A New Discovery

Messangers from OTB @Drestig and @Phineas

Their mission across the mountain had been a successful one. Drestig had completed his task in record timing, despite the fact that he hadn't looked for her when her absence had exceeded the limit. It was just one thing the young scout would have to work on in the upcoming years, nothing that couldn't be fixed. Loyalty was a hard thing to come by and Jessie hadn't been entirely surprised. No one had remained since she had joined the pack, not even her own sister, who she had convinced that she loved dearly. After more than enough betrayals from her own sister and heartbreak from her mate, Hotei, Jessie had enough and shut herself out from the world. With the disappearance and death of Ice and Marsh, respectively, she had started losing hope, to the point of not knowing if it would be regained. And now the Tainn would have to be reunited with her mate. An encounter that would surely be physical since she had not taken the time to tell him of her leave. She wasn't his puppet though and she could do however she pleased. Now Drestig and Jessie could finally head home.

Unfortunately, on their way over the mountains Jessie had to stop them, her nose twitching in a curious manner and face contorting into unknown confusion. Surely the two hadn't been gone long enough for another pack to form on the mountains...and what fools to do it with this upcoming winter. Had this pack not realized the tragedy that had befallen the lands with the blockage of the mountains...it was hardly livable. Never the less, she knew that it was their duty to follow through and find out who they were. And so Drestig and Jessie made their way towards the newly marked borders, her emerald eyes taking in the visage around them. It was...rocky as the mountain should be. Deciding that since she was "lead" scout in this mission, she took it upon herself to ask for the alphas. So politely, Jessie tipped her head back and asked for the presence of an alpha.

Getting up the mountain side had taken a lot longer than last time; the winter that had materialized as icy winds and light snowfall in the valley, covering Serpents Pass in knee-high snow. The trip had been mostly quiet, just like the previous, though a few more words had been exchanged this time around; and the mood had changed somewhat. Today though, as they finally crowned the mountain, the time for conversation was interrupted by the distinct presence of a fresh scent; A pack? Here?! The Avalon's confusion was mirrored on his grey companions face, her brows wrinkled in what was probably the same speculations as his own; Surely not. Who? Why?! And how stupid could they be?! Drestig had been born in the mountains as well, so he understood the allure, but he also knew the dangers; his whole pack had been separated, and most of them likely killed, by a rock slide. And here, further north, there was the snow to worry about as well! Were these idiots not around last year when the snow completely blocked the pass?! But as they closed in, Jessie taking up her role as head scout and leading the approach, the black lad recognized parts of the odor; "You have to be kidding!" The exclamation was a strange mixture of amusement and distaste, brows furrowed and ears pressed back. Though the smell was quite different from what he remembered of the familiar borders, neighboring their own, there were several notes in common; one in particular; Son of a..! The grey woman made her call, polite and efficient, figures, and as her head came down, Drestig turned to her, one brow cocked. "It's The Glen," He said, voice neutral. Most likely, Jessie had already noticed the same as him, but it didn't hurt to be sure. "I recognize their alpha." He continued, a slight grimace crossing his face. He still remembered the white giant from that hunt last winter, and the thought of standing before him once again was not pleasant. Still, that had been last year, and it was no secret that the ebony chap was curious to learn what had made him take to the mountain; and whether he had brought his entire pack, leaving the east valley open for Oak Tree Bend; That could be grounds for bettering our relations... He mused as they waited, cracking a small smirk at how 'scout-like' that thought sounded. Word count: 405 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

He had hoped for more time to enjoy his new little slice of heaven before others had come traipsing at the borders -- but it would not be so, and with a derisive snort as the 'alpha of the lands' was summoned, the large male drifted away from the cache he had just placed the remains of a rather plump pheasant in to, patting the ground above it down a bit so dissuade anything other than his pack members from checking it out.

His lope was quick, and it was rewarded with the sight of two wolves within minutes. One was completely unfamiliar to him, though her two tone pelt was an intricate mixture. The darker wolf, however, was terribly familiar, and at the sight of him, the Plateau wolf felt himself stiffen. Oak Tree Bend had come a 'calling -- hopefully they didn't expect too much in pleasantries. After all, this was the very brute who had attacked Halgen during their only encounter. Borlla's family had been every bit as charming as she herself was -- snake-like.

Leave, he uttered dryly, his tone taking on a lingering drawl that seemed almost bored. This statement was made clear that he meant business as his form lifted, though already his fiery eyes grazed over the black wolf's throat -- how quick could he rip it out before his comrade noticed? Two on one was never ideal, though. We might have changed locations, but Oak Tree Bend is still not welcome here.

