Moonspear seize the night.

He has a message for @Hydra but anyone can come collect it :)

Pestering Fennec wasn't his only purpose for coming, though his secondary purpose was one his mother had assigned him after he'd shared his intention to come here. He'd never formally met Moonspear's alpha before, but she still existed as Aunt Hydra in his mind from the time they'd been introduced from afar by howl. As he lowered his muzzle after sounding his humble request for attendance, he wondered if she remembered that day. Certainly it couldn't have been as exciting for the older, experienced matriarch as it had been for the young, naive yearling.

In any event, Figment was here to do his job. He settled in to wait for however long it took for someone to show, keeping his distance respectfully from their borders while still lingering near enough he could sate his curiosity by sorting through the pack's scent. The distraction was nice and calming for his nerves, which were a bit agitated by his uncertainty at meeting wolves that weren't part of the Copse. He needed to get out more, clearly, and so he began to contemplate how he might do that to pass the time.

She knew that howl, though it had been a long time since she had heard it. 

Hydra howled in turn, heart happier; Mira was home, and family had come to call. This one she had not met directly, but it was a pleasure to be doing so now. Hydra had not been sure she would ever meet Figment or Fennec, Towhee's other children... but fortune seemed to favor her as of late. It was no wonder, and it made her feel as though she were taking all the proper steps in the right direction. 

She had been nearby, patrolling—it took little time for her to break through the thinning woodland that came just before the rocky borders. Expertly, she picked her way down to him in several graceful bounds. She was chuffed to see him at last, and her tail swayed at the sight of him. I was wondering when I might meet my nephew, she drawled, eyes bright. You are well? she inquired, eyes looking him over then for any sign of hurt as her nose worked to ascertain the same thing; what her eyes could not tell her or find, her nose often would.

Fig never really expected Hydra to come herself. Of course, he never expected anyone of importance to attend him unless he knew them well. His humble mind simply couldn't fathom that he might be important enough to warrant attention. Still, the moment he caught sight of the dark wolf approaching him, he had little doubt that this was in fact the alpha of Moonspear. He was further floored when it became clear that she even remembered him.

Maybe he needed to work on his self-esteem.

Ever composed(ish), Fig smiled as he stood, slipping into a respectful posture while his tail wagged to show his pleasure. "I am," he answered, relaxing a bit as the ice was broken, "Thank you for coming. It's nice to meet you in person, Aunt Hydra." It felt slightly odd to actually call her Aunt Hydra to her face, but she'd started it with the nephew thing.

Content he was in good health, Hydra settled further and shifted her weight. She agreed with him on both counts. It was certainly better late than never. To what do I owe the pleasure? she asked with a sweeping wave of her tail. She hoped it was good tidings, as she had some to share as well. Hydra felt she ought to go to visit Towhee herself sometime soon, though with all that had happened it never felt like the right time. Mira had been found now though, and with more eyes upon the Wilderness she wondered if she might take @Mintaka for a trip as Towhee had done with Meerkat. Her adventurous girl had only been able to adventure here, and perhaps Mintaka might wish for more than that. 

Hydra would give her daughters the world, if she had that power; she was working on it. 

In any event, she waited patiently for his answer. Good or bad, the bright side of it was that she was able to finally put a face—and a smell—to his voice.

She didn't flinch at the title, which pleased him. Vaguely, he wondered how her relationship with Towhee had developed into what it was. They weren't truly blood and had never been packmates, as far as he was aware. Figment had no bonds with anyone outside of the Copse, so he was intrigued by their history.

But, that was for another time. "I came to visit my siblings, but also to bring a message for you from my mother," Fig answered, "She invites you and yours to come visit us at the Copse sometime soon." It was a simple message--so simple that for a moment, he wondered if he'd missed some part of it. But no, that was really it.

The message was far from a long one, and the invitation tickled her. Let her know that I will take her up on this offer, soon, she drawled. Hydra would help her son with the claiming of the Glen, and then take a trip... perhaps with her daughter, Mintaka, who had been remarkably obedient and well-behaved as of late. 

