Larkcall Lowlands Spill your secrets old man

For @Lena and @Drestig  (hope you don't mind poopers, we need some old man wisdom.)  Can Lena go second, then Drestig can pop in after a few turns when it's fitting? Continuation of this post

Askan led the way at a leisurely pace. It was pretty warm out, so he didn't feel like going too fast but at the same time they had somewhere to be. It was actually quite nice to travel with a companion, usually he traversed the Lowlands on his own- he wasn't looking to break that habit but it was a pleasant change of pace nonetheless.  Lena continued to be her excitable, chatty self. He wondered if it were nerves, or if she was always like this. He had a feeling it was mostly the latter. That being said, it wasn't as if he minded too much. He still felt as though she was nice enough company, and he wasn't immune to her sunny disposition. Even Askan- the grump of the tundra-felt a little more cheery, he had a bit of a spring in his step.

He didn't really respond to her rambling words though, he was content to hum here and there to let her know that he was listening. And he was, he didn't exactly have anything to say in return but he found her interesting anyway. Or at least interesting enough to pay attention. He doubted she would recognise what an honour this was. Not that it really mattered, he didn't want to think about it too much.

They had been travelling for a fair while, a couple of hours or so, when Askan slowed to a walk. This should be close enough, from where he was he could hear the rustling to the rye grass bending in the wind but he couldn't' actually see it yet, it was just over this hill.

"This should do." He said once they had climbed to the top of said hill. It presented a gorgeous view, a golden sea flowing and dancing in the summer breeze. He really did love it here. "I'll call him now." 

Turning away from the tawny wolf, Askan tilted his head to the sky and let out a deep and timbrous howl. There was no sense of urgency to it, no signs of distress or reason for worry. It was simply a 'get over here' sort of howl, a 'we need to talk' howl. Askan hoped that Drestig would respond, he supposed that Jessie would do as well but by now he had realised that she wasn't so fond of him. It was better to leave her alone if he could, to only bother her when necessary.

There was little they could do but wait, so Askan sat down on his haunches and got comfortable. "He should come soon. He's usually around, if not- well we tried." He could go look for him, but that would take time, and he didn't know how long Lena was willing to wait, so he didn't bother to mention it.

(This post was last modified: Aug 29, 2016, 08:47 PM by Askan.)

"Woah ..."

Silence fell over the adolescent. Lena had chattered contentedly the whole way, regardless of the conversation with Askan being mostly one sided. She listed off all sorts of things, asked all sorts of questions, and made comments regularly about how pretty it was here. Once the duo had reached the very top of the hill, her eyes grew wide as she devoured the view before her. A sprawling expanse of colour, an endless canvas of bright red and gold grasses. Hardy shrubs shuddered the breeze, and little clusters of small brown figures littered the landscape; bison and caribou, far from the dangers of the two wolves that gazed over their domain.

"It's gorgeous! Really gorgeous! I can see why yer wise old man wants to set up here. I mean, that view! And the prey over there! Do you see them, Askan? They're like a clump of ants from waaaay over here." She rocked forward so she stood on her tip-toes, lifted her head and sucked in a big lungful of air. She held it there, as if savouring the feeling of it in her lungs, before it all came whooshing right back out again. Why'd her dad ever leave a place so beautiful?

Oh, right. She was here for a reason, and that reason was to find out about Relic Lore. "If he comes from the east, yer "Old Man", do you think he might know my dad's family like ... personally?"

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

"I see them." Askan told her with an amused smile gracing his lips. He had eyes after all, but he could tell that she was excited, so he wasn't going to say anything sharp or too callous. She wasn't being that annoying, so he could cope with her happy-go-lucky temperament.

Like Lena, Askan took a moment to gaze over the edge of the Lowlands. To his left, closer to the territory he could see the forest bordering the tundra, with pines so tall they reached for the clouds. She was right, it was gorgeous here. In a way, it reminded him of his homeland. The scenery wasn't so different, the only thing it lacked was the massive Selwyn mountain range in the distance. It occurred to him that perhaps this was the reason he had settled here, the fact that it was familiar didn't make it as daunting. That he could almost trick himself into thinking he was back home. Not that it mattered anymore, this was his home now, and it was beautiful, everything he could need or want.

