Noctisardor Bypass crafted for quality

@Pheiros

Settling into his usual routine, Kaertok woke up to find Arbiter already gone. They hadn't (as far as his player knows) made any agreements on anything, but sticking nearby her as much of the time as he could seemed like the right thing to do. He still worried that Legion would not be strong enough before their children were born, but he kept as much hope as he could. They had other options if they needed them. He even wondered if Towhee's pack would be welcoming to them, even if it was just for a little while. They certainly weren't on bad terms.

After shaking himself free of whatever debris had stuck to his coat while he was asleep, Kaertok began to make his way to Legion's borders. He would mark the spots that were in need, and he would chase off anything (or anyone) that looked suspicious. The Tartok's lumbering form moved forward, his mind on the task at hand and not on much of anything else at all.

sorry for the wait!

He had already been patrolling the borders when he came across the scent of the scary-looking man. Pheiros hadn't worked up the nerve to talk to him yet, because he was just way too intimidated by him. But after going back and forth with himself for a few minutes, he finally talked himself into galloping forward and a finding him. 

And then there he was. His white coat was hard to miss as the man moved along the borders in front of him. Pheiros continued to sprint forward, slowing only as he came up beside Kaertok. His tail wagged slightly against his legs and he offered a shy glance. Hey, he greeted hesitantly. Can I patrol with you? It was kind of a bold question for him, and it made his heart bear faster in his chest. What if he said no?

Kaertok knew the name and face of Pheiros, but beyond that, he knew nothing. He was an odd-looking fellow with his floppy ears, but Kaertok didn't hold it against him. It did always catch his eye, though. The Tartok slowed his pace when the smaller, younger wolf approached, turning his head around to listen as Pheiros asked to patrol with him. Kaertok couldn't remember if he'd ever been asked a question like that. Usually, wolves just joined him without talking it up beforehand. It struck him as odd, but the white wolf gave a curt nod then rolled his shoulder to invite him along.

How did you come to be with Legion? he asked. Part of what Arbiter had asked him to do was gain the trust of the other Legion wolves, and he intended to do just that. He would need to track down the others eventually, but it was convenient that Pheiros had come to him. He continued along the border at a steady pace, ready for Pheiros's answer.

But he didn't say no; he silently offered for him to join, and Pheiros was quickly at his side, relief calming his heart some. Unfortunately, he was naturally nervous around those he didn't know well, so the nerves still remained, just faded into the background a little. I was with the pack when were at the hollow, he answered. My dad brought us there when I was a kid. He regretted bringing up the last part because he didn't really like talking about dad, but he had offered the information anyway. 

What about you? he asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from himself. He would be much more comfortable with the conversation being more about his packmate and less about him. Plus, he liked getting to know the newer members.

Kaertok didn't know what the hollow was, but he assumed it to be where Arbiter (and Jomyo) had lived before the bypass. Kaertok held no pity for the boy when he said his father had brought him there. Wherever his father was now didn't matter. Nor should it to Pheiros.

I met Jomyo while looking for somebody. Arbiter agreed that I could keep looking for my somebody while I recruited for Legion. He enjoyed the company of both of them well enough. They were level-headed wolves. Not fools, like so many of the wolves Kaertok had encountered. He had not been a great recruiter, but then again, it wasn't the job he'd been trained for. The Tartok continued along the border, stopping briefly to inspect a pawprint in the earth. At first, he suspected it might be something out of the ordinary, but he decided it was just a strange smudge, and he moved on.

The longer this interaction continued, the more he agreed with his initial assessment of this man: handsome but incredibly scary. He hadn't actually done anything or said anything cruel to Pheiros, but there was just something about his demeanor that made the golden boy feel like he needed to try very hard not to say or do something dumb, which was kind of difficult for him. 

His answer was kind of vague, and it left Pheiros wondering if he should ask for more details. Would he have offered the details if he wanted to talk about them? Or maybe he was waiting for Pheiros to ask? It was all very confusing and sending his anxious mind into overdrive, which was never a good thing. You were looking for somebody? he asked curiously against his insecurity that it might be the wrong thing to ask.

