Listen as the wind blows

@Jace maybe, if you have time?

Viatrix's acceptance into the pack had been a swift affair, and within moments she was set free to explore the claimed lands. The Sunspire was the gentlest mountain she had ever set foot on, and after an hour of careful exploration, she decided it was also the lushest she had ever set foot on. The verdant oasis stretched up to an unimaginable height, and though the challenge of venturing further up the face was a temptation she didn't wish to refuse, the DeMonte stuck to the lower level.

Ferdie had mentioned a hunt around the corner, but Viatrix wasn't one to wait for things to happen. When she felt comfortable enough with her immediate surroundings, the dark-furred bitch changed her mission from exploration to hunting. She slung herself low, creeping through the scrub and thrusting her snout into the roots of all manner of plant to scare up something.

Eventually, she unearthed a small lizard, which took off with feet flapping and tail wriggling wildly. Enticed by its speed, Viatrix gave chase.

The Dark shadow came forth from above, his ice blues studying the area and the land. He was determined to find some good hunting grounds here on the mountain, so he didn't have to travel into the lower country often. He found the mountain air and the search for game soothing for his battered soul and mind. The wound that he wore around his neck continued to heal, though it was slowly turning into a ropy scar that he would wear for the rest of his life. A veritable collar to chain him to his past.

He had heard the howl that had risen up above the mountain tops, but he had ignored it. Truthfully, preferring his own company as of late. He did not want to speak to anyone, he didn't want to make new friends. He would he always did, he couldn't help it, but it would take some time for others to gain his trust. He would never trust blindly again.

As he descended form the mountain tops his eyes came to rest on a black femme like him. Except her black fur held a red tinge and he wondered at it as his eyes traced the contours trying to figure it out. He held his head high and his tail up over his back, he was not an alpha but he was the highest ranking wolf besides and he would let any and all know that traversed these lands. He watched as she chased the lizard wondering gamely if she would catch it, for now he would stand silent not wanting to interrupt her game of chase.

The lizard was swift, as lizards tended to be. For a time, the wolf was swifter, and came up on her small target quick unexpectedly for both of them. The frantic lizard cut to the left just as Viatrix's teeth snapped shut on its tail, and that was where biology duped the female.

For the lizard struggled valiantly, whipping its tail here and there... And then suddenly escaped without it. The tail, still wildly twitching between the wolf's teeth, separated from its host and the tailless lizard fled into the mountain scrub. With a muffled snarl, Viatrix swallowed the tail and glared off in the direction the wily creature had gone, but she knew the diversion had cost her the kill.

Only when she turned back toward the mountain's face did she notice a dark male trotting down it, with his tail lifted authoritatively over his rump and the visage of a wolf who had been through some sort of tragedy. She imagined by looking at him that the entire pack had been, for he wore a scar upon his neck not unlike the one Ferdie bore that begged the question, what happened here? She pressed her ears back and lowered her head, rigid but silent for now.

Jace chuckled softly having had the same thing happen to him not long ago with a different lizard. it sucks doesn't it when they do that. He then schooled his face back into the mask he tried to wear. Unfortunately he had always been an open book, so it was taking some time to get his emotions to obey him and not show themselves, but he was making progress he felt.

He noticed the rigidity of her back, but chose not to comment on it. Deference did not come to others so easily and as long as she deferred to those above her in rank unless she was fighting for a spot he wouldn't say much to her about the rigidity she held. It was still respectful to an extent though she would bear watching that was for sure he imagine she probably had much ambition. (if I read to much into that feel free to correct)

You are new to us I am Jace. it was not a question rather a statement no more no less. He then waited to see if she would offer her name in return. He could smell ferdie on her as he continued down and got closer to her so he wouldn't chase her away.

The male chuckled, but almost immediately shifted back into the stoniness he had held initially. Viatrix's stance softened when he introduced himself, making clear to her that he wasn't about to scruff her into the dirt in some brutish show of masculinity. He correctly assumed she was new, and she correctly assumed he was a founder, or something along those lines. A Beta, perhaps.

The slightest prickling of her coat at his approach was ease into smoothness as her tail ducked between her legs. “Viatrix DeMonte,” she introduced, placing weight on her surname, though she knew it held none here. Never had any DeMonte wolf wielded their name with the hopes it would make things easier for them. They were all hard working wolves, after all. Nonetheless, every last one of them was proud of the family they belonged to, including Viatrix.

“I can't say I was expecting it to escape so easily,” she admitted, casting a longing glance in the direction the lizard had disappeared. “I always thought they were quite stupid animals.”

(was there a de monte in a winter sun pack? A young male played by Tokio? or am i getting the sur name confused?)

