there was a moon, once

set just outside the border @Romulus

Having struck north again, Cuan's paws were sore and bruised from the multitude of land he had traversed. Instead of curving northeast, however, the male had made one last stop before returning to the Sunspire. And he was taken back by the sudden change from dry forest and prairie to temperate coastal forest. The hills below him rose and fell with each line of tall pines disappearing behind each other. Cuan turned from the rocky ledge and prodded his way down the steep incline and into the body of the forest.

Streams ran here and there, and the tawny brute followed them as natural paths, using their shallow waters to seep his feet and avoid pushing through bramble. The forest was teeming with birds and rodents, but it wasn't making him alert. The smell of wolves was growing steadily stronger, and the scout's spine bristled occasionally. It would be soon before Cuan came across the border. He stepped out from the stream and lifted his head. With a quivering nose, the wolf scanned his surroundings. The forest was oddly disorienting, with the trees blurring into each other and the shadows dancing with the steady wind.

Mercury had decided to take Junior up on her advice — to a degree, at any rate. Despite his better judgment, and the fact that his father slightly terrified him (or perhaps it was the knowledge that he would be the forever disgraced and hated son that terrified Mercury the absolute most) Mercury decided that it was not a debonaire move to sneak out of the Bay when Ragnar was away on an outrider mission. Ragnar was a demon that Mercury would have to face and the brunt of disappointment that was sure to follow would be Mercury's to bear, even if he was hoping to avoid it all, even if it was a cheap shot or below the belt. Damn it all for his foster sister encouraging him to be a better person than he wanted to be.

Mercury had decided to give the borders a patrol, deciding that someone needed to pick up the absence of Ragnar and deciding that together Gunnar and him conquering their father's usual patrol about amounted to his father's usual patrols. It was during such a time that a foreign, yet slightly familiar scent, assuaged his leathery nostrils which flared in accordance to allow Mercury to test the air. Soon enough, the smoky black Lodbrok came into view of the wolf who was near the Bay's borders. Drawing in a breath he let out a low chuff to announce his presence so that he did not alarm the male. The closer, albeit with controlled caution, that Mercury went to the other male, the more his scent tickled at the recesses of the boy's mind. It was familiar because he'd scented it on Nerian's pelt for a while, definitely the scent of another pack though which pack Mercury hadn't cared enough to pester his father's mistress.

“You're awfully close to our borders, stranger.” Mercury observed, pausing when he was within adequate speaking range of the other, leaving quite a bit of distance between them, for safety measures.

The wind was different here. Cuan lifted his nostrils to it as it passed by, scenting strange smells. It was tangy and stingy, sharp and smelled of fish. There was water too, something that told Cuan there was a lake or a river, or whatever, that lay just beyond this crest of hills. Had it not been blocked off by the border of this pack, the scout would have eagerly gone to check it out, only to return to Sunspire loaded with stories. And he already had several from his outing. Perhaps he would run into Vienna, and they could swap tales.

A chuff reached his ears and immediately Cuan lifted them in response, stepping back once from the borders. It was a higher pitched than most, and the approaching scent was odd. Cuan did not expect to see the ashen black adolescent emerge across from him, all bark and no brawn. He couldn't help but give a wagged tail greeting, wondering how the pup had gone so far without being round up. The Sunspire pack had been cautious and intent on keeping Erika's litter safe and protected, yet this male had just... slipped out and paid the outrider a little visit.

I'm only looking to establish ties for my pack, and yours, the ruddy tawny male explained. Wondering if this was even the right wolf to talk to about ambassadorship, Cuan fidgeted slightly. It would be much too impolite to ask for an adult, but he might be needing one if this youngster couldn't discuss terms.

Mercury and his siblings though he remained the tallest out of them, was finally eye level with his mother who, granted, was a fairly small wolf. He had never realized it until he was able to look her in the eyes and tell her that he wanted to leave the Bay. He wasn't yet his adult size and his youthful features, too big paws and awkward movements painted him for what he was: a pre-teen. Child was too insulting to consider himself considering he was about a month or so away form reaching his six month milestone in which he would be free of the 'puppy' title and would be considered, at length, a useful addition to the pack. When the foreigner spoke to Mercury, the smoky black colored boy had to, literally, bite back the urge to let the sardonic words that burned the tip of his tongue off of his lips, despite that the urge was rather strong. He saw no ties between Stavanger Bay and where ever it was the man was from, but decided that coming from him at his current age the sass wouldn't be appreciated and instead would make him be labeled as even more of a child. As to which Mercury would not have appreciated on any sort of level.

While the scent was familiar to the Lodbrok boy he did not have a name to place with it which left a vast amount of possibilities before him. Mercury knew well of Blacktail Deer Plateau and was able to determine rather quickly that it wasn't where this male stemmed from and so that knowledge was basically, more or less, useless to him. “Stavanger Bay doesn't have alliances,” Mercury warned the other, having heard Ragnar speak it enough times that it was a reflex reaction to say it. Ragnar's advice on how to handle those outside of the borders wasn't lost upon the eldest traitor son. “If that was what you came here seeking.” Mercury didn't know, for sure, only went off of the limited assumptions he'd been able to make based off of the other male's words.

The scout shifted uncomfortably again, feeling the sea wind ruffling the fur against his back. He feel like this conversation wouldn't go very far, no matter how badly Cuan wanted to learn of the pack that lived in such a unique location.

I wasn't talking about alliances, Cuan reiterated steadily.Perhaps our packs should acknowledge each other's existence. I didn't even know you guys lived here.

The male scanned the coastal forest behind him, the wind blowing steadily. His nostrils was barraged by the scent of this adolescent's pack. Although the wolf was never one for being patronizing or condescending, if this charcoal stranger couldn't provide anything for Cuan to take back to Sunspire, he would move on.

The agouti colored man spoke that he wasn't looking for an alliance, and went on to explain that Stavanger Bay and The Sunspire should acknowledge each others existence, and stated that he didn't even know that anyone lived here. Imperial green eyes focused upon the other male broken only by a slow blink, deciding how the best way to respond should have been. Everything within Mercury wanted to be cynical and state that, obviously it was intentional. Stavanger Bay stuck to themselves, didn't pry in the business of others and likewise enjoyed it that way. Someone had to tell this guy that and since Ragnar wasn't around to do it himself it looked like that job rested upon the shoulders of the eldest son. “Ironic since I know of The Sunspire's existence,” Mercury didn't see why it had to be their fault that this stranger didn't know of them. “I know our Jarl has been there at least once or twice, presumably has spoken to one of your leaders.” Perhaps you should get better Outriders, but for the sake of not wanting to instigate something that he wasn't prepared for Mercury kept that to himself. “Well what do you want to know?” Mercury didn't know how much information he was or was not allowed to disclose — Ragnar and him were too busy fighting with one another these days to actually talk about serious business things but Mercury considered that his own judgment should be enough.

The young, rustic male felt his teeth worry the inside of his lip for a moment as the Bay wolf spoke. Perhaps this wolf's leader had spoken to Ferdie, the previous alpha. Amekaze was rather recent and there had been no visitors to the packlands since. But then again, Cuan had been away for quite some time. He did feel the urge to get back, although his little journey had been quite fulfilling and informative.

I was wondering what the terrain was like- it's different from the mountains of Sunspire. If this black male had been born here, than he was being raised in a totally new environment than Cuan ever had, or Erika's pups back at the Spire. It was heavily forested from Cuan's vantage point, but the air lingered with an odd smell that seemed to blow just beyond the tree tops. What sort of surprises lay hidden behind Stavanger borders?