Post by tanniyn on Apr 22, 2009 16:48:22 GMT -5
- Sweeping Steppe -
Haze, adult male wolf
Skelaghe, adult female wolf
Onyx, juvenile male wolf
This winter has been remarkably warm for the Lazuli pack - the cold isn't nearly as harsh down here in the desert, especially for the mountain-born alpha. It's good for his pups, too -- not having to worry as much about them starving or freezing to death is a big relief to the first-time father, though he's still as protective as any other new parent would be. While Larkspur sleeps warmly with the other three, Haze has slipped out into the bright sun with the only pup that's resisted the lure of an afternoon nap. "Come on, son. Let's go see what we can see today." Fortunately, the Lazuli pack has had a chance to rest and relax so far south; the wide open plains are much easier to patrol and watch for any trouble before it can get too close. This time, the father-son pair is heading north, away from the den and back towards the open grasslands.
Skelaghe has started to get worried. She has gone several days without hearing from Sketch before, but not for quite a while. Of course, Sketch wasn't expecting the dog to make it to Amaranth and back in a single day, but she /was/ expecting the dog back yesterday. As the sun rose with no sign of Sketch, Skelaghe decided to slip away from her small group to look for the dog for a while, rather expecting that Sketch probably just got turned around. Her path doesn't take her directly toward Haze and Onyx, as she's angled to the west slightly. It won't be enough to allow her to escape notice, though, especially as she is not traveling too quietly. She has ventured into this area once or twice since she and her mate settled down south of the waterfall, and she has never encountered any opposition to make her more cautious in her travels, even for all of Helaku's attempts to convince her that danger lurks behind every rock.
There's often a particular reason for a wolf to go somewhere. Hunting, for example. Or patrolling a pack boundary. But for the sole purpose of casual investigation... now that's what Onyx likes. To see and observe, to learn and understand. Anything that stimulates his creativity and thought. With a happy wag of his tail, Onyx climbs to his feet with a smile growing on his muzzle. It's not too often that he gets the chance to go alone with his father, though the enjoyment of each time never seems to lessen. With a grin back toward his sleeping siblings--that's what you get for wasting time sleeping!--the young boy trots toward his father, eager and excited for whatever adventures will happen in the next hour or three. Let's go!
Haze is more than happy to take his pups out on 'adventures' -- after all, given his behavior at their age, he'd much rather supervise their fun than restrict it and risk harm coming their way. So while the Viridian-born male stops here and there to catch a particular scent or leave a fresh marking, most of their stroll is dedicated to the leisure of exploring their new surroundings. A frosted-over cactus bush. An iridescent beetle. A chipmunk scrambling for forgotten nuts and seeds. And...another wolf. The new alpha's tail drops to an even hover, black nose twitching in the air as Haze tries to pick up the other lupine's scent. "Stay close to me, Onyx." A mild caution in the presence of a stranger before the brindle-furred wolf lifts his muzzle in a short, but friendly, call.
At the Sweeping Steppe, Haze howls.
Skelaghe stops moving quickly when she hears the howl coming from in front of her somewhere. At times, it might seem like Helaku has not managed to encourage her to be safe at all, but it's not true. Even though the howl sounds friendly, it makes Skelaghe a little on the nervous side. Thanks to her friendship with Bodhi, she knows all too well what unpleasant group of wolves lives to the south. What is Sketch accidentally wander into that pack's territory. Remaining precisely where she is, Skelaghe eventually returns the howl. Even after doing so, though, she remains still. No reason to make them nervous by approaching them, going closer to their home. She'll let them approach her.
At the Sweeping Steppe, Skelaghe howls.
For every point of interest, there's a question. Or two, or three, or four. Onyx hardly expects his father to answer them all--if any--as the questions are more his out-loud thoughts, wondering and puzzling about the world around him. Why can't a cactus talk? What does a beetle eat? What is that chipmunk's name? For all his questions, he might as well have been named 'Curiosity'. XD But as his father's demeanor changes rather suddenly, the dark-furred boy goes quiet and still, staying close to Haze as his senses strain for whatever it was that alerted the alpha. Wait.. is that the scent of a new wolf? Maybe he's just imagining--no, it /is/! There's no mistaking the return howl for anything other than a stranger wolf. "Daddy?" Onyx asks, "Who's that?"
Hazel eyes follow the she-wolf in the distance after his call reaches her ears, watching her reactions to his howl and listening to the returned answer a moment later. The stranger's stance gives him no reason to assume she has aggressive intentions towards him or his pup, and so Haze lowers his head, gently nudging Onyx forward with his snout. "I don't know, son. Let's go meet our new neighbor." Haze has no idea which of his pups will end up taking the helms when he and Larkspur grow old, but he's been treating them all the same, preening each of them for a potential future of leading the pack. His approach is cautiously steady, eyes trained on Skelaghe as he finally draws near enough to address her. "Hello. I am Haze, alpha of the Lazuli pack, situated south of here. You are not trespassing, but I am curious to learn about the other wolves in the area nonetheless. Are you part of a nearby pack?" As the new alpha, he imagines it might be beneficial to be familiar with both friend and foe surrounding the pack's territory.