"He might." Askan didn't want to make any guarantees and get her hopes up in vain.  "He's pretty good at the whole socialising thing, wouldn't surprise me if he knew most of the wolves here, if not personally than at least by name." He had to be good with people considering how easily he had taken Askan beneath his proverbial wing. Askan's prickly attitude hadn't swayed him in the slightest. He was probably used to dealing with all sorts.

Again, Askan was reminded of how little he knew about his soon-to-be alpha. It really wasn't a problem, Askan was more than willing to serve Drestig and his family, but he decided that one day when perhaps things were set in stone he would ask. Or maybe he would find out today, after all if Lena was going to be asking questions about packs from the east perhaps some of his past would be revealed too. He'd just have to wait and see, the old man was hopefully coming along at this point. Hopefully his old age didn't slow him too much-and yes Askan knew he wasn't that old, it was just sort of a nickname now.

"I hope he can help though, all of this'll be a complete waste of time otherwise." They might as well have not met. That thought was bitter and Askan scowled it away. Whatever. He didn't yet know if it was or not. Patience, he needed to be patient.

(This post was last modified: Aug 29, 2016, 09:19 PM by Askan.)

"He seems well travelled." Lena hummed softly as she lowered into a sit, pale gaze never shifting from the surrounding tundra. "That's pretty cool."

The tawny girl had never really known a loner until after she left her mother and father's pack. She wasn't allowed to leave the territory--fears over strangers, or winter blizzards--and she'd never really questioned it. As much of a ball of energy she had been, she was never disobedient, never played troublemaker. Not until her teenage period, at least. That's when she and Amelié drifted apart, and Lena was forced to find some other way to vent her boredom; with older wolves.

In all honesty, Lena felt as though her sister had matured too quickly, too suddenly, as if she'd been told something that her younger sibling had not. Some secret of life that brought her down from happy-go-lucky Ammy to just Amelié. She started to miss her sister, despite sleeping next to her on chilly nights and lounging around during sunny days. Lena wasn't great with children and Amelié ... well, she just wanted to focus on the job at hand until the parents got back and freedom was returned to the yearlings. Responsibility matters more than being a child, Lena. Right ... it was in the moment her sister called her Lena, not Lee, that she realised that things had suddenly changed without explanation.

"I doubt it'd be a complete waste of time!" Focusing her attention on Askan, the younger wolf offered her elder a warm smile, the kind that would slowly melt butter. "I met you an' all, right? I reckon that's a good thing."

"Yes... Well..." Askan didn't know what to say. For a moment (it felt like an eternity) he was rendered speechless, and rather embarrassed too.  Flattery really did trip him up. "You're not the worst person I've come across here. There's been some right pricks. Just... If you're gonna hang around here, be careful, not everyone is like me." His way of wording made it sound as though he had been a perfect gentleman, there was nothing perfect or gentlemanly about him, but that didn't really occur to him. He didn't look at things that way. 

Thinking of pricks though, one name popped into mind in particular. Just thinking about that Craw bastard was enough to make his lips twitch, to want to curl back into a snarl. He held the urge back though, as he didn't think Lena would much appreciate him breaking out into a fit of temper. He doubted it would give Drestig the right impression either if he arrived to see Askan all puffed up and angry. Though he might have gotten used to it by now, the old man was an enigma for sure.

"But yeah, what I'm trying to say is be careful, I suppose." That was lame, Askan tsked at himself and glanced away. 

Like he had any right to give advice on staying safe when he did such an excellent job of getting himself into needless conflict. In his defence, he hadn't started it per se, it had all just sort of tumbled out of control. He'd just been dragged along for the ride. Now that he thought about it , Askan was more than a little concerned to actually talk to Drestig face to face, after his fight with Lorcan. He hadn't actually told him about that- he hadn't gotten around to, he wasn't weasling out- but he suspected that Percy would have mentioned something to arouse Drestig's suspicion. Fuck it, he would deal with that when it came down to it. He hadn't done anything wrong, he was looking out for Percy. Besides, the pressing issue here was Lena and the questions she wanted to ask. He doubted that Drestig would make him put it all out in their air with a stranger around. That would be a conversation for somewhere safe and secluded.

