Nimbus Summit six claws

Naturally enough, when their general route in seeing more of the Tuktu included the silhouette of an unknown mountain looming nearer by the day, he finally had to go see it for himself once close enough to make the trip worthwhile. After a morning hunt in the cover of the woods brought him and @Vela a rabbit apiece, they parted ways and he set off in good spirits right towards the peak.

He noticed the clouds right away, but smelled no pack claims coming to greet him as he eventually cantered closer to the slopes. It stayed true even when the path started the telltale incline, and he proceeded on ahead without a second glance. His senses keen and body poised, all alert in case of changing terrain or company, he wondered what else could be drawn to this single peak. He kind of thought it looked a bit lonely out here by itself, all largely separated from the ranges painting the various horizons. Who knew what sorts that could attract, or would he alone be drawn to the Summit this afternoon?

Tags for reference!

@Tegan's news about @Wildfire's intentions had led Clover astray. Although she was confident that she would go wherever her parents would, she wasn't entirely sure where they'd end up. With the Redhawks or with the Firebirds? Personally, she thought that "Firebirds" was a pretty kick-ass name. 

Curious to see the Mote for herself, Clover left the Plateau early in the morning. The only issue with her leaving was that she had no idea where the Firebird's intended territory was located. Clover, being the logic woman that she was, figured she'd recognize Sun Cospe Mote whenever she happened upon it. 

After hours of non-stop meandering, she had began climbing Nimbus Summit and spotted Jarilo in the distance—he was the first wolf that Clover had seen in miles. Clover seized her opportunity, and called out to the stranger. "HEY!" she barked as she stalled her gait, "OVER HERE!" Hopefully, he'd be able to help her—stranger danger be damned.

With only a little progress under his paws, he still gleaned his delight from any climb of elevation. It reminded him of home, of comfort, and what he knew when he breathed deep and felt it pool in his chest. While these paths lacked the dense band of bordering forests that the Spear could boast, it was still a rise, and therefore, still satisfying to put beneath his feet as he hiked away from the valleys below.

When a stranger's call broke his silence, he jerked his head upright and aimed it their way, spurred quickly by the unexpected hollers pulling his attention towards the wolf. Tilting his head and lifting a paw in a half step's pause, he was actually more accustomed to being snuck up on than greeted loudly. He still attempted to take it in stride. Hey..! he went and returned with, not quite so loud but hopefully raised enough to carry. The yearling was not sure what he was wanting to ask yet, and his expression likely showed his question marks while he stayed relatively put. What's going on??

"A lot!" Clover replied cheekily; she was thrilled that she had managed to grab Jarilo's attention. "But! I have a question for you."

Clover trotted forward to clear the distance between them. She didn't get too close when she stopped again—she didn't want to get all up in his business from the get-go. Before speaking, Clover gave Jarlio a once-over and realized that she had happened upon an handsome stranger. She kept her observations to herself but, she couldn't help but stare.

"Do you know where we are?" Clover asked with a wave of her tail, hoping he had an answer.

Well, while not exactly the kind of answer he anticipated, he couldn't find it in himself to disagree any. Now with her here, there was a lot happening as he watched her close the distance quite merrily. He remained rooted, but watched keenly, and with interest growing, and taking shape steadily as his nose worked hungrily over all the unfamiliar scents she carried with her right to him. He did not yet realize this was the same pack he had been vaguely forewarned about, or the same group that the girl in the forest had come from before her own "claim" on the sunny woodlot. Instead he focused more on her, just her, slightly built and sterling in shades much lighter than his own.

With his ears pricking up, he kind of rolled his shoulders since he didn't have a good answer to give. Not exactly, and not by a name, he admitted and shook his head, but refocused quickly. But should I? I've never been here before. It caught my eye because it was a mountain, though. Jarilo explained, gesturing off towards the neighboring fields and forests. It literally stuck out above them and he had honed in, ever eager to climb. So now I'm here.. seemed a reasonable addition, because obviously—just look at him.

He blinked, trying not to zero in on any one particular feature of hers, and decided to hazard a guess. You looking for something out here? Or...? He let her fill him in, hopefully.

Although disappointed, Clover's sunny expression prevailed. "Oh, no, I don't think you should have a reason to know this place," she assured Jarilo. Nothing particularly offputting had caught her attention, and she believed that the mountain was unclaimed. "Are you some kind of mountain man?" she mused once he elaborated. "I can't really relate... I haven't been on many mountains." 

Clover nodded in reply to Jarlio's question. "For some of my family," she explained, "One of my older sisters are staking a claim around here, and I wanted to go and check it out for myself. I was told the way but, I kind of got lost in the process," she explained with a chuckle. 

Hopeful, Clover asked, "Do you happen to know where Sun Mote Cospe is... or have you ever hear of it before?"

