Sleepy Fox Hollow i want to play a game.

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​the loner is drawn to the mountains. there is something about the daunting yet protective nature of the spires which reach the sky, the talllest of heights sometimes obscured by winter clouds. the mountain range is a far cry from the open fields of his birthplace... of the pack from which he had been outcast by his own father due to lack of food and rescources; this, he feels, these mountains, will give him the safety and obscurity for which he longs.

jigsaw approaches the borderlands of a strange pack and it takes him only a few hours of pacing just away from the territory lines before he decides to try his hand at joining. the hollow is safely obscured by the mountains, covered by a light layer of snow and scenting of red foxes. a soft whine of indecision escapes him just before he makes the difficult and potentially dangerous decision, laying his ears back and tilting his two toned maw towards the bleak gray clouds. his song, arguably quite a bit more beautiful than that of the average wolf, rings into the air, slow and soft at first before climbing to a long, pleasant and somehow powerful pitch. the speckled male maintains his call for a long time before lowering his snout and beginning to peer anxiously beyond the borders and into the bleak yet open lands of this pack of which he knows nothing, but is somehow drawn to.

perhaps drawn by the numbers of the rallying pack did a second ghost attend the borders, a pretty dirge beckoning the stoic mahler.
he had been counting the last of his herbs grimly, wondering where he was to find more when all their energies must now be focused upon hunting and caching what little they were able.
he determined then that a hunting party must be taken out into the snows, but knew takiyok would be against such a notion. and so the general kept it silent, answering the summons with a closed stare and a highflung sway of his plume.
half-masked, spotted, eyes like frosted jade — the man was interesting to look upon, but mahler was not present for the aesthetic.

jigsaw is not made to linger long in his worries, but when the tall, burly man of the darkest complexion arrives, a new kind of fear swells in the pit of his stomach. the eyes, despite their striking lilac color, are cold as the ice clinging to the tree branches, and they stare with a meaning jigsaw is unable to determine. Were this man to chase him from his territory, were he to attack, the hungry loner would stand no chance against him.

the wolfdog attempts to be discreet in his intake of calming breath, small clouds of mist exiting his nostrils. the dark wolf awaits his words, and so jigsaw lowers his head in a sign of respect. my name is jigsaw. I have been staying in these mountains and I came across this pack. he paused, green eyes flitting for just a few seconds. Is there a chance.. That you may have room for another? He longs to spew out his various qualifications as a pack wolf, but opts instead to await an initial response so as not to overload the other's ears with desperate ramblings.

proper respect was shown this time, calling back the preemptive growl brewing in the gargoyle's throat. he was impassive as the odd beast made his plea, appraising the male with cursory flickering of his stoneflower gaze.
room had diaspora, but the ranks must be carefully guarded; he would not hesitate to send this loner off following a failed examination.
"vhat qualifications do you have?" mahler inquired bluntly after a heartbeat's moment. the other was tall, rangy, but he had already procured a scout in nyx.
her visage blossomed in his mind, followed by that of andraste, and lastly wylla. once more they had parted coldly. stifling a sigh, mahler trained his eyes upon the joiner and fell silent.

the man's unreadability was unsettling but not quite in a way that caused Jig to feel mistrust - at least, no more mistrust than he usually felt towards any stranger. It was not long before the gruff reply came, vhat qualifications do you have? There was something just slightly different about the midnight beasts manner of speech, feeding jigsaw's curiosoity of this man and his pack even further. No matter. He had been asked a question.

He did not let more than a few seconds pass before responding, having spent the trek here considering it at length. I know that there is a famine here. My expertise is in hunting; thats how I was trained. But I know a bit of everything, and with some pointers I could pick up whatever else is needed. except for being a warrior. He did not add this yet, hoping that it would be asked about now, were a wolf with this skill needed. 

