and if i say to you tomorrow

Daylight shortened, and the nights grew chillier. Frosts had crept down the elevations, the cycle of the mountain and its seasons marching diligently onward. All the while, its residents fortified for what was to come--and healed from what the last of the warmth had so suddenly dealt them.

Osiris was mending from his boar battle, and Hydra would inevitably seek its blood until she had her revenge. Already she had tracked for it with her sister, and others too, but he was yet to hear word of any successes, or good earnest leads. Jarilo had scoped around nearby the claim himself while helping keep their stockpiles up, but largely, while the others traveled even further abroad, he ensured sanctity here at home. With new traffic frequenting the Ripperwood again, and him wishing to grant his sister all the focus to her hunt while she was out, it felt wisest; he would look after the mountain.

Marginally, for today though, the morning was beginning to warm up. He moseyed down a familiar footpath, heading back for their outer limits to see what was going on there. Jarilo trusted he wouldn't need to look long.

---

pages @Ara

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Ara had heard of the terror that occurred and only seen her brother Osiris infrequently. Focus was often to the tending of either assurance of rogues to remain away from the nameless mountains or within the helping of that hunt of boars. Peace was what she was brought into her, and maybe her paws was a bit eager to move forward and find within both a vengeance and a protection. She did not enjoy what was happening around Empyrean with little power to their maker, and only attempting to correct what was happening.

She sought to the borders, nose to the grindstone for any that would venture beyond their borders. Boars, and wolves alike. It almost seemed absence of the usual prey, perhaps fearful of the might of the Matriarch who was determined to make wolfkind their upmost enemy — so was the Ostrega way, blood for blood, and protection above all else. Only family truly mattered. She would gaze ahead with a huff, seeing as there was nothing within the area.. All but her uncle, who Ara announced her presence with a chuff and caught up to him.

She looked at him silently, with eyes asking, 'did you find anything?'

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As he anticipated, before long, shadows took form and moved to catch him. Today it was Ara to find him first and he greeted her fondly in turn, his tail swaying slowly as he continued trailing along--his nose aiming for the borderlands still.

There was something lingering on all of their minds lately. One piece of many, likely, and he supposed it was a good place to start. “No word from your mother on the boar yet... but it's early,” he reported, licking at the backs of his teeth thoughtfully as a bird taking wing drew his eyes to the treetops suddenly. He meant the day was young still and that Hydra's hunts had only just truly begun.

Jarilo had faith his sisters would uncover something, somewhere, somehow. Even if the wretched beast seemingly vanished after wounding Osiris. “Quiet otherwise further up, too.” he added, sniffing at the winds subtly. “How's watch been here?” he asked outright, trusting Ara to have had her nose in something before now. He doubted too much to note--because he probably would've heard by now, but worth an ask.

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Everyone was upon the boar, for good reason. It had harmed her brother and left permnanent scars ; and Ara did no linger further on it. There was full confidence that it would be brought down, she did not see them as intelligent creatures and with the ferocity of their family, surely even species itself would be near-extinction by the endless grudge of the Ostrega. Her mind was more pre-occupied with a wolven matter that she wasn't sure would be more simple, although she also was simply itching for similar action to follow. To pursuit that of the boars itself, and those who were stationed at the Ripperwood..

"Has my mother told you about those in the Ripperwood?" Her tail rose as she looked over, displeased over such thoughts, "our mountains are quiet, but the neighboring forests are not." Along with the troubles of the boars as that of a black man who ventured to the neighboring land with every intent to claim. She would hope her uncle would give more insight upon her mothers actions, and whether someone would happen upon it. Ara and Raiden alike wished to do something, but most thoughts were upon the boar. She continued to dabble in both.

Although for the meanwhile, Ara and the rest watched the borders. Anything that seemed unusual from those wolves.

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“Some,” he answered about those in the Ripperwood and indeed, it was something that stole some of his focus lately too. “It's my understanding there is not that much to tell yet,” he mentioned, considering how they felt like a small blip on the radar at the moment but Ostregas knew better than to let the guards fall lax. Jarilo was still getting a feel for the situation and since it did not seem to be escalating quickly, he was not pressed much. “I haven't gone down to sniff them out myself yet. You met one of theirs though, right?” he asked and peered at Ara for her outlook on the whole topic.

“It is not the first time a group has attempted to gather there,” he told her as well. The first had eventually moved on and had been a fleeting presence. He did not know what became of them, but far from their mountain, it was not his problem.

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She would nod at that point, it was true there wasn't much to say about them, "I had met whom I assume is the leader, for he was alone and claimed it. He seemed arrogant, and looked to be used to getting what he wanted." She added on the last part as it felt rightly so. The way he voice reeked in sweetness was like a toxicity and a yearning that he was normally charismatic enough to get what he so desired ; even used toward a yearling who cared little. The way he smiled an exerted was every bit of a confidence he could, even pointing out that Empyrean was far away enough.. Not once though, did he visit their claim. Never to introduce himself. She frowned at that thought.

"Was there others?" Ara asked curiously, making a mental note they would need to patrol even more. She remembered Desdemona often went down there, surverying the surrounding lands for any.. But Ara was also very young, and did not know if any tried to claim before. Ara lifted a leg to mark some of the territory, almost indirectly expressing her fustrations of someone trying to claim nearby. Solidfying their scent that this was their land, and those around to beware.. At least as she and her uncle patrolled, the black devil didn't smell anything too unusual.

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It was in his interest to hear more about the sorts that had come to their swath of wilderness, and frankly, Ara's impression warranted a knowing smirk. A spoiled sort, then, and Jarilo had to wonder if this new claimance acted particularly just because he thought he could get away with it to a yearling. None of it gave the sense that he had amassed a slew of followers yet, either, so he sorted his concern appropriately--but, this leader had grown his confidence from somewhere, presumably. “Hm, figures,” he mused, sounding unimpressed. “I will have to try to spot him for myself,” he said, almost with a snicker. He would keep Ara's review in the back of his mind. “They'd be best to keep far from the mountain,” he licked his teeth.

As for others in the bleeding woods: “Sort of. Never a solid claim, mostly just.. squatters, essentially.” Jarilo sniffed, and there really wasn't much else interesting to say. Even in the other direction on the other side of the cove, the wolves that had loitered near Seeker's Bluffs seemed to have dispersed as well as he could tell. Honestly it was all just less for him to have to concern himself with. “All I've known move on before very long,” he elaborated. Be it because of the looming mountains or otherwise.. Empyrean was not afraid to put on the pressure, if necessary. Hydra would have no less than cooperation, or else.

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