He felt a gust of relief when she said she didn't think he needed to know it, but there was much else to take in besides that, so his focus went right along. A mountain man, though? He smirked a little bit, of course. I guess I am. I was born on one, and live there--over the range, he said, pointing at the direction of the formidable spine of peaks that served as the great barrier between these valleys. While he was feeling a little upturned out here in the Tuktu since he knew where next to nothing was, seeing that on the horizon did always give him some grounded assurance that in that direction, he did know better.

Anyway, the yearling blinked, latching swift onto her mention of searching for family, and he did perk more when she mentioned one of the very few places he did know about. It was fresh in his memory, after all, and he had to bite back some enthusiasm over the fact that he did have a good, solid answer for her--although he was surprised that the wolf he had met was possibly this silvery girl's older sister. Maybe the one in the forest was just a very unfortunate runt? Further suspect for him and her ability to procure followers to do her dirty work, but hey, he wasn't judging out loud. Actually.. yeah, I came through that way and met some little brown wolf saying she was going to claim the place--Kiwi? I think her name was. She seemed pretty done with me, though, so I didn't stick around long. he said, peeling his sights from her to aim off at the horizon, attempting to decipher what his route had been from up here.

I came from north and followed a river to get there.. it wasn't too far from here, I think... he added, though this detail was fuzzier than the rest. I'm Jarilo, by the way.

Moonspear stood proudly in the distance; Clover had never ventured in that direction before. "It's impressive," she remarked, as her gaze lingered on the peak. Nimbus Summit has been the first peak that she had conquered in quite some time—it felt good, too. "What's it called?" she asked, and returned her gaze to him. 

Jarilo soon revealed that he did know where Sun Mote Cospe was, and Clover brightened significantly. "Holy shit, yeah! I know Kiwi!" she replied, her exclamation equal parts lame and giddy. Once again, she directed her attention to where he motioned, observing the land below with enthusiasm—they were close! Between Clover's fascination with Jarilo and excitement, her mood was amplified ten-fold. 

"Oh, I'm so glad I ran into you," she breathed, returning her gaze to the stranger with a bat of her lashes. "Jarilo," she repeated once his name was given. "Thank you, Jarilo." Clover smiled and took a step forward, testing the distance that separated them. "I'm Clover," she greeted with a wave of her tail.

He brightened a bit, although a hint of homesickness threatened his undertone with the peak in sight and thought of it all so prevalent. I know right? he smirked. Moonspear is what ours is called, he said, ours being his family, and pack, and all else that encompassed his immediate life. He could go on about all their neighboring peaks that comprised the range but held his tongue for now; those were more familiar stomping grounds to him, and Moonspear was still the centerpiece--the most notable.

But that aside, it seemed he had done well with his route last traveled, even if Kiwi probably could have gone without seeing him if their encounter was any real judge of it. So she isn't your sister, then? She said she was claiming the place, but.. actually who knows, he said, overall indifferent on the matter but happy to have been of help even knowing what little he did. Like I said I didn't bother her for too long. It seemed like a nice forest though, the yearling commented, matching with some tail waves of his own. Glad it helped.. Are you heading there soon? he asked with a long, lingering look at Clover as he went refraining from glancing further up the elevations where he thought he'd go next. Vela probably didn't need him any time soon, either, so he was looking to nose around (upwards) a little more before he went back to his littermate.

Moonspear—Clover could have sworn she had heard of them before. "That sounds familiar, actually," she recalled, confounded; she remembered hearing about Towhee, Niamh, and Tegan's visit. "I believe my packmates, Towhee and Niamh and brother, Tegan visited you guys last Summer," she recalled with a furrowed brow, "I think she spoke with Hydra?" Or was it Lyra? She couldn't remember. 

When Jarilo sought confirmation of her relationship to Kiwi, Clover shook her head. "She's a friend of mine," she confirmed fondly. "And it's her mother that's claiming the Cospe—her name is Wildfire. I don't know her too well but, she came from a pack named Drageda. She's only of my many siblings." He went on the speak to the territory's aesthetic, and she smiled. It sounded like a great place to live. 

When asked when she'd visit, Clover smiled. "Yeah, since I know where it is now." She still had daylight to spare, so there was no need to rush off. "Are you doing anything?" Clover asked, hoping she could keep his company for a little longer.

Interests piqued, and definitely curious about her familiarity with anything to do with Moonspear, some things began to click into place when he picked out the names she offered. Only really Towhee had really stuck with him distinctly enough for real conclusion--the wolf Hydra knew, the one from Redhawks... and sure enough, she helped connect the dots even better. Piece by piece, he was understanding more. Ohh yeah, Hydra's my older sister. One of them, he replied, wondering if she was familiar with the entire phenomenon of his trio of dark sisters.

