Larkcall Lowlands Take me down a notch

(OOC: For @Gent , take him down a peg or two for me.)

Askan knew the lowlands well. He'd spent a great deal of time familiarising himself with the landscape, taking in it's flora and fauna, as well as the various scents that often wafted to his nose. He wouldn't call it home yet, after all the memories of his true, real home were too fresh in his mind, but perhaps in time he would. It was similar enough, and the prospect of living within a pack made it all the more promising. Then again, he didn't want to get his hopes up. Askan was a pessimist through and through, as soon as a postive thought popped into his mind it was dashed away with worries and troubles. It was for the best. Askan couldn't stand to be disappointed once more, his heart couldn't take it.

He hadn't wandered too far from the golden fields of rye, if he listened just so he could hear the soothing rustle of the grass swaying in the afternoon breeze. It made him smile. Luckily for him, there was no one around to see it. He'd never live it down otherwise. As much as he enjoyed the protective cover of the rye fields, it was difficult to get a good scope of the area. His line of sight was limited, so how could he do his (self appointed) job to the best of his ability if he was inhibited? He couldn't and he damn well couldn't allow that. The lines for the territory hadn't been set or even marked yet, so it wasn't as if Askan had a territory to guard, but @Phoenix was at the den and he'd be damned if he'd let anyone get close without him, or her parents knowing about it. Besides, if he proved that he was useful, a valuable asset, then surely he'd have a place here. By the Gods, we wanted a place here.

Anyway... Askan didn't want to linger on such thoughts for too long. Instead his raised his snout high and took in a deep breath. Ahh, there was nothing better than fresh air.  Damp earth. A bird... a magpie perhaps? And a- Askan froze and whirled his head around to face the wind. A heavy, startling scent slammed into his nostrils and his fur stood up on end without him even meaning it to. A wolf-one he didn't recognise- was close. Far too close for his liking. Askan was lost on what to do. Should he head back and defend the den, in case the wolf continued on its path, or should he stand his ground and ward the wolf off?

He didn't have long to decide. If he was leaving he had to go now and make a bee line for the den. No, he couldn't do that. It was cowardly. He had to stand his ground, he had to let the stranger know they were unwelcome.

So sorry this took me so long to get to. Please allow @Merys to post next.

For many reasons, Gent did not like this growing presence so close to his own home. Only one scent was recognizable, but the volatility that known man had displayed gave the shade king plenty of cause for concern. All Drestig would need to do to strike the Notch was cross a ravine and descend down into their valley with his pack. Ease only enabled impulse, and even whims of fancy could decimate. This led Gent to act cautiously and search for information, bringing both himself and his mate to the end of the Palisades where the scents began to become muddled. They didnt seem to be fully established, but they were certainly getting there. Either they were irritatingly audacious, oblivious, or naive. He was hoping for the latter, but hope wouldn't keep his family safe.

Gent had discussed their concerns about this neighbor many times before the trip had been made. While they did not intend to make contact on this go, it was soon realized that he couldn't quite make it from the palisades to the lowlands without stepping into a grey area. As the winds shifted, it became apparent that someone was headed their way, and a sigh fled his chest as he ceased his walking to stand his ground. Someone was on the horizon of his vision, and he supposed it would be this wolf that dictated how the relationship between White Fir Notch and these Lowland Lollygaggers would go.

(This post was last modified: Oct 12, 2016, 01:46 AM by Gent. Edit Reason: changed Merys to Raela )

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

OOC: -hops in- 

It was hard to know whether the lingering scents meant that this unnamed group to the north planned on staying where it was or not. This would be the nearest group of wolves to their new home, and that alone caused the Alphess to agree with her husband. It was worth investigation, especially for the fact that the only identified scent among the handful was a wolf Gent hadn't had the smoothest introduction to. An older male of dark pelt that went by Drestig and knew Nina. It was all very interesting, and while for Raela the jury remained out on this man and his little band, she did hope that they could get along. A threat so close to their home was serious. 

She was uncomfortable enough just having to leave her little babies for a few hours, but if there was going to be any contact between the groups she knew she ought to be involved. The rest of the Notch could keep an eye on them for a while, she hoped. There hadn't been much indication of a gathering at all up here when they'd settled, which of course hadn't been any cause for concern, but in the weeks that followed the assembly seemed to grow. All the signs pointed to a potential new pack forming here, and for the Notch's safety, they needed to be on speaking terms. She would not have their paradise ruined; not when they had cemented their boundaries first.

