Larkcall Lowlands Fight when you feel like flying

@Askan // Freezing Fog 2*F, -17*C Late morning // South-East of WM

It had been a long trek, lonely and cold with no seeming end in sight, but Niki never knew when to give up and kept going. There were a few stumbles and falls here and there but he never let them pull him down. There was too much out there for him to stop, and so over the mountain he climbed, around the immense lake he trotted, and through the brambles he traversed until he found himself in a vast tundra of rocky hills and ever-changing warm colours. Though his view of the great expanse was slightly impaired by the particularly freezing fog that had settled low in the early morning air it was a breathtaking view nonetheless. A far cry from the forest he had grown up in, much prettier he had to admit, but it did leave him feeling just a tad vulnerable. He could only assume large prey and predators lived in the wide open area, but that did not deter him from setting forward with determination.

Paws thumping an even two-beat drum on the tough grassy ground, Niki kept his head and ears on a constant swivel, eyes gazing over the small shrubs and ears listening out for any noise. Being on the smaller side of the average spectrum made him a little nervous at times as there were far larger things out there than him. He could only imagine what the smallest of wolves felt like on a day-to-day basis. Pausing by the leafy body of a particularly small shrub-like tree, the white yearling gingerly sniffed at it, curious to see if it was more than just a small-looking tree. He pulled back after a few moments, white ears flicking backwards as he realised it really was just a tree, but it did not curb his enthusiasm to keep on the lookout. Shaking out his pelt, Niki padded over to the bank of the small watering hole the mini-tree was located by, lowering his head so he could drink the cool liquid. Fresh water had been a little bit more difficult to find than he had originally thought, and so whenever he found some he drank as much as he could just in case.

Sighing with contentment as he had his fill, the white yearling sat back on his haunches and gazed down at his reflection, amber eyes narrowing slightly at his malnourished-looking form. Hunting was definitely not his forte, and it clearly showed, but he got by on his wits and sharp thinking. Inhaling deeply as he let himself have a breather, Niki's brows furrowed at the smell of vanilla. The only time he had scented that was when his father had been teaching him about- Sweet Grass! With an excited yip he followed the scent that originated just a couple wolf-lengths away and spotted the familiar tall stems with the three-flowered spikelets at the ends. Tail wagging excitedly he buried his muzzle in the plant and inhaled its scent, vanilla being one of the many scents that he loved. He would make sure to remember for the future where the medicinal plant could be found in case he ever needed some for whatever reason.

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(This post was last modified: Nov 26, 2016, 12:54 PM by Neem.)

Guardian demonstration 1/6

Things were settled- they had been for quite some time- but even so Askan was just getting used to the idea of having a place. Of belonging somewhere. Sure, he'd screwed up the other day, and for all he knew it might have some major repercussions in the future. But for now, he felt secure. Both he and Drestig had spent a great deal of time and effort in marking and patrolling the Wild Rye Field's borders, so at this point there was no mistaking it. These lands were claimed, you'd have to be a blind, nose-less idiot not to see.That said, it wasn't as though Askan was chained to the field. The Rye King and Queen were fair. As long as he didn't stray too far- or at the very least he told them where he was going and how long he planned to go for- then they seemed to be happy to let him wander till his heart was content. 

When he set out in the early hours of that morning, his objective had been simple. He wanted to see how thick this damned fog was, and whether it was just passing by or whether it had enveloped the whole Lowlands in its grey, freezing shroud. To his dismay and annoyance, it seemed as though it was the latter rather than former.

Navigating his way through the thick fog would have been difficult, but Askan was intimately familiar with the terrain of the pack lands. With his nose to the ground he walked along the well trodden path, and huffed in satisfaction when only his and Drestig's scent wafted into his nose. Once content, he moved onto the land surrounding the fields, where it began to grow steep and hilly. He didn't need to look down to know where the ground was rocky, or where it levelled out. This was his home now and travelling through it was both effortless and an enjoyable experience. One that was enough to lessen the usual bitter glint in his eyes.

He trotted along, mindful of the gritty terrain, his golden gaze scanning through the fog, looking for anything amiss. He didn't expect any trouble today, this was more of a routine. A quick patrol outside of the borders to check for sure that everything was good.

It was then he spotted a white figure, lingering in the fog like a ghost.

