with your sharp teeth

@Lasher -- for clarification this is the base of the dungeon on the Kintla Flatlands side, near/before The Door!

The very familiar scent Lasher had worn was nearby. Tonravik was curious, of course. And so she howled, her sound, as ever, somber, even despite her pleasure that she had managed to find him. They had left on good terms, and given she was in the area, she would at the very least let him know. More than that, she would inform him of the Plains wolves. Perhaps they had tested his borders, too; the Spine was much further than the Plateau to the foreign wolves, and given they were closer, much more of a threat to them. The Spine was across the river, a week it took to travel. An exhausting venture, but Tonravik was a well-traveled woman.

Iqniq was likely nearby; presumably, gathering herbs. Her howl he would surely hear, too, and if he wished to join her here in her wait, he could. The woman did not question if he would show; while he could not join her now on the Spine, he was Tartok in his heart. Theirs was a bond unable to be severed.

the witch's cry rose into warm summer's air and lasher jerked involuntarily from where he had been slumbering near the rendezvous site. a practiced eye he flickered over the children's whereabouts -- they did not sleep in slumbering piles, but near enough to one another, almost at their adult heights. with a short cry to alert the members of the pack that he was departing for a short time, taltos set a quick pace for himself in tonravik's direction.

swampgaze beheld her massive dark form as he mounted a rise, and after a pause he descended, paws carrying him in careful movement. when he was within twenty paces taltos paused, tail swaying once at his hips while his expression asked why she had summoned him.

They'd separated only briefly to scout the land. With his nose to the earth he took the opportunity to scent out various herbs and plants, taking a mental inventory of the land. That plant looked recently eaten by an herbivore of some kind. A deer maybe? That other herb would be decent for a minor ache. That spiderweb was decent if he was in the area and needed a clotting agent. He noted these things, but touched nothing as he explored. If, on the way back he found something worth snagging, he'd grab it.

Then Tonravik howled.

Hearing this his ears lifted and he backpeddled, flitting over the terrain until he spied his mate in the company of another male. Curious. Was this the wolf she'd summoned? He found it a strange thing as he was uncertain Tonravik had acquaintances or even friends unless they were of the Spine. It was a very strange thing indeed.

Approaching, he moved to stand aside her, but retained his silence. She'd summoned. She could reveal why.

Iqniq came to the sound, too, but before him, Lasher. Her thick plume waved as he paused at a distance and, looking but once to Iqniq to invite him along, she closed it without trepidation, her demeanor harmless even despite her perpetual grimace and frightening mass. She had changed in appearance since he had last seen her; she had filled out, from her longevity in leadership and her success, but also held the scarred muzzle and the nicked ear. The former wound was quite identical to her mothers own.

He looked well, and her approving gaze spoke of that thought. "How fairs your Plateau," comes her voice, gruff and interested.

before he could speak, a reddish brute appeared, standing protectively alongside tonravik. he said not a word; taltos' nares flared and a brief smile traced his lips. "strong with loyal wolves and young children, as your Spine surely will be soon." he assumed the man beside her would be the sire to the children the witch carried. she resembled siku more closely each time he looked upon her; this made breath hitch in his throat, and a pang of the familiar heartache sounded.

He lingered as if to be her shadow with this passing meeting. Tonravik had business here, but this wolf? Kerosene had yet to formally encounter a wolf from this pack. Or perhaps the druid..? The scent was vague, but present still and his interested was piqued. He only knew Tonravik in her most natural habitat of the spine. This side of her was interesting. Nevertheless, he lingered, listening until his presence became more necessary.

Tonravik was wondering at his words as he spoke of children. Would they be? She hoped so. The minimal signs seemed to point in that direction, but it was too soon to tell for the woman inexperienced in this avenue. "So you have not seen trouble," she pressed. She referred to the new pack nearby, though was unintentionally vague. It would puzzle her greatly if he had no issue at all with them, and they did. The leader shifts her weight, her eyes analytical to the lines of her comrades face, wanting to know the answer plainly and as he knew it, sparing no detail.