As soon as her call faded, she was discouragement by Drestig's words. While Jessie didn't know the exact details on how Oak Tree Bends relations had taken a downfall, she knew they were tense but the Tainn had no former knowledge of the Magnolia Glen wolves leaving and so she waited. She remained close to Drestig's side, not wishing to push their limits. Now that her guard was raised, she remained even more alert, her emerald eyes scanning the area. When a man approached she bowed her head respectfully but ceased doing so when she heard the course words coming out of his mouth. The Scout didn't fall to notice the dangerous look that was thrown in her partner's direction. Out of a brief moment of protectiveness, Jessie stepped in front of her pupil her eyes hardened when she spoke, "We're sorry to have disturbed you. We'll be on our way." She nudged Drestig with her muzzle, imploring him to follow her. She continued on, her pace unrelenting until she felt a comfortable distance away from the instance.

Within a moment, she turned her unfocused, cold glare on her partner, her lips thinned and jaw clenched. Her words were detached when she spoke, wanting to know what happened, "Do you want to tell me what happened back there? He was looking at you like a piece of carcass!" Her tone betrayed how confused and irritated she was with this situation. Normally, she wasn't left out of the loop when it concerned other packs but in this instance she knew close to nothing compared to Drestig, who seemed to have known the man that had come answering their call.

@Jessie STORYTIME! :D

It did not take long before a familiar white figure appeared, coming quickly towards them. Despite his hope for a relief of the tension between their packs, Drestig felt his hackles prickle at the sight of the pale man, and it was quickly made clear that there was no need to play nice. Barely had the fire eyed giant come within earshot before he drawled a dismissive command, and Drestig's lips lifted slightly from his teeth. The two men stared each other down, identical eyes blazing with challenge; had it not been for Jessie, surely it would have escalated to a physical clash. But the petite woman stepped between them, speaking apologetic words to the king, though her voice was laced with ice. When she pushed at his ebony shoulder, he stood his ground for a second, glaring at the other man with cold, fierce eyes. Then he slowly started moving, backing a few steps before turning to follow Jessie, his eyes remaining on the white pelted wolf. After another couple steps, he called back, voice hard as stone; "Remember that the same is true for any of your wolves near our lands!" Then he turned fully, trotting away from this wretched land alongside his teacher. They walked for a while in silence, the ground starting to slope downwards as they began their decent; the nearness of home helping to drive away the fury in his chest. The dark chap's thoughts had already wandered away from Magnolia Glen and onto the exciting prospect of finally returning to The Bend, when Jessie suddenly asked her question, the tension in her voice making him stop in his tracks to turn and look at her. Her expression was edgy, agitation clear on her features as she waited impatiently for answer, yet her choice of words made a smirk come to the older man's face. "Oh he was probably just pissed that the last time he saw me I got the actual carcass." He drawled, with no small amount of smugness, eyes glittering mischievously. Then he sobered up a little, remembering that Jessie had not been at the infamous hunt where Magnolia Glen's female alpha, Triell's sister, had declared war on Oak Tree Bend; and he knew her well enough by now to realize that the lag of information was bugging her to no end. Still smiling, but with a more serious tone, The black scout explained: "Last winter, not too long after I joined, we chased down a bull caribou near the red hills. I took him down, but several of the Glen wolves had been part of the hunt as well as most of ours, and they tried to lay claim on the kill. Triell graciously offered to share the meat, but their queen wouldn't have it. We were higher in numbers though, and they soon ran off, @Nayeli and I grabbled a bit with one of theirs before driving him away, but there was no real fight. They knew they were outmatched! I think mister grumpy-teeth up there managed to snatch a scrap though, but I guess his pride was wounded." Drestig shrugged, not hiding his grin. As he'd told his story, he'd slowly started moving again, eager to get back home and see Triell, Nayeli and the pups again, and his eyes had drifted from Jessie to the path ahead, ears turned towards her though, ready for any more questions. Word count: 570 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2015, 10:09 PM by Drestig.)

Her tense position didn't lax and she remained serious, no smile or laugh crossing her face now. She never enjoyed being left out of the loop, no matter what the circumstance. It made her feel uncomfortable, especially considering that she was certainly above Drestig's clearance, at least in her mind. Jessie had been with the Bend since its founding and had lived with Triell way before Oak Tree Bend even existed. The fact that the subordinate knew more than her...it made her angry and....jealous. The thought made her flush. She hadn't been jealous of anything since she had been equal beside Ice, her snowy Guardian. The exact one that was now...gone. The Tainn knew it wasn't healthy to hang on in the manner that she was, a bitter reminder of what she had lost and how, it certainly couldn't get any worse than losing him. However, her mind snapped back on track when Drestig began speaking.

To put it bluntly, Jessie was slightly impressed. Drestig was a good storyteller and engaged well in letting her know what had happened. The small details were there, a worthy addition to a Scout in training and a much needed one to become a successful one, such as herself. He would become great under her guidance, but that was granted with no distractions regardless. It was the first time she was taking a pupil on, for the exact reason of not viewing anyone as deserving of her time. Of course, Drestig would probably be the first and last pupil she ever took on. He was determined and didn't have any distractions in his life. This pleased her. And so she spoke, "Thank you for telling me this. You have a keen eye and pay attention to detail. Not many can do it as well as you think. If you remain focused and concentrate on the art...then you could be great." She looked him in the eyes when she spoke, making it clear that she was being serious.

