Spectral Woods I'm not here for your entertainment

for @Leotie. Backdated to the 2nd, late morning.

Askan wasn't sure how he felt after his- if you could call it that- conversation with Sahalie a few hours prior. He was sure Drestig would be glad to see her, if she was telling the truth, which Askan assumed she was. But at the same time, he wasn't not looking forward to being a glorified guide. It would be stupid to just point her in the direction and say 'go', because he was going home as well. But as logical as it was, that doesn't mean he liked this, nor did he want to spend more time with her than he had to.

So to say he was throwing a strop would be... accurate.

He had not signed up for this. Being a messenger was one thing, but this was another. And it was completely and utterly unfair. But what was he to do? He'd already agreed to escort her, and backing out now would make him seem untrustworthy, indecisive. And whilst it was true that he hadn't been the shining example of politeness and civility, from what he could tell he hadn't offended anyone. Or at least not to the degree where they all chased him off with his tail between his legs. So all in all, this trip had been a success? He thought so.

Thinking of it that way helped some, and Askan paused his frustrated pacing back and forth. He hadn't gotten into any fights, and aside from Sahalie, he hadn't been too snide or bitter. If he lingered around any longer though that might damn well change. Especially considering his stormy mood. He glanced about at the thick woodlands and another frown graced his features. Despite spending the night here, he still couldn't get over the feeling of being so squeezed in. There was plenty of room between the trees, or at least enough to navigate with a fair amount of ease. But everything felt so narrow, so squashed compared to the open freedom of the Lowlands. 

Gods, he couldn't wait to leave this place behind and go home.

His ears perked at the sound of paws thudding on the frosty ground, and Askan glanced up. He was a fair distance from the border, as he was taking care not to stray too close -lest the Bend wolves take offence- but even from his parallel position he saw the wolf approach from within the territory lines. A Bend wolf then. Great. Aside from Sahalie and the alpha had had spoken to last night, he hadn't spoken to anyone else. And honesty, he would have preferred to keep it that way.

"What? Come to oggle at the stranger? Surely you've got better stuff to do." Askan grumbled, not in the mood to cater to the newcomers curiosity.

The morning had been spent hunting without much success which disappointed the she wolf but she knew she couldn't give up. However, she didn't think a little break would hurt and the best way to fill up that time was a border patrol. She always like to do at least one herself during the day. It didn't hurt to make the rounds and even if she had been unsuccessful hunting she could still help the pack by patrolling. Though she didn't feel it was the more active approach it was nice to walk the borders and let her mind wander. Sometimes she liked having that time to herself and not have to worry about too much since it was usually an uneventful time.

During her patrols she'd had yet to run into any sort of intruder whether it be another wolf or some hostile creature. Things she'd heard of like bears or cougars but she hadn't seen them for herself yet. Part of her wondered if she would know them when she finally did see them for the first time.

Traveling towards the border took a little longer than usual since she stopped for a drink of water on the way. After chasing the rabbit earlier and losing it she felt not only disappointed with herself but rather thirsty. Once she finished with that though she finished the trek to the border which didn't take her too long traveling at a brisk trot. Once she reached her destination she slowed her pace so she could ensure she didn't miss anything.

After putting some distance between her and the place she’d started her patrol Leotie noticed setting through the trees. At first it was only a flash of fur here and there but it was enough for her to raise her guard. When his voice rang through the air in her direction and he didn't sound too happy either. Leotie stepped out where she could clearly see him, a wolf that wasn't a pack mate but he'd been around recently. She had yet to speak with him and by the tone of his voice he didn't seem too pleasant and made her want to continue on her way.

Still...that wasn't her way since she felt we need to be a little hospitable at the very least. “Well for your information I wasn't oggling exactly and instead wondering what your doing there?” She couldn't help but wonder if he was always in a bad mood or was this a special occasion, “What are you doing out there anyway?”

(This post was last modified: Dec 08, 2016, 09:10 PM by Nalda.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

"Uh huh." Askan responded, dubious of her defensive claim. 

