No! You’re nothing more than a Harvard Law School community-organizing prick!

this was...promising. the area itself was idyllic, surrounded on all sides by mountains, full to bursting with prey and herbs alike. it was a wonder that no one had claimed the land, though they supposed that the two packs they could smelled just north of here dissuaded all others. (then why didn't they claim here instead? perhaps they shared?)

the press of packs around the area didn't worry them so much as the nature of the packs themselves. surely they must have some strong diplomatic bond if their borders were right next to each other, but their size and seeming dominance over this land suggested stability, and by that, they understood pups.

parents were generally touchy over their offspring, especially if the parents themselves were prudish. moir hadn't grown up in a typical environment (read: cult), which they had soon learned once they entered the world at large. and while moir was all about promoting healthy and sustainable sexual practices, the mere mention of sex as a pleasurable activity rather than procreation alone...mmm...triggered some indignation.

but, on their mental map, moir put a pin in this place, even as they continued to investigate the area.

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as always we ignore ira's old brain she sees what she sees

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So much to tend to with such little time. Ira had only returned from her trip just over a week ago, and yet, already she knew she must leave again. Tensions were growing just as she suspected they would eventually. Peace never lasted without someone crossing a line, and as far as she saw, several had been crossed. In the days prior, the High Queen had spent her time stocking caches while sitting heavily at her borders. They would need their strength to aid their allies to the north with their plight, yet she could not afford to send many with her own to watch for.

Spring had taken root and with so came a slew of travelers whose intentions had yet to be weighed. It seemed almost daily that a new scent would cross her path and while most carried away from her domain more often than not they lingered. Ira had barely stepped foot into the run when she caught the scent of another. Compared to some, this was fresh with little care to skirt the packs that bordered. Of course, no true claim laid here, but that would not stop the roan woman from being protective all the same. Ira abandoned her original goal, instead following her nose to find her self-labeled intruder until the sight of a slender man caught her eye, “Halt. Who goes there?”

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Ira boomer hours

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the lushness of this valley would be a boon, if they could choose this land for their own. the beauty and sense of plenty would aid in the overall vibe that they wanted to exude, of a place free from basic wants, where the next level of their needs could be met. the vibe was much more important than reality, which they could not tell from the few glances they had now.

they weren't surprised that this place was jealously guarded, even by those who did not claim it directly. they jerked a bit, turning to the woman who had barrelled towards them. “moir,” they respond. they turn to face her, cocking their head with slightly exaggerated confusion on their face. “i wasn't aware that this was claimed.”

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The other turned to respond with ease even while under a scrutinous gaze. He may be no threat, but that did not mean her job was done, nor that she would drop her guard. “Not in your direct fashion, no. We do not live here to preserve what does. The Run belongs to Vanderfell as a means for hunting, which leads me to my next question. What is your purpose?” Ideally of course she would have none cross through their precious resource. The grounds were too tempting for the wandering gaze to take that which does not belong to them, but they placed no true claim here. Not yet. So long as travelers kept their distance and continued through she was willing to be fair and allow safe passage.

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the woman looked ready for a fight, though not wanting one, it seemed to them. moir felt justified in remaining neutral, indicating neither fear or aggression. “exploring. i have been in this land quite a while, but never ventured this far north.” honesty is the best policy. a voice they had half forgotten whispers. they can't catch you out in a lie if it turned out to be true. that lesson had been ingrained in their memory, something that despite her misgivings with the fervent, antagonistic way her family worshiped kuùz hàdosh, that it was something that would be useful. “vanderfell...” they repeat the word softly. “are you from vanderfell, then?”

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In the end they appeared to be nothing more than a traveler like any other. She would allow the muscles in her body to relax as she softened her guard. He had done no crime, and should he continue to pass then he never would. “I am. There are many others in this region who have staked claims as well. I suggest stepping carefully in your travels.” Granted she had only met a few of her neighboring packs but most seemed rather passive. Of course, that did not mean those who aren't do not exist. “Are you in search of something?” Or perhaps somewhere...based on scent she assumed he had been traveling alone for some time now.

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moir notices the tension ebbing, and feels relief flutter through them. they hated conflict, especially over tedious things such as technicalities on trespassing. they were glad that she was being reasonable. “merely curious, for the most part,” they admit. “i have been here since late autumn, but was unable to acquaint myself with many of the groups here, now that it seems that i am, mm, stuck,” it felt strange to say, but it seemed to be the truth of the matter, not just for themself, but for moosebellow and every other creature they had met here. simply...appearing, for the most part. “are there others near here besides vanderfell?”

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Stuck. An interesting way to put things, not that she had tried to leave herself. To her this world, if any different from the one before, was just as vast and reaching as any other domain she has journeyed through. She had no reason to leave. No one to return to, nor a home that welcomed her like the peaks she now claimed. With a slow move of her head Ira would gesture to the northern edges of the Run where the trees bled to a pool of water and the wolves that claimed it.

“There is one. They sit close, just beyond Ullarcraig. Others are a day or more travel. The next closest would be to the tundra following the mountains or to cut across to the range in the west.” How many lived over there she still was not certain though based on her last trip more than two claimed the western lands. “In my experience, most if not all are open to reason. Those that would skin you for a wrong step lay south.” Truly, only Hydra seemed to keep her guard in a similar fashion to her own. Maybe more did, but not the packs she knew of.

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moir listened, placing each pack within their mental map. the map itself was rough around the edges, fuzzy and uncertain. ullarcraig meant nothing to them, but the other spoke with such certainty. “where is that? ullarcraig.” they clarify.

it wasn't the first time they had been warned of the southern reaches, however. “i've not met with any unsavory characters down south yet.” they muse. “perhaps i've not gone far enough south.” they chuckle. perhaps it was the river that defines the barrier between north and south here. “thank you for the warning, however.”

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“You stand in Ullarcraig Run.” Perhaps that should have been what she started with, but the information reached his ears all the same. In turn, she would take what she could from his own maw. The farthest she had ventured south was to The Nameless Mountain. What more laid beyond was unknown to her aside from the warnings she herself had received, but there was no telling how his south compared to her own. “Think little of it.” Even good wolves could misstep. That did not mean they should be subject to severe consequences lest their actions were more than deserving. “Have you any need for further assistance or shall you be on your way?”

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“ah,” was all they said at first. the name filled in the blank, and soon this place was associated with "do not enter, unless you want to piss someone off". the woman was being very polite at the moment, but moir knew that it could change in an instance if they hadn't been careful. “no, that should be it.” recognizing a dismissal when they heard it, they readied their body to leave.“thank you.” they said with a dip of the head, before turning and heading south, away from where the packs were said to live. too crowded here, for their liking.

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Rather they were off-put by her answer or simply drinking in the knowledge she could not be sure. Either way, it seemed he had taken her hint or simply felt it was time to move on as he dipped his head and said that was all he would need. “Very well then, travel safe.” She would watch with a slight dip of her own, though it was more akin to a nod than a bow as she watched him turn to leave. Only once she was certain he was not returning would she turn back to her daily duties.

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