Gyrfalcon's Keep Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

Since she had expected to travel through the forest to reach the lands that the new pack might have settled upon she had not bothered to stalk her usual hunting grounds and instead chosen to see what game could be found on her way. With fawns on the way she had gone out of her chosen direction to follow a herd for most of the day, but they had revealed no weaknesses and the stag among their number had tines enough for her to think twice about going after the gravid doe. She had not wished to give up her quarry, but the herd was alert, and though they did not spot her directly they did not let down their guard and she surmised that they must have a sense that something was stalking them.

With some reluctance she had thought to try and hunt some smaller game, but had not come across any promising trails. When she passed out of the forest she realized that she had still found nothing. The bay had enough rivers and small pools that she had settled in hiding around one, waiting for dusk. Her patience was rewarded when a racoon approached which was why she was lugging the carcass of the surprisingly heavy creature to the edge of the keep, approaching all the way up to the boundary between the bay and the foothills. Setting down her offering she wondered if she should call and decided to wait a short while before raising the alarm wanting to make a favorable impression.

Looking for someone from Hljóðrfell but all welcome!

Solveig patrolled silently, aware her daughter and a few others had been reinforcing the borders as well. Their fledgling pack did not boom and swell, not like a river flooded by snowmelt, but it continued to exist nonetheless; gathering a stronghold as a lake might, settling into a pool in the mountains.

A visitor was welcome attention, when they regarded the borders with respect. It was odd, though, to see a wolf had come so near them with a raccoon’s carcass. Solveig was not sure what to think immediately, when she caught the stranger’s scent. It was clear the carcass had been dragged in their direction- but the wolf’s intention was unclear. 

She woofed to get the wolf’s attention, approaching with a somewhat stiff hair. The stranger had a kill to protect, but bringing it this close to another pack’s boundary and expecting to keep it was to make a bargain with the Gods.

Heph noted the approaching stranger at a distance, light fur, but dusted with the tones of the earth and the sun, a stiffness that made sense in the straight lines of her hair and the graceful power of a warrior enmeshed with her step. She returned the woof of greeting with a wag of her tail, a friendly bark of her own, and a tuck of her own ears, waiting until speech was a more comfortable distance but doing her best to show she was not there to cause trouble even if there was a small dead furry thing at her paws and a wolf whose lands she was approaching as the pack scent winding around the other she-wolf became more apparent with the closing gap.

When the other wolf was close enough to make out the color of her eyes Heph's first instinct was to pay a swift and over-exaggerated compliment. Such a breathtaking reception to these packlands, you'll have to use that warrior's walk to chase me away at this rate. But she was there first for Moontide and then secondly perhaps to seek whatever conversation could be spared before she returned back to her own packlands. So instead she tipped her head in greeting, the ease of her natural candor giving her voice the impression of a confidence she did not feel. "Hello. I'm Heph from Moontide, a pack along the coast to the west of here." She offered the information easily, they would be able to find them without much trouble anyways the distance only a day or two's travel at most if one were being deliberate but not overly hurried. "I noticed these borders, and brought a gift." She picked the racoon up by its scruff, it was heavier than she remembered and anticipated and her head dipped a little at he weight before she managed to place it between the two of them before backing away.

"I was hoping...ummm" Her speech faltered a bit, difficult to ask for such a thing that she had never asked for before. She really was not sure how to do this, but forced herself to plough on. Something in her voice changed, warmer and friendlier and more her own, open and wide though not teasing. "Well we're going to be near enough neighbors and our pack was hoping that we might eventually become friendly enough to call upon each other's borders for trade or aid or what is needed." Thinking back to what Rodyn had said he offered she added, trying not to ramble too much but wishing to be upfront with her intentions. "I can also stay and assist on nearby hunts for the next few days and answer any questions I can." She did not invite herself into their borders, but the land around the territory surely had some prey in it and she was more than willing to follow orders and give up the kills if it meant stretching her legs in the chase. Time would tell whether or not the pack would make a good ally or desire Moontide's good will either, but for them to learn they would need to at least be on speaking terms and she hoped that her first attempt had done her pack a service rather than an ill.

Solveig’s gaze was steady and calm. The stranger’s demeanour was tepid, a reflection of her own. And while Solveig naturally sized strangers up so she might pick out their weakness should a fight erupt, she was nevertheless grateful when visitors chose benevolence instead.

