be so easily manipulated?

But when a fresh and bold scent sought his nose next, he paused. It was impossible for Tetsubo to ignore his lord, and he knew as soon as he caught wind of him that he was present, not some interloper, and it mattered little how heavy the sea seemed within the air. As the grey beast turned his head in regard of his master, his tail twitched once - as he had seen others react with flailing limbs in Skellige's presence, most notably the unstable Doe, so he chose to emulate the response.

His lords question was odd to him though, and led to a momentary stillness, a mental stalemate. Perhaps he inquired towards the state of the warrior's body? It had mended, though not fully, and Tetsubo gave a decidedly terse answer: "I am at your command," which to Tetsubo was akin to saying, 'I could run a marathon,' or, 'point me at the nearest target.'

The stoic figure was just as he had been on the day that Skellige had found him, but this was truly not bothersome to the inky titan. It allowed for the wraith to witness just how consistent his dredge was, and to judge his actions according to this. The warrior spoke with a swift confidence that caused the titan’s lips to twitch in a ghost of a smile. That was something he could readily rely on the dredge for; he was always at a point of willingness to be commanded. The sea wraith allowed his gaze to flicker over to the slate-coated brute and he eyed the man’s physique with a narrow-browed expression on his shadowy features.
 
“How willing are you to do some scouting?” the titan then inquired of the duty-driven brute. A single ear swiveled toward the fire eyed wolf with an inquisitive flip. “I want to know more information on the other packs, but I will not stray too far from the sea,” he then added. There was a bit of a nonchalant shrug of his broad shoulders at the remark, but it was made in full transparency. The last time that Skellige had drifted too far from his designated terrain, it had turned him into a wicked monster… he was not yet ready to rediscover that façade.

His willingness was not an issue. The question hit his ears and Tetsubo nearly chuffed, finding the very words ridiculous, but he held back and remained stoic until there came a time for him to respond. To scount was not a difficult task; he imagined that Skellige granted him this order because of his injuries, and while he was eager to prove himself, he did not think that wandering away from the sands would do much good - he wished for battle, craved the blood of his enemies, but the boy was silent as he digested and would not make such comments aloud.

If it is your command, he murmurs finally, and breathes deeply of the sea, and of Skellige. I will leave at once.

Really, there was not much doubt as to whether or not the slate warrior would take the scouting opportunity. While Skellige knew the thirst for war and for blood, he could not simply draw such things to their borders without a plan to win. If he were to know the other packs, it would give him an advantage. Furthermore, if he could gather others who would do well in his cause, the Blackrock would reign. The swarthy brute knew that he could count on Deirdre if they were in need of a healer. While the pale wolf Aria was a creature that he did not wish to speak to if he could avoid it, Skellige was prepared to carve a path for Deirdre Mayfair to take over what her father had started. He could feel it as strongly as the Warsaw wolves could feel the rising of Ksenia.
 
Once Tetsubo had confirmed his request, the leviathan nodded his head slowly. “Take a few days before you depart,” he urged with a short flick of his tail. And then, his real request fell quietly from his lips in a manner that suggested it was not to be known by all of the sea wolves: “and if you should happen across any children who seem to have lost their way from home… be sure to bring them back to the depths with you.”

Children. So it was a gathering mission. The beast nodded as each new detail was added; he would take some time to rest up, and then depart, and bring back whatever small bundles his master desired. If it pleased him, Tetsubo would return with all the babes in all the wilds, and they would strengthen the depths — one way or another.

As you wish, he crooned softly, and bowed his head, but he did not yet depart. After a moment of silence Tetsubo queried in his monotone voice, Am I dismissed, my lord? He wished to get on with his work, and as Skellige had already postponed his departure, he wished to get to work patrolling. The boy could not leave without the go-ahead from his master, though.

Tetsubo was an obedient creature, as always. He was quick to accept the idea that Skellige would wish to gather children for their pack. There was a method to his madness, though, and the wraith was keen on his plans. If he could instill the idea of Blackrock into the minds of youth, they were more likely to grow into the culture. The wolves that he had gathered were a strong group, but he was fearful that they would soon grow tired of his devotion toward the sea. With children, they would be raised on the idea and they would be the most pure of his followers. He needed them to continue on with his mission - he needed them for his empire. 

Nodding his head sagely at the warrior, Skellige gave him an expression that could have been skewed as grateful. "You're doing well, Tetsubo. You are dismissed," he remarked in a rumbling baritone. He had not realized how pleased he would be with the slate warrior's progression, but the man had turned into a fine member of the pack and was always dutifull. For this, Skellige was pleased. 

Short and sweet!

There was nothing more to be said; he accepted the dismissal with silence, and departed moments later, keen on completing the task.

The brute watched for a moment while the dredge departed. If their mission was a success, they would see youth within their ranks that would allow for a new age of sea wolves. Skellige was eager to turn them - eager to flesh them into warriors and worshipers of the great ones. Confident in the abilities of the obedient warrior, the king of the waters turned away to find his own peace within the swell.