Today's best case scenario involved picking up the scents, perhaps pinpointing the central area the strangers inhabited and determining their number as best as possible. But, as the Queen knew well, things didn't usually follow the 'best case scenario.' She picked up the smell right after Gent, her sensitive ears rotating forward to pick up the barely-audible movement. They weren't exactly in cover here, on the edge of the tundra; they would be seen by this stranger in no time. However, as best she could tell, there was only one. Raela paused in her tracks, watching her mate's stern face and the shape of the distant figure. The two parties seemed to be sizing each other up, and her nerves fluttered uneasily in the silence. Someone was going to have to close the distance, and it wasn't wise for them to barge forward in an unfamiliar area.

            

I'm so sorry guys, this one completely slipped my mind :x

It was a lazy morning fir the budding alpha, one of the few he allowed himself now and then. Allowing @Jessie some peace, he stayed with his daughter, playing and teaching her about the woods, and the land that would be her home. It was a joy he had always yearned for, deep in his heart, to have children of his own to love and care for. @Phoenix was the Avalon's whole world now, his legacy, and the top priority in his life was to assure her safety and happiness. He still worried, about their current uncertain state, about the coming winter and the wolves who lived closes to them, both north and south. Their exact locations were still unsure, he hadn't been investigating too closely, worried about leaving his family for too long, but he knew they were there and at some point they would have to face on another. He hadn't been expecting it to be today though. When he left, Percy asleep and her mother back to watch her, it was for a simple patrol, tracing the lines that were not yet set, but would one day mark the edge of his territory. However his direction was altered when an array of scents hit him, wolves, more or less known, very close to the edge of the Fields. The graying man moved quickly through the gradually changing grass, slipping from gold to a more standard green, ears pricked and tail stretched straight out behind him. Askan was to be expected, out scouting as well, but what he had found might very well mean trouble. Drestig recognized the scent even if they had only met once, brows furrowing as he caught sight of the group; 'Blue-boy'..! Gent's silhouette was easy to recognize, dark and bulky, towering over both of the other wolves present: Askan and a petite, tawny woman who he could only assume had come with the dark brute, judging by how close they stood, both facing the third party. So it seemed he had arrived at the perfect time; Let's even the odds! Keeping his posture, not aggressive but in no way yielding to the larger male either, Drestig came up by his second's side. Eyes sweeping between Gent and his companion, the elder wolf struck up a half-smile, voice neutral as he greeted: "Gent. What an unexpected surprise."   Word count: 393 Thoughts ”Speech”

kuschelirmel-stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de

sorry guys, completely forgot about this one!

Askan certainly did not appreciate the new addition to their little stand off. For a prolonged moment, his mind scrambled about trying to think of something to say or do. His posture- tense and defensive- made it clear that they were not welcome and if he had the chance to speak his words would have likely been biting and gruff. But before he got the chance to, his ears twitched at the sound of paws thudding against dirt. Someone else was coming to join the party, great. 

He could have sworn that he recognised those foot falls though, and instead of coming from in front of him they were approaching from behind. It was Drestig. Internally, Askan let out a whop of relief. Of course, he had been willing to deal with this on his own, he had been ready to accept the consequences, but having Drestig's reassuring presence by his side was never something Askan was going to complain about. Unlike the Yukon wolf, Drestig carried himself with assured dignity, as though he didn't perceive this newcomer as a threat. But beneath his collected exterior, Askan knew that Drestig wasn't going to take any of this strangers shit. That he could easily hold his own if need be.

When his alpha turned his attention to the massive black one and uttered his name, well Askan was taken back a little. They knew each other? And if so, then it seemed as though they were not on the best of terms. Askan doubted that his frosty response to his arrival had helped much, but how was he supposed to know that they knew each other? Not that he thought he'd stepped out of line, he'd simply made it clear that he didn't want the blue eyed one- Gent- hanging around. That wasn't such a demanding request now was it?

Now that his alpha had taken the lead, Askan was content to observe. His eyes flickered between Gent and the other wolf, who was considerably smaller than the black giant. And female too, from the smell of it. Surely there was more to this meeting than met the eye, there had to be some context behind all of this. He would have to ask Drestig later, for now was not the time.

