Kettle Pot Pond Exploration in a New Area

Was she capable? With her record so far, Askan was reluctant to take her word on it. He'd believe her once she found the source of the smell, for now he was just dubious that she could do anything on her own without an elder there to guide her along the way. That was all well and good in a pack situation, if she had alphas or other packmates to show her the ropes, but when she was on her own most lessons were going to have to be self taught. It was just the way of life. And she had to learn fast or die young.

Snorting, Askan made it clear he didn't believe her. But whatever, he wasn't going to argue about it. She could have this tiny victory if she wanted, his sight was set on the long run, on the horizon off in the far distance. Metaphorically of course. There wasn't much to see these days, nothing but snowy tundra.

The Selwyn hadn't sought out her name, but the one he got wasn't one he'd anticipated. It was a mouthful to say the least. So much so that Askan just squinted at her to check that she wasn't taking the piss, that she wasn't pulling his leg and offering any random jumble of sounds in the hopes that it'd sate his interest. If he'd asked, that might have been the case but...Arnaq? Really? Her parents really must not have liked her. Or at the very least not taken naming her very seriously.

"Askan Selwyn. Second and Guardian of Wild Rye Fields."He stated, blankly as though he was just reciting facts. Which in a sense he was, he supposed. Even now his social skills left much left to be desired, which was a little annoying considering he'd thought he'd gotten better. It seemed as though it only applied to certain people. Oh well.

Once she put her mind to the matter, Arnquack-or whatever her name was- quickly found the deer's corpse. Following behind her at a reasonable distance, Askan gave the sight before him a once over with his eyes before he checked the various scents that lingered on the scene. She was right, a cat had been here. But if that was the case, why had it left? There was plenty of meat left and this time of year wasn't one to be wasteful. So had something driven it off? Certainly not the feeble excuse of a wolf before him. No one or thing would find her intimidating in the least.

With a concerned frown, The Guardian looked about again, his eyes shifting and moving across the surrounding tundra in an attempt to spot movement, or anything out of the ordinary.

"A lynx probably." He told her, without even turning to face her once again. "They're pretty common around these parts." As for her next question, well he didn't have time to give her a list of every animal he'd come across. That was something she'd have to deal with herself. Tough luck.

As she tucked in, making a right mess of it he'd add, he continued to survey the area. It all seemed clear for now, but his honed survival instincts told him to be wary. Just in case. He only looked back in time to watch her make a right tit of herself as she flopped down into the snow with a pained 'oofff.' Rolling his eyes in contempt, Askan approached the carcass to see how much damage she'd done.

Arnaq still sat there watching Askan, what was his last name again? Skelwen? Slewyn?  something like that. She would make note of his name in case they ever crossed paths again. "Wild Rye Fields? Is that the name of the pack you are second to?" It was neat to know he ran with an actual pack. That meant at some point there would be hope for her future. One pack meant others, which also told her she needed to pay better attention to smells and scents she ran across because she didn't want to cross another wolf by mistake. 

She watched him as he came closer to the prey, she knew that she made quite a mess with that first bite and gulping it down nearly whole and then her rolling backwards probably didn't help matters. Oh well, she would learn sooner or later. "So um...thanks for the food, I know you didn't kill it but thanks for not claiming it all." She wasn't sure what else to say. She never met other wolves before and certainly didn't come off as the talkative type so she just sat there watching and waiting. She wasn't sure if taking her leave would be appropriate or if she should wait for him to leave first. She really just wanted to take the leg and head off down the stream or river and find someplace to hide what she couldn't eat for later so that she could rest for the night. It would be a good night's of rest for her. 

How much more obvious could he make it? Did she want him to spell it out? If that was the case then tough luck, he wasn't going to write it in the snow for her. She-presumably- had a brain, so he figured that she might as well use it. What else was it for? A head weight perhaps? Snorting, Askan shook that thought away. As amusing as it had been to him he didn't think she would feel the same way.

"That's what I just said. What? Want me to spell it out for you?"

If she passed by the border he wouldn't chase her off, but for that to happen she would have to find it herself. Like he'd said before, she had a nose. So use the damn thing. With the birth of a new generation of Rye wolves a mere month away Askan couldn't help but be cautious. They would already have a litter of hungry mouths to feed. The last thing he wanted to was bring in hungry loners who only took and didn't give anything in return. The fact that she was so feeble and had to resort to scavenging wasn't putting her in a good light. The Rye Guardian had learned his lesson the hard way, not every wolf wanted to serve. They would spurt their pretty words but as soon as the situation changed they moved on without a second thought.

Mooches, the lot of them. And to think he'd trusted @Castel.

He would offer nothing from here on out, if they wanted in they had to work for it. They would have to prove the Guardian wrong, no matter how difficult that might be.

"Don't mention it." He shrugged. Wasn't as though he'd bought the beast down. Approaching the remains Askan nodded, pleased with how much was left. This would stock their caches for at least a week or so, if they weren't greedy. Good.Turning his attention back to Arnaq once more, he supposed he ought to say bye. "Don't die okay?" He said, and then bent down to clamp his jaws around the remaining hind limb. It was a little heavy but he was sure he could drag it without too much trouble

And with that, the Selwyn headed back to the field, his mouth full and his curiosity sated.