Thicket of Secrets swallowtail jig

@Kite

Through a bit of reconnaissance of his new home and the area surrounding, it wasn't long until Lugh discovered the presence of a neighboring pack. The terrain was similar, but denser with thick tangles and vines. He couldn't imagine how the resident wolves navigated the place without snagging their ears on every branch, though he supposed it was only a matter of time before the thorned blackberry bushes of his own residence took his tail right off. This pack seemed to have been established much longer than his own, due to the stale lingering odors that saturated the border beneath the much fresher markings. He imagined they would be experts on the subject of brambles, and had a mind to ask them just how they didn't get tangled up in their own home.

He figured that it was time he introduced himself and made nice with the neighbors, before they started wondering about the new pack that had popped up overnight adjacent to them. He'd been taught that the key to diplomacy was of course gifts, and so with him he carried a large swatch of goldenrod, holding the stalk just behind is canines and trying his best to not let the vibrant yellow flowers drag on the ground. Not only was it a pretty plant, but had a variety of medicinal properties that any pack could likely make use of. He stopped as he reached the border and carefully set down his bouquet. With a tip of his head Lugh let forth a joyous howl, letting any who heard him that a wolf of Black Thorne Downs was here to pay a visit.

Kite, busy as she was in the recent three days, had not been out to scout in that time. And in that timeframe, a pack had sprouted—unbeknownst to her—and today, she would learn a valuable lesson. The howl at the borders was responded to swiftly, Coming!, and the newlywed Tainn moved toward the borders with a swiftness unmatched. Kite was quite light on her feet. Clumsy and bumbling sometimes, yes, but swift when she needed to be, and now seemed to be appropriate. She had been nearby regardless, and so she came across the tawny stranger sooner rather than later. Beneath him was an assortment her eyes immediately fell to, and she tried to sort through the many names she had in her herbal library.

He smelled of other wolves, this one; he was not here for joining purposes, she did not think. Business or pleasure? She teases, but her posture is all serious and direct, demanding some semblance of respect even though he was a bit aways from the borders. Still, with young not too terribly far off, Kite wanted his intentions to be quite clear. Sure that any wolf would understand, she did not hasten to explain herself (or find it necessary to do so). The gentle Kite was far from aggressive, but could become so in an instant should the wolf before her not respond appropriately. If Lugh was here for pleasure, she was sure he would call to a friend... but then again, business, to Kite, was always a pleasure to handle. Ah. She tried not to lose herself in her thoughts while holding onto her stable position of guard-wolf, her eyes unwavering but not unkind.

Fortunately, someone was nearby to hear his call and with a response given he stood patiently to wait for their arrival. He wasn't left waiting long, a female materializing from the forest in hasty fashion. From her scent she was obviously from the pack at who's borders he now stood upon, and she took up a guarded posture. He wasn't one to be put off though, after all he was a stranger that just appeared on someone else's borders, he couldn't expect a welcome wagon. At least her words had a bit of hospitality to them which Lugh picked up.

"Why, must it be one 'r the other?" Lugh said with a flash of grin that spread to the crinkles at the corner of his pale yellow eyes. It was apparent to him that this woman meant business from her posture, and in response he respectfully ducked his head low and folded his ears to the sides, meanwhile his tail keeping up a low sway behind him. As much as Lugh liked to blabber on about one thing or another, he imagined this interaction would benefit from him speaking his intentions clearly and quickly. "Little o' both, truly. Just a friendly visit from the pack over in th' blackberry field, we've just set up over there and I figured it was 'bout time to say 'ello to the neighbors." He gave a small chuckle. "And so, 'ello! You can call me Lugh, herbalist of Black Thorn Downs. Who might I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

His jovial response gave Kite half an idea of who she was dealing with. Someone of good spirits, obviously, but was he a jokester...? One that did not know respect...? It was a question only asked due to her not knowing him, but the query faded to black as his body responded appropriately. At length, Kite really did entertain his question... and responded to it, to boot. 's usually the way of things, and she idled for a moment, as if to invite him to say if he was here for any different reason. But in that time, Lugh was prompt. For that, she was appreciative, and her own tail waved loosely behind her. His words did give her pause... pack in blackberry fields...? That would need to be reported right away, given it was so close... touching the Woodlands, nearly, in fact. She was not too sure how Nina or Miccah would respond.

Tha's kind and good of you. I'm Kite. I'm the aspiring scout, actually, but have been manning the borders the past couple of days, she flashes him a smile, but her expression sobers some. We're kind of close though, hm? Tell me, honestly, you don't think it will be trouble, will you? I can't tell you how my leaders will react. Kite did not mind showing off her new colors, it meant very little in the scheme of things. Just as any oldtimer, she was willing to protect and serve the Woodlands and their interest. Blackberry Fields quite literally touched the Woodlands, and she imagined the open fields to be a hunting territory of, well, the Woodlands. Kite knew if she were a leader, she might be bothered. Best to relay this to Lugh now. If he was at ease about it, perhaps she was worrying for naught. She would find out soon enough, she imagined.

