Oak Tree Bend I'll take whatever you think you can give

Askan is waiting on the outside of the border. Any and all OTB wolves are welcome, though he'd like to speak with @Aponi and @Serach please
Forward dated to the 10th [
scout dem 1/3

He had made this journey once, around about the same time last year and as expected the woods hadn't changed very much. They were still just as foggy as before, shrouded in mystery like something from a dream. He approached the border and gave it a sniff, just as Sahalie had said all those months ago only a handful of wolves remained.

Askan couldn't help but wonder if the wolves of the Bend felt resentment for those who had left. Was the Bend like the Field? A place where strangers came and went, had their fill and left without even uttering a goodbye? He gritted his teeth at the thought, Drestig and Jessie's allies deserved better. Hell, any pack deserved better than that.

Lifting his head skywards, Askan let out a long timberous call, one full of purpose and intent. He was no measly loner, begging to be let in before it got too cold. He wanted to talk, to discuss things if they were so inclined, but at the very least he wished to let his neighbours know that they had settled in the Falls and had no intentions of leaving anytime soon.

This was how it was supposed to be, leaders were supposed to lead, to take the incentive and ensure shit got done. Not to leave things until it was too late, until trouble was banging at their door.

(This post was last modified: Jan 31, 2018, 03:21 PM by Askan.)

Ears perking atop his pale head, Serach lifted himself off the ground as he listened to the stranger's call, requesting an audience. It was a strong, confident voice - very different from the meek requests of lone wolves passing through. It was also not a voice that Serach was familiar with, although that didn't mean much. He was perhaps one of the least traveled wolves in the pack, having only ventured as far north as Hearthwood River once and certainly never west beyond the mountains. Perhaps Aponi would know the caller, he thought as he set off to greet their visitor, sparing just a moment to lift his own muzzle to the sky and call back to indicate that the stranger had been heard.

His self-imposed isolation from the ongoings of the rest of the Lore meant that he was essentially oblivious to the goingons in the north. Packs had formed, thrived, fought, and died before Serach had even heard of their existence. So he was curious, but also a little wary about who was calling with such purpose in their voice because anything beyond his beloved Spectral Woods was a complete unknown to him. Silently, he hoped that Aponi was also making her way to the borders and could use her knowledge to help him.

The man who waited was not particularly large - close in size to Serach himself actually - but conveyed a very solid presence anyway. Not a loner either, or at least if he was, he didn't have the hungry look that loners often had when they came to the Bend's borders. Serach's head and tail naturally lifted as he approached the stranger, hopefully indicating who he was before he came to a stop in front of him. "'Lo," he greeted the man, his tone neutral but not unpleasant. "I'm Serach Donata, one of Oak Tree Bend's leaders. You wanted to talk?" Might as well get straight to the point.

Askan wasn't left waiting long. Sure enough, just after he'd announced his presence he got a response, a clipped howl as if to say, 'heard you loud and clear, I'm coming.' Out of the fog a creamy white wolf appeared and for a moment they took the sight of each other in. It was obvious from his posture alone that he was the leader here, that these were his woods. Good, the last thing Askan wanted was to faff around and make awkward small talk with a subordinate whilst they waited for someone of equal footing to show up.

Holding himself steady, Askan made a pointed effort to not appear too 'bitchy.' Back at the Shallows he could get away with it, it was his turf, he could look and act as he pleased. But here? Not so much. First impressions were damn important and the last thing Askan wanted was to screw it up because he couldn't manage to be polite.

He'd done this before and knew he could do it again (hence he'd suggested to make the trip instead of Reyes) but damn everything in hindsight always seemed so much easier than the present.

"Afternoon."He greeted, dipping his head a little."Yeah, I'm Askan Selwyn, I used to be in Wild Rye Fields with Jessie and Drestig."At the very least Askan assumed Serach had heard of him, considering how he'd met that woman-Spieden- at the borders around about this time least year."I've formed a pack to the north of here in Secret Falls. Shallows Edge. I figured that the least I could do was drop by, let you know."

At least this way if any of the kids wandered down here they wouldn't get eaten for trespassing, though honestly he hoped they knew better than that. He'd have to remind them when he got back, just in case.

Normally Aponi would have heard Serach's answering howl and left it to her husband to handle whoever was at their borders. But, their numbers were down and with the winter upon them now the woman was on edge. Ice was still missing with no hints of his whereabouts whatsoever and her mate was the only male left with them, they needed more members but for now they were doing all right. So when the stranger called and her husband answered the woman changed her course and headed towards the sound, expression cool on her face as she expected it to be nothing but a loner seeking refuge. They had had enough of these loners coming, staying for a couple of weeks and then disappearing into the mist like they hadn't existed at all. Aponi was getting fed up.