Let us walk and talk. I will take you to your siblings, she offered, stepping past the borders to join him along the way to the Glen. How are things within the Copse? she asked next, curious; it had not been too long a time since she had last seen Towhee, though she wondered if there might be anything new that precluded this invitation or if it was one simply asked because of their relationship and the ability they both had to do so, with children old enough to not be tethered directly alongside them any longer.

After he posed the invitation, Fig began to wonder if Hydra would react like Fennec had--questioning why. He still didn't think anything sinister was going on that prompted the invite. Hydra and his mother had been friends for a long time and as far as he knew, Towhee had always done the visiting. It just made sense for her to play the hostess sometimes too. So, he dropped the thought, but couldn't help but bring it back when they began to walk and Hydra asked about the Copse.

"Things are going well enough," Fig answered as he fell into step with her, "We have new neighbors that only my little brother seems to be fond of, but they've caused no real trouble that I know of. I think it's just strange for us to not be alone in the Hinterlands anymore after so long of it only being my family." Which didn't stop him from also feeling a bit uneasy about the deer-worshippers. They were so very different, though he knew that didn't necessarily mean they were bad.

"My mother tells me you're no stranger to uncomfortable neighbors," Fig added conversationally, interested in what her opinion on the matter might be. I have no idea if Towhee really would have told him about that but hey, she's not here to correct me so.

The truth is, I am not fond of any neighbors unless they are family, she admitted to Figment, tail swaying. When Winter comes, food and other resources become limited. Competition grows. I would rather break bread with my family than strangers, she drawled, and I do just that. Once, when there was famine, I had to fight and chase several strangers away along with the pack in order to feed our family and our cubs. If I can help it, I will push neighbors not of my family further out... and if they wish to settle close, come Winter they often find reason to regret it, she offered Figment a grin there; the matriarch was far from harmless, and would not pretend to be. Much of the regret came from an empty belly and wounded pride that need not happen in the first place, had they used their heads and not settled so close. Figment, of course, was family. He need not worry himself. And should they ever become neighbors, they would feast together then. 

Historically, neighbors left either thanks to Moonspear themselves or due to time and seasons causing things to dwindle. Life was often like that. Neverwinter was a neighbor that thus far stood the test of new to keep well enough away from Moonspears feeding grounds for Moonspear to not view them as threat to their livelihood. An ear twitched to hear his perspective on that; would he understand and agree? Or would he think her approach... barbaric?

Figment was attentive as Hydra spoke, contemplating each word and idea with his usual thoughtful curiosity. He saw nothing wrong in what she said and definitely agreed with her on a few points. He didn't know about making other packs that were unfamiliar regret their decision to move nearby, but not because he saw a flaw in it other than he simply wouldn't know how to do such a thing. He wondered if this was something Towhee and Phox were considering for their own neighbors, but he kept the curiosity to himself. He would see what happened.

"It makes sense," Fig commented, feeling the need to say something in light of the grin she gave him, "Pack and family should always come first." It was an easy thing to say for one who knew so little of anyone outside of his own pack, which was nearly all family. He didn't know these new neighbors of theirs and while it wasn't in his nature to be violent, it was absolutely in his nature to protect those he loved.

They should, she agreed, nosing his shoulder. Have your neighbors done anything to push the boundaries of you and yours, or have they kept a respectable distance, at least? She inquired, hoping that Towhee was not dealing with troublesome neighbors. Though she figured that if Towhee had dealings with any unsavory sort, she would be told of it, as Hydra would surely tell her of any new neighbors of concern to look out for.

Hydra caught a whiff of something that briefly distracted her, but ultimately the scent was stale—an old trail of a fox that had gone through that did not seem to grow warm toward the Glen but away from it, to her pleasure. Her attention shifted back to her nephew, who she was glad shared her sentiments.

Fig was gratified by her pleasure at his response. He considered her next question thoughtfully while I went ahead and made some assumptions about what he knows and what he doesn't. Cause why not? 

"Nothing aggressive to my knowledge," Fig commented, "They've encroached on our hunting grounds more than our pack lands. Our regent came across them during a hunt. They worship deer like deities, and she says they are inbred." He didn't know the validity of the latter claim, though it felt worth mentioning. They'd certainly earned themselves a poor reputation amongst the Firebirds for their strange ways.

They walked contentedly along, chatting until they reached the Glen where they parted ways.