Beware little brother, ghosts-

"Oh shut up." Askan grumbled, rolling his eyes at the memory. And to think he used to believe in that sort of crap. That it actually bothered him the other night. Demons, ghosts, they were all make believe. The only threat that truly could harm him was further north, and as of yet they weren't baring their teeth and preparing for war. At least not yet.

Pushing those utterly pointless thoughts aside, Askan pushed forward, and emerged through the fog like a yellow eyed shadow to see a white wolf- Why was his face buried in a tuft of grass?

That certainly threw the Rye wolf out of the loop. He'd had a sharp, scathing question on the tip of his tongue, but it dried up leaving him tilting his head in somewhat bemused annoyance. The kid- he was no doubt a kid- was so distracted that he hadn't even noticed Askan's approach. And by no means was he quiet on his feet. That was dumb. A sure way of getting yourself killed, or at least hurt. A lot of beasts prowled these Lowlands, a wolf of his size couldn't afford to leave himself vulnerable like this. Just looking at him rubbed the Yukon wolf the wrong way and made him glower in mocking contempt.

"The hell you doing?"

(This post was last modified: Nov 26, 2016, 05:25 PM by Askan.)

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

@Askan <3

Caught up in his excitement over finding the sweet vanilla-scented plant that brought him so much heartsease, Niki had completely forgotten about his surroundings and keeping on a constant lookout. It was bound to happen at some point, but hearing the gruff voice of another, and so close to him, sent the white yearling reeling backwards with an undignified shriek of terror. Amber eyes widened to show the whites of his eyes he quickly jumped up to his feet from the ungainly position he had fallen into, body quivering like a leaf blowing in a strong gust wind as his gaze fell upon the, frankly larger, form of a wolf. A sigh of relief fell from his lips upon the realisation that he was not about to be eaten, and slowly rose to his full height, though kept his head lowered and tail tucked around his hind legs. The smell of other wolves upon his coat, though somewhat diminished from the strong scent of vanilla still in his nostrils, was enough to tell him the the darker and larger male was part of a pack.

Glancing sideways at the Sweet Grass with a mortified grin on his face, white ears flicking backwards at the concept of acting so undignified in front of another, Niki attempted to explain himself. "Sorry, I really love th'smell of vanilla an'th'plant smells of it," he rattled off in a single breath, clipping the end of some words off and mushing them together. He was also just so eager to gogogo that sometimes did not stop to even think that he should slow down a bit. "Apologies if I was in y'way, didn'mean t'intrude." His tail wagged behind him in a hopeful, yet uncertain, manner that the older male would accept his apology. He really did try to be the best wolf he could be, and even if it was not his fault or he had no need to he apologised. Guess it was just in his nature.

"So... I guess y'live 'round these parts?" He asked curiously, ears perking up as he leaned slightly to one side to look past the larger form of the other male as if he would see where he lived. It was only then that he realised how rude he must seem to the older male and let out a spout of more apologies. "Ohhh I-am-so-terribly-sorry, excuse m'impoliteness! M'name's Neem bu'y'can call me Niki."

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Askan watched with (very) subdued amusement as the wolf flailed and flung itself about, before it managed to gather some semblance of dignity and mind to pull himself together. He had no intention of beating him when he was down, but Askan couldn't help but find the whole display a little annoying. Not so much that his fur was puffing up, but more than enough to warrant a lazy eye roll- as if to say I'm so done with his shit already. With as much patience as he could muster, the Rye wolf listened to his broken speech, and found himself questioning it. Either he was too lazy to speak properly, or he couldn't- Askan had the feeling it was the latter but decided it was pointless to mention it. And instead swiftly moved on to more important matters.

At least the boy was polite enough to apologise, and in the proper manner too, that helped his case some.

"You weren't. This is neutral land." Askan told him with his usual stern tone. He was not one for reassurance, so those words were the best he was going to get, whether he liked them or not. It wasn't like the kid had much room to argue anyway.

At his next question, Askan tilted his head a little. He was no master conversationalist-obviously- but even he could notice when someone was fishing for information. Having a good poke about to see what they could find. Askan sniffed- as casually as he could- to check if the boy carried any lingering scents, to see if he came from another pack. The smell of sweet grass was near overwhelming, enough to make Askan's nose wrinkle at the heady scent of vanilla. Had he done that on purpose? Was he hiding his scent, masking his identity? 