She could say what she wanted, it was unlikely that he'd change his mind. Once he'd come to a conclusion, it was a near impossible task to make him deviate from it. Even logic and sound reasoning couldn't sway him. So rather than linger on the topic for longer than necessary he decided respond to her question. As stupid and pointless as it was.

"Waiting for.... What's her name? Short, brown? Talks too much?" Askan tilted his head as he searched for her name. Then it came to him. "Sahalie." 

He wondered if she had meant generally though, as in why was he here in the first place. Because if she did.... Askan was not one for repeating himself. It was an irritating inconvenience, especially considering how he had gone over the situation in detail to the alpha. It was their responsibility to pass on the message to the other Bend wolves. Why should he have to spurt out the same messages over and over again. The thought of it was enough to make him want to grind his teeth in sheer frustration. Though he supposed that was one of the problems a large pack might have, their communication might be a bit sloppy because there were so many of them. And it was rare for all of them to be in the same place at the same time.

"If you're asking about why I'm here in general. It's not cause I want to be. Was sent by Drestig, my alpha, to pass on a word or two."That was as detailed as she was going to get it. He hoped she was happy. Though it was doubtful, after all his tone was anything but conversational.

Askan adjusted his stance and eyed the scenery around them. He wasn't good at talking, as it was no doubt obvious, but as he had told himself repeatedly over the past few days, he should at least try. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. How many times had he done this now? It was time to play nice.

"What 'bout you? Why you out here?" He didn't care, like at all, but it was the only question that popped up in his head. So he made do.

(This post was last modified: Dec 08, 2016, 09:08 PM by Askan.)

Even though she'd seen him around the bend she felt it was weird that he would just be outside the borders. Since she was patrolling and happen to notice him Leotie didn't think it was wrong to check up on him. Though he didn't seem too convinced of her reply to what he'd said, it didn't much matter to her if he did or didn't. As it was he did respond to her question of what he was doing out there.

Leotie’s brow rose slightly as she waited while he described who exactly he was waiting for before he finally said the name. “She's going with you then?” Leotie asked curiously. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of her friend going off with this wolf but Sahalie was a big girl and could do what she wanted. Of course Leotie had only just barely met the man so maybe he wasn't as bad as he seemed.

The man soon offered a little more information about why he was in Oak Tree Bend in the first place. Leotie hadn't asked about it since she felt it wasn't really her business as it was something for Serach and Speiden to take care of but she would take the information which surprised her a little. It wasn't the fact that the man was here on business for his alpha but the fact that his alpha was Drestig. She couldn't believe that he already had put together a new pack when it didn't seem like that long ago when he and Jessie had left pack. Perhaps that was how things worked though, after all Oak Tree Bend had been her only pack and she’d only been in the Lore a short time compared to others she'd met.

“How is Drestig? Is Jessie still with him?” She asked those being the top questions on her mind. Though she hadn’t had the chance to interact with them a lot before they left they had been her pack mates and she cared what happened to them. It had been sad seeing them go but she knew they had made their choice which now seemed to have been the right one for them.

Feeling that this might take a minute or two Leotie decided to make herself comfortable by taking a seat wrapping her tail around her feet. As it turned out he asked about her business in the area. “I was doing some patrolling and hunting until I came across you,” she explained, >“Are you heading home when Sahalie gets here or will you be sticking around a little longer?”

(This post was last modified: Dec 12, 2016, 04:56 AM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

"Yeah. We'll be leaving as soon she gets back from wherever the hell she went." The Yukon wolf rolled his eyes. How typical that she make him wait. All women were the same.

As much as Askan didn't want her to, it wasn't as though he had any right to turn her down. She'd visit the Rye Fields whether he liked it or not. Much to his relief, the wolf seemed to have more on her mind than just Sahalie. So when the questions began to flow, Askan didn't clamp up or glower at her for being prody, too nosy. If anything, he welcomed the distraction. And being a messenger, he supposed it was his job to inform the Bend wolves of Drestig's and Jessie's welfare. Even if he had already gone over this before, several times. To his dismay and annoyance. Perhaps this change in topic wasn't to relieving, but before he could work himself up into a strop he focused on responding.

