Windsong Fjord genius=crazy

The first few bites of the deer had not really made it through any chewing stages of digestion, but as Merys' belly began to believe that there was always more food coming, the empty hunger feeling began settling and the four year old was able to slow down and chew the flesh he ripped. He licked his lips repetitively, ensuring that any pieces or blood was pulled from his red-stained muzzle where the cream hairs once were. The meat was not fresh, nor was it warm or soft, but it was plenty acceptable for the loner right now. A deer would have been very difficult to take down alone, and he simply had to share this one to have half. 'Simply', like Merys didn't sometimes feel the flutter of possessiveness over the kill, but he ensured to swallow that too.

The male explained his pack's lands to him, and he nodded as if he understood. Truly, he did not. He had not taken too much notice to landmarks on his expansive trip down. His brain had turned off after a week in the commodious lowlands showed him that boring land could, in fact, go on forever. He amused himself with crunching small bones beneath the meat, listening to the ghost ask his questions. He swallowed his last bite, not hurrying any longer, and shifted his gaze upwards in thought for a moment. "Mm.. I believe I will stay, yes. These lands are quite expansive, and they have turned much nicer looking the further south I go. Those lowlands were.." he shook his head once, playfully shuddering at the thought of them, "This 'Relic Lore', does it refer to these great lands around us, or just these forests and waters? Actually!" he exclaimed, his mouth full of bites of deer once again, all of a sudden curious, "Can you tell me more about this place in general? I have more or less wandered in, looking for.. well, whatever, but I'd love to know more about what I'm heading into. Are there lots of packs around here, or..?" he trailed off, letting his muzzle rest in the meat, realizing that his mouth had been running a bit more than he was used to. He must be lonely. He glanced up with his brown eyes and nibbled again around the large bones, sucking as best he could the remaining connective tissue around it.

founding member | 2016

The pale healer chewed slowly on the deer, savouring the taste as he enjoyed the brief silence that fell over him. As much as he would like to recruit the older male and push the values of Hearthwood on him, that wasn’t who Lachesis was. For now, he was simply enjoying a meal with a comrade — there was no reason to get into politics when the brown male was clearly starving and uninterested in seeking out a pack.

He nodded slowly to answer the male’s first question, his chartreuse gaze focused on the older male. His excitement caused a smile to unfold across his pale maw as he nodded again, this time more enthusiastically, as he swallowed the remaining meat in his mouth. “Yes — Relic Lore is what the wolves here call all of the forests and waters around us.” Just as the words left his tongue the stranger had more questions. His enthusiasm was infectious and the pale healer started his response with a wide grin perched lazily against his lips. “Relic Lore is divided up into six sections. There are a few packs in each area, each with their own values and beliefs. My first home was in the most southern point of Relic Lore, but I left to join a pack a little north of them. Our pack has since relocated more times than we would have liked, but it has allowed me to see most of the area.” And he was thankful for that, even though the moves were unwanted. “I’m always partial to water — wetter territories are usually home to the best medicinal plants. But some of the forests here are truly magnificent.” He paused briefly, taking a small bite of deer and chewing it quickly before speaking again. “My previous travelling partner and I took our time finding our first pack here and explored the area before deciding where to settle down. Even though I’ve now found my permanent home I still like to occasionally wander…” he added with a quick wink and a soft wag of his tail.

stick with those who stick with you

The four year old laughed light-heartedly when the white healer winked at him. Well, he had definitely asked for the history lesson and now he had it. He snorted to himself. "I have never found myself wanting to wander, to be honest," No, Merys had never been the wolf stricken with wanderlust like so many are, not once. He enjoyed solitary moments, and he enjoyed quiet, but never had he wished to find either on adventure. Though, he considered, maybe he had always gotten what he needed from being the pack hunter, being forced to travel for his trade and his pack. Following the caribou and bison herds made it easy to start travel, sometimes he would be away for days until him and his team had found something to bring home to their families. "I imagine being a hunter for your pack gives you more leeway for out-of-pack travel than perhaps that of a healer or scout, so maybe it has just been satiated all of these years.. yet, then again, here I am," he thought, willing to give the theory a chance. 

Yes, and yet, then again, here he was. Too many miles for him to count between himself and his old home. He shrugged and tilted his head to the side. "Though, it was not wanderlust to brought me here," he said contemplatively, in a manner that did not invite another into his inner thoughts, but more of a thought said aloud. His latest alpha had not been one that had too many great traits about him. His greatest may have been ambition, and even then that was one that had many negatives to bring along with it. He forced their pack out of isonomy and with that, Merys' respect. He had a bitter taste in his mouth about those damn leaders. Why couldn't everyone just balance themselves out and find a middle ground? That was where he liked it. He knew wherever he ended up next that he would have no big goals in the beginning, only to find out the dynamic of the place he stayed and then somehow find a way to squeeze himself into the cracks. Where he was important enough to be respected, but not too important that he was ever tempted by corruption. His glazed eyes came back into focus at the meat beneath his nose and then glanced back up to his company. He smiled, to ensure he wasn't being too strange, then took another bite despite approaching fullness in its entirety. He swallowed again, "You make it sound like exploring these lands will be a good experience. I look forward to them more now, thank you." 

founding member | 2016

@Merys Wrap this up soon? <3

“I never thought of myself as a wanderer until I arrived here,” he started softly, his chartreuse gaze focused on the older male. “Relic Lore changed me for the better once I made a home here. My previous home was very … different from these lands; I arrived a very different wolf than the one I am today.” Lachesis left his back-story purposely vague. While he enjoyed the company of the brown-eyed male, he was still wary of the loner. Since XIX did not have his recruitment-face on, he could not allow his guard to fall completely. The healer did not know whether this wolf wanted to pass through the lands of Relic Lore or make a home somewhere; he could not trust him regardless of how comfortable he felt in the loner’s presence. Perhaps they would become friends in the future, if they were to cross paths again. Lachesis would like that — and perhaps then he would pester the older male on joining the ranks of Hearthwood.