One proper look at the goofy mutt was enough to rule his theory out. He was no spy or interloper, he was just a silly kid who'd been caught in the act of doing something a little embarrassing. He'd done nothing wrong, Askan had no reason to stare at him with his usual intensity, but he did it anyway. More so because it was habit at this point. Either way, he abandoned his suspicions and finally got around to responding.

"I do, but you don't have to kiss my ass kid. I'm not the boss around here, so stop looking like you're about to shit yourself." Askan wanted respect- for sure- but he didn't want to be the sort of guy who made kids shit themselves out of sheer nervousness. Only douches were like that-like a certain Whitestone wolf. But that was neither here nor there.

"Name's Askan. Why are you here Niki? You got business, other than making a tit of yourself?"

@Askan is getting told off xD

While the other's tone was stern as he spoke, the words themselves made him feel just a little better about his predicament. At least he had not been intruding too close to pack land. "Oh than'goodness," he gushed breathlessly, tail wagging like a flag in the wind behind him, "I was afrai' I migh'hav intruded a bit." Neutral land was good land, it meant he would not get snapped at, though he was not sure if he would get away scot free from this encounter... the older male did not seem to be the forgiving type. That never stopped him from seeing the best in wolves, however, and so he gave a wide grin, this one being more friendly than embarrassed as the previous had been.

White ears perked up as the older male affirmed he lived nearby. That was great news for him. Winter was just around the corner as evident by the freezing fog that still clung to the air near the tundra ground. It did not look as if it would let up any time soon, but it was better than snow in his opinion. However as the other continued to speak Niki's ears lowered, lips pulling back in a slightly chagrined expression as his brows furrowed. Now there was no need for that kind of talk! Growing up in a rather traditional and conservative pack had taught him to always respect others and treat them nicely. While he did not shy away from using those out-there words, he would never speak in such a way to another wolf. That was just rude. "Thas'no'a nice way t'speak t'another wolf," the white yearling said with a slight bite to his tone, squaring his shoulders every so slightly. He was not afraid to tell the larger wolf off for acting so rude, but that was about as far as he would go. Fighting was not in his nature, but he could stand up for himself when it was necessary.

Niki appreciated that he had at least been given a name in return, having almost not expected to receive one from the gruffness of the older male. "I was no'makin'a tit o' myself," he responded with a huff, eyeing Askan warily as he spoke. He did not want to start a fight, but at the same time would not stand for his insults and crude words. "An' I was jus' lookin'round f'any medicinal plants. Foun'some Sweet Grass, it's good f'coughs an' sore throats." The words fell from his lips in a rush of blended syllables that had started as being too excited to properly enunciate his words to morphing into a speech pattern. "I can leave y'be if y'want? Don'wan'any trouble, mister. Jus' say th'words an' I'll b'on m'way." If this was how Askan acted to random strangers met outside of his pack territory then maybe he did not want to join his pack, but he could just be a bad apple in the group.

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And rightly so ;p

It seemed as though this morning was full of surprises. First Askan had stumbled into a bumbling wolf and now said wolf was telling him off! Scolding him as though he was the elder and had the higher ground. Usually, Askan was inclined to snap first and ask questions later... But right now ,honestly, the little arctic wolf had taken him by surprise. It was an odd change of pace to say the least. One moment he had been cowering with his tail tucked between his legs, but now he stood tall- or at least as tall as he could manage- and was giving the Rye wolf a right earful. A lecture on how to talk to others. This was not the first one he had received, and he doubted it would be the last, but never had he been told off by someone younger than himself. 

Unsurprisingly, Askan didn't appreciate being spoken to in such a manner. He felt a tick of annoyance- like an irritating muscle spasm- but even so he had to admit he was at least a little impressed. Askan was by no means a tall lad but he still towered over the arctic wolf like an imposing shadow. Neem didn't seem to care at all though, he squared his shoulders and pouted stubbornly. His bravery was commendable, but the tension in his shoulders revealed that he was no fool. He was not hankering for a fight, he was simply asking for some respect.

That subtle bit of behaviour was what saved him from receiving a snappy comment in return. Askan didn't hand out respect on a whim, it had to be earned, but he was willing to cut the kid some slack. At least for now.

"You trained in medicine kid?" Askan asked, after a moment of silent pondering.