Story telling was no unfamiliar art to the black man. In his time with the strays, in the mountains of his homeland, he had spend quite a few evenings under the stars, telling stories to his boys. Those had been good times, but sadly only a small bit of his life back then; All too small... He shook his head lightly, pushing the unwelcome memories back into the dark corner of his mind where he kept his past locked away; something as simple as retelling a recent event would be allowed to unravel his carefully compartmentalized brain. Luckily Jessie helped to get him back to the moment, when her emerald eyes caught his embers, her expression as stern and unreadable as usual, but the words falling from her lips surprising. Drestig knew his teacher well enough to realize that that praise was not something she gave easily, and yet she'd offered it to him several times doing their trip. He smiled at her, more softly now, nodding slowly; "Thank you Jessie. That means a lot coming from you," There was a small mischievous glint in his eye as he said it, but his voice was serious, and so was the sentiment; "I'm sure that with you as a teacher, I'll do marvelously." The grin on his lips widened again, tail wagging idly behind him as he continued onward. It was strange how much his companions words had come to mean to him over the course of their mission; only a few months ago, he'd thought it a great hardship to be seated with her as instructor and superior, but by know he respected her quite a bit, and though she was still too uptight in his opinion, she was no bad comrade to have in your corner. Word count: 297 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”

She was stern and she definitely knew she could be harsh, but it came with a price, a positive one. Knowledge for both Scouting and Oak Tree Bend came with her and Jessie was glad that Drestig appreciated her. It was a new kind of feeling, being appreciated. The Scout knew that not many appreciated her for what she did, Hotei certainly didn't, he just needed her, according to him. As long as she was there, the Tainn didn't care and Jessie didn't bother being sentimental about their relationship. He knew that her duty always came first and that was how it would always be. If he pissed himself when she got back, she wouldn't care, the Tainn would do her best to continue on as if she had never left. The thought almost made her laugh as they plunged on home. Never had she considered taking on a student, she had never found anyone that had been worthy of her tutelage and now, she was almost sure she had found the pupil that she had so longed for.

As they continued on their journey, Jessie stole a glance to the dark man, a scowl forming on her face as she spoke the next words. "Hey," she called, grabbing his attention towards whatever he was thinking about, "don't make me regret teaching you. I don't usually do this kind of thing for others." The only reason she had agreed to have him accompany her was because of Nayeli's concerns. Her friend hadn't wanted her to go out on her mission alone and had practically begged her to bring the Scout in-training with her. Of course, Jessie would never protest to a command given by a superior and had quickly relented. But Drestig had, in the process, somehow, gained an ounce of respect because he had impressed her. Even she thought it had been impossible to gain such an honor. Not even Hotei had impressed her, with his never-ending misery and pain that he brought her. The pain, that she loved and had become addicted to. She had meant the words she had spoken to Drestig, and she would never forget them.

One more from you to finish it up? :)

Joining Oak Tree Bend had been momentous to the dark man's life. Before having drifted from place to place, cherishing his freedom and fearing any bureaucracy or need for submission, he now found himself deep in pack politics and hierarchy, even harboring respect for several superiors. He couldn't help but snicker to himself at the idea; Drestig Avalon, PACK SUBORDINATE and SCOUT-IN-TRAINING! It sounded very far from the wolf he'd been only a year ago; What's next? Pup-sitting and guarding the territory?! A little lady of my own perhaps... There was a small voice in the back of his head shaming him for succumbing to the convenience of pack life and submitting to anyone, but it was almost miniscule, and easily snuffed. As much as he'd once hated the very thought of joining a pack, he now loved The Bend, the land, the wolves, all of it; it was almost dizzying to think about. Luckily Jessie drew him out of his sentimentalities before he completely took off from the ground, voice, as usually, gruff as she called out to him. He turned to meet her scowling emerald eyes, smile never faltering in the slightest; with Jessie, a scowl meant nothing, she could be about to offer a declaration of love and would still look like she just swallowed a mouthful of sour berries, Drestig was convinced. And, as per norm, her following words were a weird, sort of backwards compliment, wrapped in a solemn, bordering on grumpy, tone. Not even a whisker twitched on the ebony lad's muzzle, eyes sparkling in amusement. The grey lady really was gauche but Drestig found it was no longer affecting him, he'd gotten used to her brusque ways and was now able to simply ignore them, seeing beyond the roughness to the truth beneath. So in answer to her, he nodded lightly and blinked solemnly, still smiling as he uttered: "Yes ma'am." Word count: 318 My mind is my own ”I'll say whatever I want to!”