They had wound up in a peculiar place, but Lotan wasn't displeased. Rather, he was intrigued by the ring of mountains that encircled this valley, and the wolves that lived there. So far, they had only been acquainted briefly with the Alpha, Cara, who had been willing to accept them into her ranks. Joining a pack so quickly hadn't been a part of his plan; but then again, had there been a plan in the first place?
Lotan was just glad that Wyvern was with him. Though he talked a big game and dreamed of being an explorer, he likely wouldn't have made it this far without his sister. Surely they would continue to grow into their own individuals, but he was glad to be doing so with her nearby. Speaking of...where had she gotten to?
"Wyvern?" he called out, padding through the thick forest that carpeted most of the little valley. They had only been apart for a few hours, but he already felt the need to check in with her, and see what she thought of this Spine that they now called home.
She thrummed with a quiet excitement as she jogged over the new, foreign terrain. Senses assaulted by all things unknown, she was practically overwhelmed. From wolves to prey trails to the twists and turns of the landscape of their new home (which alone was an interesting development in the story they were fashioning for themselves), there was so much to take in.
But this was what she had wanted. New and exciting, and once the wintertime wilds proved to be a little more difficult than anticipated, this had seemed a logical and wise choice. Sure, she might have liked to rove a while longer but this was bound to keep her entertained for a good while. Wyvern had no idea what to expect next, and loved it.
Nevertheless, they had been accepted then sort of parted ways not long after to do some individual investigating, presumably. But she was rarely all that far from him, so soon after her name was called into the woods, she came circling back towards her tawny-furred brother with a satisfied lightness in her step. So, what d'you think?
she chirped and swayed her tail. Even if it's probably way too soon to ask that. We have only been here for.. a minute,
she laughed and nosed into his shoulder. Not literally a minute of course, but in the grand scheme it may have seemed that way. They had just begun.
The assassin weaved through the trees, climbing up the slopes towards the borders where he supposed they would be, being so recently accepted. His reasoning was right, for he saw a pair of wolves in the land ahead.
Kaname chuffed softly, interrupting whatever conversation they were beginning and butting in. "Greetings." he walked closer to them, wasting no time in introductions. "I am Kaname, the Beta here and Cara's mate." He thought it important to let them know, or remind them if Cars had already mentioned it, since they were going to be staying here, hopefully for a while.
It was only a matter of seconds until Wyvern appeared, materializing like a wraith from the snowy forestry. She seemed to be pleased, judging by her expression and the tone of her words, though she asked outright for his opinion. He agreed with her; it was a little too early to pass judgement, but within a few days they would have settled in and be able to form a more objective opinion.
Once Wyvern was close enough, he reached out to punch her shoulder gently with his snout, returning her greeting. He pursed his lips thoughtfully, tilting his head as he allowed his gaze to skim over their surroundings. It was relatively peaceful, but was that what they wanted? Hadn't they left Sterren Hollow in search of adventure?
After a brief pause, he replied, "I like it fine. What do you think?" He had nothing bad to say about Ouroboros Spine or the wolves that lived there, but he wondered whether it would be a more permanent place to reside or if they would move on with the spring thaw.
The siblings weren't alone long enough to muse further on the subject before a swarthy male approached them. The sound of his exhale drew Lotan's attention, and he turned to look. This male seemed to fit the description that Cara had given of her mate and the pack's Beta, so he let his tail fall limp between his legs. His parents had instilled manners in their children from an early age, so there would be no disrespect shown to his new leaders. Kaname introduced himself, confirming Lotan's suspicion, and he bobbed his head in greeting. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lotan and this is Wyvern," he said, gesturing towards his sister.
Indeed, she was in good spirits. Winter had threatened to dampen her excitement about being out and about away from home, but even that had not been all bad. She could easily imagine it being worse if she was fully on her own. Having Lotan was much of what made it possible. They could hunt together, keep each other warm, and just provide company all around. Without him, she may not have even been able to leave.. especially in wintertime.
Now though, they had the benefit of a pack around them and with it came much less worry. However, there was still the matter of figuring this pack out. It was surely different from the one their parents led in its own ways. Wyvern was already curious that the leading female seemed young, but not lacking in ferocity. There was so much to learn still.
Yeah, same so far, I'd say.. I do like the scenery..
she said, swinging her muzzle towards the small stubs of mountains that lined the territory. It and all the evergreens lent the place an unexpectedly cozy feel. Before she could speak on, her red ears turned towards the stranger's approach. She stood squared, ready and endlessly curious at the sight of the dark male. When she realized who he was, she shifted herself to be more plainly submissive -- ears back, tail slack, and head lowering as she nodded. Hi,
she added shortly after Lotan's introduction. He had covered essentially everything for starters, so she didn't feel she had too much to contribute yet. We basically just got here.
As if that was not obvious enough to the beta.
The Beta gestured for the pair to rise from their submissive postures, content now that the initial displays were done. "I'm assuming you two are interested in looking around?" He asked, playing the part of a generous host. "I can show you around some of our territory, if you wish."
"That would be great, actually," he said with a bob of his head. He glanced at Wyvern to make sure that she was willing to go along, as well. Then he waited for Kaname to lead the way.
Her first impressions of the leading pair were good so far, and likewise, she hoped theirs were the same on them. When he gestured for them to relax, she did, although just some. Her parents had done well to instill manners onto her, especially when faced with those in charge of the place.
