Ocean's Breath Plateau oh yeah, i will rock your world
Sun Mote Copse
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Ooc — Chelsie
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#1
Joining 
Backdated to approximately May 19th! Just wanna get this in the log.

Retracing the path he and Njord had taken to visit Moontide was surprisingly easy. It turned out Stingray had a clever mind for landmarks and was able to use a combination of familiar looking boulders and copses to find his way to the same spot by the stream where they had stopped before. His paws were feeling a little sore by then, but the yearling was buzzing with anticipation and he found he could not settle down to rest.

When he finally reached Moontide's borders a day and a half after leaving Moonspear, his pads ached and his stomach rumbled with hunger, but there was an eager light in his eyes that hadn't been there before. He loved his family dearly, and Moonspear was good to them and had been good to him as well, but was it not the way of a young male wolf to spread his wings and fly free? Starting a new chapter where he had to stand on his own merits, beyond his parents, was liberating.

He had promised to visit often, and he would, but he hadn't known how dire his need to find his own path was until this very moment. The salt smell was bracing and comforting, and the crash of waves sang to his heart. It was the first sound he had ever heard and, if he was fortunate, many years from now, it would be the last.

Stingray dipped his hindquarters and hunched his shoulders with a lowered head, the picture of meek humility, before trilling a quiet and casual summons for @Rodyn or @Heph.
Moontide
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Ooc — Lepos
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#2
Heph heard the summons ranging about, she had actually not been on the plateau but further afield familiarizing herself with those nearby areas as well. Still, she was close enough and the voice sounded familiar. Moontide felt quiet as of late, not in a bad way but perhaps she was slow to trust it in its serenity. As she neared she realized that she had not been wrong and the voice had good reason to sound familiar. Bounding the rest of the way she came to a halt in enough time to avoid a collision or too much of an invasion of the other canine's space. "Stingray! It's good to see you." She looked him over. While it was not so long a journey that she had not expected him back it had also not been so long since he and Njord had visited. He looked hungry even if it appeared as if he fared the distance well.

Hopefully, his haste was not because of any urgency to do with the packs. Sisters though they were and she would have gone immediately if Moonspear was in need of help with Void and Meylodi gone she was not sure how much support they could offer. "Is all well? So formal at our borders, did I forget to mention you are welcome anytime?" Her voice was light and teasing, her own stance held a confident ease, but she had not quite picked up the posture of a leader like Rodyn or Samani. But she gave him room to speak hoping that whatever news it was it would be good and not cause for concern, and that her own joking had not somehow gone awry.
Sun Mote Copse
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Heph's arrival was abrupt, her gait spring-loaded as she came within inches of colliding with him, causing Ray to instinctively dip his head and shoulders to prepare for impact. He had no reason to doubt a warm reception from Moontide, but it came as a pleasant shock nonetheless. He had expected neutrality, maybe a smile, but not this familiar greeting.

Hi, Heph, he breathed through a little chuckle as he straightened up. He reached out to bump his muzzle amiably under her own, a sign of both friendship and respect. Everything's fine! Moonspear is good. He wanted to ask after Moontide, but felt himself teetering on the precipice of his nerves. If he didn't jump now, he never would. He would slink back to Moonspear, unfulfilled.

I actually came to see if I could... Ummm... Join the pack?
Moontide
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Heph was slightly surprised at the request, blinking for a moment and taking a moment. But her voice was warm and sure when she replied. "Of course, we would welcome another face around here." There was a smile at the end of her words, a hint of a joke despite the honesty in her speech. She felt that Rodyn and Samani would take no issue with her allowing a wolf from Moonspear to join their ranks, but she did find herself curious.

While her impression of Stingray was positive, a respectful but bright young wolf, she still wondered why he might feel the need to leave Moonspear. "If you don't mind me asking, why leave Moonspear and come to Moontide?" Her voice was not demanding, but it was even enough to display clearly her curiosity. Many young wolves often found themselves wishing to find their own way and Moontide would be a way to separate from Moonspear while still remaining near in both body and spirit, but there was also Moonglow and she was sure other packs that he and Njord had visited.
Sun Mote Copse
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#5
Ray wasn't observant. He missed Heph's surprised blink and took her acceptance at face value. When she said he would be welcomed, his tail picked up a little wiggle that soon transitioned to a full on wag. A sign of both his excitement and his acceptance of the hierarchy now established between them as packmates.

He thought that was it, so her follow up question tripped him up a little. The wag faltered for just a moment. Oh. Well, he said, torn between telling the truth exactly as it was and lying a little so it didn't sound quite so pitiful. He settled for somewhere in between: You ever just feel like you need to change it up? Moonspear is great, but there are a ton of wolves there and it feels pretty crowded. When my da and I visited, I felt a lot more at peace here where it's a bit quieter.