That head of the Cerberus was probably the most prevalent piece of Moonspear's relationship with Redhawks, after all. Jarilo knew their parents didn't have much nice to say about them courtesy some views older than him and probably all of his sisters, but beyond that, he was relatively unbiased--although he wasn't entirely forgetting about the warnings instilled on him before leaving: to be careful of their penchant for chaos. But, it did nothing to deter him for now; Clover was good company as far as he was concerned. 

That does make a little more sense, he replied, swaying his tail gently as he compiled those names and all for later--since he didn't even know what he could (or really should) ask to find out more about them. Wildfire, Drageda, and so on. But, since it was Kiwi's mom claiming the place and not necessarily just Kiwi, he found himself a little less squint-y over the idea of someone so little but full of herself laying such a claim there--but that was also another thing he simply filed for another time, especially since Clover asked what he was up to. I was thinking about going up a little more.. if the paths let me. Sometimes they're pretty icy further up, but I don't know how that will go yet.. and, well, he wasn't exactly in the mood to arse with that and risk getting himself stuck on some unfamiliar peak. Not today. My sister--my littermate, we've been scouting the Tuktu. I don't think she'll miss me just yet, he said. She had been pretty distracted and able to fend for herself, so Jarilo wasn't worried about her as he assumed she was still a short call away too.

He had some time to kill and a penchant for lofty views.

Like Jarilo, Clover was slowly (but surely) piecing together the Redhawk's connection to Moonspear. "One of them?" she asked in reply to his statement, her brow lifting in question. "Random, but, is one of their names... Lyra? That was another name I've heard in passing. I haven't met her, or anything." Although she hadn't heard of the Cerebus per se, she was aware that Hydra was known to keep the company of her sister(s?). 

"Yeah," Clover snorted in reply, her tail wagging lazily at her hindquarters. "I love Kiwi and all, but she is too young to have a claim all of her own," she couldn't hide her amusement of the thought. "But, yeah, I was actually considering moving over there—I'm tired of living at the plateau but, I dunno. I'm still thinking about it. That's why I was lookin' for it," She shrugged; she was oversharing, as usual. 

When Jarilo revealed his plans, Clover's gaze slowly rose to the peak. He had a ways to go, and she couldn't help but wonder if she could get a view of the Cospe from there. "Would you mind some company?" she asked abruptly, wanting to keep his company for a while longer. "I was thinkin' that maybe you could point out the Cospe to me from higher up?"

One of them, indeed; his upbringing had always seemed surrounded by sisters, although in the last year he did finally add two new brothers (part of why Revui's present absence might've stung a little extra) to mix even if they were still vastly outnumbered. He nodded, and his smirk stretched a bit, pleased that she knew of another of his sisters if only by name. He knew they covered some ground, so it wasn't particularly surprising. It is, he flashed a brief grin. There was so much he could say about them, if he really had a need to. Lyra usually isn't too far from Hydra, and Alya too, but he was unsure, sometimes, chiefly these days.

But anyway, also noted.. he thought, re: Kiwi and a plateau, with a sprinkling of Clover's evident distaste for it. Entirely out of the loop when it came to anything west of the Barriers, and, well, he perked a brow and kept an ear her way. To keeping her company a while longer, and sure that he could probably at least give her the rough direction of the forest, he was plenty open to the idea--it gave him a good excuse to go up, too, so he eagerly set his sights to elevations beyond. Not at all, he swept his tail, and started to try to pick out a good trail.. but this mountain wasn't quite like what he was used to. He went with his gut in the end. What's the plateau like then? he asked kind of casually over his shoulder.

Clover nodded, despite her general disinterest. "Interesting," she replied lamely, unable to think of anything else to say; she'd saying anything to see him grin again. An uncharacteristic rush of nervousness tickled Clover's gut when Jarilo agreed. The ooey-gooey mood vanished at the mention of the plateau, and Clover couldn't help but let out a heavy-winded sigh. "It's the worst," she admitted. "It's always so wet and soggy—" she didn't understand the appeal, "—It's gross." she decided. 

"What about you?" Clover asked, picking up her pace so that she could walk alongside him. "What's Moonspear like?" she looked at him, her cheeks flushing, "Probably better than the plateau."

That review was even worse than expected. Jarilo scrunched his face a bit envisioning soggy constantly, all underfoot with a heavy, damp outercoat to go with it. No thanks. Okay yeah, all the time? Nasty, he sympathized, although he didn't have any of that issue in particular. Sometimes the mountain had some rainy weeks in the spring or fall, but that wasn't too bad. Good cover and a little time and things dried, though. It's good, lots of heights, meadows and caves too.. But forests down low. He supposed it was a lot of things all at once, he never had to go far for something new. When it's really green and blooming, it's the best. I guess sometimes the creeks flood out a little after a big snowmelt, and the forests get pretty drippy when it rains a lot but... not as soggy as the plateau sounds from that.. he said, glancing at her enough. He was less worried about Vela right now and being so far from home. Instead, more content to just cruise.