She found the woman to be a bit long-winded. Perhaps the role of being an ambassador was new to her, she thought. She had been thoughtful enough to bring a gift, though it was not one Solveig might have prized. Raccoons weren’t typically food- they ate such a variety of things that their meat tasted a bit gamey- but she thought her daughter might make use of its healthy pelt. Solveig would not dishonour the visitor’s intentions by denying the gift. 

Heph’s intentions were good. And if the rest of the wolves of Moontide were like her, then she couldn’t imagine why the relationship would be scorned. 

She sat down, and nodded; willing then to entertain the idea with a bit of discussion.

”I am Solveig; this is Hljódrfell.” She stated, using Heph’s language, which seemed to be the most common in these parts. ”Tell me more about Moontide, please?”

Heph took the request for more information as a good sign, it did seem reasonable that they would want to know more but her nervousness began to abate. There was quite a bit of information that she could give, and she was not completely sure what the other wolf's intentions were in asking. Was it a moral judgment? Trying to discern their strength? Was it a question of history? But she continued on, voice bright and cheery even in its staidness. "We're a young pack led by a married pair, Rodyn and Samani. We have" she tried to think of the correct word, allies was true but it perhaps did not encapsulate all that Moonglow and Moonspear represented to the packs "sister packs to the south, Moonglow and Moonspear."

She had not joined the pack strictly for ideological reasons as such, Rodyn and Samani were both friends of hers so she had become a member of Moontide first and foremost to settle alongside them. "I knew Rodyn for a little while before the pack was founded and he's been a good friend, kind, strong when it is needed, and a skilled hunter, Samani is much the same although with a touch of wisdom, perhaps passed down through her mother." A bit of Heph's natural humor shone through, a light laugh hinting through at the end of her words. Like the pack itself the wolves within were young, but in all their interactions Samani had been warm and even-tempered in a way that often suggested the level-headedness associated with sagacity. It was a difficult thing to quantify or qualify so the humor infused reflected the ephemerality of the suggestion.

Solveig listened, processing what she was being told as well as she could. She was not sure if Moontide was new, or if it was in fact only young wolves- but decided that it could likely be either. Heph had good intentions, but seemed fresh to the role of describing her pack. She focused on the leaders- useful information, of course, but leaders were a part of the pack, not the core.

A pattern seemed to emerge when Heph mentioned other packs. ”Do you worship the moon?” She asked. Obviously it was of some importance to them; and Solveig wanted to suss put where the packs’ values were.

Heph considered the other wolf as she spoke, and took the attentiveness for listening. It brightened her mood a bit although nothing much changed in her countenance. She was unsure about how the whole interaction was going, but she was determined and headstrong in her efforts so she pressed on and considered the other wolf's questions. It was a question she did not know if she really had an answer to, embarrassingly enough she did not know much about the customs of Moonglow, but her impression of Rodyn and Samani was that they were not attempting to force whatever beliefs they might have had as a part of the larger pack on all of the followers in Moontide.

A brief smile curled at the edges of her maw at the query since it did seem as if they had a fixation on the moon but she answered honestly "I'm new to the customs of Moonglow so I couldn't say, but that pack is led by a wolf called Moonwoman and my impression is that she is wise in the ways of the world in ways that not many are. Personally, I respect her but would not call it worship, of her or the moon." It felt a bit awkward since so far Heph had shared her opinions on things but had tried to be as truthful and general as possible, but she supposed there was no helping it. She did not know how the majority of the pack felt about Moonwoman and whatever spiritual paths she may or may not lead the other packs and wolves on so she only had her own knowledge and experience to lean on.

Solveig did intend to be so critical, but curiosity got the better of her. For three packs and their leader to have the word “moon” in their title, surely there was some bond or worship happening. 

”There is much to appreciate the moon for,” She said, an olive branch to show she could at least see why the celestial object might feature so prominently in the values of the Moonwolves. 

”What has your personal impression been, of the pack you live in? Does your empire expand peacefully when it creates these sister packs?” She asked.

Heph answered honestly, nodding at the olive branch though she felt no offense. She too was rather curious about the customs of the pack she had chosen, but was in far more of a rush to stretch her legs than chase down more abstract answers. Her tone was plain but bright when she replied. "Moonspear I'm not sure, but Moontide was peaceful. Rodyn gathered many friends of his and Samani went with the blessing of her mother Moonwoman." At least she assumed that Samani had secured her mother's blessing as the wolf had come to Moontide herself with gifts and offers to help them settle along with her wife and her husband. It did not seem like the kind of thing a wolf did if there was not some sort of agreement or at least approval. But she had never been to Moonspear and knew little of the pack and could not speak for it even if her suspicion was that it too had been a peaceful expansion.

