Northstar Vale i used to be soft

tagging all leaders for visibility! @Reiko, @Ibis, @Takeshi

the early afternoon is warm; made humid by the moisture that hangs heavy and thick in the air of the mountains that loom 'round him like ancient and fearsome sentinels. each breath is only slightly labored — from the humidity, from the altitude, from the slight loss of weight from his travels surviving off of meager and small woodland creatures; nothing too arduous to hunt that might be an excess waste of energy better used for his travels. tzenno pauses to take stock of his surroundings and the best recourse to work down the rest of the path, slick with rain and loose rocks. the songbirds overhead let out a series of short, clipped trills, renditions of some musical piece lost to him. the further he descends towards the valley nestled between the mountains, the stronger a pack scent flares up until he reaches the bottom, and forces himself to stop to avoid trespassing. he leaps up and takes a brief stance on an outcropping of rock to study what he can see of the landscape, weighing his options.

after a few moments of careful consideration he tilts his head back and lets out a howl announcing his presence before abandoning his post on the outcropping — skidding down on slick mud until paws met solid ground of earth once more; stance neutral as he awaits.

He hears the rumbling call above the earth, the shake of the animals fleeing under his paws in a desperate attempt to put as much ground between them and the stranger. Watching them past, The Prince curses under his breath at the sight of his prized hog leaving. A quick flare of anger running through his veins.

He would have to wait another day for his meal.

Turning, the slated boy stalks out of the hills, out of the coverage the trees provide and down towards where the call sounded. Upon turning against a rocky outcrop he is met with the stranger. Piercing yellow eyes and body cloaked in coal—shades darker than his own. He lets his emerald gaze rake over the form of them, grimacing at the unsightly manner of their paws.

Muddied. Gross.

"You're at the borders of Reneian Empire," he states, voice breaking the barrier of his feminine look. "What may I help you with, stranger?"

the time that slips between when his howl fades and a figure approaches — movements elegant that give off a grace that, as a beast who put minute detail into swift footwork, was instantly jealous — is sweetly short. tzenno, not real sure what to expect, dips his head below the set of his shoulders in a bow of respect, of subordination as if he were greeting his lordfather, master, or numerous trusted generals; but he is a lowly ronin, disgraced prince ...always unsure which was a worse title to bear.

reneian empire, he repeats the name to himself in his mind; testing it, playing it over and over as if it might make some sort of sense to him. noting the empire man glimpsing at his appearance, tzenno glimpses down as his muck covered paws and wonders, belatedly, what he must look like. cleanliness hasn't exactly been a top priority and the rains made it hard to remain so regardless. i am tzenno, he offers his name with an additional curt bow of his head. and what? i wish safe passage thru your pack's territory? a sojourn? neither truth sounded real great, nor beneficial to anyone but him and tzenno knows neither is a fair thing to request.

he draws in a breath and his ears flutter back to rest at half mast atop his skull. i was hoping to learn some of your pack. maybe join, if your empire has the room and need of me. though he feels a deep ache in his chest at the knowledge that a pack wasn't the same as having a master ...but he was tired. physically, from his journey ( which seems to have no end ) and from the loneliness that has been his companion since the death of his master.

The male bows, a gesture that causes a flush to spread throughout the yearling's body. No one had dared bowed to him before. Not Valour. Not Easthollow. It shakes him slightly, though he is quick to shield it with earnest gulp and a raise of his paw in an attempt to get the other to stop.

He was a peasant, after all.

"Tzenno," he sounds. An odd name—one that is not odder than the others among him.

Clay flicks his tail idly as he glances around. "Clay—I'm afraid I cannot give you much information as I am a newcomer myself." There seems to be no sign of Reiko, Ibis, or Takashi around. Hopefully, they would come soon.

"The empress or her court should be here soon," He looks back at Tzenno out of the corner of his eye before continuing to survey the land around. "Where do you hail from? What skills do you have?"

Takeshi was far into the territory was the howl rang out, and so made his way there as soon as he could- but found Clay Apaata talking with the stranger. Do they know eachother? No, he realizes, as Clay asks what skills the dark stranger might have. Takeshi approaches with a chuff and a glance of approval towards Clay for his successfully executed process of gathering information. 