He smiled and hoped that none of his nerves about leaving Moonspear and coming here showed on his face; he didn't really want to confess that he felt invisible and useless there and hoped he could make more of himself here. I haven't really figured out what I wanna do with my life yet, he admitted, so I could try to learn to do whatever Moontide needs most!
Moontide
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#6
Stingray seemed to hesitate, or at least seem less excited at the question and she hoped that she had not pressed on anything sore. But she listened intently to his response and nodded when he mentioned needing to change things up. It was a sentiment that she understood well, it was part of what had caused her to set off from her own birth pack and it was part of what made her paws itch to feel different ground beneath them as she explored. Satisfied with the answer and excited about the new arrival she laughed a bit. "Well I'm glad you liked it, I can't promise complete quiet with Marina's pups but we are small."

Turning her shoulders a bit she turned to begin heading back to the territory. While they had probably seen quite a bit of it when they visited she thought a bit of a tour and to move while talking might be nice. "I can show you around a bit if you'd like?" She mulled over what they needed. They had many fine hunters, fewer fighters with Void gone, and no experienced healers. But the needs of the pack were not the only considerations. "I think the only skill we have in abundance is hunting, but is there anything in particular you're excited to learn or try? Even within hunting there are talents and abilities to hone that will set you apart." 
Sun Mote Copse
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#7
The minute the words left his mouth, Ray wished he could suck them back in. He had offered to do essentially anything they asked of him, including things he naturally struggled with. He was glad Heph had already turned away so she wouldn't see how he bit his lip and parted his jaws to correct himself, only to shut them again.

It was youthful pride, but Ray didn't want to admit that he was no good at something.

He followed after Heph, breathing in the salt air and feeling rejuvenated despite all his uncertainty. The surge of relief when the Beta said they had plenty of hunters was indescribable. I always liked exploring, before... He caught himself before he could say before the bear. Anyway, uh, I haven't done a lot recently but maybe I could be like... A dedicated explorer? Maybe I could find plants out there for the healers, or something, and maybe I could bring messages... Or something.

It sounded a bit lame and unhelpful coming from him.
Moontide
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#8
Heph grinned at the mention of exploring and messengers. Since she and Rodyn were both tied to Moontide, Marina was too with her pups, and Chakliux was a hunter foremost they were less able to reach out further afield. While she could not regret accepting the position as Beta as if gave her a greater ability to welcome new wolves into their pack and assist those within she had been worried that she would not be able to keep her promise to her friend that she would assist in forging new alliances.

Her voice was excited but tempered so as to be clear when she responded. "That would actually be much needed here. When Rodyn and Samani founded the pack they wanted to create many bridges of trade between Moontide and others and that requires messengers and traders to go to packs we know as well as explorers to reach out to those that we don't." While practice and experience would teach much she still remembered Rodyn and her journeying to Saphique and how useful it was to see the alpha in action so that she could better learn the role. "There are a few packs nearby that we're on friendly terms with, Sweetharbor, Sapphique, Two River Isles, and Vaire and Rhaegal's pack to be as well I would hope. If you wished to learn more of trading and traveling I or Rodyn could accompany you to any of those. Further afield might be harder to coordinate but would also be welcome."
Sun Mote Copse
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Ooc — Chelsie
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#9
Last one for me, wrapping Ray up here. <3 Thank you for having him!

Heph's tone lightened to something almost giddy as she announced that his scouting would be useful, which Ray couldn't help but wag his tail at. Really? It shouldn't have surprised him that Rodyn and Samani might value a go-between after what Kukutux told him about how the Moon villages operated, but it did. His self worth wasn't particularly high, so it was hard to imagine something he enjoyed might have a practical use as well.

The mention of Sapphique made his belly do a somersault. He hadn't thought much about his natal pack in a while, and it had been even longer since he talked about it. Now was not the time, he decided, instead opting to nod along as if each of these packs was news to him. I would love if one of you would come with me my first time, he agreed. I went to Moonglow for Sialuk once, but that was different. Kukutux invited me into the territory. I don't think it was the norm for visiting another pack. Have you been to any of them?

For the first time in a long time, the boy was eager to start something new, and listening to what Heph had to say about the nearby packs made him even moreso. Alas, this eagerness would last only so long before he itched for new horizons once again. In fact, he would never complete his first scouting mission for Moontide. The time of maturity was fast upon him, and nothing but the open sky and no particular destination would satisfy what Stingray Sveijarn-Corten needed to finally grow up.