On Moontide she could speak a bit more and she gave a shortened version of their founding and what she thought for their future. "We didn't oust anyone or another pack off the land we claimed. There is a female pregnant among our number now and I know Rodyn and Samani eventually plan for children and have extended the offer to have pups to others - I think we would want to build a safe place for those pups to grow up happily and provoking conflict would put us at odds with those wishes." It painted a rather domestic picture as there were no pups currently within the pack but she believed in her own words and her own tone turned a bit warm when she thought of pups. Heph looked forward to getting to know any children of Samani especially and hoped to take some time to remain in the territory for a short while to hunt and learn their personalities and perhaps even teach them hunting games. She would prefer not to think about war but it was a possibility that could not be completely ignored, she knew that if it came down to defending both her new home and friends but any pups that were within the pack she would not avoid a fight, but it was not something she relished considering.

There was still some small amount of discrepancy in the woman’s knowledge, especially with regard to the pack called Moonspear. It did appear as though the packs formed by offspring from the mother-pack, but this seemed natural. 

If nothing else, Solveig was given the impression that the wolves of these Moon packs certainly had plans on multiplying. Word came to her of more children being on the way and more to come following that.

Solveig did not want to have many packs sprouting in their vicinity. Not for the sake of allowing their own to grow, and thrive. 

”I would like to visit your pack, and perhaps the others as wel.” She said. ”We are peaceful. And this land is our own. We hunt in the surrounding territories, as well.” A gentle way of claiming some amount of space for themselves. They did not want to share borders with another pack, she thought. 

”In which direction have you come? I will go that way, soon.” She said.

Heph listened intently, it was of course a wise decision to gather more information and perhaps more directly from the leadership of those packs. While she understood the claim towards the outlying lands it was not a matter that she could resolve there as she did not know what Rodyn's plans were, there was still plenty of forest between them but she knew that if both of their packs prospered it could easily lead to tensions. At any rate it was something the wolf could discuss more broadly with Moontide - after all they also bordered the Iktome Plains to the west and might be able to move some of their hunting in that direction.

Nodding her head she responded "Moontide is west and up the coast, when you reach a plateau that marks our territory, Samani or Rodyn would know most not only about Moontide but also Moonglow and Moonspear. But if you wish to visit them first then they are both to the southwest led by Kukutux and Aiolos of Moonglow and Sialuk of Moonspear." Tilting her head slightly she queried, not pressing, but seeking nonetheless. "I will let Rodyn and Samani we've spoken, what should I tell them about your role in Hljodrfell?" She supposed this would also answer their role in negotiations.

I'm good with fading/wrapping up in the next few posts?

sure :)

Solveig preferred not to make agreements with other packs directly; it was Asvoria who would make those decisions. But she felt she had heard about as much as would be necessary from the ambassador, who likely had other missions to take. 

She addressed Heph’s query with a light, but appreciative nod. She could not say if she would go to one or the other- not without some thought and discussion with the others first. She was not one to act without permission, nor was she one to share her motives with a stranger.

”I am Skjaldmær; a guardian. The high priestess of our pack is named Asvoria. It is she who interprets the will of the Old Gods.” Their leader, she implied. ”I thank you for your visit, and for the gift. I have something I would send with you, in return- a sign of our hospitality. My daughter is skilled in preparing pelts; if you come with me, I can show you to our glacial stream for a drink, and have her fetch a new foxpelt for you.” She said, with a brief gesture of her muzzle.

Heph nodded gratefully offering a smile. Ultimately Rodyn would make the final decisions regarding any particulars so it seemed neither of them could come to any final agreement, but she thought it spoke well to the pack that even its guardians were willing to hear out a stranger at their borders. "Thank you." She was curious to see the glacier water, she had spotted the large ice structure from her hike of the mountains some months earlier but only at a distance and was wondering if the water was markedly different. The fox pelt would make a good addition to either Samani's den or perhaps Marina's if it had not been well furnished. Not only would it provide warmth for her pups when they came, but hopefully it would also make her more comfortable in the interim.

Solveig nodded, and turned to lead Heph into the pack’s territory, after sending off a few barks to catch Thyra’s attention. Her daughter would meet her with a resplendent fox pelt, with girlish pride m, and would happily hand it over to the ambassador before dashing away to continue working on her crafts. 

Once fed and hydrated, Solveig would see Heph off, hoping she would only have positive things to say of them to the Moonwoman she returned to.