Just close your eyes, dear [J]

@Ferdie Von Pelt

Investigating the island pack had proven to be fruitless. Wolves lived there, which had been Viatrix's primary question, but their philosophy clashed violently with her own. She had been unable to pledge herself to Majesty's vision and, seeking a more traditional setting, had moved from the coast inland. Over several days the female had jogged the breadth of the Teekon Wilds, from the lush Ravenswood to the forking Otter Creek. She had taken in its vast beauty, spoken with a few of the natives, but found nothing more truly captivating than the towering mountain at the region's heart.

The Sunspire rose over the land, its peak the tallest point, and in its shadow the flatlands flourished. Viatrix was no stranger to mountains, having been born on one herself, and she found herself inexorably drawn toward this splendid, magnificent mountain more than any other place in the Wilds. On her fourth day, the DeMonte had decided to go to it... And was more than a little pleased to find that it was occupied.

She wasted no time in tossing back her head and releasing a howl to summon others to herself. The borders were still easily a mile away, but the female knew her etiquette. She could smell them, and that was more than close enough for most packs' comfort. For the time being, the swarthy female stood at ease, though the minute she was greeted, she would shift flawlessly into the acceptance ritual, assuming they would entertain her.

Ferdie Von Pelt spent more time at the boarders of the pack here then he did in the 'other' pack and well he should, he was alpha and they were his to protect. As he made his way along the crest of the territory he sniffed a tree then moved forward cocked a leg, peeing on it, Ferdie then stepped a foot away and scraped his paws toward the tree adding not only a pee marker but a body scent as well.

A howl went up and the ears upon his head perked forward to hear it; with his tail high over his back he trotted toward the sound, finding the new wolf respectfully away from the inner pack lands. Ferdie stopped short of the new wolf and rubbed his cheek on a sapling just off to his left, twice as if to say 'my tree, my lands' then turned his gaze to the wolf and scented the air, she was female, instead of speaking he waited to see he reaction to him.

Unlike most of the packs in the area he was not interested in a verbal interview, any healthy wolf was an asset to a hunt and help when a threat arose. What she chose to do with the rest of her time, should she join the pack was not something he'd concern himself with, beyond the fact he needed to take a mate next year. The fledgling pack could not support pups this year, it saddened him he'd miss out on Tuwawi's pups this season.

Those thought were pushed far from his mind and he stood tall before the stranger, a rumble in his throat that was not a threatening growl just something to let her know he expected something from her.

A male of interest soon arrived, materializing from the mountainous trees and scrub with seriousness written all over his face. He was a drab and average looking wolf with a common beige-grey coat, but upon his neck was a shoddily knit mess of raw flesh, still puckered and red. She could tell just by looking at it that the wound was recent, and she suspected it would leave a scar that would become Ferdie's identifying feature.

Before the rumble even built in his throat, the dark-furred female had swept into a submissive pose. She consciously held her head lower than the Alpha's, turned down her ears, and flagged her tail with its base tucked tightly against her body. Her fur lay flat as Viatrix did everything she could to appear inconspicuous in front of the lead male. Yet there was a fire in her eyes that suggested she was not one to grovel, and her lips, though they bore a submissive grin, were just a touch tighter than the average Omega's.

Without waiting for Ferdie to speak, the dark female introduced herself: “I am Viatrix DeMonte, descendant of Bronx DeMonte, founder of the DeMonte family.”

Sorry had to get to work but wanted to allow you in. My post was cut short as you can tell

Ferdie Von Pelt watched her carefully her eyes lingered upon his neck and the wound he ried to hide below a richly groomed pelt, yet there was not enough hair there yet to do that. His only vain fear was that the hair grew in normally and not white he would not even entertain the thought that the hair may not come back at all. Since the time of the wound his weight had returned and his health improved vastly allowing him to take on the position he held. If a wolf thought him an easy target they would be sadly mistaken.

The first to come to the boarders and the first to join his pack from the outside he was well pleased with her actions. But still needed more as most dominate wolves did, He stepped forward and briefly lay his chin on her shoulders in doing this he was both claiming and accepting her while also placing his scent upon her so the other pack members would know.

He decided it was best to get to the point
I am Ferdie Von Pelt, and you are welcome to enter my packlands if you wish; You will need to greet the others, there will be a pack hunt soon our caches are young and empty. By sending her toward the others he was also wanted to see what position she would take in his pack, he had a feeling though she deferred to him the others might not be so lucky. He thoroughly doubted Jace would put up with any insubordination but the others he would be keenly interested to see how it played out.

Ferdie mouthed her ear gently, then turned and led her into the pack lands taking the lead by a few strides, so sure of himself he didn't bother to worry if she would try and attack him.