The way Pheiros said "somebody," caused Kaertok to raise an eyebrow. Yes, he replied, feeling no need to explain himself further. The Tartok wolf moved along the border, stopping briefly when he came across the trail of something or another. He paused, taking a moment to catalog the smell. It wasn't something he'd come across before, which was a rarity, but it also didn't seem worth tracking down. He was mainly interested in keeping other wolves out. Other animals, so long as they weren't large cats or bears, would probably be fine coming and going as they pleased.

Are you interested in becoming a guardian? Kaertok asked. It seemed likely, given that he had asked to join him on the patrol, but Kaertok wanted to confirm.

He didn't really answer his question; he only offered him a yes, which not only didn't explain anything but also made embarrassment burn in his chest and on his cheeks. So maybe it wasn't something Kaertok wanted to talk about, and now he felt like an idiot for asking about it. He couldn't drop the subject and move on to something else fast enough. He paused when the other man did and watched him inspect the smells. He would have asked about that too, but his embarrassment was still too fresh, so he just silently observed. 

At Kaertok's question, Pheiros nodded. Yeah, I'd like to, he answered first. I'd like to be a guardian and a medic, he added. The latter seemed more fitting for him, but he wanted to be able to protect the pack if necessary.

Kaertok took the boy's answer at face-value, as he did pretty much everything. Those were both useful skills to pursue, and although Kaertok knew next to nothing about healing, he knew it was an important skillset for a pack to have in some way or another. He didn't know any medics "on staff," so to speak, but he figured there might be some in neighboring packs that Pheiros could learn from. Either that, or they could send him away to learn somewhere.

What do you know about medicine so far? he asked. Or perhaps he knew nothing, and Pheiros merely thought he wanted to be a medic. Kaertok had known wolves like that, who said they wanted one thing, but once they actually got to the heart of it, realized they wanted something much different.

He wished he had more to offer in response to the man's question, but unfortunately, he did not. Um, not much, he offered, his words quiet and insecure. I've talked to Arbiter about maybe going to Easthollow and training under their healer, but things have been kind of weird lately. And he was kind of spacey and often got distracted by the prettier, easier things in life. He really did want to learn—but did it have to be such a chore to find someone to teach him?

He briefly glanced up at Kaertok before letting his gaze fall back to the ground. Do you have any suggestions? Pheiros was up for anything.

The soft sounds of their feet moving beneath them continued as Kaertok rounded a corner, keeping his eyes ahead rather than on Pheiros. However, when he mentioned that things had been "weird," the Tartok wolf paused to give him a quizzical look. Weird how? he asked, ignoring the question about suggestions for now. He would circle back to that later, but the "weird" factor seemed off to him.

He certainly felt uncomfortable being put ont he spot like that, but it wasn't an unreasonable question. His explanation had been sort of vague; he just assumed everyone was of the same opinion, but maybe not. Well first there were all the earthquakes; they made things weird and dangerous for a while, Pheiros started. And then we had to move and get settled here, which kind of put stuff on hold, he added. Things seem to be mostly back to normal now, though, so I was thinking of making a trip to Easthollow soon. Maybe they have someone I can learn from. And by soon, obviously he meant when he ever got around to it. Because his intentions were in the right place but sometimes he had a hard time really making himself follow through with things.

Kaertok didn't remember any earthquakes. Maybe he hadn't been around then. How long ago was Pheiros talking about? Considering the boy mentioned "moving here" next, Kaertok figured it must have been before his time. This was the only place he had known Legion to be. It was here when he had met Jomyo, from what he recalled.

You know wolves in this Easthollow? Kaertok asked. He did not know that pack, or at least it had not made any serious impact on him. Rusalka was the only other pack he had bothered with that was still around. He didn't even think that fiery wolf who tried to settle so close was around anymore.