A low growl seeped past the male’s lips as he regarded the Falls.. or what once had been a cascade of waterfalls. It seemed impossible, that as each dry week passed, that the water had not come to them yet. He did not understand it, and it infuriated him as each passing day made him more desperate. Kinis was a youthful soul who did not complain, but that did not mean the boy was not in danger. With Borlla coming home as well, it seemed to Ruiko that the chances of dehydration seemed to play a dark shadow at the corner of his mind, and Ruiko was finally beginning to have a taste of Indru’s responsibility. Indru had left not because he wanted to, but his charge over so many wolves would have been irresponsible if he let them stay.


The conclusion then became that Ruiko was not only irresponsible, but reckless. His younger siblings could lie so close to death and he would not know it until he happened. Desperately, as each morning came, the tawny wolf would rouse his younger siblings and force them outside to lick at any drops of dew or frost they could find.. Anything they could do to help.


His hopes were beginning to dwindle, and as his growl subsided to fade in to the evening cool air, the male glanced up to the towering mountain. It was the one place he had yet to fully explore for water, and lifting his muzzle, Ruiko howled to the wolves of the mountain, asking if they had any water within their dwelling.

The autumn wind brushing up against the face of the mountain had the Midnight Plateau pack’s most recent member scouting over the land with eyes half-shut. Perhaps he shouldn’t have climbed up so high in the first place… Slowly coming down from his perch, Borden slinked down the rocky slope, one paw after another and from one flat surface to the next. He was nearly back to the refuge of the secluded den when a howl resonated against the Mountain of Dire, filling the air with an imperative question.

The still unranked subordinate glanced around his immediate surroundings, his ears perked attentively forward. He waited; perhaps Alexander had heard it... or Aubrey. Or Elvira. Seconds passed, however, and nothing but silence pressed against the air. Perhaps not. Borden slid down a few more steps, peering over the edge to the forest floor to realize that the caller wasn’t in view. Raising his head back, he answered, his own howl. Who are you and why is it that you ask? He had almost given the wolf a straight answer and he mentally scolded himself as he scanned the landscape. The wolf inquiring was an outsider or possibly a rogue; giving them the impression that he or the pack was hiding a source of water by bluntly stating ‘No’ or confirming that they did have water would make the mountain an ideal target for unwanted guests. Borden’s forehead wrinkled in thought. Might as well head down and confront the curious and obviously just-as-thirsty individual. If he did, it meant he could prevent the likelihood of the stranger scaling the stony pathways; and, if it came to that, it meant the pack's safety wouldn't be compromised.

Stealthily making his way down and across a path that had been regularly traveled by his pack mates, Borden flattened himself and crawled closer to the ledge, just enough to catch sight of Ruiko and size him up with rather suspicious pale gold eyes...

His call echoed across the cold landscape, and as it faded to the sky, Ruiko brought his muzzle level once more, though his bright eyes scanned the mountain eagerly. He had expected more time to pass before gaining a response, but within minutes a returning cry met his brown ears. The voice was unknown to him, though it was no surprise, for apparently Honijo had moved on from the mountain that he had claimed as a home. The pack member that replied did not give him an answer, but returned with their own suspicious questions. Ruiko had not expected any different – after all, had some wolf he did not know howl to him near the River, he likely would have been less than welcoming about it.


Before he had a chance to respond, the wolf who had seemingly called to him appeared on a ledge atop the high mountain. Ruiko was far from the land, but he could see the stranger was a grey agouti in pattern, and there was no welcome in his stance. Neutral in his own posture, the regal wolf studied the Plateau wolf momentarily before lifting his muzzle once more and releasing his reply. ‘I am the leader of the Swift River pack. There are two pups in the River pack that will become dehydrated if we can not find water.’

The Plateau wolf's figure straightened into a haughty stance, tall and proud. He stared the stranger down, listening to his plea with attentive ears - a leader had departed from his lands to seek answers, to ensure his pack's good health, or rather his pack's pups' good health... Borden felt his heart pound in his chest, his mind spinning with all the possible replies he could provide this Alpha with. He hadn't explored the mountain just yet and he was unsure of whether or not the grand landmark had a drop of water to spare. Of course the mountaintop was still covered with a decent amount of snow, but with the slow arrival of winter, he could not be entirely positive that the untouched depths of forgotten caverns or eroded cliff sides held what the wolves of Relic Lore longed for. Haphazardly, Borden made his way down the rocky slope, drawing closer and closer to Ruiko.