Do you mind playing this out for a few more posts just to get it to 10?

Just as all dominant wolves wanted to secure their leadership with more shows of strength and dominance, all submissive wolves had a limit to what they would allow. Frequent domination of a subordinate tested the subordinate's patience, and Viatrix had known wolves in the past who, meek upon first impression, had turned upon their superiors for being overbearing. It was a fine line that Alphas walked between tyranny and authority, and each subordinate allowed only as much as they could take.

In this case, Viatrix accepted the resting of the superior male's muzzle on her back, though she did so with a stiffening of her tail. It was enough to tell him that she accepted his superiority, but also to remind him that she had already submitted to his will and would not tolerate further shows of dominance.

He introduced himself as Ferdie Von Pelt (a mouthful of a name) and announced an upcoming pack hunt. The thought of hot meat in her belly, picked from a fresh kill rather than scavenged from remains, instantly made her tongue wet with a wash of saliva. “I do enjoy a good hunt,” chuffed the DeMonte, choosing not to comment on the necessity of getting to know her inevitable superiors. It was something she would face shortly, and no doubt it would come with the ritualized determination of rank, but she didn't plan to search for them immediately.

She fell into step behind him, conscious of the position of both her head and her tail as she bobbed along the rising terrain in his wake. “Newly christened?” she assumed, having gathered from his previous comment that the mountain pack was either in its earliest stages or had been bereft of food for quite some time.

No problem I just wanted to allow you to post in the pack otherwise

Ferdie Von Pelt realized he was testing the new pack members patience but he also knew it was the quickest way to place his scent upon her and allow her to know he had accepted her in one encompassing action; the ear nip was probably the one step to far. But he was a newly crowned alpha and overly eager to strut. As time passed he would be less likely to push to far, unless he felt the other wolf was not getting 'it' Viatrix DeMonte however had proved to be nothing less then polite and his respect for her grew.

His tail has still happily high over his back and not likely to change position though he did soften the position of his head welcoming her to draw closer to his side rather then trail behind if they were to have a conversation.

Yes our position on the Sunspire is rather new, but a few days so far, I expect a cold winter up here but the mountain may surprise us with warm shielded spots. He glanced at her sidelong wanting to gauge her reaction to exploration
Much higher up I can scent only what I can fathom might be a hot spring of sorts; I just can't get to it; A sheer rock face blocks my path Ferdie's tone went from pleasant to slightly grumpy as he spoke of the mountain not yet yielding it's prize.

His ear tipped toward her listening for anything she might want to ask or add, however it wasn't long before the trail they took turned upward forcing them to focus on finding the best footing rather then lively conversation. Ferdie was attempting to lead his new pack sister toward the impromptu gathering place for the pack, the Sunspire's shining gem, the oasis.

“Mountains are surprising that way,” she added to his observations. It was true that mountains were chillier than the warmer lowlands, but they were also capable of buffering the winds from its back, sweeping them instead into the flatlands below and keeping the wolves on its slopes comfortable. “I'd previously lived on a mountain all my life, and it has its good days and its bad ones, like anywhere else.”

She was interested in a hidden hot spring. Although the water would likely be sulphuric and incapable of supporting much plant life around it, the warmth would draw prey seeking shelter from winter storms. At her core she was a hunter, and considering these things was quite literally her life.

“Best we find a way up before winter comes,” Viatrix suggested, peering up briefly from the treacherous slope to her new Alpha. “It could be a haven for deer that could sustain us through the coldest months.” It could, of course, be nothing of the sort, but the DeMonte female couldn't say until she had a chance to see it herself. Which, if Ferdie's account of the rock wall was correct, might be never.

Ferdie knew very little about his new pack mate but she to seemed to want nothing more then for the pack to overwinter well, this boded very well for her and he found himself growing more pleased with her and her presence.

Ame too had grown up upon a mountain and he knew with their combined knowledge they would find the right places to den and hunt. He was thrilled to have knowledgeable wolves to draw from. Though he didn't know much about naturalism or wolves who understood it, he was not one to sneer at the knowledge they offered. He learned long ago to heed advice when it was given freely and without enmity.

I was hoping to find a direct route to it, but there might just be a more indirect route from higher up then retracing back to it. Ferdie seemed taken aback when he spoke that aloud, he was thinking outside the box, though only after wasting time trying to manhandle his way up the mountain.

He was learning slowly that brute force would not make a mountain yield it's gifts; one would have to be gentle and go with the flow. A smile came to his lips then as he thought of a wolf who did just that. He'd have to find her again and see if she had any other idea's for getting to that elusive water.