Lena watched him, a smile playing on her lips. Had Askan, this prickly stranger, actually said something nice to her? In some way, he had said she was decent company! And in other ways, he had said she wasn't one of the grandest wolves he'd met. But hey, at least there had been worse. So, the adolescent took it as she saw fit; as a compliment.

"Aw, Askan! Knew you were proper soft inside!" She laughed, and offered an unashamed, playful wink. She danced away a few steps, in case she got an earful from the swarthy male. So far, it seemed he wasn't too certain in how to deal with shameless comments that alluded to his hidden secret of being a softie, and made his disapproval very well known. How ironic, that he would huff and puff about not being adorable in an adorable way, kind of like a cub. Lena opted to keep such knowledge to herself, being the incredible character investigator she was, as her own hidden secret. "Don't worry though, I promise I'll be careful."

Would she? Mostly. Maybe. She was a random shot fired from a very excitable gun, and bullets often travel in straight lines. With Lena, it was more a case of keeping calm, not taking off like a rocket at the first sign of something possibly being amazing and grand and adventurous. So the secret to making sure she was careful and safe? Keeping the finger off the trigger, so the bullet can't go. She definitely needed something to focus on, stability that would occupy her mind instead of letting that itch in her toes transform into wanderlust. Sorry, dad.

(OOC, sorry for the delay. I don't even have a good excuse. Hope this was worth the wait, Lena you can respond then @Drestig can come in and do his wonderful thing)

Askan groaned and dropped his head. Why was she like this? And why didn't he know how to deal with these sorts of situations? It was shameful, annoying and it truly did get under his skin. He was anything but soft, he was rough with sharp, jagged edges. He was poisonous, foul to be around and left a bitter taste in other's mouths. The fact that she thought otherwise was truly baffling to the Yukon wolf. Why couldn't she just see ? In time she probably would. Askan didn't bother to vocalise his complaints, his body language made his feelings clear, but that didn't stop him from grumbling a little under his breath. Something along the lines of 'nothing soft about me' and 'stupid.' 

"Well good." He didn't quite know how to respond to her acknowledgement (someone was actually taking his advice to heart???), so he left it at that. Anymore words on the matter would have been a waste of breath. 

They settled into a silence then, Askan was happy to sit in his spot and mind his own business as they waited. He anticipated that it wouldn't be long now, that the old man would get his arse over there soon enough. If he was coming at all that was. He hoped that he was, but even so he concluded that if he didn't arrive in a few more minutes time then they would have to call it quits. He didn't want to sit around all day. Much to Askan's relief, it didn't come to that. Drestig wasn't a hulking beast, but his dark coat was more than enough to make him stand out amongst the sea of gold. The old man wasn't in any hurry it seemed, he was moving at his regular, leisurely pace as if he had all the time in the world. 

Getting to his feet, Askan watched as this alpha-to-be trotted to a stop in front of them. The old man never changed, he looked as he always did. He had always been a reassuring presence for Askan, steady and solid, and as unshakeable as a mountain. Respect from Askan had to be earned, he didn't give it out freely, but Drestig had already earned it. In record time too. 

"Old man." Askan greeted with an amiable huff. He glanced at Lena, as Drestig was no doubt curious as to who she was and why she was here. "Sorry for short notice. She's got some questions for you, she's..." Askan trailed off with a frown, then began again. "She can probably explain it better than I can."  With that, Askan took a step back to give Lena room to introduce herself.

(This post was last modified: Sep 05, 2016, 02:46 PM by Askan.)

Lena with Askan was like a raven with a sleeping bear. She poked and prodded for her amusement, hoping to gain a reaction similar to her own from the grizzly male, but all she was met with was grumbling that could, at any moment, be the straw that broke the metaphorical camel's back. Of course, that wouldn't stop her from her fun and games. Maybe he'd eventually come around to it? Maybe he'd learn to take a compliment! Either way, for the time being, the younger wolf was going to badger her elder. Not with malice or spite, but with albeit hard to see good intentions.