But as it presently stood, it seemed not the case. Tonravik did not think he would not inform her of a nuisance to them; discretion was not their strong suit in these meetings, because there was little reason for it.

his brow furrowed at her words; what was it that she knew? what was it that he did not? "none," he answered, leaving silent the negative attitudes between themselves and the caldera -- they had not sought war and nor would the plateau. but tonravik did not need to know such things. his eyes flickered to the ruddy man but the witch had not introduced them, and so the beta sought no words from the male.

"and you? have you been troubled?" taltos inquired, putting forth the question to the dark wolfess.

Tonravik did not press the issue further. She trusted he would tell her what he would. And Tonravik was inclined to warn him of the other pack, because he had been, and was, family. So she would answer his question in earnest.

"There is a pack that more than once had women find it fit to test our borders. I returned one near-dead to them. They reside there," she motioned toward the golden fields beyond, clearly referencing the plains they had left behind. "I wondered what you knew of them." If he had similar dealings, or if he knew any information on the pack aside from what she had learned; the number they held, and the sort of leader they had.

It was somewhat amusing to watch Tonravik speak of these things. She was a wolf of so few words that when she was left with no option, but to use them, he found it fascinating. She kept things clipped and simple. She revealed only the minimum amount of information needed to connect the dots. It was somewhat remarkable. So many wolves were long-winded. He, himself, could often be that way, but here and now he held his silence. She'd covered everything. The important parts. Now he was more curious to find out if the Spine had been unique in it's harassment or if the other packs were suffering the plains wolves too.

lasher's brow furrowed and he regarded tonravik and her crimson guardian quietly for a long moment. "we have had no scuffles upon the borders," he began slowly, though his mind churned with contemplation of whom she spoke. one dark ear flicked and he shifted his weight. "should we be perturbed, tonravik?" the plateau beta asked of his former leader directly.

if there was a massing threat nearby, he must know. for the sake of his pack and his children, he must be made aware. silently he waited for the dark wolfess to answer.

Perturbed. She did not know what he meant, only that he had a question. As ever, Tonravik would tell him what she knew. "One brought to us a poisoned rabbit." Would that be... what was the word... perturbing? She watched his face for reaction (to gain the meaning behind his word). "You have cubs." This she knew, from their last meeting, and it betrayed the fact that she in fact cared for his wellbeing, and the wellbeing of his cubs. Tonravik looked out for Tartok; he would always be this, to her.

So she wanted him well and warned, and also, to gain intel. But there was nothing to gain here. Strange they would cross a river and exhaust themselves to be a nuisance as opposed to traveling some miles to here. Tonravik could not understand it...

She only imagined they wanted the Spine. It was the only explanation. Well, they would die before that happened.

It appeared as though the Spine was receiving a unique flavor of harassment. They were out of the way and not easy to access, but the plains wolves still elected to make a nuisance of themselves. Curious. He was uncertain as to what is was about the Spine that drew these foreigners like moths to a flame, but at least the Spine knew how to deal with their intruders. They sent a message. They'd crosses the boundaries of language and left a very clear visual message on their doorstep. Ouroboros Spine was not a place to be tempted or dared.

It was curious, all this information Tonravik provided. In the few words she did speak, it was enough to let this male know of the plains wolves' trickery and their willingness to use it. The facts as they presented themselves didn't paint their new neighbors in the kindest of lights. Then again, actions spoke louder than words and their actions were also less than kind. It was fitting. They'd made their mistakes and now the rest of theses wilds would know of it. Let the rumors spread. One wolf and a time.

he listened attentively to tonravik's succinct words, though his expression of annoyed thoughtfulness deepened. "thank you," he murmured when she had finished. "i will inform my fellow leaders of this. i am pleased that none of your wolves were harmed, though of course i would not expect it with you at their helm."

taltos gave a short smile. "i should return home now. if we catch sight of these interlopers, i shall send word to you." standing in silence, he waited uncommonly to be dismissed, as was her lot.

Tonravik nodded to his words. She owed nothing to the Plateau, but Lasher was still family; she trusted, one day, the earthen male might return to them. If not him, perhaps the kin of his she had smelled and he had spoken of. With nothing more to say, and Tonravik speaks: "The forest I found you," she decides, knowing he would be unwelcome at the borders as she would be at any others.

And it is then she nods in dismissal after he states he must go, and watches him for a moment before turning to depart with her mate. They, too, needed to return home.