IC: After heading back into the forest and finding a stream to wash off the bird guano, Macawi finally got to enjoy her egg in peace. As she feasted, she wondered where to head to next. Not being familiar with the territory at all had its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages were that she didn't have to worry about sticking to a path, and that every day brought a new adventure. The disadvantages were that she never knew what or who she might bump into, and that if she wasn't careful, she might get lost.
In the end, she decided to head in the opposite direction than she had gone in before, which looked like it might require a little climbing. When she got away from the heart of the forest, she was able to see the new area more clearly. This new territory looked like it was a little forest and a little mountain. And immediately the stench of wolf filled her nose.
With a grin, Macawi ignored the clear warning to stay away and continued on into dangerous territory. Let the wolves come, she thought to herself. Just let them try to catch Macawi. Then we will see who is faster.
As she walked she saw the tan and grey fur of a coyote standing before her and she immediately snarled and growled "Hey You What are you doing! This is claimed territory. She was pregnant yes, but that in a sense made her even more territorial and slightly vicious. If the coyote would not leave she would merely call for another.
Macawi backed up a few steps, keeping her paws light in case she needed to run. She would love a good chase, but she didn't think this she-wolf would be up to the challenge. She was very obviously pregnant.
Macawi gave a slight bow of the head in mock respect, and then she said in her silky, accented voice, "This one's name is Macawi. She has been roaming the lands tonight. The stars are lovely, are they not?"
Why she was talking to this wolf was beyond her. It was the thrill, probably, that kept her from running. This was the first time she had seen a wolf up-close.
"And what is a pretty creature like you doing out here this late at night, by yourself? And pregnant, too. How does this she-wolf not know that there are night creatures out here that would tear her from limb to limb just for fun? Ehh?" Her voice took on a teasing tone, for she was feeling bold.
And here she stood, waiting for the wolf's response, and grinning from ear to ear like a true coyote.
Thistle stepped closer a snarl working it's way up "Macawi though the stars maybe lovely tonight you need to be on the other side of this border line before I make you be on the other side. She bared her teeth, the coyote needed to get on the other side away from the claimed territory, she needed to go. Thistle was getting angry quickly.
Thistle's eyes narrowed even more and she spoke quietly "let them try I am in no mood. Again you need to step back across the border Macawi now! The last part was a sharp retort and she began to step closer to the female coyote ready and willing to fly into her if it was needed though she really did not wish too ,but these were her lands and she was pregnant which made her even more territorial than she usually was.
Macawi was now not sure what she was doing. Before now she had never tried make friends with a wolf, or with anyone outside of her family, really. But after meeting this she-wolf and seeing that she was pregnant, Macawi suddenly felt lonely, and wondered if she would ever have a mate of her own. This is wishful thinking, she thought. Macawi should just be happy with what she has.
Thistle blinked her azure eyes at the coyote wolf and motioned with her head. "You get across the border there Macawi and I will gladly speak with you, but you must respect our borders and our lands. Once the other got across the border she would speak to her easily and without malicious intent she would even tell her her name.
The coyote tilted her head to see the she-wolf better. "What does this one think of such things? Macawi may be smaller than you, Wolf Sister, but she is just as cunning and brave, and probably a lot quicker. Being light on her feet is what has kept Macawi alive, you see. Perhaps Coyote can hunt for the pack, yes? She can catch rabbits and squirrels and mice no problem. And she can teach wolves what berries are good in the Springtime. Macawi does not understand why wolves only eat meat. Better to have a bigger diet. Better for Winter, when meat is scarce."
Thistle listened to her as she spoke and she nodded those things would be good for the pack, but Thistle had no way of allowing her to come in to the pack. She could not accept her, truthfully only Pump could do that. "those things are useful yes and I myself know what berries are edible and what herbs to use when healing. Thistle shifted her weight to study the one in front of her more closely. She looked mostly Coyote though she was larger than the ones that Thistle had seen from afar.
"Now, what is this about getting the pack leader?" The coyote paused, feeling suddenly unsure. Unsafe. Her whole life she had known wolves as enemies, and yet secretly wanted to join them. Now here was her opportunity, staring her in the face, and she didn't know if she had the courage to take it.
Hesitantly, she said, "Macawi is not sure. She has not been part of a pack since she was a pup. And never has she been part of a wolf pack. The idea scares her, and yet excites her. She does not know what to say to such an offer."
Ragnar was never far behind keeping a close eye on both Thistle and the borders as his wife took to patrolling them. He did not, for the sake of not wanting her to feel like he was being posessive or extremely overprotective of her, stray too near her keeping her out of his sights so that he, too, was out of sight to her. Though it made him nervous to have her so close to the borders, pregnant as she was - not to mention that while he affectionately reffered to her as Shieldmaiden she was not a warrior - but the Viking did not want to keep her from doing something she wanted to do. It was as he walked that the stench of something canine but clearly not wolf or fox - a telltale coyote - assaulted his leathery, black nostrils causing the Viking’s lip to curl back over his teeth at the rank stench. He had met a coyote that admittedly Ragnar had killed for stealing from the Cove’s caches, and it left an unpleasant memory in the savage’s memory. Platnium silver hackles bristled as he made a wide arc then, intending to come up behind Thistle and the coyote rather than barge right in, despite that every nerve in his body was screaming at him to propell forward and plant himself between his wife and the threat.
No, she was not his damsel in distress. She was his wife, his Shieldmaiden and Ragnar knew despite his overprotective instincts that were beating against his body like a demon attempting to get out, that he had to let her handle it.
