Nomads Pass everything we had

p much all-welcome for Nomad's Pass. btw, he's on the borders and this is vague...

The journey had been long and arduous. From his homelands, to these lands, and then to the top of this mountain. Along the way, he'd met many, mostly women, oddly enough, but not one was his sister. It was good to find respite now on the flat, rather than angular stone. From this height, he could see the whole of the land he'd come from; the field of berries and even the willow trees. It was truly a lovely place, but large. The dark man sighed, ears flipping back as he turned away from the ledge and moved across the mountain top. A smell was on the rocks, he noticed as he moved further east. There was something familiar about it, a faint additament to the particularly strong pack scent, for that was certainly what it was.

His nose, typically so keen, found it hard to identify the scent. Perhaps a plant that grew further north that he recognized? Or some prey animal? The scent of pack only grew stronger as he moved towards the borders, determined to identify this. The knight could not have believed the scent to draw from his sister. It was not as though he could not see her as a leader-figure, but more that he thought the trials would have been carried on. It could not have been so simple to find the woman. So it had not yet occurred to him that, mingled with this pack scent, was the scent of his sister.

Reluctantly, Chulyin stopped at the borders. He would not typically have come so close, but he was too intent. There was something hysterical inside of him. One part of him did not see the possibility at all, yet another half, some unconscious half, was more than aware of what that scent hailed from. He howled a song of request, desiring nothing more than to speak with someone with knowledge and ask a few questions if they'd allow him. <b style="color:#a51919">

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In preparation for the day, Mapplethorpe had spent hours of trekking through the Pass, not only leaving his trademark scent on everything considered "noteworthy" but covering up his own "stink" with things that helped him camouflage into the lands that belonged to Naira Aquila. It didn't matter that he smelled like something as feminine as the last blossoms of meadowsweet or giant blazing stars or even Naira, herself, but as long as he could partially "hide" as he traveled from marker to marker, everything was... well, swell... until an unfamiliar howl came to his ears.

Tried as he might, he couldn't keep himself from scowling. It sounded eager, a bit too curious... but because of that, Mapplethorpe thought it was best that he would be one of the first to investigate such a call. It sounded as though it had come close by and it was only a matter of minutes from one stretch of the borders into another until the individual who had requested his presence came into view. He was dark and, judging from a distance, a great deal larger than him - not that the Advisor had been counting on his brawn to begin with...

The mottled Nomad edged closer, raising both his head and tail when it seemed like he had caught the stranger's full attention. His scowl had softened a bit, but not by much; at the very least, it could have been assumed that Mapplethorpe was merely concerned as to why this brute had come so close to the borders he had recently marked. For a few passing moments, he eyed the rogue from the ground up before deciding that the encounter at hand might be worth his time. Despite the piercing looks in his eyes, the voice that accompanied his facial expression didn't match until he issued the question at the forefront at his mind. "Good to know that border patrols haven't been in vain... Why have you come? How did you find us?"

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(This post was last modified: Jul 28, 2013, 05:28 AM by Mapplethorpe.)

Chulyin quickly spotted the approaching patroller. He took a single step back from his position too close to the borders and realized that the scent was rather familiar to the man as well. Maybe Chulyin had been mistaken. This man before him had marked the borders. Settling back on his haunches to perhaps appear faintly less threatening (it was unintentional, most of the time), Chulyin let his ears fall back, and his tail blended well in with the black fur of his hind leg. His head lowered slightly in respect. Was this a foolish endeavor? Perhaps, but then again, maybe there had been some standing in that scent. This man would certainly know. The darker man's head cocked, eyes drifting downward, not to the eyes of the pack wolf, but more around his ears.