Gent expected this other to come forward, to speak with them or give them the option to inquire. Instead, he remained as he was, tense and unapproving, and Gent's tail flicked behind him with annoyance. Was this what he could expect of the Drestig that had coiled and hissed when they'd met? Wolves that were just as antagonistic, unwilling to utter a word? Silence would not be acceptable from neighbors who insisted on settling so close to their home. He needed reassurance that they would not threaten the Notch's claims.

Thankfully (or perhaps not, it would all depend), Drestig himself was quick to appear. While it wasn't a guarantee that this would go smoothly, Gent at least knew that the graying man liked words. They both hung back, allowing quite a bit of space between themselves and the Notch monarchy. A rather stand-offish approach that the leviathan couldn't say he was familiar or comfortable with.

When Drestig spoke up, voice carrying over the dying field, Gent's ears twitched, but no other indication passed over his features of just how annoying he found the words to be. No, he certainly did not like the personality of this man and thus far, his pack. That didn't mean they had to be at odds, however. So long as they could agree on a few ground rules, and this Drestig wasn't one to fly off the handle or back stab (actually, that was asking for a lot--wolves could not be trusted), then things would be fine enough.

Damn them for daring to camp here at all.

"Is it?" Gent mused, eyes wandering over the land beyond the two foreigners. "You're settling in not a day's travel from my pack."

His paws moved him, taking him a few experimental strides. Not into whatever territory they might have claimed, but rather around what one might perceive to be the border.

"How far exactly do you plan on extending your borders?"

The question was not meant to be antagonistic, and this was reflected in the genuity of his voice. He needed to know; did they plan to claim or block the pass his pack had been using to hunt the lowland herds?

This was certainly uncomfortable. Her golden eyes passed uneasily over the dark wolf, standing just far enough away that the distance between them felt quite purposeful; more than a few wolf-lengths. Conversation was a bit harder with this amount of space, but the strange pack wolf seemed to have no intention of speaking. Everything about him was cold and hard. Normally the Queen would have greeted the foreigner, but it felt wrong. For a moment she wondered if he was waiting for them to approach, or to see if they would, perhaps so he could launch an attack without consequence. Her birth pack had behaved similarly on occasion, but that was when they were feeling “friendly.” Normally, attack-on-sight was the only response to a stranger near the edge of their lands, and she had met others who behaved similarly during her exile.  

The distant approach of another dark shape only made her anxiety worse. However, this one was more relaxed, which wasn't saying much given the posture of their first greeter. He wasn't charging them, and there was no aggression on his face. There was dominance though, a dominance the first one seemed pretty comfortable with. ”An Alpha? She mused to herself. Raela's attention immediately and almost gratefully shifted to the older male, finding some comfort in his smirk. It was a warmer reception than they had been getting, at least. 

His eyes passed swiftly over her but lingered on her mate. “Gent.” The matriarch glanced up, seeing a familiar coldness on the man's face. She should have recognized Drestig's graying muzzle sooner. This was the man Gent had met in the blackberry fields, and who had reacted somewhat sensitively to her husband that day. Raela had of course been told of the encounter, but as usual her opinion and judgment were more reserved than his. She knew Gent could come off as abrasive to some; he certainly had with her. Still, she was unsure of him, and his halfhearted greeting seemed like a quiet nod to the tension between the two leaders. 

She had wanted to extend a greeting to them, hoping to ease things further but when @Drestig spoke the focus of the interaction fell squarely to him and Gent. She kept her expression soft and curious as she observed the interaction, finding that she was just as silent as the first wolf, though in a much less confrontational way. She glanced to the younger one once more, still finding him to be quite closed off in attitude, so her gaze didn't linger. 

Her King's words flowed with a chill to match his eyes at first. Gent turned a little from her side, causing Raela to shift her front paws and watch him curiously. He cut straight to the point, and though his tone was amiable, Raela knew not everyone appreciated the brevity. Some, like her, preferred a bit more talk before the business. She wondered if Drestig was the same way, and cast a probing eye toward him. Her mate asked a question, and finally she felt compelled to interject. 

"I'm sorry," she began almost habitually but sincerely, flicking the tip of her tail at her hocks. "We just came up here to try and figure out how close you were to us. We noticed that there were new scents nearby and decided to investigate." Her eyes flicked briefly toward the coal black mammoth off to her side. "We don't mean to intrude," she added, turning her head and the tip of her muzzle downward a bit as a respectful gesture. She hoped they would receive it as such. She was definitely more of a diplomat than her mate, but his confidence was equally helpful in these situations. She let the air hang still for a second before continuing. "It would help us to know a bit more about our neighbors," Raela admitted slowly, brows lifting a little and opening the floor to them. She was just as concerned about the distance between the groups as Gent, but they didn't need to dive into the argument head first. The last thing they wanted was for the pack closest to their home to dislike them. That became a very dangerous prospect very fast. 