Lugh kept up his happy grin throughout her introduction, making a note to try and not forget her name. Kite the scout, like a bird on the wing, aspiring or not it seemed fitting enough. He was pleased that she had taken favorably to his visit, as he knew a few rather grumpy guards in his time who might not have stopped to introduce themselves. As Kite continued on and her expression dropped, he kept his tail obliviously waving throughout her speculations. Honestly, as she asked him, the risks associated with the two packs proximity hadn't been something he had considered at all. He tilted his head, one ear flexed back and the other perked forward as he thought.

After a few moments of contemplation, he shrugged his shoulders, "Coming from a rather..." He paused as he fished for a fitting term, "-Abundant family myself, I don't think it'll be trouble." The Whelan clan's expansive territory claims could be seen as several "packs", if one were to call them that. They never seemed to have much issue amongst themselves outside of typical familial quarrels that even plagued the smallest of packs. Although blood bound them all together, in theory there was no reason why unrelated packs couldn't coexist as well. Or, so went Lugh's reasoning. "Maybe we can even work together? Things are always easier that way, in any case." Overall, Lugh wasn't terribly concerned about it. If it was going to be an issue, it would be an issue, and they could all deal with it when it was rather than fretting about something that could even go favorably.

Truth be told, his words did little to put her at ease and it showed. Her slight frown lingered, coming from a pack quite the opposite side of the fence with her own family. They would not stand for any near them, particularly family. Their land was their land, and their grounds were their grounds. She had to give a short laugh, the sound not harsh but nervous. 'fraid my own abundant family wasn't so kind, she admits with a shrug to clear the air. Every wolf, and family, was different she supposed. But Lugh continued, and his suggestion was one that did quell her anxieties some. At the very least, Kite could see what her leaders thought.

I think I'll suggest that to them, she began, but her features were still not as light as they generally were—not that he would recognize or know that—and there was still a weight on her shoulders. I don't think when prey is abundant it'll be a problem, but I'm just thinking of the future, too. I don't know how Winter is here, but the past one where I had come from was... not too kind. No deaths, but certainly there were weeks went without eating. Kite imagined that might be some of the reason she was pushed away when she was old enough; the less heads, the better.

She takes a breath. She does not want this meeting to be one of troubled minds, so instead Kite ventures to lighten the subject some. She had said her piece, but for the moment they did not have to worry about that. Anyways... congratulations is due too, I guess, huh? So who leads you guys? Kite waves her tail, really glad to be moving on from one topic to the next. Thinking she was alright at reading others, Kite was sure this Lugh was a decent guy and truly didn't want to bombard him with aggressive possibilities and what-ifs.

He nodded along, then freezed up as she mentioned the unkind winter, his ever present smile falling into a slight look of consternation. The winter had had been more than unkind for the old Crow Gulch pack, only leaving him and Ryka behind after the blizzards and famine had killed everyone else. It was something he tried hard to shake off and shove into the far back of his mind, where it would emerge unexpectedly and invade his thoughts when he least expected it. Such as now, who would expect it to appear in what had been such a pleasant conversation? Mentally he squashed the errant memory back into a corner in an attempt to deny its existence.

Still, something rang true in Kite's words, but he didn't want to believe it, as if simply denying that such large scale suffering could so easily happen again would prevent it's reoccurence. Things would be different now, and that wouldn't, couldn't happen again. Thankfully before he had to give it much more thought, Kite continued on with congratulations. His features reignited, odd glassy stare erased as he hastily latched on to something more pleasant.

"Minka and Tokino Lagina," He stated, pride tinting his voice. "They were having some trouble with, ah, what was it, Whisper Caves or some such. The Cedar Rock River pack helped us out a bit on our way up here, but we've seemed to be managing well on our own now," Lugh couldn't help but prate on a bit about his pack's foundations, inadvertently butchering pack names as he went.

"So, who's borders 'ave I been standing on then?" He asked as he canted his head curiously to the side. He had the name of the lady before him, but her leaders and the name of their band still remained a mystery.

whenever you're on next maybe we can spree this to a finish bc i FAIL FOR THIS DELAY **_*_*_*

Kite listened, quite interested in what he had to say. She knew neither of the wolves that he spoke of, though given her relative newness to the area she hadn't exactly expected to. Kite wondered at what trouble meant, and she was an open book. Her head tilted as he spoke those very words, and as he finished Kite found herself asking, Not like... puppy-napping trouble, yeah? Her tone was neutral, and her exterior was still receptive and open, but she had to ask. Lugh seemed a kind fellow, but strangers were strangers. She was always the sort to hope for the best, but it would be better to know. Kite's tail waved when she heard they were doing well, glad to hear it; she herself thought that now would be a good time for any pack to get together, to know each other prior to winters beginning.

Secret Woodlands! she proudly retorts, I'm still learning more of the pack, I'm relatively new. But Nina's head of the helm here, she's great. Miccah rules next to her, and he's a great leader, too. She smiles, glad to speak of them. Nina was something of a matriarch and had led the band a long time from what she had heard. Miccah was a new leader, but that made him no less of one. From what Kite had seen, he did what was meant to be done and did it well.