Neverwinter Forest all of these things, but one

@Mal, AW!

The Grandfather had not given permission without hesitation. He'd allowed Mathieu to leave, based on the promise of his progeny's eventual return. Don't be like your mother, he'd warned. The boy did not take this comment lightly, knowing the extent of the hurt left in Queenie's absence — a Father without his Princess was a man bound to go insane.

He would eventually return home, if only for a weekend getaway. For now, he was content to enjoy his young adulthood, finally free from the nest. 

Mathieu stopped beside a border and examined its trail. Well-kept, but not very diverse; he assumed that this was either a small pack, or a large pack with a tight-holed leader. He snorted at the thought before tilting back his head to sound a summoning howl.

>D

Seemed like some of the guys were out for the day. It wasn't like the end of the world or something -- as long as they came back, Mal was cool with them going hunting or whatever it is they happened to want to do. So, he'd just do boring normal things today and see what happened. He'd been on a patrol down the borders when he heard the howl.

Since he wasn't right there, Mal howled a short response before turning that way and trotting on over. However, who was there did give him pause. Squint. A sort of dappled coat? Closer to his than Araceli's from the description of it. But the voice was definitely a guy's so this was a different kind of subtle weird to him than before. Like some sort of funhouse mirror to a different reality -- a slightly different universe where he'd become a grunt instead of someone more apt to try to talk his way out of things.

Still. Gotta go see who it was. Put on the smiles, think up something mildly witty. It'd probably turn out to be a mundane coincidence anyway. So you've found yourself at the borders of Neverwinter Forest -- if you're calling for information, I'd be that wolf you want, or really for anything else, I'd still be that wolf. So what's your poison? I'm Mal.

Was he imagining things? Mathieu had passed by enough clear riverbanks to know that he and Mal held a faint resemblance. He thought little of it, figuring that they'd both been blessed by the god of genetics. He wondered if the rest of the group was this attractive and thought that if so, he would fit in just fine.

A nod of greeting was tossed in Mal's direction. I like your winter coat, he called back, Where'd you get it? A goofy smile was painted on his maw, exposing one crooked canine. He settled into a seat and allowed his posture to fall into slight submission.

I'm looking for a pack, Mathieu explained. What did leaders normally ask during these sorts of meetings? He'd only ever known the way of home; you were either related and welcome, or you weren't. How did it work elsewhere? Matty, that's my name. Ask me whatever you want.

At least he wasn't crazy for thinking the whole similarish markings thing was a little weird. He'd have rounded back on that point in time. He'd stash the comment that the guy made away for inspiration for later use in the meantime. Gift from someone -- had been too flashy for them, I think, he replied in jest, appreciating the humor, though the fact his wild pattern had primarily been a from his mother wasn't far off the truth. Okay, Delight maybe contributed a little too.

It wasn't like Mal had much of a clue how things were done elsewhere either -- he'd been operating on what made sense to him, so any similarities to what was normal happened to be coincidence more likely than not. Well, Matty, I assume you've got all the basic things in life figured out so you can keep yourself alive, but what's your forte? He didn't seem like a charity case, so Mal was going to make sure he wasn't going to be picking up anyone who happened to be a dead weight. They needed to be able to teach the youngsters, get 'em back where they should be,

Mathieu laughed at Mal's response and shifted into a more comfortable position. Looks good, he sighed, gaze drifting to the blanket of snow beneath them. As the Alpha began to speak, he pawed at the powder and admired how it sat atop his paw-pads.

Hm? A question had been asked, but Matty had only caught the tail end. Lucky for him, that was the important part. Not really sure yet, he replied. Grandfather had taught him the basics of the business, but most of his knowledge was useless away from home. 

There was a way to turn this around so that he didn't sound completely useless.. right? I'm a pretty fast-learner, though. It had always been his secret weapon, of sorts. What do you need?

Though he'd flashed a quick grin, Mal was less easily distracted, watching Matty's attention turn to the snow, being rather casual about it all. A slight tilt of his head, but he didn't mention it. The way Mal had always understood it was that being in a pack was kind of a big deal, so wouldn't someone stay more focused? Hm. He wasn't sure what to make of it. Something to keep an eye on, maybe, if there weren't any giant red flags popping up.

But Matty wasn't completely out of it, apparently. Enough to give Mal something to respond to, How well do you pass on what you know? Got a few younger folks who didn't have the best start, need some catching up to where they should be. There were probably only a few months age gap between Matty and the trio of sub-year-old wolves Mal had gathered, but if Matty had a good start, then maybe he'd have a better idea of how to get everyone where they should be. So we're still figuring out what all we really need, once they're where they should be it'll be easier to see the big picture. It might not be what he wanted to hear, but it was definitely something that had to happen. If not, there were probably other things, too.

Matty hadn't meant to become distracted. He'd been struggling with managing his attention span his entire life, and based on various consultations, there didn't seem to be a cure. Had he known that Mal had been somewhat offended by the slight shift in focus, he probably wouldn't have cared. I'm still pretty young, too, he admitted with a laugh. How old did he look?