He clears his throat, not meaning to interrupt- but knowing these introductions must be made, and too late to catch the boy's name. I am the emperor here- Takeshi- I'm also curious about the question Clay here has asked of you- but I didn't catch your name, either. He explains, then stands quiet and tall, a looming sentinel to back up Clay in case anything happened.

at the plight of the empire wolf before him — the gesture to release himself of the bow — tzenno slowly straightens up. it feels strange, wrong perhaps even. he is used to being humble ...a trait sharply learned at the edge of teeth; and pretending he is anything other than an arrow without direction or purpose is pointless. a name follows his own — clay — and an admittance that he is newly inducted in their ranks and really can't offer much information. luckily, there was no time to fret over this and no time to answer clay's presented questions as another empire male appears; this one bearing a status that haunts tzenno's every waking ( and dreaming ) moment.

emperor —

the title sets tzenno into another bow, this one aimed at the emperor. i am tzenno, lord takeshi, he uses the honorific because it was what his father liked to be called: lord. i am a ...ronin, though he does not offer that information with pride. being a masterless samurai was not something he reveled in. as such, i can fight and i can hunt; and my late master taught me a few things about healing. though that particular skillset that base at best, lessons brought to an abrupt end to no choice of student or teacher.

Im so sorry for the wait!

The emperor arrives, his posture impressive as always. Frosted pelt glimmering beneath the rays of the sun as if the gods themselves had blessed him with their mighty gifts. Clay felt jealousy at the pretty jewel complexion, his own ashen frame marred with disgusting earthy colors and scars amongst his body.

Oh—to be beautiful.

Straightening his posture as Takeshi looked to him, Clay bowed his head low to the ground before turning to Tzenno. "I shall take my leave now. May the stars grant us the pleasure of walking the same road." He made no further comment of the boy's abilities, thinking nothing of it. "My emperor," he bowed once more, a parting gift before turning to leave.

Clay exiting the thread here unless Takeshi reels him back

This boy Tzenno was perfectly respectful, dipping into a bow at the sight of his new ruler... though Takeshi despised being called lord; it was a rank much lower than his own. He doubted the boy knew this though, and dismissed it, assuring himself he'd learn in time. 

Hesitantly he clarifies himself as a ronin, to which Takeshi lifts a brow curiously. Was he supposed to know what that meant? But his skillset sounded admirable; fighting, hunting, healing... a sort of jack-of-all-trades, in spite of his youthfulness. An unusual smile met Takeshi's face, pleased by the list, but he knew it could not be that simple just yet. Tzenno, that all sounds quite impressive, He hums, -but as for our place here... well, we need to trust that you won't up and leave after you've gotten your fill of food. How can I trust that you will be loyal to us? He questioned- though his tone wasn't harsh, communicating it was more of a routine than a real doubt. He already liked the kid before him, he just had to be thorough.

the boy, clay, takes his exit and tzenno offers him a gesture of parting with a small dip of his head. after he is out of sight, does his gaze go back to the emperor as the other man speaks. though tzenno is sure that the older man doesn't mean it that way, at the very least not personally, the rōnin cannot help but feel the sting of insult as the emperor makes a statement about how he is to convince him that he will not split the second his belly is full of food. admittedly, tzenno has thinned some due to travel and the inability to spend copious amounts of energy on hunting big game but even so —

i can hunt well enough on my own, spoken in simple fact, absent of arrogance. it would benefit me in no way to steal your food and bolt. beyond that it was a matter of honor. i understand your concerns. all i have to offer is my word, for now. i need a master to serve. without one, i am a soul without a body.

The boy sounded dedicated enough. If anything, the question was a simple pry only meant to turn away freeloaders, but Tzenno seemed hardworking, and there was no reason to doubt his character. Takeshi even sensed a passion behind the last of his words; the need to serve. That pleased the emperor especially well- the more servants, the better. If this boy wanted so badly to provide, Takeshi would gladly give him a place to stay- and so he continued, Tzenno, you seem very respectable a man. Welcome to the Reneian Empire- I bestow upon you the rank of peasant for now, until we see more of your character. And with that the pale beast stood aside, tail waving to invite the boy into his new home.