Leavin' boys behind 'cause it's legal just to kill

@Ragnar, but anyone really

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 Valmúa had wandered away from their woods that day on a vague scouting mission. She did this fairly frequently, sometimes with @Kuhn and oftentimes without him. They could, after all, cover a far wider range when separated.
 Things with the Tsukiishi crowd had grown quiet, almost to the point where the red woman wondered what was going on over there. She guessed that they were holed up and keeping to themselves, getting angry when they felt like it about having their precious flowers in the glacier pissed on.
 That day she was on a peculiar scent trail. It carried a terrible musk, like rotting fish and tooth decay. This happened occasionally when a sea creature would wash ashore, but this seemed like too great a distance for something like that to carry. Whatever it was, it was large, or else something had carried it this way.
 Oddly, she also found the smell of wolves. She wondered if they had been drawn to the this weird stank trail, like she was. The northerner kept her guard up, wandering farther and farther from home.

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Only time would tell if the wolves would gather enough muscle in time before the walrus horde decided they had enough with their little prize. Olive, from what he could tell last time, had the option of being able to eat, if anything although living within the swarm of blubbering beasts could have been none too comfortable. After all, they were on an island of nothing but ice and her near drowning in the waters must have left her frozen and weak.

Ragnar's gut twisted in him, knowing that he had nothing left but to wait for the group to return with extra force. Ragnar, who's home rested just to the south, paced the borders of his home uneasily.

From the forest edge, he saw another then. Red standing out on white. He thinks it to maybe be Thalia and so keeps away. He really didn't have time for round 3 of that hot mess. But oh? The creamy plume gave her away. Ah, yes, she was a much better sight for sore eyes. So he trots out into the openness of the Frozen Ground to greet her.
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 The cool cologne of the pale northerner gave him away before Valmúa could see him. Quickly afterward, she saw him exiting the woodland at the base of the mountains. She'd wondered where he'd ever gotten to, having failed to locate his trail since meeting him in playful battle.
 Her tail waved in an attempt at apathy, but she could not help but smirk anyway at his smug, moronic face. “Fancy seeing you here. On your way to the ball?” She asked, tilting her head as she stood sideways, clearly sarcastic.
 There were three smells that were obvious:

1. Him, who, still nameless, carried the smell of the sea and mountain air.
   
2. Something gross, like the inside of a whale.
   
3. The musk of tiger, which she had apparently bathed in for months.
   

 Surely he'd have tales to tell since their last meeting. Maybe this time she might even listen.

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^^
After talking with @Elowyn they had agreed to focus only on one leaving the packlands to explore at a time. That worked fine for him, although he did prefer to stay near her, so that when they might be needed it could be as united front. The days drug on and Tetsujin was ready for spring, ready for warmer weather and for something anything new and different. His trek had taken him up to the frozen grounds, stretching out into forever it felt like. He'd sniffed enough ice to make his nose freeze, but, when he caught a strong and peculiar scent his curiosity got the better of him.

He wasn't the only one he found, coming up on two figures he didn't know after tracking the putrid trail. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing, because it smelled of death and rot, but he wasn't sure specifically what he was after. He came to a stop a small distance from the pair, polite enough in the space he gave them. He gave a brief nod of his head before speaking. “EIther of you know what that smell is?” He asked. While Northacre had been full of curiosities, he'd never encountered a walrus before.

^^

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And smug that he was, playing the role of cute idiot quite well for her. She smirked but he tailed waved at her backside - he knew she had missed him.

“Ah, well if it isn't my Sunshine!” He beams a large toothy grin, his oh so pale ghostly eyes looking her over. “And how's kitty-kitty?” She still fancied that one, he noticed. Well, if she had a tiger in her life then just maybe there was still room for a wolf, then.

However- focus, there was important matters to attend and the third one to join them brought Ragnar back to that reality.