I guess...I've taught some younger kids how to hunt before. The truth had been somewhat stretched, but this wasn't a complete lie. Mathieu often took advantage as his status of heir by forcing the less fortunate and more gullible pups to catch his meals. That counted, right? What do you do? Maybe I can shadow you for a while.

The whole pack was young, old farts need not apply -- yeah sure, Mal was older, but he'd been held back as well. He wasn't much older either, in the grand scheme of things.  Still, pretty sure you're older than them. And if you got taught stuff the way it was supposed to be, you're leagues ahead. I figured stuff out by myself, I don't know if there's a faster way to teach things than what I've done. Getting them able to hunt better would take the pressure off, well, everyone. They needed to be able to hunt the deer now that they were back. Mal was pretty sure that if they couldn't reliably catch a rabbit or something in that range, then going after a big creature with hooves and maybe antlers was like... A really bad idea.

Hm. Having someone actually shadow him? It wasn't like he did anything too exciting. To a point Zephyr and Simmik did the same already, at least when it came to borders and occasional hunts. But nobody had really put a paw down and said 'yes, this is what I do and do awesomely.' There was a lot of 'well, kinda's floating around. I do just about everything -- patrols, most of the hunting, dealing with those like yourself who happen to show up at the borders, probably a few more things I'm totally blanking on. About the only thing I don't do is medic stuff -- if you end up bleeding out of everywhere and you've only got me, I'm not promising it'll go well. Gallows humor with an appropriate smirk, but true. Mal had enough to figure out without worrying about picking up another job.

The thought of joining a pack with mediocre hunters was somewhat off-putting. Mathieu could hunt, but he wasn't as skilled as he might have presented himself to be. A nervous laugh was covered by a cough as he allowed his gaze to drift once more. Does that mean I can join? he asked, 'Cause the snow is pretty cold on my buttcheeks. Without awaiting Mal's response, he stood and shook the loose debris from his fur, shivering for dramatic effect.

I guess I've already sold myself as a hunter, Matty laughed, so I guess I'll pick up the healing stuff, too. Anyone around here any good at it? He didn't know much about plants and he liked it that way, but if Neverwinter Forest needed a nurse, then he'd make the sacrifice. Besides, Chicks like the sensitive thing, right?

He chuckled a bit at that, Well you better get used to it -- the forest is better but that's not gonna make it suddenly spring inside, y'know? Sure did help a lot though. But yeah, c'mon. -- Unless you've got some burning questions where the answers might end up having you decide it's a bad idea. Slightly lopsided grin at at that, but he did pause, just in case. Matty seemed pretty agreeable overall, always a good sign.

Mango would be the one with some background in it -- haven't had too much of a chance to test him, which is a good thing I guess. Mal didn't know that Mango had overstated his actual knowledge, even if "a tiny bit" was the qualifier. But if you find someone else who knows more, by all means pick their brain instead. Mal shrugged again then, Or if you decide it's not your jam, I'm not gonna lock you to it. I figure we'll get more done with people who like what they're doing than doing stuff 'cause they have to. After all, if I'm offering new starts, I'm sure some won't turn out to be what they wanted anyway.

Hopefully Matty wasn't expecting a harem's worth of women to talk to, they were kind of lacking in that department. Sure, there was at least one thread that might change it a little, but... In progress. Oh hell if I know. Last sensitive chick I met was way too hard to figure out -- practically farted out butterflies, would start crying if you even mentioned something bad.  Too high maintenance to want to deal with even as a packmate, if he knew the term. Ceilidh had been normal, as far as Mal knew. She was nice, but Mal hadn't gotten to know her as well as he'd wanted. What would she think of him now?

The official welcome was accepted with a comical nod. Mathieu entered into the territory with a tempo'd walk, stepping in beat to each of the leader's words. Glad I didn't sell my soul, he joked. The chances of him taking up healing long-term were slim to none, so he was relieved to learn that this wasn't an obligation. Mal, Mango, and Mathieu. Wonder who's gonna get mixed up first.

He continued to listen, finding himself amused by Mal's presence. Chicks, man, he snorted, shaking his head in silent disapproval. Women were too hard to figure out, but Matty didn't mind; he didn't plan to start courting anytime soon, so being a douche didn't present any immediate consequences. Are there any of them here? I was related to all of the girls back home. It didn't make for the most ideal situation as a growing boy.

There used to be a Markus too, but of those of us here, it'd be us two getting people confused --once you meet Mango you'll know why. The fact he was blindingly bright orange kind of stood out. Now if people were just flubbing names that was something else entirely. Mal, Matty, and Markus were all greys with a bit of speckles, but definitely he and Matty were the closest in appearance. It was still pretty weird, but Mal was pretty sure his whole family was dead or so missing they were basically dead, so coincidence it would be.