<b style="color:#a51919">"I climbed the mountain and stumbled upon the scent of your pack," Chulyin began, no fear in his voice, though perhaps a sprinkling of hope. If there was one thing that could make him smile, or turn his heart of coal into a diamond, it was the thought that he may see and serve his sister again. He could only curse himself for letting her get away in the first place. But it had dawned upon him already, that the scent could have only belonged to the man, and his nose had lied to him. It had been nothing but wishful thinking, though it had barely been thought in the first place. <b style="color:#a51919">"A scent I find to be very familiar. However, it seems my senses have tricked me, if the scent is only yours." A mild frustration churned within the man. How could this have happened? <b style="color:#a51919">

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The Advisor braced himself and waited for the man to make a move. What ensued was what Mapplethorpe considered a good move. The stranger sat down, and the pack wolf immediately expected an answer as he continued to come forward so that they were a comfortable distance away from one another and reasonably within earshot. If this man was going to be courteous, then there was no need for Naira's right hand to yell at him. The reason for the rogue's visit was straightforward: he came to the east and scaled the mountain then, lo and behold, stumbled into his invisible fence. It was apparent in the brute's voice that he was hoping for something and that alone made one of Mapplethorpe's brows lift up before evening out with the other again.

"So, you didn't hear about this pack from anyone else?" he half-interrogated, half-questioned, his cadmium yellow eyes scrutinizing every movement in his new companion's face and frame. When thinking back to what he had said, the Advisor also sat down, suddenly all too interested in the scenario at hand. "The scent just might be only," he taunted. "But... what scent would that be? You don't look like the type that would go about climbing mountains and scaling rock faces."

He had to smile, already considering just how beneficial it would be for Naira to have a knowledgeable botanist at hand (between the two of them and Sagacity's knowledge, it would seem they would be set, but certainly at this point it wouldn't hurt to consider recruiting one that could, in turn, educate Datura, Taima, and the younger girls). "Not unless you were born and raised on them... then I'm guessing you're rather familiar with a variety of highland plants?"

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Thankfully the elder man moved forward. His desire to be respectful had put the man in an awkward position, a bit too far to speak in a conversational tone. His nose continued to twitch, the puzzle piecing together in the forefront of his mind. It would slowly dawn upon him that the scent was not prey, nor was it flora. He could only accept the simplicity of it. The scent reminded him so strongly of Naira. No plant or tasty snack would have pulled him so far. His breathing quickened a bit at this revelation, though his body language was unwavering and his expression remained stoic, quiet. Chulyin gave a short shake of his great head, his own pale golden eyes unblinking.

<b style="color:#a51919">"My presence here is absolutely accidental, sir." He spoke strong and honest words, only faintly curious as to why a pack would want to hide itself. A very close knit family, clearly. Chulyin was thankful that he was being met with courtesy, rather than aggression. His ears tipped forward, not entirely appreciating the taunt his companion had handed him. If the scent belonged to his sister, as he could only dream it would, he needed to know. <b style="color:#a51919">"I am not much of an explorer. My talents are more useful on the homefront." Chulyin was not one to oversell himself. He knew little of healing, and the talents of the earth. Chulyin could learn a landscape and use it to his advantage, he could exploit a weakness, he could stand by his decisions. The art of war was his art, the art of giving and taking. So he would not lie when he told the yellow-eyed man, <b style="color:#a51919">"I'm afraid I know little in the ways of plants. But rather, I believe the scent to belong to my sister..."

The headstrong man found the words falling slowly from his jaws, an odd caution in the way he spoke them, doubt trying to pull them back in. It could not be so easy...He could not so simply find his way back home. Only the man before him knew the answer. <b style="color:#a51919">

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To the Advisor's ears, the candor and integrity in the tone of the rogue's voice rang out loud and clear. It only made sense that if the man wanted some truthful answers, he would have to offer up his own genuine responses in exchange. In all verity, such an approach had also been in Mapplethorpe's book of tricks and survival tactics. Words, by means of weight and tone, were his specialty; and, by his standards, this gentleman, here, also had the knack for persuasion and proper presentation - something the Advisor could not so easily overlook.