His head whirls around, that icy stare locking onto the dark wolf as he approached. He did not smell familiar- like that of Frostchant, the wolves farther into the north-east or the islanders. He didn't bother ask, either. “Yes,” He answered and passed his attention between the two of them as he continued on. “There is a horde of walrus on the coast to the western rim of the Frozen Ground. Last I saw they had taken up roost on one of the glaciers just off shore. Now I know this sounds crazy but, they have kidnapped a wolf of Frostchant.” He didn't know if his message would be believable or not or if they even knew who Frostchant was for that matter.
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 Valmúa could see what he was trying to do, playing off of her and attempting to get a real rise out of her just like he had done before. She'd been in a bit of a state the last time she'd bumped into him, trying to decide what to do about the smell of taboo that coated her. She felt almost like a different person now; she practically wore it as a perfume these days without shame.
 Sneering at him, she snipped her teeth in faux-hatred. “I am offended you ask after him rather than me first,” she flicked her tail, not bothering to answer him.
 But she was interrupted just as he was, not knowing the terrible events that had taken place. The dark figure was unknown to her. He was tall and bore thick, dark fur. He carried himself confidently, even going so far as to boldly ask the pair about the smell. Valmúa was just about to answer the dark stranger with probably his asshole, when her pale punching bag spoke a great tale indeed.
 Walrus. She had only seen the beasts from a distance, and rarely at that. Why would they come inland to kidnap a wolf? Why would they kidnap a wolf in the first place?
 Her confusion was evident on her face as she showed an ugly, half-sneering and half-confused expression that had no name in the common tongue.

 “Frostchant? But that is...” too far for a walrus to flop to, she figured. She wondered if it was @Riannon or one of her children who had been taken.
 Valmúa was not a person to be horrified at any type of ill-happenings for strangers. She had always been bound, somewhat, to family. More than that, she did things for others when she thought she might receive any level of reward, even if it was the promise of good favour. It didn't take her long to consider that a rescue effort for Frostchant could give her future ammunition of some kind.
 She noted that the pale wolf, nor the dark stranger, smelled of Frostchant or Tsukiishi or Hrafnsvaktin. Her ears rose in alarm. “How many are there?” Her mind went right into strategy-mode, eager suddenly to know everything he had seen. The switch had flipped.

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^^The King of Windmere could tell immediately that they were more familiar with one another. Even if it was slight, it wasn't the chance of three strangers. He didn't even have the chance to process a thought further than that. What the pale man said made his hackles raise. A walrus took a wolf of Frostchant? “My neighboring pack,” He offered quietly, and it wasn't the focus. He could think of the wolves of his claim and if someone took one of their neighbors, it was almost as if taking one of their own. If the walrus had the audacity then they might get hungry for more and his own wolves might seem enticing enough.

The woman asked about the numbers and Tetsujin nodded, his gaze turning from her to the man, curious about the options. “I will help. My wife, Elowyn, is a healer - although Windmere is far from here, we will do what we can.” He could speak for them both and knew that the recovery might be hard so far from Frostchant, but, Windmere would support their efforts too. It would be nice enough if they could help their neighbor out, given he didn't know either of the wolves or where they might have been from. “Ah, I'm Tetsujin.” At that he offered a little smile, realizing afterwards he'd just jumped in without even offering so much as an introduction to them.


^^

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She was calmer today. Far calmer then their last encounter. Before when he had mentioned the cat she had been on edge, today the comment rolled off her shoulders without a care in the world. She feared no judgment and this made Ragnar smile. She was fun toy with, fun to fight with because we all know Ragnar liked a good fight. Maybe with her smoother mood he would get to know her a little bit better too, like her name for instance.

“Mine as well.” He murmured the comment to the dark wolf when he said that Frostchant was their neighboring pack. The range of Northfall and Cloudrest mountain peaks were separated by a large and open expanse of rolling greenery. There was plenty southward of Cloudrest in that great big mountain chain Ragnar had yet to explore. He could and would only assume this man lived somewhere in there.