She made no secret in her approach and strode confidently into the scene, her nose and ears had already proceeded what little information she needed to know. This was no loner. He smelled of others, not an exceptional amount but other wolves all the same. What was more, she heard the small snippet of conversation before her steely blue eyes fell on the dark man talking to Serach. Her body stiffened when he mentioned Drestig and Jessie, the bastard and his miserable bitch of a mate. She had long given up on trying to make his life a living hell as she had intended to do after his rejection of her but Aponi was not one to let go of a grudge.

Still, at his next sentence, spoken as she walked up beside her mate she managed a tight smile. So this Askan had left the Fields and had struck out on his own, good. Aponi hoped the pack he had left behind crumbled into ruin. After all, Drestig and Jessie leaving had been what had started the small fracture in the Bend, a tiny hairline crack that had been invisible but there all the same. Followed by Spieden and her own mother and most of everybody else who had once lived here. The Donata fought back the urge to spit on the ground at the thoughts of them all but she knew logically that the stranger in front of her had nothing to do with their own ancient history. Instead she nodded curtly, "The grounds within half a days travel of here are ours to hunt on exclusively. If you can respect this then we will extend the same courtesy to you and I see no reason there should be any problems between our packs." The last thing she needed was some kind of territory war in the dead of winter.

(This post was last modified: Dec 04, 2017, 06:03 PM by Aponi.)

The man dipped his head in greeting, a simple gesture that eased at least some of the tension that posed itself whenever two strange wolves met one another. Serach's brow furrowed in thought as the man said his name, struggling to place it in his mind for a few moments before pulling it from the depths of his memory. He had been a scout for the Fields once, Serach seemed to recall, but that was the extent of what he could remember.

Furrowed brows quickly turned to raised eyebrows in surprise at the explanation that Askan had left the Fields. His initial impulse was to ask after Drestig and Jessie - his anger towards them had eased significantly over the past year and a half - but remained quiet as he was joined by his mate. He could feel her stiffen up at the mention of Wild Rye Fields, but when she spoke, she made no mention of it. Nodding his head in agrement, Serach looked back towards Askan. "My mate, Aponi," he introduced her first. "Thank you for making the trip down to tell us - we've had plenty of neighbors over the years. Most don't last long, if I'm being honest, so I wish you and your packmates the best of luck. So long as you respect our hunting grounds, we'll do the same for you, but I see no reason we can't part ways today on good terms." At least Serach hoped that was the case.

(This post was last modified: Dec 14, 2017, 02:29 PM by Serach.)

scout dem 2/3

Her terms were fair and so Askan had no issue with them. It had taken him about two days to get here, so he doubted it would ever be an issue, but when he returned he would tell the others about it nonetheless. There was plenty of space for them to hunt in the Falls and the Ferns, there was no need to go this far south. And say, if they ever did then Askan would go out of his way to let them know. He would not repeat the mistakes his former alpha's had made. Communication was key.

As for the other packs that had sprung up in the area, only to collapse not long after well...Askan didn't think much of that. In all honesty, he didn't think that the Field had much longer left either.  It wasn't that he wanted the Old Man's Kingdom to collapse, it was just that he couldn't help but feel as though it was on it's last legs. That it was his and Reyes' efforts that had kept it afloat for so long.

Whatever, it wasn't his problem anymore. He just hoped the Field didn't drag everyone down with it, but if it did he supposed the Shallows had room for some familiar faces. If it came to that.

"Agreed."Askan said, keeping it short and sweet."And thanks. Admittedly, I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to leading, but I've seen how it shouldn't be done and learnt from that."

They could take that however it came, but it was undoubtedly a poke at the Old Man and Jessie.

"How have things settled since the-"He paused for a moment, ears twitching as he looked for the appropriate term."Last winter?"

For all he knew, the mass exodus from the Bend was still a sore topic, so he took a little care to ensure he wasn't too blunt.

(This post was last modified: Jan 31, 2018, 03:21 PM by Askan.)

Sorry for this delay!

Aponi had always been blunt to say the least. Cold and sometimes bitchy if you were being honest, and saying it out of earshot if you valued your life. Which was probably why Serach did not seem phased even in the slightest that he had to introduce his mate while she launched right into business. Their relationship balanced each other out, he reminded her to be softer and warmer and she cut anyone who double crossed them. He agreed and reiterated, albeit slightly nicer what she had said and thankfully this Askan seemed willing to have his pack comply.

The female alpha was ready to nod and call it a successful meeting and turn away when a snort slipped from her muzzle. So this Askan wasn’t that fond of his old leaders either then, or at least the way they led. Aponi made no attempt to his the smirk on her muzzle, ”So I take it Drestig’s leadership abilities haven’t improved much. I never had any faith that Jessie would instill confidence in her pack but to each their own.” The last sentence was accompanied by a sarcastic shrug. If this Askan did not like how she spoke of them she could care less, they were after all standing but feet away from her lands.