The brute had other talents to speak of, ones that were on the homefront - so, he had some training in regards to wartime measures, okay then - and the grizzled man allowed him time to fully answer the questions he had practically thrown at him. Even though he corrected Mapplethorpe's assumptions about being a skilled botanist, the stranger let him know right off the bat that the scent that he had been so keen about investigating and asking about was the one that he believed belonged to his sister. Sister? Huh.

He had to take a moment and consider how he was able to pick up on such a scent. From what he knew about Naira, she had had two litters - the second litter being the two daughters who currently called him "Dad." Her first litter consisted of three cubs - Datura, Adonis, and the misplaced daughter, Belladonna - and they were all well into their yearling days... as was Taima. Judging by the maturity in the man's voice and how well he carried himself, the possibility of him being Taima's older brother was highly plausible. Given that he had been spending a good amount of time with the young Lyall, it could have been her scent that he had picked up on. Since the pack's relocation to the new den, he had barely been in contact with @Sagacity, and further isolated himself from her as to keep himself uninvolved with @Mercy's initial upbringing. He could iron out the boy later if he had to, but at present, this man's relation to Sagacity was not particularly feasible (unless she, too, had been running border patrols while Taima looked after the crow-child when she was away)... He had to mentally shake his head. That was just highly unlikely. The Lyall had been sticking to her lessons and training since the two of them had had their first decent conversation with one another.

Assumptions aside, he carefully took in the stranger's body language, trying to pull from his every move and every pronounced syllable any possibility that hinted at any means of ill-will. There seemed to be none in how meticulous he was with his words and how he spoke them. When it all came to a point, all that mattered now was her name. "And what is her name?" Both of his brows rose in such a way that implied his anticipation and avidity concerning his relationship to any of the current Nomadic women. If there was any chance that this gent was related to Naira, then he was going to have to test him further if he had initially come in search of a place to stay... It might not have been apparent, but time was a good judge as any and even the brother of the Queen could be a potential threat if allowed too close.

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Would this stranger believe him? Chulyin knew of his own integrity, but this stranger, seeing Chulyin as no more than a wandering soul at his borders, did not. His word was not dreck, but he'd known others and their cruel intentions. Hunting others down, putting on false faces. For all this man knew, Chulyin could have been one of them. And if his sister was beyond these borders what would the knight have to do to prove his worth and trustworthiness? Despite these faint worries, Chulyin would not let them affect him and slow his speech, make his eyes wander. He continued to hold himself in a respectful fashion, and kept his words strong, unwavering. A second ago, doubt had backed his speech, but with the stranger's new question, Chulyin had no reason to stumble.

<b style="color:#a51919">"Naira. The dark man answered bluntly, keeping his golden eyes trained upon the ears of his companion. If he could not look into his face to convey some honesty, even pleading, then he would find a way to do otherwise. He only wished to keep his eyes from falling, which perhaps was more respectful, also could have a chance of failing him in terms of honesty. <b style="color:#a51919">"I realize how foolish this may sound, sir. But I have come from the far North to find her...I would know my dearest sister's scent anywhere, no matter how long we have been apart." Chulyin swallowed, though his words had been strong, his gaze too, he realized the full extent of what could happen here. The possibility that @Naira truly waited, unknowing, beyond this line of scent, past the patrolling soul of these nameless lands...He was so close.

His paws itched. <b style="color:#a51919">

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"Naira." Even if he constantly said her name in his head so many times over the course of a day, even verbally pronounced it only when they were alone with one another, it sounded absolutely curious and intriguing with how he said her name. It was like it had been practiced, or better yet, said over the course of a few years... like he had actually grown up with her. The familiarity was there... and though Mapplethorpe had prepared himself to question why his liege's sibling had come to Relic Lore, possibly brought to her doorstep by mere fortune and determination alone, he found that he did not have to waste his breath.

