Alpine Lake will it leave us anything to show

A mild, sunny day had dawned, warmer than the recent ones before it and thanks to this, the dark Ostrega couldn't stay put. It had been a stifled sensation for the last few weeks, one pointedly ignored in favor of busywork around the mountain while everyone else kept to it too, all doing their own work here, and worrying, and whatever else here and there—but this was a moment to step back for himself. It was high time, after all. Addled worst of all by the grief over his last littermate's fresh absence on top of the old sore from Alya's leave back before, and still feeling distantly rankled by the mentions made in his last chat with his father, he just had to go and shake free for a little while.

So this was what it was as he set off past the slopes and first went skimming down the taper of the range, then beyond. By late in the afternoon he was rising new elevations, and these were the ones that led him to the elevated, confined lake.

His and Vela's travels out this way and passed near here since it was one of the landmarks he had been given prior, but he hadn't taken the time to dawdle at length, being too invested in the greater trail then. Now he had nothing else, and no one else trekking with him to concern himself with, so he could afford to take his time—he had all day. Quiet, and careful of where he placed his footfalls, he began perusing the lake's edge idly looking for some kind of meal to chase to give his motivation somewhere to go.

Colt had been thinking lately, which was a terrible thing and he kind of needed to stop.  Because what he'd settled on lately was that maybe, just maybe, it was good Wildfire hadn't given them permission.

So, he was cursed, right? Right.  It was stupid, but he was convinced, even if he knew better than to say it out loud.  And things lately had been good, way way too good.  What if they did get permission? Pregnancy was dangerous as fuck, and if anything happened... shit.  He didn't know if he could take it again.  He didn't think he could.

This distraction led him out and up, into the trees.  He also wanted to scout the lake he'd found up there a bit more, because it was a pretty spot and he rather liked the trees.  Fall might be for the oaks and elms, but winter was definitely the season for pines to reign.

He spotted Jarilo as he approached the lake edge, but dipped down to take a drink first.  Intros could come later, if the other saw him too.

In time, after a blink to make sure it was indeed earthy-shades of wolf fur he was seeing moving nearby and not strange scenery, Jarilo turned himself towards the now nearby stranger with interest. He had finally begun to lose some of his overall concern when it came to greeting brand new others; good experiences, and having slowly grown more into himself over the winter, kept his morale afloat when a lot else really wanted to weigh him down (but he refused to dwell now if he could particularly help it).

Freshly quenched and with a busy mind to keep him from his baggage and sorrows, he thought maybe he felt pretty good as he whuffed low at the other guy. The Moonspear prince waved his tail gently as if to say hey, only barely lifting it from his knees. With not knowing anything about him, like even if he was particularly hospitable enough, Jarilo wouldn't go overboard on the friendly just yet.

He was noticed and got a greeting for his troubles.  The other seemed friendly, so Colt returned the hey! with the same casual air.  Meeting strangers was never a big deal as long as they were friendly.

This is a nice spot.  You live up here? Colt asked, a follow up opener.  He was considering bringing Niamh up on their way to the coast, but if it was occupied, guessed he should probably stop poking his nose in.

Well that went easily enough, he thought as he caught a good glimpse at the stranger's molten eyes. This way, Jarilo could gauge himself better, find a groove for himself too. Hopefully—should his attempts flourish. Already the other guy seemed pretty alright so far, and he kept it simple too. I don't.. no. This is only my second time by here. First proper look around, I guess. he answered now that he wasn't only passing through. It is nice, though. He had to agree, even as new to it as he was. He appreciated the elevation, and a lake like this was just way too picturesque.

He hadn't even thought about living here yet, and maybe in some reality where he was not comfortable where he was, he could carve out something here if all else failed. But the same could be said for most spots, should there be a need, and he had no need to be homeshopping. I live over in the mountains. Moonspear. So just visiting, he said, nose jerked that way just once. He wondered if that meant anything to him while Jarilo sniffed a bit more, enough to ping the stranger's probable pack scent as vaguely familiar thanks to his own recent scouting of the Tuktu.

Always need that proper look, Colt replies, obviously teasing Jarilo a bit good-naturedly.  And I am glad to hear it, not going to lie.  It would have been a shame to not be able to come up here every so often.  Good thinkin spots can be hard to come by, even for a thinker like me.  He lifted a paw to his head and winked, then went back to the mention of where he was from.

Colt had never heard of Moonspear, he didn't think, nor had he been that far in that direction.  Him being attached meant he wasn't a recruitment prospect, but that was fine since Colt wasn't big on selling anyway.  Moonspear, eh? Sounds impressive.  Does it reach all the way?  Another joke.  He'd find out pretty quick if this kid had a sense of humor or not.

