Bearclaw Valley Saturday I said "I'm Sorry"

Had a bitta spare time so I figured I'd toss this up <3 @Mira @Ashkova

The valley itself was a bountiful place, with a water source, an oak forest, and some old dens scattered about that made Ameline believe that the valley had likely been inhabited before, by both wolves and bears. For now, it seemed a safe place to settle, especially with there being a bottle-neck that any wolf would have to pass through on their way down into the valley. 

Still wary of what might come after her and her mate, Ameline passed beyond the tumble of boulders and softwood trees, out toward where the grasslands opened up just past the valley's entrance. High walls of stone fell away behind her as she checked to make sure the area still seemed secure, and that there were no traces of scent left behind by those who might trespass into the valley in search of the deserters. 

It was also time for her to hunt- so she chose to rove with her head low, sniffing out the scents of wolves and prey alike.

Using an old Bearclaw Valley Pack Map for inspiration/reference

The valley. A beautifully deceiving haven. A place of rest and comfort since @Keiko erected her shrine.

With a formidable front entrance of sharp tree and rock. Though not the only true entrance.

In the bears roving of his new home he'd discovered a crack in the claws walls into the Blackfoot Forest days ago, and it was by this crack that he returned home today.

A tight squeeze for the beast's large broad shoulders left stone dust streaks along his pale coat.

Once free he ventured inward toward the falls. His large paws thudding causally over the ever cooling floor and through the rustling leaves.

He filled his lungs with air and pushed an echoing bearish roar from his chest over the valley. Keiko would know this as a sign of his return... but what of their recent visitors?

Thank you for sharing that! This is kind of perfect!

Ameline meandered in a clockwise pattern, along the ridgeline. If she wandered very close to the cliff's edge, she could look right down into the peaceful valley below- She scanned to the left and to the right, assessing the size of the valley, wondering if that might be enough space. Her eyes fell back to the river, noticing with light surprise that the little island was actually a number of little islands and rocks- and that it looked very much like a bear's pawprint. She smiled; she would have to bring Ancelin here and show him. 

She continued to roam along, eyeing the waterfalls as they came into sight until she heard a great, garish roar that froze her in her tracks. The sound had come from down in the valley, she was sure of it- but it had echoed up somewhere else, somewhere to her left, a moment later. She couldn't quite tell if it was the roar of a wolf or a bear- but she knew for certain that it wasn't Ancelin's voice. 

She turned to make a dash back toward the entrance to the valley and within moments, found herself tumbling into darkness. Once she stopped tossing over and over, she looked up to realize she'd fallen right into some sort of cave. She poked her head up and out- as if to see if anyone had witnessed her fall- before she turned around, and looked further into the cave....It twisted and turned, but seemed to continue and through it, she could smell fresh air. 

She remembered the tunnel at Sapphique that led down to the ocean, and all at once, she understood. This was not a cave at all, but a passageway down through the cliffs and into the valley!

She moved along, following the scent of a wolf- male she could tell- as it led down and toward a growing light at the end of the tunnel. There were a couple tufts of pale fur left behind, at the most narrow point in the tunnel, a sign she was likely following a wolf much larger than she. Still, she pursued. 

She followed his trail as it led toward the waterfall. Ancelin and the others, she figured, might be closer to the valley's entrance and potentially safe. 

She caught sight of the creature, noting the wolf-like tail it had, though the thickness of its body and rising bulk of its shoulders gave the illusion of a leucistic bear. Lilia bristled slightly, and chuffed, keen to see what kind of a face the creature had- and if it intended any harm.

He continued padding through the valley when a chuff sounded behind him.

A startled then annoyed groan pushed its way out of his chest as he quickly looked over his shoulder.

The surprising sound was one thing but now it was met with an unknown face.

His look of disappointment painted on his grizzly face as his gaze landed on a black and brown muscular female.

The rest of his body followed behind his head until he was fully turned towards the stranger.

A gruntish chuff was returned to the stranger, questioning the presence of this visitor.

One eyebrow arched as the massive creature turned to appraise her, noting the hefty jaw and broad muzzle that didn't exactly make it much clearer to her whether he was a wolf or a bear, or (if possible) some sort of hybrid. He turned toward her, and she remained where she was, ears flicked forward in curiosity. His movements, while lumbering, were more canine than ursine but much of the rest of him was ambiguous. His wolfish, tall ears were rounded slightly at the tips. His forehead was broad, and furrowed but his eyes weren't as wild or dark as a bear's ought be. 

