Dragoncrest Cliffs the brightest shade of sun I had ever seen

Wanting to snag @Ajatar or @Cecil, but anyone welcome!

There was a Fos Goufa among them now, and the idea both thrilled and unsettled Tirgatao. It was a wolf with no connection to Drageda save for the unity of their coalition with the other clans. She felt no sentimental connection to the latest newcomer and had secretly hoped that the next Fos Goufa might come from Eske, or Heda herself. But she was torn—one part glad that one had been born, and brought unto them so that she might forge connections to make her transition (which Tirgatao desperately hoped would not be for many, many years to come) all the easier on both them and the future Commander. 

As was her duty, the somewhat dismal day brought her out of her hovel in search of the Fos Goufa so that she might introduce herself and offer her assistance should the young wolf require anything of her. It took her the better part of an hour to trace the unfamiliar scent to the caverns where she promptly came to a halt. There were no immediate signs the woman was even around, but Tirgatao knew better than to invite herself into the caverns.

Meanwhile, the misty rain had collected on her guard hairs, and she looked somewhat worse for wear after trudging through the damp undergrowth—various bits of detrius clung to her wet legs. But Tirgatao stood firm and closed her eyes as she sent up a howl for the woman or whomever answered first.

I sat here way too long trying to figure out timelines but I'm pretty sure Tirgatao and Ajatar would know each other... but we can say they didn't spend a lot of time together? Or we can talk about some plot/backstory with them? x)

There are few wolves she knows within the borders of Drageda but she hadn’t gotten the chance to run into them except for the two that escorted her here. Those that she does know—including Hux and Melchior—are not anyone she’s particularly close with, her bonds superficial for the most part. She knows more wolves living in Sangeda than here but it does not necessarily stop her.

The lapse in training, however, has given her a little itch in the back of her mind. She could spar with another or find someone with the knowledge to keep her busy in the meantime. Maybe she could even distract herself with one of the children left while the only one she’d actually met had left on the scouting mission. A part of her had wanted to go, if only to advance in the comradery Drageda has to offer but she’d kept silent during the meeting and kept out of the way in the meantime.

When she is howled for, her ears swing forward and she turns her head. The distraction seems to be perfect timing since she hadn’t made any decision so the girl instead spins around on her heels and trots back toward the lake, skirting the bank where her paws become muddy and red. As she approaches the entrance to Hougeda where she hasn’t spent too much time in—it is not a place for outsiders, and while she has permission, she feels too much like an outsider—she notes Tirgatao up ahead. Her tail sweeps behind her, brushing against her hocks, and she resists the urge to shift into something more dominant. Instead, she dips her head once in greeting as she settles somewhere close.

Hougeda was as good a central point to meet as any, and an equally good place to solicit a conversation. Though many of the clansmen weren't allowed in side (Tirgatao, herself, was rarely permitted), it served as a decently busy hub for those coming and going. But she was certainly surprised when, after waiting a few moments, the figure she summoned did not come from within, but from the woods. Her coppery eyes lifted as she spotted the similarly cloaked woman, only feel a thrill of energy, followed swiftly by the warm wash of familiarity ease over her spine. 

Ajatar! A kind smile touched Tirgatao's lips at the sight of her old student, and she bows her head to hang on a level plain with her spine. She hadn't forgotten the respect she was expected to give towards the Fos Goufa—though their ages were very skewed away from one another. The young girl of her memories had grown into a beautiful, self-assured (judging from the centered steadiness of her form) wolf. Though she did not often gloat, she was secretly pleased that her own hand had a part in sculpting their future Heda. 

Initially, she had worried that it was not, in fact, Ajatar that came to them but another (newer, stronger, braver) wolf. But her doubts were eased now that she knew the truth, and she offered a friendly sweep of her tail as she approached. "Ajatar," she breathed, "You've grown so! It does this heart well to see you here in Drageda." She said, enthused. "Have you settled in well? Do you require anything?" 

It is always welcome to see a friendly, familiar face when surrounded by outsiders and wolves she doesn’t know. Getting used to being around a whole new set of ties isn’t going to be easy when she would rather cling to those she’d come from. Perhaps when Thuringwethil is better, she’ll dismiss her time in Drageda but in the meantime she skirts by on the down low as best she can.

“I am settling in just fine,” she says smoothly with a shake of her tail. “I'm glad to be here before winter comes.” She doesn’t have to brave the coming winter between the two packs if she’d come any later and the way a pack behaves together in the necessary months of survival will give her a lot of information. “And no, I don’t need anything right now. Thank you, though.”