She then nodded eagerly to the darkly-furred beta. Yeah, we were kind of working on looking around a bit when you found us, but had just begun..
she said, to say that they really had not seen much. Thank you,
Wyvern added, now readied to follow his lead and see what he would show them. She was interested in the landscapes, their central places, good hunting spots, so on and so forth..
They meandered in silence for a few moments, the quiet only broken by the sound of their paws crunching through the snow. Then, Lotan spoke up, his voice sounding abnormally loud to his own ears. "What made the pack decide to settle here?" he wondered aloud, comparing the mountain range to Sterren Hollow in his mind.
The dark beta set the pace and attentively, they followed. She stayed beside her brother in a spot she was very comfortable being. All the while, she was skimming the surroundings with eager eyes and breathing deep, hungrily trying to memorize whatever she could.
He brought up a good question and without even thinking about it, she found herself nodding. Yeah, and what are some of your favorite parts of the territory?
she added for her two cents. Favorite places, hunting spots, noteworthy cache sites.. there were so many things to learn from here on out, and any insight Kaname felt like providing would be useful.
As he walked towards the lake, the Beta answered the siblings' questions, pausing every once and a while as he made his way over obstacles. "We once lived on a mountain to the north, Silvertip. Our previous alpha, Jinx, moved us here because this place had much more prey than the last place. And besides, the landscape here is breath-taking as well." The Beta remembered with delight at his first time coming here with Jinx and looking over the greenery. That was something he never forgot, or could ever recreate.
"As for favorite spots, I'd have to say the lake, which is where I'm leading you two right now, and the island in the center." He said, trying to see if he could spot the glassy lake in the distance. "I had a den there before I moved in with Cara, but I'm certain we can make something out of it soon."
Not only was prey more plentiful here, but it was a slice of land that was pleasing to the senses. The Epsilon nodded his agreement, eager to see the lake that Kaname spoke of. He did not voice anything further just yet, but exchanged a glance with Wyvern -- this place was more promising than he had anticipated.
She collected the facts and appreciated his willingness to share this with them both, who were total Spine newbies. This tiny insight into the pack's history opened up many more questions. Has it been here very long?
she asked, now curious if this was their first winter here. Wyvern found it difficult to envision Cara as a leader for long. Kaname did speak of a Jinx's involvement in bringing the pack to here in the first place.. although the name itself could inspire its own share of intrigue. She couldn't tell if she was a fragment of recent history or not; his tone did not give her much to go on. A quick peer Lotan's way looked to gauge his curiosity on the matter, but she didn't dwell for long.
The dark beta steered her attention towards the idea of a lake. A favored spot of his as well, and this had her squinting forward while they traveled. An island in a lake sounded.. interesting, so she was ready to become acquainted.
As they made their way to the lake, Kaname saw his den nearby, the scent of Cara's sweet perfume still lingering in the air. "Over there is the den Cara and I share." He gestured to the small entrance hidden in the ground. He wondered if his Queen was in there right now, but he chose not to investigate. It was better to let her rest if she was inside.
It had only established in its current location in the summer, so this was its first cold season. From what Lotan could tell, the pack was getting along fine; winter could be difficult, but the Spine seemed to be thriving. Kaname gestured towards a burrow that Lotan likely wouldn't have noticed otherwise, indicating that it was the home that he shared with Cara.
"I need to find a den for myself," he commented idly as they passed by the leaders' quarters and continued on towards the lake.
She was silent, and nodded here and there. So it was not a very old pack, but this news was plenty fine with her. There was no lengthy, complicated history to involve herself in and that suited the eager-eyed Ostrega in this stage of her life perfectly.
Guiding her eyes to the place Kaname mentioned -- his den, she drank it all in, just so she would have this information for later. Knowing where the leaders slept seemed like something useful to have. Just in case. Then, Lotan's comment redirected her thoughts for a brief second. The same could be said for her, of course, but she just wasn't sure where she'd even want to have a little spot for herself yet. She hoped to have a better idea in the days that followed. At least she did have to admit -- Kaname and Cara had a pretty good spot here.
Wyvern was then quiet but watchful, and more than ready to reach the lake.
"In the summer, when the ice melts, the lakeshore makes good hunting for waterfowl and moose." The gargantuan deer liked to munch on the vegetation that lined the lake floor, similar to ducks and geese that bobbed on the surface. "There's an island over there," He gestured to the trees sprouting out of the ice, somewhat close to the lakeshore. "No one lives there, but I'm certain we can use it for something someday."
The Beta made a few suggestions as to where they might find dens without too much work; there were hollowed-out places in the mountainside that could provide shelter, as well as burrows that had been previously dug out by other wolves or wildlife. Personally, Lotan liked the idea of a cavernous den in the rocky cliff face. It was appealing to him in a way he hadn't expected -- likely because it was so different from anything he had lived in before.
"I think I'll check out those caves," he said, glancing at Wyvern. He wondered if she would choose to set up a den close to his, or if she would prefer a separate location. Either way, he would be fine with it; they were somewhat attached at the hip, but they both knew how to thrive independently.
He looked out over the lake as Kaname talked about it. Its surface was mostly frozen over, but his gaze lingered on the island in the middle. He wanted to explore it, though trying to cross the ice would be foolish. He would have to wait for the spring thaw.
After a little more exploration, Kaname left the siblings to get to know the territory on their own. Lotan was confident that he and Wyvern had made a good choice when they settled in Ouroboros Spine.