Well, if that's how it is, I hope the forest might be a better, less damp, place.. and if your family is there already.. who knows? Why not? He aimed to imply kind of subtly even if he didn't know for sure since this had to be only part of the story. He'd never know if that was really the right choice for her.. but hey, sounded nice? Maybe it would be a good plan for her, not that he was the sort of someone who should deal life advice when he was very much still learning himself.

"Right?" Clover laughed in agreement; it felt good to have somebody sympathize with her. "You better watch out," she quipped once Jarilo had described Moonspear's territory, "I might have to come, visit, and see it for myself... it sounds fuckin' sick." Her tail whisked to and fro, and she turned her attention briefly to observe trail ahead, and then turned back to her company. 

Clover smiled, at his well-wishes, feeling suddenly bashful. "I hope so, too," she agreed quietly. "I have no reason to dislike the forest, too," she added, a bit bolder and with a grin.

He eyed her back a bit, humored, as if he should suspect a visit of hers to be bad news. Well I think it's worth seeing, he said all too readily considering his massive bias for the range formally considered his stomping grounds. All of it, from Moonspear to the valleys, had him fond and while he had only barely encountered the forest Wildfire and Kiwi's pack was going to claim, it didn't seem so damp, at least. But she probably wouldn't know for sure until she visited it herself.. who knew what was going to suit her vibe more. 

After working up the path a while longer and reaching a relatively open expanse, he finally took a pause to see what he could see. Since he was used to the elevations, he just needed to get his bearings a bit.

Already, a noticeable enough climb that he could see further over the treetops rolling across the Tuktu. Unfortunately he didn't have names for a lot of it.. but maybe next time, winding a different route, he could learn the rest. The further treetops, where they kind of start to look different? I think that's not far from where I saw Kiwi. I trailed that waterway.. he pointed off for a further horizon where it could be seen a bit with a jerk of his muzzle.

But it was still difficult to make out exceptionally well from here. They'd have to venture higher still for any chance of it and Jarilo worried about the ice. So far it had been easy, open routes too. He kind of liked this mountain for its own charm but he did miss Moonspear.

"Well, it's settled then," she decided with a sidelong glance in Jarilo's direction, "I'll have to come and see Moonspear for myself." The declaration caused her heart to tremble with excitement; it's a date she thought to herself. 

The higher that they navigated, the more lightheaded that Clover began to feel. Although she had never been up so high before, she blamed her dizziness on the fact that she was crushin' hard on him. 

When Jarilo paused to point out the changing greenery, Clover paused at his side and regarded the territory that he pointed to. "Not too far away," she noted with a nod. "How far away would you say that is? An hour or so?"

Toothily he smirked, and swept his head in a nod to agree. Good, he replied without lengthy forethought. He'd gloated about Moonspear's views more than once, but maybe this time he might actually have someone get to see them for real--which was a new, sudden idea at all. But, that was not for right now.

No, not really, he agreed but had to half-pause to consider the rest. Hmm, maybe just over an hour, two tops. Like unless you were really hurrying, which he probably didn't want to recommend, not without knowing perfectly well exactly what else could be in the forests and the fields of the Tuktu. Oh, also.. If you find a creek, follow it until it seems to get bigger. I had been trailing a riverway before I ran across Kiwi, so it has to be close. The reverse could be true if the creeks spanned from that river.. which made sense to assume, unless his directions were just terrible and way off. But, thanks to scout-facts from the experienced Dirge, it was at least a helpful piece of knowledge for any traveling (probably) that the waterways could make for good paths to follow.

Clover's gaze followed as Jarilo dictated her eventual route—his directions seemed easy enough. "I'll want to head downstream, right?" she asked, wanting to confirm the direction. From their lofty vantage point, it was hard to decipher which way the water flowed.

Well, he wasn't the most versed on his directions here in this expanse of the Teekon but he did his best to answer with a convincing nod. Yes, he believed, and afterward he shared a few hodge-podge facts about what he had seen between here and there.

He planned to linger up here a little while longer before heading back down. She was free to stay, or embark on ahead with his directions in mind at best. Otherwise, he'd be howling for his sister soon, and wondering what else to make of his newest acquaintance.

i'm trying to clean to make room for fresh so this could prob be my last reply if u want to fade it for new? p:

Like Jarilo, Clover planned to linger a little while longer; she couldn't leave him yet. When the time to leave came, Clover thanked him for his help and promised him that they'd see each other soon. 

Her heart raced as she made her way to Wildfire's claim—Jarilo was all she could think about as she followed the path that he had set for her.