He had a feeling that Alexander would not approve of a Swift River wolf on pack grounds, at least, not without his permission. His best bet, he felt, was to confront the foreigner... see how he'll handle semi-formal chatter... stall him until he could figure out what to make of this neighboring pack and its superior. At this point in time, though he'd only been acquainted with his pack and the crag they inhabited for a little less than a week, the Subordinate felt as though everyone was thirsty, everyone was hungry due to the prey migrating beyond the parched forests and dying glades, everyone was trying to make it through until winter and its promise of snow, moisture, relief... it wasn't just pups or individual wolves like this wolf before him or himself. Everyone. If other parts of the land still held water, he wouldn't believe it until he saw the source with his own eyes. It was probable in his mind that nature intended only the survival of the fittest; and, if that was indeed the case, Borden would establish his pack's survival first.

If the wolves of the mountain did have a hidden water source, it ultimately wasn't his choice to allow or deny anyone. Leaping from a rocky ledge to the top of decent-sized boulder, still towering above the Alpha by several feet, Borden barked back, "Though the mountain is still crowned with frost, I cannot promise you will find water, here, leader; not with Winter so close at hand."

The tawny regal regarded the wolf upon the mountain with mild disdain; the beast was holding himself with a clearly dominant stance, and while the wolf held every right to on land that he lived upon, the River wolf still felt his muscles coil as he resisted the blatant challenge of the wild. Ruiko had leveled his muzzle from his cry, and his sharp amber eyes followed the stranger as he seemed to pause on the cliff side before he began to maneuver his way down.


Ruiko studied the Plateau wolf as he drew ever closer. The wolf’s pelt was much greyer than Ruiko’s, though sparse bits of ivory and brown flecked across his broad body. As the male drew nearer, now standing upon a boulder higher up, a small amount of smugness settled in the River wolf’s chest as he realized that he was larger than the wolf who held himself so proudly; but now was not the time for narcissist encounters to shovel his testosterone.


The wolf gave a more polite greeting than the Tainn male had expected, and in turn he gave a dip of his muzzle in gratitude for the Plateau wolf having traveled down to speak with him. It was news he had expected, but it only fueled his fear more. “Is your pack faring well?”

Borden remained silent for several seconds after acknowledging the wolf's question, mentally evaluating his pack mates' conditions. The last time he really saw them, he was sure each of them were well... at least, they seemed as such. Surely their throats were just as dry as his or perhaps even more so, and he was positive that they were possibly starting to feel more and more dehydrated with each passing day. In his case, he constantly worried about his ability to get around; even as he stood, conversing with Ruiko, he slightly struggled to keep his trembling limbs from giving out underneath his moderate frame.

"To say we prosper and thrive in this time of dearth would be a lie," he finally replied, his tone still even and neutral. "I have searched only a fraction of the mountain side and have always come up empty-handed thus far." The Scout's forehead wrinkled in self-disappointment, his duty at hand had yet to be completed for the day and his search had been everything but fruitful. To verbally acknowledge this shortcoming seemed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth. The feeling made him unsure of what to make of the encounter; if there was no water to be had, there was no water to be had. It was as simple as that. Why the Alpha had to question the well-being of Midnight Plateau was really quite beyond Borden's frame of thought.

He merely watched dark-pelted wolf in the gathering darkness. "All one can do here is hope," he stated, his words starting to drip with a hint of defeat. "We continually scout and hunt these ledges for relief day in and day out, leaving no boulder left uninspected and no cavern left unexplored."

Ruiko was attempting his last chances to ferret any sort of water supply that could still be left in the valley. It seemed almost hopeless, and his foolish final attempt was shot down by the stranger who resided to the mountain. It was a stretch of imagination, but one he had been keen on if it meant finding his young brother and sister a drink to sustain themselves. Of course, with the Plateau wolf’s words, Ruiko bowed his muzzle slightly in empathy, though he spoke not of it. There was little hope of their being a supply on the mountain now.. unless the male before him was the only one attempting to search for it, hence why he had yet been able to find it.


“My best wishes to you and yours then,” he replied with a sincerity that was rare for him. “My uncle was the founder of your pack, though I have heard he is now gone. It almost seems like he took to traveling with our past leader.”