Windmere, the man then explained, mentioning his wife along with it too and giving his name. A quick nod is given to this and as he looks to the man, he introduces himself yet Valmua is left to the corner of his ice eyes. “Ragnar Stormborn.” His chin lifts, his muzzle jutting toward the south. “My home is within the mountains south- Northfall.” It was a shame he hadn't met this group sooner, who were quickly willing to help in the fray. Maybe if he had instead of another, his daughter would still be with them. 

Anyhow, back to business. “There are around a dozen or so. Females along with one large bull at the root of all of this. My Regent informed me when she first caught sight of this she sounded the alarm. Frostchant is aware and there was a scuffle but, their king had taken to the water and made off with his prize. I'm assuming the others are gathering forces, too.”
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 Neighbouring packs. Valmúa realized then that these two made their homes in places quite close to her. For a moment, this made her feel nervous, but it passed when she remembered they indeed she and Kuhn did not "hold" land so much as steward it and help others through it to the north. They were the gatekeepers, but they did not seek to prevent passage.
 Valmúa listened to the pair, silently hoping that the ask would not come to her. She was still trying to draw a map of where they were. She didn't fully understand, and though she recognized the dark male as a stranger, it seemed that her role as an outsider was different.
 They shared names. Valmúa smirked.
 She paid attention to where "Ragnar" was from. It was a noble name. “Valmúa, af Everfrost,” she answered to the exchange. Ragnar was quick to launch into details, and she listened intently.
 A dozen of the beasts were not to be trifled with. There was no universe that all could be defeated, but Valmúa knew that the creatures were slow and rather stupid. If a wolf had really been taken by them, it was unlikely that all of the dozen would be willing to fight. It also felt unlikely to the red woman that more than one beast would try to do anything other than insult her. Walruses were stupid, terrible beasts. Valmúa knew little of them, but she had convinced herself of this much.
 “Tell us the rest on the way. To delay is stupid.” Bluntly she said it, all while wondering about this "regent" that Ragnar spoke of. She licked her teeth after she spoke, either out of nervous energy or some other guidance.

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^^
The more than they shared of the situation, the more on guard Tetsujin became. Ragnar - another neighbor it seemed - at least knew enough about the situation to supply them with information, although he didn't know any of the other wolves involved it seemed. Aside from knowing Frostchant, he didn't know any of the packs involved. It still was enough that they could help one another. His mind was already racing on the possibilities of how they could win the battle without much loss on their side. Twelve walrus was a lot to handle by any account. He nodded stiffly when Valmua suggested that they not wait, his teeth grit for a moment. “We can't delay,” He agreed. Not when it was the life of another on the line and when they would need to get to the others, too.

Tetsujin was willing to follow, given that he didn't exactly know where they were headed other than by the scent trail left behind. “If we can get them further inland, away from the water, it would be better for us.” If they were able to swim and could manage on land taking them away from one of the elements would serve the rest of them better. It wasn't going to be easy at all but he was never one to shy away from a task.

^^

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Valmúa. He would make sure to place her name to memory as well as that she was taking up residency in the Everfrost. Last he had been there had not been a pack there and perhaps still there was not if she had decided to live with the tiger and tiger alone instead.

After he had given the information he had both of the other wolves were quickly on board. He nodded, turning his attention to Tetsujin then. “Would you double back then to your claim in order to call for your mate to gather supplies? If one of us gets injured, my pack is most near to bring any wounded but we've no healers in our ranks.” While his claim lay south it wouldn't do much good as a place of safety if didn't have a healer to tend to them.

As he gave this information he was already beginning to turn around and make way westward. “If you come back here and continue west, you'll find us- just follow the trail.” Should be easy enough seeing as the stench had drawn them here to begin with. If nothing else need be said to the Windmere wolf, Ragnar would begin moving swift back towards the coast with Valmua in tow.
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