Paradise Falls filigree

Amadeu had brought a decently-sized fish from the nearby lake. Hunting, fishing included, were not among his best skills, but he'd been taught to do what he needed to survive, and whisking a fish from the depths was no real issue. Besides, when seeking to join a pack, he'd been told it was an appealing thing to do to bring some sort of offering.

The wolf who came when he'd howled was younger than he anticipated, around his own age, and seemed... unimpressed. But Ama was not to be deterred, and an easy smile crossed his maw, tail giving a few swishes low behind him as he dipped his head, respectful.

"My name is Amadeu Valle," he began, hoping the surname might be recognized, even if there were no Valles around here. And, since it was best to be straightforward, he continued, "I am looking to join. I've brought something for you and your pack to eat, but I have been told I am better at protection than hunting." Stick to what you are good at, Amadeu, he'd been told, urged to master one specific skill instead. "I am content either way."

He fell silent after that, awaiting the young leader's judgment.

Valle. The name fell hard against Ryder's ears, and his small frown deepened into clear displeasure. One of @Isla's ilk, then? Did he know she resided here, did they know each other? Could this be a boon or a pitfall for the young woman who'd worked herself so neatly into his late mother's good graces? Which of the two would work to his own advantage in the end?

Things got muddied when your enemy was a part of your team, and an esteemed one at that. For whatever dumb reason. His stormy eyes regarded the proffered meat as he thought a moment, before locking back onto Amadeu.

"Why have you come here, instead of the Backwater?"

Oh, so he must have heard of the name. Amadeu had no clue what reputation his family had now, as his mother had been gone for years, but this was far from a warm welcome. Still, he smiled in turn, deciding it best to try and be as placid as possible. No need to rile anyone up, after all.

"I've no idea where the Backwater is," he began. "My mother helped found it, but has long since left it behind. And, in truth, I wasn't sure what kind of welcome I would receive there." Honesty was the best policy, after all, wasn't it? He doubted sorely that his mother would receive a warm welcome back after leaving like she had, and had no frame of reference for how her children would be treated, either.

Truthfully, the only thing he shared with them was a family name, and he doubted that would be enough.

Ryder mulled over the answer a moment. While there was plenty that could be assumed from it, many questions still remained. It was best to be certain, but that wasn't really a luxury that life often provided. There was one more question to ask, though.

"Why?" he asked of Amadeu's worry of being ill-received, "Exactly."

If the stranger had a bad reputation, that was something Ryder needed to know.

A valid question. Amadeu would probably be wary of a wolf who was afraid of being ill-received by their own family pack as well, though he hoped to put this stranger's worries at ease.

"My concern is only because I am not sure how my mother's relationship with them was when she left, and I worry that I might be included if they harbor any ill-will toward her," he admitted, a small smile forming on his maw. "Between the two of us, she wasn't the most personable wolf."

Hence why the expectations for diplomacy had been placed squarely on Ama's shoulders.

A little more silence stretched between them once Ama's explanation was finished and his words faded from the air. It was simple enough, and he couldn't catch a whiff of anything rotten in this moment. Perhaps if they had plenty of bodies amongst their ranks, Ryder may have erred on the side of caution. Instead, he decided the risk couldn't be too worrying, and his muzzle nodded once.

"Alright. You're in, so long as you don't become a problem."

He could gather what that entailed, couldn't he? It was common sense to Ryder. He turned without a word further, ready to dump the stranger off at their main den.

Not the best welcome, but probably not the worst, either. This man was clearly not the most personable either, but growing up with Xulia Valle as a mother had hardened Amadeu to such gruffness. Instead, he let the stoicism roll off of him like water off a duck's back, and instead smiled.

"I'll see to it that doesn't become the case," he assured, dipping his head.

It would be partway through their trek toward the main den that he realized he hadn't received a name. "What should I call you?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. It would probably be a good idea to know his leader's name, after all.

Ah, he wasn't getting out of more speaking after all. Obviously the request was perfectly reasonable, but once the leader's jaw tightened it was difficult for him to loosen it. A lifelong problem that had little to nothing to do with who Amadeu was as a wolf. Though, that Valle tie did have a little bit of influence on things.

"Ryder. This is Paradise Falls."

He'd always loathed the name, and that feeling was subtly evident each time he had to speak it. It couldn't have been anymore ironic; for all that the pack's founding had marked for Ryder personally, all that had happened to him and his family since, and of course topped by the fact that even its christener had sought fit to abandon the place.

"Anything else?"

Please let it be no.