As of yet, because the pack was newly formed, they were lacking in quite a few departments. He had no doubt they would pull together in tough times, but the lack of a proper trained medic might come and bite them in the ass sometime in the future. He was not under the impression this kid was an expert, but some knowledge was far better than none.

Then the kid went onto continue and Askan's brow furrowed into a frown. He wasn't going to stop him if he wanted to leave, the kid was free to do as he pleased but Askan wasn't chasing him off either. He was no threat, this situation didn't warrant any form of aggression. Askan had no interest in taking out his anger on those who didn't earn it or couldn't withstand it. 

"You're not causing any trouble." He said, eyeing him up and down once more. "I've got no problem with you hanging about. If that's what you want. Just mind the pack up North" Askan gestured with his snout "they're assholes. Won't take kindly to you sniffing about."

(This post was last modified: Nov 27, 2016, 05:52 PM by Askan.)

@Askan

The silence emanating from the older male was just a bit unnerving if Niki had to be honest with himself. He was used to being around wolves that loved to converse just as much as he had, which made him think that maybe his pack was different from other packs, but he could not assume every wolf was just like Askan. Surely there must be others out there with a more similar personality to him, there had to be. The white yearling was not sure if he could live out the rest of his life surrounded by Askan-like wolves. He may just have to live a life where he would soliloquize all the time if that was the case.

Amber eyes lit up at the older male's question, weight bouncing from paw to paw out of excitement. "Oh yes! M'dad taugh'me about th'plants tha' he used mos'of'en," Niki practically squeaked out, enthusiasm coursing throughout his entire body at talking about a subject he knew much about. After his initial burst he managed to calm himself down a bit, stilling his body so his paws were stuck to the ground, but he could not wipe the immense grin off his face or stop his tail from whipping side to side behind him. "If y'wanna take some o'th'plant here with y'back t'y'home y'more than welcome t'. It'd help wi'chil'birth an' all that too when th'time comes." It did not even occur to the white yearling that Askan had probably been asking if he knew enough about herbs and healing to be a possible recruit to his pack, rather thinking that the older male was interested in what he knew, and quite foolishly at that. Sometimes he could be a little thick-headed, assuming one thing when it could be many other things, but he was still young and had many things to learn.

Niki's tail momentarily stilled at Askan's next words, white ears rotating in a three-sixty degree motion before flicking forwards to face the older male. He had been sure the other would have wanted him to leave from the gruffness of his actions, but maybe he had read him wrong, maybe the older male was not as bad as he had first thought. If he was not against him leaving then maybe he would stay and chat for a little longer. The slightest frown pulled at his lips for a fraction of a second at Askan's choice of words, but he decided to not point it out that time, especially as he had already gotten his point across just previously. He could not change how the other male chose to talk about others, and would not want over step on any boundaries.

"M'folks back home always sai' I could b'overbearin' a'times, s'pose they were righ'." His gaze shifted to glance in the direction Askan had motioned, a little North-West of where he had travelled from. If they were such... mean wolves then maybe he would traverse lightly around their territory. "I'll take y'advice then, pal. Don'wan' t'aggravate anyone, s'pecially an entire pack." The white yearling looked back at the older male, brows raising curiously. "'M guessin' y'live over tha'aways?" Niki questioned curiously, once again leaning slightly to the side to gaze past the other's larger and bulkier form. It would be good if he had a good idea of the packs in the area so he knew where to to venture in case he got too close and angered the wolf on patrol.

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Whilst there was a possibility that those shoots of grass could one day be of use, Askan had no doubt that he wouldn't be the one to use them. He was no healer and he had no intentions of trying to become one. So when Niki offered the grass- that didn't even belong to him, or anyone for that matter- Askan simply ignored him. Not because he was trying to be rude, he rarely made an effort to, but because he had nothing else to say on the matter. The fact that they were helpful in regards to childbirth, well maybe that was a little fact he would store away in his mind.... But he made no show of it, he simply blinked and waited for the yearling to continue.

And continue he did.

Askan could see why his family would think so.  He was annoying, yes. A chatterbox, most certainly. But other than that, he wasn't so bad. By far, he wasn't the worst wolf Askan had happened across in the Lowlands- and that admission in itself meant a lot coming from a wolf so renowned for being a grumpy bastard. The fact that he took Askan's advice without question helped too. If he'd asked why, or even insinuated that he was wrong or at the very least exaggerating... Well, Askan said things how they were, so when others didn't believe him it was a sure way to piss him off. 