I love these mountains... But I've been a nomad my entire life, and I can adjust to new surroundings quickly.  jig chose now to shut his mouth, eyes wandering up to meet the nameless man's strange lilac gaze.

jigsaw, as the male called himself, presented no obstacle to mahler's acceptance of him. deferential, but the gargoyle remained silent a long swathe of moments.
it was not only the mountains that beckoned, it was the promise of the season to come. could he trust this oddly spotted man to respect the edict of the leadership during the time of transition.
lavender stare burned toward the loner; all at once mahler straightened, the lines of his body softening minutely. 
"i vill velcome you as our geist," the general invited. "after you have settled, perhaps tomorrow, i vould like you to set out and check the perimeter of this hollow for landslides or the falling of rocks."
no need to flaunt his rank now; jigsaw had proven his respect, and now mahler only waited to hear the answer.

jigsaw expects more questions, perhaps for mahler to detail his rank amongst the diaspora populace. he swallows the lump of nerves that has gathered in his throat as the man resumes his unheard of speech, and the words themselves come to the wolfdog as a shock. he is merely invited to stay as a guest (his interpretation for the word geist, given mahlers accent) and to test his devotion tomorrow in the form of scouting for danger. He is reminded of the woman who had told him of this place: Wylla, on a scout of some kind to service the pack.

The demand seems reasonable if not easy, prompting Jigsaw to nod his head in agreement. i will gladly do that for you. Thank you... I just.... Thank you. I will begin this task as soon as i have rested for the night.

With that Jigsaw bows his head and noses the underside of the gargoyles maw, an ultimate sign of appreciation and gratitude. If he can do as he is asked - and he will - there will be no more solitude, more protection, and less of the hunger that constantly gnaws at his gut.

at his hindquarters, mahler's plume stirred with a quiet pleasure at jigsaw's proper show of submission. the spotted creature would be welcome in diaspora; he knew the man's lack of hubris would appeal to takiyok also.
"do you have any other quevestions about this place, jigsaw?" the general inquired, a privilege he had not issued to a joiner before. 
but the male had earned it; mahler already had begun to evince some slight warmth toward the new geist. his own sort, of course.

the subtle wave of the shadowed man's plume tells him that he has shown proper respect. it is nothing difficult for him; his father, while heartless at times, had engrained him with etiquette, all the while, too, diminishing much of his sense of egocentricm.

Mahler asks a question, one had he known the man's gruff nature that would have come as a surprise to the two faced wolfdog. He drew back from his potential new leader, ears remaining lowered and spoke quietly. i am just curious... What are the dominant principles here. What in essence, does diaspora do, and strive for as a pack?

jigsaw asked after the principles of diaspora. stigmata might have spoke of their too-lofty ambitions, turned into into a silvered, cunning challenge. but mahler was too weary, too pragmatic, to weave such fanciful things from the air. "discipline, loyalty, and the mountains,"  the gargoyle said instead. "ve seek to explore every reach of the sunspire. we roam, and ve collect territories."
hoping that the spotted wolf would not find his answer vague, mahler paused, waiting to see if there was more.

jigsaw casts his gaze sidelong in a posture of listening, his ears pointed towards the shadowed leader in order to grasp every word. the leader lists the principles, each of them striking a positive note within the speckled wolfdog, particularly, the mountains. In a subtle movement he turns to face mahler, eyes cast in appreciation. in spite of his short time here jigsaw has grown to adore the sunspire range, and to hear that his potential pack prides themselves in them, as well, brings him great joy. 

additionally, he is pleased by everything else mahler says, accustomed to roaming, on board with the collection of more lands. jigsaw gives a final nod. sounds good, he speaks softly, downplaying the utter happiness coursing through his veins. 

Thank you, mahler. I have no further questions.

there had come to life some pleasant spark in jigsaw at the mention of mountains; it occurred to the man that he might have an ally for the spires in this wolf.
considering the missions upon once he had sent the diasporans, knowing it was time to return to such, mahler gave a single grave nod. "come then." the general turned, padding over the border; jigsaw could accompany him or set off to find his own tour of the hollow.