Though Jace was determined that the hierarchy would be obeyed here in these pack lands as his Alpha wanted, he would never force another beneath him just because he was a male. Those shows of dominance usually caused him to lose respect for you. If you were dominating in a spar or because there was disrespect then yes by all means rub the others nose in the dirt. However, if you did so just because you were a male and wanted too well that irked him.

Jace listened to her name wondering at her surname, wondering well she hailed from Well met Viatrix well met. Feeling he should offer his newly gained surname he spoke again Du'Andris is my surname since you offered me yours. He then tilted his head and studied the contours of her face looking for something, though he was not sure yet. Though he did not overly stare just studied for a brief moment though he was higher in rank he also did not wish to be rude yet again he was waging a war within himself wanting to be more brutish and less kind, and he was lacking and failing woefully.

He chuckled again a deep low sound They are stupid. Why do you think they lose their tails? They grow back you know. He had found the one he had missed a few days after he had done so and it had begun to grow a new stump of a tail, he had been able to tell it apart thanks to the green head it bore.

Not sure, there were a lot of DeMontes, don't think Tokio had one though, at least noe one of the game-born ones.

She thought it was strange that now all of a sudden he gave his last name, but she didn't comment on it, assuming that he placed stock in the last names of his pack mates. She said it simply out of habit. Instead of saying anything, for the meaning of his name was lost on her, she glanced back toward the spots of blood on the ground left behind by her tailless prey as he mentioned they grew their tails back.

“I do not see that as stupid,” she said quietly, politely disagreeing that a creature that could drop its tail and grow it back at will was doing it for anything other than objective reasons. “It got away from me, and it'll grow back its tail, so it was no loss to it. It saved itself and will live to see another day. Smart strategy if you ask me.” The lizards had strange turned-out eyes that had always given Viatrix the impression that they were entirely unintelligent, but having seen its masterful escape herself now, she could argue for their intelligence.

Jace supposed he could have kept his last name to himself. He was not yet used to offering it when he introduced himself, having never owned one until now. He would keep the definition to himself it's meaning lay to deep to dissect right now and he did not wish to rehash the events that led up to it, to many bad feelings yet to do so.

Jace dipped his muzzle in respect to her answer and a low sound came from his maw as he agreed I suppose so. I have never thought of it like that. I always figured that they were simply stupid so they needed a way to get away from predator as they were to many rocks short a hill to figure out it was there. But I agree it could be seen as a smart strategy as well. He studied where the lizard had been and reflected on the tiny creatures, that were fast and spry. They hid pretty well too, in order to find them one usually had to upturn a rock or catch them unawares sunning. So perhaps he was wrong and they were actually intelligent creatures. He had never really thought of it, preferring to think that any creature that was prey was not as smart as him, perhaps he should reevaluate that grain of thought he held.

Do you hail from this place? He was curious as he always was nad he wondered briefly if she was sent from Fox to spy on them and he became a bit skittish at the moment.

Ah, simply a matter of perspective, then. Viatrix could appreciate Jace's view as well, and had she known they could drop their tails previously, she might have subscribed to the same belief. It made sense. Either way, the lizard had evaded the wolf's jaws, which meant she would soon need to return to the hunt. She would not come out of this day empty-handed.

When asked if she came from "this place", which she took to mean the valley around the mountain, Viatrix shook her head. She lowered her nose to sniff tentatively at the blood that had soaked into the sparse soil. “I come from a mountain like this, but it is far from here,” said the dark-haired bitch, who had began to take tentative steps along the lizard's trail, hoping it would lead her to more prey. She was slow enough to allow Jace the opportunity to accompany her (or not), but should he refuse, she would swiftly depart without a second thought.

Jace watched her with baited brow a small amused smile on his maw. She clearly was itching to hunt and normally he would accompany, but he had spent most of the night before and the morning scouring the mountainside for game and hidden spots to hunt and he was a bit tired. His muscles ached as he was still becoming accustomed to climbing along the mountain side.

He chuffed quietly I am going to head towards the inner part of our territory. I can see you want to go on that Lizards trail and by all means have at it. However, I do ask if you should find a landmark or a hunting area that could benefit us, please let Ferdie or myself know as soon as you return. Also I am Game Keeper if you need help hunting anytime let me know. With that he shifted his weight and placed one paw towards the lower terraces of the mountain side and a place to hole up and sleep.

Jace dismissed himself with a request, which Viatrix kept in mind as she loped away. Though she had no doubt finding the same lizard would be difficult, there was the chance she would find something more substantial to catch on the path. A lizard would scarcely sate her appetite, but a plump hare or rat could easily become lunch and leftovers, and the blood from its shed tail might even attract a weasel.

The thought of prey made her salivate, and without looking twice to see where Jace had gone, Viatrix trotted away, hot on the trail of her original target.