"The boss is doing good. It's like he was made to be alpha. Things are... Tough at the moment but he's doing his best. And yeah, Jessie's around. Leadership suits her too. She's uhhh..." Askan hesitated for a second, as he searched for a fitting word to describe the Rye Queen. By no means was she a poor leader or anything like that, he just found her... Sort of intimidating? Not that he would ever admit it. "Determined. I really respect her." And his reverence showed in his tone, an unusual thing for the usually grumpy wolf.

Askan had to admit he hadn't expected for her to be hard at work. He assumed- for some unfounded reason- that she would use the fact she was in a large pack as an excuse to be a lout. To not pull her weight. He was wrong, apparently. Well, it was nothing that deserved a congratulations or pat on the back. She was doing as she should. She was playing her part and helping the pack flourish. A wolf that did not, was a waste of space, was a moocher and should be ousted. Fortunately, none of the Rye wolves were as such. Even if Askan thought Icicle could help out a little more, or at least make effort to ensure others saw him doing so.

"I want to get back as soon as I can. Before the snow really hits and makes travel hard." As curt as his voice was- it had returned to it's usual nature- his words were true. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck out here.

(This post was last modified: Dec 12, 2016, 09:09 PM by Askan.)

Leotie was informed that the man answer Sahalie would be leaving as soon as her packmates returned, < b>“I hope she doesn't keep you waiting too long,”she stated though she thought he would probably be hoping the same thing.

She couldn't imagine that he would be waiting long for Sahalie as she seemed the type of girl who when she had her mind set on something it usually got done. Since she didn't know where her friend was she just left it at that. Leotie was pleased to hear that Drestig and Jessie seemed to be doing well for themselves since they had left the bend and that they seemed to still want to be on good terms with their former pack. Anyway if they were sending wolves to visit with her alphas and Sahalie was going to go for a visit, Leotie didn't think that would be happening if they didn't want to be.

“I'm glad to hear their doing well as leaders and to hear that they are still together. Sorry to hear things are tough but with Drestig leading I'm sure you'll get through.” Leotie remembered when she had first joined the bend, it had been Drestig who had given her permission to join, he who had given her a chance. Sometimes she had thought about that and wondered if she should have gone with him but she always returned to the same conclusion.

He spoke about getting back to his pack before the snow became too much to get through and getting stuck. It wasn't the same thing, she knew that but she was brought back to when she had gotten lost in the fog and been separated from her pack and home for quite some time. She hadn't liked it one bit and was glad when she'd finally gotten back to pack lands so she could understand the need to get back though the more she thought about it the situations were completely different.

“That would be best. I hope you have a safe trip back and beat the snow.” She didn't know how long they would have to travel to reach his pack so it was probably best they left as soon as possible. “Do you have far to travel?” She finally decided to ask.

(This post was last modified: Dec 13, 2016, 04:59 AM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

"Mmm." Askan agreed, not wanting to wait around all day for that chipper little thing.

He had no idea what she was off doing, but he assumed she wasn't taking a while on purpose. After all, as annoying as she was she had seemed eager to go. He doubted she was stalling, if anything she had gotten distracted or was caught up in something. That didn't mean all was forgiven though, or that he didn't find this whole situation frustrating. Because oh did he. Just because he understood didn't mean he was forgiving.

At least she- he still hadn't gotten her name- was understanding. She truly did seem to care, in a genuine way. Her words rang true and Askan couldn't find a slither of dishonesty or deceit in her stark blue eyes. Aside from her inquisitive nature, she wasn't so bad. Or at the very least not the worst wolf he had run across. Maybe the Bend wolves weren't too bad, maybe Askan could see why Drestig wanted to have positive pack relations with them.  Even if the distance between them sort of made it moot.

"We'll get through it. We're just trying to bolster for the winter. We're a little thin on numbers, yeah, but we're pretty close. We can do this."He nodded, his voice heavy with resolve.