Askan gave a gruff approval of her comment about staying safe before he plopped straight into what seemed to be his comfort zone: silence. Boring. Dull. Empty silence. The ol' quiet time. Ahh. Lena pursed her lips, glanced around and hummed thoughtfully before sitting. And then, rhythmically. She bobbed her head to her bored little song, sweeping her tail in the time with the beat. Hum hum, swish swish. She swept up dirt and dust, brushed away insects and pebbles. Sitting still wasn't impossible for her, it was just incredibly unsatisfying when she could be doing countless other things. There wasn't even a conversation to focus on. Just ... just silence.]

On the verge of metamorphosing into a moody mushroom, her ears perked up immediately at Askan's voice; Old Man was here. She leaped to her paws, tucking her tail between her legs, in a very respectful, mature manner. She glanced to the new arrival, the soon-to-be leader of a pack here, and blinked. Good heavens, this man may as well have been Askan's very own father!

Her companion trailed off, stepped aside to allow Lena to take center stage. Gulp. She took her place before @Drestig, her tail wagging between her knees as she kept her gaze focused on his chest. He was a leader, right? The territory might not have been claimed, from what she could gather, but it'd be best to stay on any would-be king's good side.

"Hiy--uh, hello. I was ... hopin', from what Askan told me, that you ... you might know a bit about the packs around here? I'm looking for someone. Well, someones. He told me yer the best one to ask that he knows. "He" bein' Askan, of course."

The low pines offered good protection from the midday sun, casting shade down over the gnarly floor in front of the den. Small slivers of light filtered down through the crown of the lone oak, dancing across a silvered muzzle. Eyes closed, resting after an early morning patrol, one might mistake the ark wolf as taking a nap, but while his body was relaxed, his mind was churning. Summer was drawing to a close, their little family had grown, slowly but steadily, but they had yet to stake a proper claim to their sliver of the lowlands. He wanted to, so badly, but he was unsure; Are we strong enough? There was no use in claiming a land they couldn't defend. Other wolves roamed the lowlands, eager to exploit their bounty, just like his own pack. Their claim might be viewed as a challenge. Graying brows furrowed. He wanted to carve out this piece of heaven for his family, he wanted to protect them at all costs.

A distant howl broke into his thoughts, causing ember eyes to flicker open; Askan? There were no signs of distress in the young wolves voice, no real urgency, yet he'd called. For the shortest moment, Drestig felt a stab of annoyance, he'd just laid down, he had important things to think about! But the emotion was quickly thrust from his mind, a huff falling from his lips as he pushed to a stand, shaking out his fur. Obviously Askan thought this was important, or he wouldn't have called; Whatever THIS is?! The boy had done good work though, dedicating himself wholly to the pack, helping both to protect the land and its treasures, and seek out possible new recruits. Drestig was happy that his offer to the lad had proved a good choice, he'd gained a diligent and loyal subordinate, and one he could trust wholeheartedly.

The trip north was made at an idle trot, the alpha-to-be figuring that the lag of stress in his second's call, meant there was no rush to answer. He needed to conserve his energy as best he could after all, they were in need of fresh meat. He found Askan, as expected, sitting in wait on the hill top at the outskirts of the rye fields. He greeted his leader in characteristic fashion, and Drestig offered back a wolfish grin, responding drily: "Askan. And what troubles have you been causing today?" The question was mostly good natured, and a brow was quirked at the younger wolf, but the pointed look of fiery eyes held a note of candor. In their time here, the dark boy had had several ill-fated run-ins with the aforementioned other residents. But this was not the time for that talk, for his subordinate was not alone. Ember eyes turned to the young shewolf as Askan referred to her; Questions? She couldn't be more than a yearling, slender and with a tawny-grey coat, and pale eyes. Words tumbled from her mouth before he had a chance to address her, a tangled attempt at explanation, that left him with even more questions than before.

One ear flicked back, eyes widening a tad and, he couldn't help it, the elder man glazed back to Askan, quirking his brow just a little higher. When his gaze returned to the girl, she was silent, apparently waiting for him to respond. Drestig cleared his throat; "Well then, let's hope he was right." A smile played at the corner of his mouth, tail flicking amiably behind him; "But let's start at the beginning shall we? Who are you? And what exactly is it you would like to know?"

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