It hadn't progressed massively, but he was already glad he bothered to stop by here and look around better. It was different without Vela near, and definitely without that rush to just keep going to lands further than even this, he didn't feel so hustled along. He had appreciated the motivation that had given him, true, yet he also saw the benefit in these easy moseys too where he could take his time to take it all in. Anyway, he too appreciated that this space stayed fair use for all, even if it a different timeline in a different dream of his, it might have made a good home--if he ever found the urge to lay his own claim, and guard a piece a land as his. But, he didn't. He was comfortable. Yeah, I know I don't find spots like these often. Not around me, anyway, he sort of shrugged. Do you come do your thinking here a lot? he asked back.

As for Moonspear, Jarilo flashed a quick smirk. It is impressive, and maybe when weather permits. I haven't gone, he grinned for a second, though it faded soon. Maybe one day, but did not yet need a path like that. He had plenty of ground left to cover here still. Anyway, he still struggled to differentiate the exact scents the older wolf carried. Jarilo filed Tuktu together often, and his division between Redhawks and Firebirds was still honestly a work in progress--though this helped. You're from the uh.. the Copse place pack right? Or do you know Clover? he asked, thinking he probably should have said Kiwi since she had seemed important to their ranks, and most definitely a part of them. but Clover was a more pleasant memory who he was at least pretty sure was one of them now too.

Not all the time, but enough, he answered amicably, with a soft shrug. He didn't have a huge tie to the place aside from the quiet and the water, the second of which was a surprising plus.  He hadn't known how much it calmed him down until he sat down and thought about it.

The answer didn't quite match his question, or at least Colt couldn't figure it out.  He didn't have much time to think about it, though, because he brought up Clover next.

She's my niece.  You know her?  There was suggestion in the way his brow lifted when he asked this, and a definite interested edge behind the question.  Uncle Colt had been partially invested in the conversation at first, but was now keenly intent to figure out just how his niece came to know this strange young man from the mountain.

Enough was.. well, fair enough, so it had the yearling easily answering with a nod that signaled he wasn't going to pry about the matter. Maybe, if it had any worth to it, he may make a point to swing back by at another time too. Anyway, Colt's answer had him drawing his eyes over him once more, blinking slowly as this new finding dawned on him completely. Jarilo couldn't say he expected him to be her uncle, but, swiftly decided that too, was fair enough--and quite good to know now going forward.

I do, he admitted. I met her when I scouted the tuktu with my sister, but haven't seen her since. Hope all is good with her, he said. Evidently saw it fit to keep recollection of her around since he hoped to see her again, possibly.  Since she had been discontent about the Redhawks back when he had come across her, he had to wonder how that had panned out for her in the meantime. I ran into Kiwi too when I passed the copse, he tacked on, though if this guy was her uncle, he had likely long keyed into his mention of being Clover first for him. Well, she had been a little nicer of an encounter anyway so who could blame him, really?

Hmmm.  He looked at Jarilo dubiously, but didn't press.  Colt tended to imagine that all young males were no different than he at that age, and if that was true, he had no doubt the direction Jarilo had hoped to go with Clover.  It did not cross his mind that perhaps some were a tad better.

Luckily, mention of Kiwi was a fair distraction.  Hah! And how did that go? Colt asked, amused.  He'd just not too long ago gotten on the girl's bad side and had done nothing since to rectify that.  He imagined that eventually the Regent would come around, but until then, he knew the sort of treatment he could expect.  He imagined Jarilo hadn't been shown much better.

He rightfully couldn't tell if he was under the crosshairs of special scrutiny or not. He hoped not.. or if he was, not badly, but erred on the side of caution still anyway. Clover was a friend, one he wanted to keep to build up past that baseline level of acquaintance if he could. While it stood as nothing overly remarkable as it was, he didn't want to make a complete and utter fool of himself in front of her uncle who could very easily trot merrily on back home and tell her how weird (and not the good weird either) he was--thus surely making her want nothing to do with him if the reports were bad enough. No thank you.

Anyway, he quirked a brow as Colt asked about his Kiwi-encounter with a laugh. Well, it went. She didn't seem too keen on dealing with me too much, so.. I kept it pretty short. Which, if that response of his was any indication, that was probably a smart move of his. Maybe Kiwi had a bigger reputation for that than he had suspected at his very first glance--not that he could say he was surprised. I was coming by the Copse when it was all still.. new, I think. That probably didn't help. She told me she was claiming it, he shrugged, excusing some edge about that matter in the first place and having later found out it was her mom's thing more so than just Kiwi. His family was a prickly bunch and he was used to dealing with it or having to pay anyway so he wasn't too concerned. Or is that just Kiwi? he smirked, meaning subtly between the lines you don't have to actually answer that. Anyway, hope it's all good and settled in now there. Seemed like a nice place from the outer glimpse I caught.. he tacked on, attempting some relevancy there. Clover that had really cleared that up for him. Either way, he

Sounds about right.  He was pretty sure she still thought of the place as hers, though he was also pretty sure if Wildfire stepped down he wouldn't be okay with her leading.  Too young, too inexperienced - and if he was honest, too similar in many ways to the things he hadn't appreciated in Towhee's management.  That's just her.