She thought of the bearclaw that she had given Ancelin; how he kept it tangled in his fur. Her glance dropped to the creature's feet, where she got the only definitive answer as to what species he was- and while his paws were massive and his claws curved, they were without a doubt wolf paws. 

"You probably get told thith all the time," She said, "But I thought you wath a bear at firtht," She said. She did not intend to tease, and her tone conveyed just how impressed she was with his looks. Naturally, she filled with envy; why couldn't she look like that? "Wath your name?" She asked.

An unpleasant familiarity came from this female. The words she spoke though unintelligible to Drust were like those he had heard before. Old and dull compared to that of his priestess.
 
The most unsettling of all was the word he could understand… 'Bear'. A word spoken to him time after time and turned his stomach.
 
His nose flared with disdain but something kept him at bay.
 
The word was familiar but the tone was new. One that did not convey contempt or fear, followed by curiosity.
 
He paused a moment. Unsure if she had finished her babbling.
 
His head slowly swayed from one direction to another. A universal 'no' but his was hesitant, unsure how to answer a question he couldn't understand.

He was much more difficult to read than others, she thought. As quiet as Augur and New Snow were, they were quite communicative with their actions. Aside from a slight change in his expression, he looked disinterested, as if she had interrupted him in the middle of business he would rather attend to. 

His head swayed gently in response to her question, and she began to wonder if he did not speak at all. Normally, that wouldn't have dismayed her at all- she had grown up with wolves who did not use verbal communication. But this fellow was something else- stony, impassive. It might be harder to work out some sort of peaceful living situation if he also chose to call the Valley his permanent home, especially if he didn't intend to share it.

She tucked a paw to her chest, and voiced a single word. "Ameline," She said. At least then he might have a name for her.

A paw raised from the ground and settled on her chest. 

'Ameline' she uttered.

The word like any other. Though her gesture was directed toward her. Some deep affiliation to herself.

A name, others would call it. Special utterances meant to catch the attention of a specific individual.

Was his Hokkyokusei-sama...? No. That one was new... and belonged in the song of the Miko.

A long pause settled between the pair before Drust's gaze fell to the ground. Deep breaths filled and were thrust from his lungs, like bellows feeding a fire that sparked a rumbling in his throat... 

"D... DDERR... DRRRR..."

His mouth shut. The sound of his faulty instrument abashed him, leaving him discontented. Rippled lines gathered on his face as he scrunched his snout. 

His eyes jerked toward the females as he rose up in his stance. Taking his paw and lifting it to his opposite shoulder, he extended his claws and released a binding roar that bellowed out of him as he scratched his paw across his chest and through his fur. Proclaiming himself in his manual language.

Something of language came- a low, rumbling sound that halted before a full syllable could be spoken. She craned her ears forward, keen to catch his name if he could give it- only to slick them back a moment later when he raised himself and roared. Her fur was feathered as if hit by a breeze, and she squinted her eyes against the warmth of his breath. She sat rooted, lightly shell-shocked for a moment, before her ears flicked forward and she regarded him, exhilarated. 

"Bad-ath," She breathed softly in admiration. She gave him a crooked grin and a nod. "Yuh cool. I hope you thtay around here," She admitted.

The initial shock on her face was visible, and Drust waited for a reaction. 
Would it be fear? Hostility? Disgust? No.

A grin appeared on her face and something sparkled in her eyes that he could not place anywhere but in the realm of pleased. He had not run her off, and she remained before him intrigued. 

A faint smile appeared on his lips as he returned her nod.

Thx! Fade?

The current inhabitants of the valley seemed fairly content here- and it would only cause problems if Ancelin and Ameline were to try and root them out of the place that they called home. In the interest of keeping the peace and creating a home that was different than the one they had grown up in, it seemed that the best way to start was to be inclusive of wolves who were outside their family. To be kind, peaceful, and courteous. 

She liked the look of the bearwolf; it seemed they could get along. She gave him a nod, and headed back toward the entrance of the valley- so she could tell Ancelin of the new passage she had found, and the new inhabitant as well.