The last question was left for her mate, the pack had been stable but small since then and it irritated the silver woman. Serach was much more diplomatic about it.

@Askan was a little gruff and rough around the edges, but he readily agreed to Aponi and Serach's terms and that was good enough for the Bend leader. The absolute last thing he needed was to have a sour relationship with one of his neighbors. Not that he would ever admit it to a potential rival, but the Bend did not truly have the numbers to enforce the terms they had proposed - they were going to have to rely on their bark today being bad enough to keep them at bay. Perhaps Askan's inexperience would play in the Bend's favor with that.

His left-ear twitched as Aponi snorted in response to Askan's veiled insult at the Wild Rye Fields leaders. His own lips pursed into a frown, but he remained quiet while his mate offered her own assessment of Drestig and Jessie and their leadership skills. He didn't disagree, but he couldn't help but reflect on his last meeting with Jessie, when she had come down to the Bend to check in and discovered that everything had fallen apart. She had been sympathetic then, and after having gone through the whole ordeal of the failing to hold the pack together under his leadership, he had let go some of the grudging feelings he had held towards the pair.

The same could not be said for the more recent of their trials. His frown deepened and he shifted his weight between his two front legs while he figured out how to respond. Askan's pause had been telling - at least the man was respectful enough to not throw it in their faces. "We've settled," he finally said, turning his head to momentarily cast an eye over the territory behind him, as though surveying it, before turning back to Askan. "We're still here, and have our own family and our own packmates to worry about now. As for those who left...they can be somebody else's problem now." He finished with a wry smile. He had no idea where most of those wolves had ended up, but he did not envy whatever leader had taken them in.

"Do you have a mate, or perhaps any scouts we should be aware of or on the lookout for in the future?" Askan hadn't said, but Serach doubted that the new leader would always be his own envoy.

scout dem 3/3

Askan didn't expect the pair to reveal all, nor did he want them to. They were neighbours but it hardly seemed necessary to know every little detail about them. Perhaps in time he would learn more about the leaders of Oak Tree Bend, but for now he was content to be acquaintances. Allies were nice things to have, but Shallow's Edge wasn't in dire need of them yet, if ever. In time pack relations might change, grow and flourish as the seasons passed, but in Askan's-not so humble- opinion this was a pretty good start. Better than he'd anticipated anyway.

Losing so many pack members at once must have been tremendously frustrating. Having them vanish one by one in a seemingly endless trickle was one thing, a feeling Askan was painfully familiar with, but almost all at once? Was it easier to bear, or all the more difficult? The Edge Lord couldn't help but wonder, but knew better than to ask.

Perhaps Askan had more in common with the leaders of the Bend than he thought. Though he wouldn't say it aloud he liked their attitude. Polite, but not overly so, as if they were coddling him for merely approaching their borders. Small numbers or not there was strength in their dignity, with them at the helm Askan knew the Bend would live on. He hoped, or rather knew, the same could be said for the Edge.

"I feel the same way. They made up their mind, let them live with the consequences."

All Askan knew was that he didn't have any regrets, nor should the leaders of the Bend. They were all doing just fine, if the others weren't then it was their own doing. They had no one else to blame.

As for his question, Askan responded with a nod. In the Field he would've been far more cagey about it but he had no shame now, no fear. Reyes was his mate, even if they hadn't explicitly said as such when Shallow's Edge has been formed.

"I lead with my partner, Reyes, though I doubt he'll ever drop by on social calls." He said, his lips ticking up into an amused smile. He was even worse at this sort of thing then Askan was. "But there are a couple of pups who will probably find themselves down in these parts one day. They're good kids, shouldn't cause you any trouble." Or at least they knew better than to do that."They like to make themselves useful, so they might be carrying a message or two, if not I have a few other subordinates I trust. We will just have to play it by ear.

(This post was last modified: Jan 31, 2018, 03:22 PM by Askan.)

@Serach feel free to pp Aponi leaving whenever Serach does, she's out of things to say.

At first the woman thought that Askan was agreeing with her comments about Drestig and Jessie, but to her dismay that was glazed over. Here she was thinking that he might hate them as much as she did and now she had ended up disappointed. None of this showed in her cool blue eyes which looked rather bored by this whole idea. Her maw was held politely neutral but her eyes gave away that she was over this whole meeting. They had met, exchanged pleasantries and now there was not much more to say.

Thankfully, Serach had always had more tact than his mate and asked a follow up question about expecting scouts and other things. Aponi seriously doubted that  they would need further correspondence than this but it was good to keep their options open.  However, Askan’s answer caused a single brow to raise and a bemused smile to play across her muzzle. She had never heard of two males mating and leading together so it was strange, but frankly it was none of her business and Aponi didn’t care that much. Still, she would probably talk to Serach about it later.

Nodding briefly Aponi responded simply, ”We’ll keep our eye out for them.” Then she glanced sideways towards her mate, did he have anything left to say?