It didn't matter if the man's words sounded foolish or not, either way he had come from the north in search of her. The Advisor managed to keep a straight face, his expression utterly sober as he took in his answer, processed it and mulled it twice over in a matter of seconds. Not many wolves, he believed, knew Naira unless they had something to do with Swift River or Poison Path or, as the rogue had voiced, had grown up with her. Having only been allowed one chance thus far to really get to know his beloved Queen on a personal level, he only had one valid question that would further prove that this stranger on their borders was really her brother. His chance opportunity against a simple inquiry about something only Naira and her brother would know should leave no room for error. There was only one answer and it had to match word for word.

"Not foolish at all," he stated calmly, staring across his muzzle at this supposedly honest brute. "I only have one more question after this one, but you must answer this one simple prompt before I take our conversation further." Ever so slowly, he stood up, his tail rising instinctively though he still held his head level, his ears drawn forward as to hang onto every breath and syllable that would become his companion's response. "Describe your mother for me..."

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His jaw locked tight, waiting for the man to speak, bestow Chulyin's fate upon him. He would face it if it meant he got to see his sister again. But for all he knew, this man would tell him that there was a wolf with no such name here. Something told him that wouldn't be the case, however. He knew that his sister was close. He'd convinced himself of it now. The only thing keeping him on the right side of the border was the man before him, a question on his lips. His eyes widened slightly, though did not hesitate to answer, <b style="color:#a51919">"Stark white fur, a mirror to my father. Deceptively small," He smiled finally, recalling the woman who had birthed him, eyes falling as her image appeared in his mind, clear as day. He'd left her behind and father...but it was for good. <b style="color:#a51919">"She had one blue eye, and the other was as golden as my own."

Silence took over again, and the smile disappeared as he surfaced in reality again. His eyes met the golden eyes of the man at the border for the first time, only for a moment before he pulled them back again. Who was he? What had Naira told him and why? The dark man found himself with a few questions of his own, but perhaps they would be better saved for his sister if he had managed to pass this test. He found solace in the knowledge this man held, that whatever rank his sister held within these walls, she was being kept safe. Chulyin would prove himself to this wolf. <b style="color:#a51919">

my posts are getting so crappy, i'm sorry. ><

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Without even a moment's hesitation the answer that Mapplethorpe had been so eagerly expecting came. White fur. One blue eye, one gold... This man... This man... was @Naira's brother. In the Advisor's past life and in the adventures he had had before stumbling upon Rhysis and being pulled up into his schemes, Mapplethorpe could be quite sure that not everyone had a mother who had two different-colored eyes and white fur (and it was rather a very good thing he had not even bothered as of yet to ask Taima about her family or else he would have been quite unconvinced otherwise). One more sideways glance and a very judgmental glare and the whole of the pack wolf's face smoothed out. Any remaining trace of his frown completely wiped from the mask-like markings along his eyes and muzzle.

"Forgive me," he rumbled. "Sir." When he next allowed his eyes to scan over the man's frame, his stare was less intense, looking more as though he were making sure the knight was in good health and that nothing was wrong. "I've heard of you," he then explained, coming to full realize what facts he had been putting aside and ignoring for speculation's sake. Of course Naira's brother was going to come looking for her. "You... you were separated from her." His brow spots touched one another for what seemed like it last time and it was apparent that concern had wholly replaced all intentions of testing the brute further. "What... What happened to your sister?" He made sure to emphasize the last two words; obviously he had known what happened to Naira, but in regarding their other sister, he simply wanted to be well-informed.

His breath caught in his chest and, among the already churning emotions and thoughts in his head, he had to wonder how Naira would react if she came face to face with her brother again. From the short story she had told him, it occurred to him that they had at least been somewhat close, and that having him back would mean a great deal. If she thought otherwise, then he was going to take absolute full responsibility for him. "I...I can't be sure how Naira will react, but I am willing to allow you in." His ears relaxed and instead of an intimidating front, Mapplethorpe morphed into the epitome of regality. His skull at last lifted and he patiently waited for his Queen's brother to offer him any gesture or testament of fealty before opting to proceed in indicating that he was a superior figure to behold. "I am your sister's Advisor and consort, no one gets to visit with her without going through me first."

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