He was sure that they would pull together, they would support each other through thick and thin. Besides, their small numbers wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It meant there were less hungry mouths to feed. But then again... Their issues with the Whitestone pack, at the moment Wild Rye Fields was definitely at a disadvantage. He hoped the Rye King and Queen would sort it out whilst he was gone, that they could clear the air and start afresh. But he wasn't sure... He had a sinking feeling that it might just make the situation worse. He sighed and shook that thought away, he didn't have time to think of such things, certainly not in the company of this wolf.

"Yeah, it'll take about five days. If we move quick. Never got your name by the way. I'm Askan Selwyn."

(This post was last modified: Dec 13, 2016, 06:19 PM by Askan.)

The agouti subordinate wouldn't even try to guess what Sahalie might be up to that was keeping her from meeting with the man. She also didn't know how long it would take the girl to arrive but she didn't mind speaking with him while he waited. It was a nice distraction from what she should be doing, she had the rest of the day to finish her tasks.

Leotie was thankful for Drestig’s kindness the first winter she'd been on her own. Without the pack she knew she wouldn't have made it through the winter. She still didn't think she could make it on her own but as long as she had her pack she knew she would be okay. She hadn't given much thought to other packs in the Lore during her time there but she did know they existed, how many? She wasn't sure. Speaking to the visitor made her curious about them and if they were anything like Oak Tree Bend or were they completely different. She supposed it was something she would have to find out later for herself. Traveling away from her packs lands was something she wasn't quite comfortable with after the incident with the fog.

A smile crossed her maw as he spoke about his pack, he seemed hopeful for them which was also good to hear. “I'm sure you will get your numbers up it just takes a little time which I'm sure I don't have to tell you. With winter here it might not take too long to get your numbers up.” There would be wolves like her looking for a place to help them through but the big question is would they stay when spring arrived.

When he spoke about the amount of time it would take for him and Sahalie to reach his pack she felt that was a long time. It also helped her to understand any desire he might have about getting home. She had nearly panicked when she had been away from Oak Tree Bend and the home she'd had with her humans for too long. She wondered how Sahalie would be able to be away from Oak Tree Bend for that long but she supposed her friend was probably used to it since she remembered her going on a trip earlier in the year. Leotie wondered if she would ever be ready to take a trip like that one day.

“I hope it's a safe journey for the two of you.” When he said his name she realized she probably should have told him her name when she first appeared. “My apologies my manners must have left me, I'm Leotie Rhys, it's very nice to meet you Askan.”

(This post was last modified: Dec 14, 2016, 02:56 AM by Leotie.)

Please see Kajika's OOC profile for OOC preferences, thank you

"Thanks." A slight smile ticked up the corners of his lips. It wasn't often that someone wished him luck on a journey, and from her tone he felt as though she meant it. It wasn't an empty well wish, she truly wanted him to have a safe trip back. Which was nice of her, he supposed. "And don't worry about it. Right back at you, and all that."

He wasn't very good at being nice, but he thought he was doing okay. They weren't fighting at least. Not that he had made a habit of picking fights with kids, not that she was a little pup or anything like that. Her temperament was pretty chill too, so that helped as well. Her words did nothing to rile him up, they were just soft and easy to listen to. Good for her. She was agreeable, not a lot of wolves could claim to be. Or at least not the ones Askan had met.

"So, you know why Drestig and Jessie left?" 

It seemed like a random question, but it made sense to ask it. He'd heard his alpha's side, but he wondered if the Bend wolves say it a different way. Apparently they'd had a disagreement, Drestig had wanted to relocate the Bend pack, and the others had wished to stay. Only Jessie agreed to leave with him. That was all he knew really, the alphas had sort of brushed over it. The past didn't matter, they lived for the present and strode towards a better future, but Askan couldn't help but want to know. And he figured he might as well ask, considering he sucked at making small talk.

"Like what did the others think about it, do you know?" He added, for clarity.

(This post was last modified: Dec 14, 2016, 09:03 PM by Askan.)