Stealth despite his size was something that Ragnar was rather adapt at and so the feral man sunk to the ground admist a thick, darkened fortress of bushes that had convened there, fixing both of them in his icy oceanic stare. Weight shifted in anticipation, each muscle tensed and coiled back, ready to release at any given moment should Thistle be in need of him. Eventually, Ragnar could not stand it any longer, though he approved of how Thistle had handled the situation so far, and stood, shrugging through the brush tail raised above his back in clear sign of dominance as he slid to his fawn colored wife’s side, despite that Thistle was technically his superior. He attempted to take immediate charge as the Warden, though if she willed him too, he would back down. The strength of the stench gave indication that the coyote had slipped into their lands and the Viking’s gaze hardened.
Thistle shrugged "it is entirely up to you and you can come back another day and ask for her yourself if you wish her name is Pump. Again though I must tell you I do not know what she would say or do so be warned."
As she finished that thought she felt a change in the air and her mate's scent assailed her nostrils and she turned looking for him, knowing he had not been far, but appreciating that he had followed at a distance. She was not patrolling though, rather just walking and had met an intruder. It was uncomfortable for her to sleep at night now with her well-rounded sides lately.
Thistle looked at Ragnar and listened to his words, she was more than willing to let him take over as he was more the Warden than she, though she thought she had handled it well. However she did correct one thing for him "She is part wolf. She did not repeat his name in case he did not want the coyote wolf to know. "I told her that it was not up to me about the pack she would have to speak to Pump. Her grandfather was full blooded wolf. With that she fell silent and waited for the two to clear the air.
Here, she lifted her head back and gave a full laugh. When she looked back at the two wolves, she said, "Macawi thanks these two for giving her so much entertainment tonight. And here she was thinking she would be bored. Now she knows where to go when things get dull."
She bowed her head at the both of them. "Macawi can see that she is not welcome. She will leave now and come back at another time. Perhaps she will bring food for the pregnant one. Somehow, Macawi will convince these wolves that she is friendly. They will see. They will see that she has a bit of Wolf in her. And in time, perhaps they will accept Macawi."
Ragnar glimpsed down at Thistle when she spoke up, correcting him that the she coy before him was part wolf by some grandfather or other. He had heard of coy wolves, heard that in most packs would take them but they were usually outcasted. He had never met a coy wolf so was not able to make much of an assessment to their character. Was that enough wolf to get her into the pack, though? If it were up to Ragnar…well, he wasn’t sure what he’d do though as it was it was not up to him. Her words served to irritate the Viking that showed his anger in the way he had taught himself as a small child. To hide it with a smirk, a grin - the exact opposite of what one expected to see. Ragnar’s anger was ever rarely so easily apparent, unless one, like Thistle, knew him well enough to notice such things. Though the she coy proceeded to tell him how she had saw him and how he had been loud, he accepted her words as lies. A lucky guess because he had been far enough back, hunkered down among the thickly packed leaves and shadows that he could just barely make out a few words, no where near enough for her to see and certiantly, Ragnar added to his thoughts, he was not loud enough for her to hear. As a Berserker who led raids with discression and stealth he was well versed as being quiet, having always been the quietest of his ilk and kin.
Instead of responding to her sneering comment of him needing practice - a fact that he highly doubted - the Viking instead ignored her figuring there was no point in stooping down to throw back petty comments. He had had enough of petty jibes from their newest recruit and likely, if she wished to call him angry, he would show her the truth of his fury. Ugly, ruthless and feral as it was. lap dog puppet and he had to do as his hybrid leader commanded him to do.
thistle dipped her head in a goodbye gesture to Macawi only saying thankyou Macawi and yes you should probably go and remember u must follow border laws if u wish to not be considered a nuisance or dead" she did offer up a small smile in truth the coyote wolf amused her somewhat though she thought her a bit fool hardy
Thistle was not sure how or even if the coyote wolf had heard Ragnar she herself hadn't but she also hadn't been listening for she knew he'd be there. He was never far behind as she explored in her condition a fact she was very appreciative of gave her a sense of security. Even thistle did not boast that she knew him well enough to read his moods 100% as the she coy in front spoke of his anger.
thistle heard the underlying threat in her mates words and she knew if it was needed or warranted he would rip the other apart and she had warned Macawi once of passing the borders now it was out of her paws if it was done again.Thistle was curious as the next words rolled off his tongue. it was rather tamer than usual and she wondered at it if it has something to do with the fact that he wanted the beta rank.
Here, she turned to face Thistle. "Macawi will hunt small game for you, pregnant one, and leave it buried near the border. Follow her scent and you will find it. Macawi wishes you a healthy litter. She also wishes you a more polite mate in the future."
With a last raise of an eyebrow at the male, the coy wolf slipped away into the shadows of the night, with every intention of keeping her word about hunting game for Thistle. She would teach Cousin Wolf that not all Coyotes were thieves and liars.
The she coy unwisely decided she would shoot her mouth off at him some more about empty threats. It was both amusing and highly irritating how everyone assumed that they knew him, that his threats were empty when in truth they were anything but. The only thing that held him back temporarily was Pump and the leash Ragnar had put himself on not wanting to jeopardize his shot at the Beta rank but then again, what Pump didn’t know didn’t hurt her and really would anyone miss the she coy? Since she was here contradicting herself, Ragnar sincerely doubted it. But she was a lesser creature and he would not stoop to her level just to satisfy his own irritation. Ragnar’s lip curled back when the she coy stated that she wished Thistle a more polite mate yet Ragnar wondered how it was she could have possibly known they were mates unless Thistle had told her. He supposed their scents were all over one another but that didn’t justify anything. They could have been siblings for all the she coy knew.
Ragnar watched her disappear and let out a low rumble of warning that lingered like thunder in his chest.