Drooping Willows what once was

It could only be a matter of time before he came across his first pack. Arty had known that, but it did not seem as if that was what he had come across here, amongst this frozen forest of willow trees. The scents - perhaps once borders - were faint and clearly not strictly maintained. Sporadically placed, questionable. Possibly a place a pack had once risen and since fallen, but it was also evident that the area was not completely abandoned either.

There were still fresh trails. Signs of life. These signs had him traversing the area with a little more caution than he typically did. Skirting the borders, or at least where he thought they might’ve once been, and maintaining a respectful distance. Especially when he was snooping around in the dark, it was best to exercise caution.

Artyom remained curious about the lands, wanting to know more. But not at the cost of potentially upsetting the remnants of some kind of group. Not when he knew next to nothing about them.

Maybe Malien would know, though. He could always ask about that.

for @Hagar on the blind dates. I'm sorry this is short and feels lacking :x

Hagar caught on to the stranger's scent early, having been hunting for small game in the area. Curiosity drove him more than any sense of possessiveness, and the trail he'd tracked hadn't been that promising anyways. He loped along after the unfamiliar smell and when he thought he was close enough, the dark-furred wolf greeted the other with an amiable chuff.

Trees thinned and he started to pick up details, tans and blacks with tinges of russet and cream. A familiar, benign pattern to his mossy eyes. The concept that there might be those who would want to him or his family was still unreal for the wolf. Otherwise, he may have at least felt protective of the growing children under his care and the fact that they could have easily been the ones to find this unknown character first. As things were, he approached with a wagging tail and small but earnest smile.

The only thing that gave him pause was when he finally caught a glimpse of those eyes. He was immediately reminded of @Avella and found himself avoiding them going forward.

"Hello."

(This post was last modified: Mar 08, 2023, 09:31 AM by Hagar.)

Or.. maybe he’d have the opportunity to ask somebody else. It appeared someone had been tracking him, a fact Arty only caught on to once the other announced himself. He turned about to observe the approaching stranger. Dark brown, bright, beautiful green eyes. Looked amicable enough, which suited Artyom just fine.

”Hello,” he added to the verbal greeting with a tail wave and a small nod, but found himself in a slightly unusual predicament - a loss for words. How did he go about asking the questions he wanted to ask, of a complete stranger? Was it even appropriate to ask?

Probably. So he’d try to do so as respectfully as he could. ”Do you happen to reside here? Cause I don’t mean to intrude. I was just curious.” Or perhaps he did mean to intrude, at least a little, but, well. Even though the stranger didn’t seem offended, better safe than sorry.

Friendly as expected, the other had his questions and Hagar couldn't help but hope this wolf was interested in a home. Now that his injury was nearly fully healed, he was able to better provide and resume teaching the children how to hunt as well. Still, this situation was not exactly easy and he knew that their mother worried greatly, not just for the small unit's safety but also for her natal pack's legacy.

"I do," he answered with a single nod of his head, then motioned with his muzzle to the left. Through the trees there, not visible where they stood, was the ridge they lived upon.

"Willow Ridge. I am Hagar."

For a time his sentences had expanded, and the wolf would even give his thoughts unsolicited. Without the social dynamics of a pack and the unfortunate disintegration of his relationship with Avella, however, he was reverting back to the quiet, simple presence he'd been when he'd first arrived in the Lore. The only time he spoke at length anymore was when he was teaching his children.

So, rather than go on or offer up his own queries, Hagar merely waited for Artyom to continue. He'd said he was curious as well, so surely he had more to ask, right? The scarred wolf could learn more by simply listening.

(This post was last modified: Mar 08, 2023, 09:40 AM by Hagar.)

He did, the other answered. Then he offered two names - one presumably the title of this location, and the other his own. Were the man’s words not so pithy and to the point, Arty might’ve considered a quip. But.. that most certainly did not seem appropriate. Not when Hagar was polite and didn’t seem to have an issue offering information so far.

So instead he continued with a friendly smile and a curt nod. ”Nice to meet you.” He took a breath, taking a look around the place, though Artyom made sure to keep the figure of the other at least in the corner of his vision. ”Are you.. like a pack, here? Haven’t met anyone except loners, for a while..”

It would be good to know if the wolves here had aspirations of forming, or were already a fully functioning pack. If only so that Artyom could avoid them in the future. With Malien being a rare exception, he’d no desire to tie himself down to anything or anyone yet.

Hagar blinked back at the courtesy, his smile strengthening instead when the stranger asked after his familiars. His tail even gave a few more sweeps, and his head bobbed to answer yes. Despite their sparse numbers, the wolves who chose to call this place home next to himself and his children were in every sense of the word Hagar's pack. Of course, this did not mean others considered them credible anymore, diplomatically nor territorially.

"There should be others, though we have not been able to reach out to all of them in a long time. Our numbers do not support it."

Avella lead them, the pups came first, and Hagar hunted. That was the extent of their organization at the moment, making scouting missions impossible in addition to many other things.