They crested the bank then and came up on 'the oasis' Ferdie traveled to the waters edge and dipped his tongue repeatedly against it's mirror like surface. Here not he took a step back to look over his new Pack-sister appreciating her form from her nose to her tail tip. He decided now was a good as time as any to pick her brain about Mountian life.
Do think think we could find good winter denning spots before winter comes, So we can find shelter before we freeze our paws searching for it?
He hoped they could, it wouldn't do to wait until too late in the season to hunker down, but if the mountain would only show those sweet spots during winter then so be it he would just have to reply on others to help move the pack to them when the time was right.

At length, the pair of wolves arrived in a fantastic, vast glade on the mountainside, which she would come to know simply as “the oasis”. The Alpha wasted no time in slaking his thirst, but his subordinate stood still for now, taking in the verdant beauty of the mountain's hidden heart. She would have time later to take care of necessities, she reckoned, and for now she would answer any questions Ferdie had.

And have them he did, but they weren't the personal sort that Viatrix had been expecting. They were strategic, and this made the DeMonte smile. “We must first see which side of the mountain gets more rain, and then den on the opposite side. We will be protected from heavy snow that way.” Although she scorned Naturalists and weather-watchers, Viatrix had learned enough on Red Rock to know that all mountains had a rain shadow, and the rain shadow was more protected in the winter. “Then it would be best to make our dens lower on the mountain, where the soil is easier to move, and so that we have advance warning of any danger. The ground would shake.” By which she meant in the event of avalanches and rock slides.

“But, yes, it would be wise to do it before the snows come,” she responded, flicking her left ear to ward off a bothersome mosquito. She herself didn't den during the summer, but in the winter, the slopes were too exposed to the elements for her tastes.

Ferdie Von Pelt had no need for personal questions, he felt each wolves history was just that, However his own history was to close and would soon be drudged up and his new pack would be tested much sooner then it should be.

Ferdie nodded as he thought over her words and turned to peer into the distance trying to judge what the mountain held by way of this rain shield.

His voice still clung to it's slightly Canadian accent Besides filling the caches I'd love for you to report to me the best denning area's you can find. And should you find Ame, she might be able to help you find them. She like you knows mountains and what to look for and I trust the the two of you together would be able to find what's best for our pack In other words he wanted them to work together and hopefully not squabble.

Ferdie turned to face Viatrix then and offered her one more command not realizing how quickly it would come to pass. I prefer to be neutral toward the other packs, but if a pack comes here and attempts to destroy our caches or dens we will aggressively defend. If they enter and are respectful and smart about it I would hope to be diplomatic first
In this way he wanted to show strength not weakness but it might be a mistake as far as swiftcurrent creek was concerned, He continued
I am hoping it will not come to that but I think soon we'll have visitor's; Stupid ... brazen ... visitors whom have no claim here. But visitor's nonetheless

He waited for her reaction then, keen to see what she thought of that, being accepted into a pack that make have an attack lingering on its boarders was a risk and one she had clue about until now, she had every right with this knowledge to turn tail and run.

Ferdie Von Pelt seemed to hold some proper ideals about pack life. Viatrix was still a little dodgy with the concept of meeting any trespasser with anything but hostility and aggression, but she supposed his approach to diplomacy was agreeable, if not a little unusual. She thought back to Majesty, and decided that at least the rules here were more favourable than the chocolate male's philosophy on pack life. She bobbed her head to show her agreement with these terms, though she knew that she would find curbing her natural instinct to attack a trespasser on sight somewhat difficult.

“Ame,” she repeated, solidifying the name of the wolf she was to seek out in her mind. She was about to ask for a description when Ferdie changed gears and spoke about visitors, a topic which made Viatrix's ears slick back to her skull. “I take it our neighbours are testy?” she assumed, perhaps incorrectly. There was no telling what these wolves' history with the Wilds was, so it could have been anything, but the DeMonte's first thought was that it was mere territoriality.

Rolling her shoulders, the female assuredly claimed, “I'm sure we can handle them.”

Ferdie's ears flipped foward to the front of his head he closed his eyes for a moment. Our neighbors saw fit to chase Jace and I out of their pack. I feel; swiftcurrent creek is far enough away that we are of no threat to them here. Their leader is young and rather ... well I said it earlier.
If they come... in the interest of being good 'neighbors' and not at war with them. I intend to try to talk to them, if they want to do something other then talk, then we shall show them our own strength and they will be starting something that I WILL finish.

Ferdie Von Pelt snorted and turned away, I will be patrolling the boarders you may come with me or see to your other tasks With that the hulking male trotted away though not so fast that she couldn't catch up if need be.