Following Niki's line of sight, Askan looked back at the fog from which he had emerged. There was little too see, after all it was so thick that even the great pine trees in the distance looked like ghostly apparitions. But if it had been clear, then Niki would have been blessed with the view of a rolling hills of rye, their stalks snapped short by the changing of seasons. Their lands were beautiful, be it winter or summer and what made it all the more sweet, was that it was theirs. Together they were strong.... Even if they were few in number. But with winter so close surely they would have wolves knocking at their door, begging to be let in so they could take refuge from the cold.

That in itself wasn't a problem, they needed more wolves, Askan wanted to bolster their ranks. But what if they let in the wrong wolf? What if they became the weak link in the chain? Askan would not allow that to happen, hence as to why he guarded the borders so intently. But this wolf, Askan doubted this yearling had the intention or potential to tear down all of their hard work.  But even so, he was cautious as always and continued to choose his words carefully.

"I do, the Wild Rye Fields. We're some way from the borders though. It's hard to tell with this fog though."

No doubt the kid would have the nose to find it, if he so wanted to. If he managed to resist the urge to go around sniffing grass anyway. Either way, Askan wasn't going to hold his hand and show him it. He'd have to take the incentive himself. 

(This post was last modified: Nov 28, 2016, 08:30 PM by Askan.)

@Askan

That fact that his advice and offer went ignored peeved Niki off just a little bit, enough that the slightest scowl appeared on his face for a moment or two. He kept silent, however, as he had already berated Askan on speaking in crude language and telling him off for not speaking would seem like a slight contradiction, so he kept his mouth shut in that regard. He could only imagine what Mother would have to say about him, there would certainly be quite the telling off. The thought briefly took him back to his even younger days when he would try and stop his oldest sister from doing or saying something that would annoy her, and then watching as she got told off and sent back into the den for the remainder of the day. He himself had been told off a couple times but quickly learned proper etiquette as was necessary for him to lead the pack in the future, at least until he voiced he did not want to and got kicked out. That had definitely been the worst day of his life, but maybe he could now make a difference in the world, half-starting with Askan.

The older male glanced over his shoulder to also look at where his pack lands lay, even though the thick fog prevented them from seeing more than a couple wolf-lengths beyond their noses. The white yearling supposed it would be difficult to get a good reading on their distance from the pack border, and so he was happy with Askan's response to his question. "How long y'been 'round?" Niki asked curiously, white ears perking up as he gave a large wolfy grin. He honestly did not care if the pack had been around for years or months, either way it would be a place to stay, but maybe he would search for other options before making a decision. If Askan was any portrayal of the wolves in his pack then he may want to risk searching for an alternative, though that was not to say he definitely would not join his pack. Currently it was a maybe.

"I s'pose you'd be in th'guardian role then, huh? Big, grumpy an' stoic, plus y'seem t'b'th'type o'wolf tha'is no'fazed b'anythin' y'see." Niki commented idly as he shifted his amber gaze back to the older male before him, unaware that his words could be considered as rude, though in his mind he was simply saying what he thought in a way that was acceptable and not crude like Askan had spoken before. If he had to think of any role Askan would have in a pack it would unquestionably be a guardian. His very presence would be likely to scare off the faint of heart. The white yearling knew that he could likely come across as a 'wimp', but he could certainly stand up for himself if he needed to, it was just much easier to go along with the assumption that he was a coward and avoid conflict. Conflict lead to someone getting hurt, and as a wolf trained in the art of medicine he was strongly against that happening. Being ridiculed was a far better alternative to another getting hurt.

The white yearling had noticed Askan's lack of invitation to join his pack, which lead to him thinking that maybe this Wild Rye Fields pack was very conservative, either due to small numbers or just being wary of others in general. He considered prying further but decided he had pushed the older male quite enough for the day and kept his mouth unusually shut, though the question was right on the tip of his tongue. If at some point in the future he came back it would be easy enough to sniff out the border, especially when there was no fog to impede his vision. "Well, I guess y'have better things t'b'doin' than talkin' t'me," he said, leaving the conversation open to wherever Askan wanted it to go. If the other wanted to end in then Niki would be happy enough to leave and move on with his exploration of the tundra, but he would always be up to more talking if the older male wanted. Although from his precious actions it was likely that he was not much of a talker, so maybe he would be on his way sooner rather than later.

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