He watched as Ruiko dipped his muzzle. In all actuality, Borden was rather surprised the visitor made no hasty attempts to chaffer his way onto the mountain. This, he discovered, was admirable; had he been in the leader's place, he would have done anything just to be allowed to search the territory in its entirety. Instead of simply making his way back from whence he came in disappointment and possibly disdain for the way he was addressed - which the Midnight Plateau wolf had expected - he bid Borden and his pack good tidings... and then some.

Hearing that the mountain pack had once been led by Ruiko's uncle caught him off-guard. The wolves of Relic Lore, he then realized, had ruled these lands for quite some time now. Yet, here was the young Lyall... thinking these forests were new. Unexplored. He had been naive - foolish, even - to even welcome such a thought. Glancing from the dimming skies then back to the River wolf, he exhaled slowly, still wanting to keep his distance. "The frigid winds be at your back also, friend," he simply stated, bestowing his own well wishes to Ruiko."The sunrises we've seen thus far here, covered constantly by several series of rolling clouds, seem to hint at incoming snow storms. Hopefully relief will come soon." Over the course of time it had taken him to decipher what had brought the foreigner here, Borden's stance had relaxed; his eyes no longer held a glimmer of suspicion and all thoughts of hostility had turned into mere awareness. He even nodded back in return as his brush-like tail even gave a slight and civil wag to signal that he meant no ill will.

For a second, he dared to ask if the previous alpha would take up his rightful place if the water returned. The slight curiosity that showed in his face was immediately erased upon realizing what he was about to ask. He bit his tongue; to see or even think of Alexander being ousted from his reign as pack leader was something Borden didn't even want to consider. All he knew, the wolves he protected were kind and he trusted them. He even bothered to secretly hope this identity would not be traveling back anytime soon.

The wolf's words of oncoming relief did little to soothe Ruiko's worry, for it had not even rained in weeks. His golden tail gave a flick behind him as he considered what winter could mean, but with the prey slowly leaking away from the lands to find sources of water, he doubted harsher weather could benefit either pack, for instead of suffering from thirst, they might feel the pain of hunger.


His bright eyes remained fixated upon the mountain, his wolfish brows furrowed to a light frown before his attention drifted back to the Plateau wolf. The entire mountain was not theirs to claim, for they only protected the lands of the Plateau.. and while Ruiko believed the grey tawny wolf before him to be telling the truth, he also considered that there could be large places on the mountain not yet looked over. "Perhaps," he agreed, though his tone held no conviction that he believed this true. Instead, in light of the distressing situation both packs faced, his eyes briefly flickered over the male before him. "If you find a water source.. Could you notify us? The favor will be returned." It was a simple request with the acknowledgment that these were hard times.. and depending on this wolf's answer, Ruiko would know just what terms Swift River was on with Midnight Plateau.

Borden’s eyes went from Ruiko to the forest beyond him and back; he mentally finalized two things, facts: the alpha had come alone (or if not, he was grateful that the others chose not to reveal themselves, their leader was never in danger to begin with) and, overall, the wolves of Swift River seem quite cordial (given that the alpha spoke on behalf of his pack). If anything, Borden could positively confirm that at least their leader was good-natured one, perhaps one he’d ally with if he had been a leader himself. He noticed as Ruiko’s expression slightly wrinkled in disappointment that he had no other encouraging words, no affirmations. The mountain wolf had expected that; he listened as the visitor replied, making a request…

Notify them? The favor returned…? The Scout considered this for a brief moment, mulling the idea over as well as considering what Alexander or Midnight Plateau as a pack would do or would want him to say. It was barely even a few seconds before Borden agreed; to deny or push away the idea of trusting the river wolf and his offer could possibly spell trouble if there was no water to be found on the slopes of Mount Dire. "You have my word," he stated, dipping his muzzle to show he had fully acknowledged the arrangement. His eyes glanced to Ruiko and what had been Bramble Falls when an owl somewhere behind him let out a string of hoots; it seemed as though she had finally had it with Borden being so close – maybe 20 feet by her standards – to the rocks where she had made her nest. He tucked the thought of stalking the bad-mannered bird in the back of his mind; he’d address her later when his company left. "Rest assured, leader, and return to your wards," he then said. "If anything comes up, we shall let you know."