            

To his surprise, Askan remained silent, seeming content to watch the drama unfold; Probably for the best… It left Drestig to focus fully on their company, smile remaining, even as the blue giant replied coolly, glacial eyes seeming to inspect the golden Fields. The elder male's gaze traced him lazily, one brow cocking at the implication of his remark. Voice still light, he commented: "Is that so? Perhaps if I had known where your pack was, I would have taken that into account." His smile grew a little wider, tail flicking with amusement. For now he didn't perceive Gent as a threat, he might be stiff as a stick, but that only brought a different amusement to digging at him. At the question, he only offered a slight lift of both his brows at first, secretly wondering exactly how to respond. But he was never given the chance, as the slight woman suddenly joined the conversation. Ember eyes shifted to her as she followed her – mate? – Though she didn't speak or carry herself with the same absolute authority, her words indicated an even field with the man. But her manner was so very different, the apologies almost making Drestig feel embarrassed about his sneering. It was funny really, how she so elegantly managed to propose the same questions with no hint of her partner's arrogance. The graying chap's smile grew softer, eyes meeting the lady's in a none threatening manner. "I can understand that," he began, voice much gentler and more genuine now, faced with a reasonable woman rather than an alpha-male; "We didn't choose this spot to be a threat. You must live on the other side of the mountains?" Unlike in his last conversation with 'blue-boy' the question wasn't a way to fish for information, but rather posed for sake of clarification. They hadn't run into this pack or their scent, beyond the brief meeting with Gent, on their way north, so it had to be sheltered somewhere east of that route; But you can't keep it a secret and expect me to respect it at the same time. Looking back to Gent, the smaller male sighed lightly, his posture more relaxed now. Meeting those ice-blues now, Drestig shed his snark in favor of diplomacy, finally answering the fellow leader's question: "We only want peace here, with ourselves and our neighbors. This grain covers a nice stretch, from here and west, and goes all the way to the tree-line." As he spoke he motioned to the rye, indicating the directions as they were mentioned; "I imagine our borders will follow that, roughly. Would that be a problem?" This time the question was without challenge, and he turned to the petite female as he asked it; She seems the smarter of the two.   Word count: 464 Thoughts ”Speech”

kuschelirmel-stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Gent couldn't say he wasn't expecting Drestig to keep up his snark, coinciding quite perfectly with that initial impression he'd giving the Notch king so many weeks prior. Still, whether the man thought what he had to say clever or not aside, the implications bothered the blue-black leviathan greatly. If it was a bluff, just words thrown out to try and dig at his temperament, then he couldn't expect any sort of conversation between them to get far, and his patience would likely be depleted before any useful information was gleaned. They might as well turn around then and there, and leave him simply with a warning. If he was being honest? Well, Gent truly couldn't be certain he preferred that.

The other man had years on him, as evidenced by the graying throughout his coat. The should mean experience, and yet everything seemed to point to the contrary. Either he was ignorant, or just stupid; at least in Gent's eyes. They had been established before he'd begun to gather his cronies, and Gent knew that because he had been cautious and proactive in ensuring that he was taking his pack to a place that was safe. Had Drestig really not taken the time to so much as take a glance through the adjoining territories, to know exactly what he was surrounding his family with? Or at the least, sent out a scout to do it for him? That he could truly be oblivious to neighbors as close as the Notch was as unnerving as him being aware and choosing to sink his roots in anyways.

But then Raela spoke up, and the first thing off her lips was an apology. Gent wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that, mostly because he couldn't tell if she was just being overly polite or if she was sorry for him. His ears flicked in her direction, but his eyes remained locked on the other alpha male. Whatever her intentions, it seemed to work to finally get the man to drop his act and speak straight.

"North of the springs, South of the palisade," he clarified when Drestig confirmed that no, he hadn't bothered to check his surroundings. Wonderful.

"We hunt the lowland herds, through a pass further east of here. So long as we can continue to do so in peace, I've got no problem with your claim here."

They were close, but there were enough natural boundaries between the two packs to separate them. The tundra-bound prey were the only things they would need to share, and the herds were so large that certainly their right to hunt them wouldn't be contested. Right?