We've got a good group and even more kids on the way, he said, feeling that familiar small bite of bitterness.  Too bad none of his.  He definitely blamed Finley for it a bit, following him and all - but he was glad she was here too, so hell, whatever.

Noted, then, that it was just her. Still didn't make him want to chance her attitude again though, so visiting Clover's neighborhood was kind of risky for that. For now, he just marked it down as something to watch out for and keep in mind, should he ever need it.

He was a little hesitant to reveal any intentions of the sort, but he thought it worth a mention why it could even matter at all to him--a random from the other side of the barrier mountain, anyway. I want to stop by and visit Clover again one day, maybe. Just to say hey. I'll remember that, he wagged his tail, and went on with: That's good, yeah? he said, still wearing a friendly look plain to see. Well of course it was good about the group, he had even said so, but Jarilo was too young to have a wizened gauge on the subtleties of what entirely more kids meant--especially since Moonspear wasn't in any hurry to boast the same back home, and he had heard about the Sunspire running into shortages last year.

He didn't know if his mother would have another litter--she hadn't said she was going to yet, and he wondered about his older sisters. Had they heard the same sorts of talks from their father as him? Either way, he was not in any place to speak with certainty about litters at the Spear. I think I'm gonna cover a little more ground around the lake.. do you have places to be? Or was he game for a walk, too? Jarilo just wanted to nose along elsewhere, with or without company if they parted ways, and see what else he could find.

Hmm.  Colt looked him over skeptically as he mentioned seeing Clover again, but didn't comment on it.  He was a protective uncle, but not to the extent that he'd ruin whatever it was he assumed this was.  Not unless it was clear to him Clover was getting the short end of the stick.

It's good.  Kids make a pack stronger, after all. he said breezily, not wanting to dwell on that shit yet.  Sure he was disappointed, but life went on, and who knew what the future would bring?

I could walk.  Wouldn't mind hearing more about this mountain of yours, if you don't mind telling.  Colt figured they were neighbors, so best be on good terms.  Didn't bode well to know nothing about those in the area, reason he'd shared a bit himself.

feel free to continue or fade!

That made enough sense, so he was  deciding distantly that it seemed like something his father would agree with too--that the kids made the pack stronger. He couldn't argue with that any really but at an age where he didn't intend to have major impact on the gene pool, he kind of felt like his opinion was half-formed at best, so he said no more on it as he stepped onward, looking for where exactly he wanted to take this walk to. Cool, well--what do you want to know? he asked as he made for a slow amble of a trot. Instantly, he savored the motion for now, before he could get wrapped up in seeing what else was new around. About the mountain itself? Or us creatures on it? he flashed a quick smirk over his shoulder. He wasn't an ambassador, and not quick to air their current business quite so minimally prompted. But with the right indications for a direction, he did like to hear himself talk sometimes.

Hmm, Colt had a few things he was curious about, and fortunately, Jarilo seemed pretty eager to answer.  Little of both.  Have many issues with things besides wolves up there?  Forests were one thing.  Sure there was the odd danger tucked away, but trying to secure a mountain full of caves and ridges and dangerous predators seemed like a veritable nightmare.  

Don't see much trouble down here on flat ground.  He added, implying he felt it might be different for them.

As he looked onward, his ears stayed tall towards Colt even as his expression turned more thoughtful. His experiences were not vast, but growing, and he felt he offered a good baseline of it--even if not all of the information was his firsthand, always. Many of his family had lived on mountains for many years, and even Moonspear's claim was well older than him.

He could answer readily with this much, however: Bears, sometimes. Not many lately, not this year, but we have before.. he said. Many of the older pack wolves, and ones he had seen come and go in the past, had their histories and bodies marked by the scars of the beasts. They were a worthwhile concern in his eyes. I've heard of cougars passing near.. but not many all out issues there. Probably next worst annoyance is the occasional coyote scrappers that come around, he scoffed, figuring most anyone with a cache collection ran into their sorts once or twice. But those aren't really a big deal. Not like the bears can be, he said.

wrappin bc I've been swamped <3!

Bears.  Now then I ain't fond of tanglin with.  He was a little more impressed at least with Jarilo after that statement.  Colt didn't mess with a bear unless absolutely necessary, and thank god it had only been a few times.  We don't see much of that.  Have our share of coyotes though.  Now those little shits were fun, sometimes.  They drove his wife mad at least.

Mind if we stretch our legs a bit? Got a hankerin for somethin to eat with all this predator talk.  He raised a brow questioningly, but the smile made it clear if Jarilo bounced, Colt wouldn't take it personally.  Open invitation either way.

Easily he agreed, and the coyotes came as no surprise to him as suspected. The shift of the topic worked well enough for him too. Quickly, he appreciated the offer. Sounds good, the dark Ostrega chuffed, stretched himself out, and got ready to accompany him a little while longer to see what they could find. Eventually he'd head back to the Spear, but a little motion definitely suited his taste, and he was comfortable enough in the company otherwise.