Going out on a limb, let's assume at least one of the female chars maybe joining actually joins so this makes sense. Reliably? We got one for sure. Had a couple chicks join up then disappear right after, so will wait and see on new people. Dunno why guys have stuck around more, you'd think it wouldn't matter. Luck, I guess. But it meant the pack was mostly full of guys. On the one hand, no surprise pups from that, but they were all so young anyway that the fact was Mal was probably the only one able to spawn any kids, no matter what gender. I'm sure it'll even out eventually.  He did have a thought though -- what if Ibis showed up again? How would he act? There was a tiny idea.

So, like, a boy's club? Mathieu's tail began an involuntary wag behind him. Were all of the guys this cool? The promise of one girl was reassuring, too, though it didn't hold as much importance. He continued onward, veering right to avoid an oncoming lump in the snow. Later, he would return to investigate and see what was hiding beneath.

The conversation threatened to wane, so Matty decided to step up. Hey, you wanna crank out a hunt? he asked. It was an opportunity to prove his skills to both Mal and himself...if the latter, moreso. He also liked the idea of giving the girl a chance to examine his guns, if she were close enough to do so.

Well, at least it didn't seem to be understood as a bad thing? Okay. Cool. I guess, not on purpose or anything -- just been how things have worked out. Shrug. He was going to try to see if he could find some more women that might be interested, but it wasn't like Mal was gonna abduct them and keep them prisoner in the pack just to make some stupid numbers even. That was complete nonsense.

Easily distracted, maybe, but he seemed to be willing to do stuff, so that was always a good sign. Sure! We haven't managed to eat all the small stuff yet somehow -- the deer just came back, so I'm kinda just leaving them alone for a while. Let 'em think we're totally ignoring them a while longer. Obviously I've got a good idea what's where in here -- got a preference? Can take us right there.

Neverwinter Forest did not have a shortage of supplies, based on Mal's word. Mathieu would later come back and investigate further, preferably with the company of their lone female. Pick your poison, he joked. In truth, he didn't have a taste for anything, but admitting this seemed somehow emasculating. Matty looked expectantly at the leader, examining the patterns of his fur through careful gaze.

No strong opinion did make things easier in some ways. What if he only wanted to hunt a wolverine or something both rare and dangerous or something. Easily edible was probably better. Mal grinned, Closest it is, then -- let's see how lucky we are. This way. He redirected their path slightly and continued deeper into the forest.

Eventually Mal's steps slowed and became more cautious. There's a warren just ahead, Mal said quietly. He scanned between the trees for movement, suggesting, Spread out, see if any are out to play? If there was one, that was a start. If not, they had more time to figure out a plan. He looked briefly to Matty to see if he agreed.

Mathieu nodded to Mal and began to snake his way through the trees. The scent of hare droppings grew stronger as he drew right, pushing his snout up into a row of wrinkles. He could see one curious jack poking its head from the exposed burrow. 

He scanned the area for his superior in hopes of making eye contact before launching the attack. Then, in a most unceremonious fashion, Matty leapt forward and onto the target(s) — AHHH! — managing to grasp a fat one between his jaws.

Mal parted and headed off to sweep the outer reaches. If one wandered this far, it'd be easy to catch since it'd have such a hard time getting back to its burrow. He would occasionally take quick looks at where his new packmate was in relation to the world. He was taking a more direct approach, seemed like.

One time he looked back and there was a direct line from Mal, to a rabbit, to Matty on the other side. Mal froze. He was a distance away, not really able to do much unless it scattered. He hadn't seen anything out where he was that was recent either, but maybe it was Mal's presence a distance off that gave Matty half a chance to get as close as he was. There was that second. Yell, pounce, and Matty had caught it?! Mal broke from his spot and came forward, grinning, Damn, you keep that up, we're all gonna be eating like kings. Good job. Mal's tail wagged. Hell, if this guy was that good maybe even he had something to learn. Give 'em a moment to celebrate this little victory and then they could work out what to do with it.

His eyes were wide with shock, his mouth split into a wide smile. Behind him, Mathieu's tail began a mad wag as he trotted up to Mal's side. What could he say? A rush of pride came over him as he wondered if maybe he really was cut out for this sort of thing.

Matty dropped the hare and placed a victorious paw upon its skull. We cache it, right? he asked, assuming that this was the logical next step. He would await further instruction before heading off to dig its grave.

He nodded, Yeah, unless you think you need it right now. I'll take you over to the cache if you don't. Talk about things looking up! Really could have used you back a few months -- I never had that kind of luck when stuff was grim, hell, never did when stuff wasn't.  Mal took a couple of steps back so they could reroute to the cache as needed. I'll count that one as your work for now so I won't just chuck you right in to helping teach everyone, let you settle in and all that. A grin. Definitely a good start to being in the pack though, huh?

I'll keep it! Matty listened to Mal's reasoning and turned to head off, figuring that he could use the rest. At some point, he would stop to dig into the rabbit, burying the leftovers for a midnight snack.