“I’m a little obsessive when it comes to my role as my pack’s healer; I’m always out and about, looking for plants to add to my infirmary. It gives me the opportunity to stretch my legs and explore some more.” His words were paired with a soft smile and a small roll of his shoulders. He was also grateful that Maksim let him wander quite far to acquire his herbs.

As much as the male’s latest comment stirred up some questions, Lachesis kept his thoughts to himself. It was clear that Merys did not want to dive any further into the topic and XIX wasn’t one to pry. He liked his privacy as well. To remove temptation of questioning the loner, the white male plunged his teeth into the deer once more, filling his mouth with the warm meat as he relished the silence that fell (temporarily) over them. It was nice not to talk business for once; all this responsibility as acting leader was sometimes overwhelming.

Merys’ voice broke the silence once more, confessing that he was looking forward to exploring the lands of Relic Lore. A smile unfolded across his pale maw as he swallowed, his tail giving a short wag of approval. “Good,” he stated with a sharp nod. “Get in as much exploring as you can before you’re tied down to a pack,” he added with a flash of his teeth, amusement glistening in his yellow-green orbs. Redirecting his attention back to the deer, the male began chewing at the hind leg in order to remove it; he couldn’t return back to his pack with empty paws, especially when some of their members were not in the best of health.

stick with those who stick with you

Yes, let's.

Merys gave some thought to what the white male said. Gallantly, he thought that there was not too much that these lands could do to improve him as a wolf. He thought himself fairly well rounded, to be honest. But something in the wolf's tone made Merys appreciate him. He appreciated the vagueness in which his company spoke. They had only met and there was no place for being an open book. They had merely filled each other's need for companionship and had luckily ended up with meal at the same time. Merys had no intent at spilling his life story to anyone in the near future. There was a reason he left it behind, after all, so he could start somewhere new. He knew that he left a life behind, but he was too relieved to grieve. 

"I will, I can promise you that much. I can't imagine I will be joining anyone's ranks any time soon," he assured the male. Merys had passed his point of fullness a few bites ago, and was enjoying stuffing himself just to the precipice of nausea. He nodded his head to let the male know he was still listening and continued to eat until he was sure there would not be room for another bite. He felt a tugging in his brain that felt the natural close coming to this encounter. They had met, ate, and it was seeming close to time to leave. He eyed the male when he began pulling at the deer's leg. He knew there was no way that the male was getting a second wind to his appetite. Merys scowled momentarily over the idea of the pack leader getting the rest of their find, but it faded as quickly as it came. He knew there was nothing he could do to protect this deer, and it was too much food for him before it would freeze with the next snowfall. It was once Merys' job to bring home food to his pack, so he knew the leader had good intentions. His full stomach made it easier for him to let the buffet go. 

He moved to stand, and smiled kindly at Lachesis. "Well, Mr. Hearthwood, I can't take any more of your time if I plan on exploring more of the crannies of your Relic Lore. I think I'm going to head west this time," he tilted his head and looked off, as if to playfully make it into a serious decision, "You take care of that pack. Make sure you always keep the balance," he advised, but partially asked. It was the only thing Merys wanted from a home, and he wasn't prepared to step across anyone's borders until he found it.

founding member | 2016

@Merys feel free to throw in another reply or archive this <3 

He could have spent the rest of the day enjoying the company of the brown-eyed male but as Hearthwood’s temporary leader, he had a whirlwind of other things high on his priority list. While he enjoyed his temporary position XIX also could not wait to return the role to Maksim, who was the rightful king of the river wolves. Calling himself a leader felt strange, almost as if he was lying. The thought caused the corners of his lips to fall.

The unfamiliar wave of jealousy pained his stomach at Merys’ words, for he wished he could stretch his legs just a little further. He dismissed the thought with a soft wag of his tail; as much as he wanted to adopt a nomadic lifestyle once more, Lachesis was also extremely happy with where he was and would not do anything to jeopardize his position in Hearthwood River. Unless the pack completely dissolved or Maksim fell from his throne permanently it was where he would remain until the end of his days. And he was more than okay with that realization.

Once he had completed severing the leg from the deer’s body the voice of his companion distracted him once more, his yellow-green eyes focusing on the tawny male. A smile was etched across his bloodstained lips and he nodded softly. “Go, explore — see as much as you can,” he responded with a lazy smile, his expression soft. The stranger’s next set of words would be tucked away into his memory for future reference. The advice was welcome and greatly appreciated; it was not often that he came across a wolf as genuine as the one before him. “Of course,” he replied, voice warm as a smile curled around his words. “Hearthwood’s borders are always open to you — whether it be for a home or a conversation, I am just a howl away,” he added with a  dip of his head as he picked up the deer leg between his teeth. As reluctant as he was, it was time for them to part ways — he did have a pack to tend to, after all. With another slow wag of his tail in place of a verbal ‘goodbye’, the healer spun on his heals and headed east to the trees of Kingsfall; to home.

stick with those who stick with you