He had found the other's question as odd as the female's. Perhaps the question in itself wasn't all that odd, it was merely the manner in which it had been asked. Rather bluntly, but then, Teo had his own experience with bluntness. He favored it in a different way. In counter, the female's demeanor seemed to have slipped from crushing herself against bushes to phrasing herself in a coy manner. He hoped she wasn't making the mistake of thinking Mateo was there to throw himself into a fight that was over stupid actions. He had a hard time distinguishing the difference when it came to others, but he wouldn't step in unless he felt he needed to. At this point, it would go either way, but really, he was jumping ahead of his game. This Aksel character could be merely as curious as he stated he was while the female could be the manipulative one. Really, it was all in a matter of reading beyond what someone put out for others to see. Which, at this point, was a hard game to play.
Perhaps he was just better going slipping off into the woods. He was already becoming uncomfortable with the amount of back and forth. One wolf was quite alright. Two and he started to feel shifty. Any more than that and he could get unpredictably nervous. All this trying to sort out their intent coinciding with their actions was tiring.
His gaze slipped back to the male, hearing the words he spoke in a detached sort of way that seemed to be less vibrant than the bodies that stood before him. He absorbed what Aksel said, but in his own time, and it was only as the male spoke of the female's pack as though it were already his own that the detachment cleared and his attention balanced between observing the body movements of the others to hearing what they were saying in present time.
It was a curiosity to him that other wolves often assumed that a wolf was in a pack merely based on the scents that were on the surface of the fur. While it was true that it might never seem to occur to most wolves who were in packs to wash away the scents of their companions (their family, protection, home, etc) as specifically an informant to others about who they were, it was possible to rid ones self of those scents on purpose. Or add them in a friendly group setting. A lone wolf might be particularly social, for instance. Mateo didn't make it a habit of assuming a wolf was a part of a pack based on scents, though it might occur to him to actually ask. Either way, the statement had caught his attention and he was something like lingering on it. So much so that it prompted him to speak even before he was addressed directly.
<b>"Why assume she is from a pack? Or for that matter, assume that the pack you assume she is from is one that you would wish to join if you are questioning her intent by being beyond that pack's boundaries? If she was beyond it's boundaries for negative reasons, wouldn't it stand reason that it would be a pack you wouldn't want to traipse into based on the information of one individual, who may be under threat and unwilling to say negative things about that pack?"</b>
It was probably the longest string of words he had said in years. But he was genuinely curious, and until his interest was satiated, he would likely continue to play as the devil's advocate.
<b>"I didn't offer it."</b> And he hadn't. It wasn't something he was accustomed to offering unless someone was asking for it. He certainly wasn't about to anti up information about himself to a wolf he knew nothing about. Since the issue was being addressed, however, he was willing to give the wolf something. <b>"Vrikstein."</b>
This wolf had almost as many questions as Teo did.
<b>"There are two packs that I'm aware of, currently, near the middle of where I've traveled from. Between the foothills of the mountain, near a forest of willows, and here. One borders the mountain in a small forest, the other lays across a small expanse of field some other forest. Their borders are strong, though I've scented some older ones, which suggests they've been around for some time."</b> He paused for a moment, considering how his days were spent. <b>"Don't go ambling across any borders if you don't want to be met with bared teeth and eat when you can, where you can, what you can."</b> Perhaps he should have added 'make friends' or something along those lines. That's what they were supposed to do, right?
It was interesting, how aware one became when there was the chance of a predator, or prey, on the horizon. Aksel caught the breeze before it reached Mateo, and with his attention diverted, he caught it as the breeze began to shift past him. This meeting would undoubtedly turn interesting if they lingered in their current location, though the bear could just as easily ignore the small group of predators and keep hunting berries (or whatever else it was doing). It was an early riser, from the time of spring it was, and it was likely either just out for a stroll or it was beginning it's attempt to fatten itself back up. Likely, it was a male. Females would still be inclined to be snuggling in their dens with their offspring. He needed another whiff to be sure. They would have a mild advantage, if it came down to it, of it being early spring and male, as his bulk would be significantly lower than usual. If it was a female, which he highly doubted, no amount of weight taken off her would be an advantage in the face of her instinct to protect her cubs.
Mateo's gaze turned towards the scent, ears alert and face stoic. He didn't have the energy to waste on tangling with a bear that only wanted to eat just as much as Teo did. If it attacked, it would be because it had to, not because it was seeking some adventure. Teo was of a like mind. Go away, Mr. Bear.
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(This post was last modified: Apr 18, 2012, 08:32 PM by Mateo.)