Skelaghe knew this wolf had to be a member of Lazuli. Her luck just seems to be very thin today. The alpha, though? No one, not even Bodhi, has told her of Felstride's death, but she knows, now, that something must have happened. Something that drove them from the forest and resulted in the replacement of their alpha. Uncertain where this may lead, Skelaghe keeps her eyes on the adult male, all but ignoring the younger one, for now. At no point does it occur to her to be deceptive just because she wandered too near the territory of the pack she remembers as being largely unfriendly, unhelpful, and just plain unpleasant. "My name is Skelaghe, and my pack lies to the north." For now. She keeps her response short, searching Haze's expression for any sign of recognition, and what that recognition might mean.
That's right! Daddy's the /alpha/, so you'd better have good manners or he's gonna getcha! Onyx beams with pride as his father introduces himself, but his interest is aroused when the female introduces herself in return. A pack to the north? Is this Skelaghe the alpha of that? If such is the case, then why wouldn't she have said so? Because she's not on her own lands? But the two males aren't exactly on Lazuli lands either, so... she must not be the alpha. "What's your pack name?" he blurts out, immediately looking abashed for interrupting what is no doubt an important grown-up conversation. Onyx can always tell when adults are talking about something important from the way they look.. or don't.. at each other. Oh, great. Now he's going to catch it, no doubt on the way back home.
Had Haze been more directly involved in the confrontation between Skelaghe's trio and the former dominant females of the pack, he might remember this wolf a little better. But without a pair of dogs accompanying her, the male doesn't recognize the she-wolf as one he's met before. "From the north? You must be quite some distance from home, then...our pack used to call the forest home." Another sniff, now that he's closer. "And you don't smell like my home, the Viridian." His comments are merely observations, not accusations of deception. Another pack might have moved into Lazuli territory by now, though. He hadn't considered that possibility. When Onyx pipes up from the peanut gallery, the alpha's stoic expression is broken by a quiet laugh. "And this is my son, Onyx."
Viridian? The name of that pack brings a small smile to Skelaghe. Her relations with Viridian have always been pleasant, first with Silver and Silvan, then with Cottonpaws, then with Ajax. "It has been a long time since I have visited your home, but Viridian is not unknown to me." Only then does Skelage turn her gaze to the younger wolf, still smiling as she does. "My pack is called Ute." Both the former pack and the forming pack. In addition to deciding to name one of their pups after one of their former alphas, she and Skelaghe decided to keep the pack's name intact. "We have only recently settled just a bit to the north, for the winter." This is also said while looking at the pup, but after saying it, Skelaghe looks back to Haze.
Ears perking back up, Onyx receives the information with a smile in return, glad that he didn't inadvertently offend her by interrupting. His curiosity sated (for the brief moment), he sits down, tail slowly waging, gleaning whatever information he can as the two adults converse. Ute.. an odd name for a pack, but maybe he's a bit biased. Idly, the boy wonders what Skelaghe did when she visited Viridian. If it wasn't her home, then why go there? Maybe she likes exploring, too. Hmm. It's a difficult quest, finding the answers to the plethora of questions that he's come up with in his short life thus far; perhaps the most difficult part is finding someone--nearly always one of the adults--who is both patient enough to listen to him as well as knowledgeable enough to know the answer. Would Skelaghe be upset if he asked her why a cactus can't talk? Onyx deliberates.
Seeing the friendly smile on the other's maw reflects in Haze's demeanor as well, the alpha male appearing in a rather relaxed stance now that the stranger has given him no reason to be concerned, though a close eye is kept on Onyx to make sure he doesn't wander off too far while the two speak. "I have not visited the valley in quite some time. Perhaps I will do that again soon." He's visiting the cougars soon enough, after all...might as well take a detour afterwards to reunite with family. "Ute, is it? I can't say whether we'll still be living to the south after spring comes round again, but in the meantime your pack is welcome to visit among us." Already this alpha no doubt seems different from what Skelaghe may remember of the Lazuli, the male working to soften the brusque attitude occasionally attributed to the pack in the past. Of course, when you have not lost what the previous leading pair had, it's probably a lot easier to play nice.
Should she accept his invitation with sincere gratitude, knowing fully well that she will never visit them? Should she allow this male to return to his home to tell his pack about his meeting with a wolf named Skelaghe, only to have them react unfavorably to that news? As much as Skelaghe would like to avoid any unpleasantness in this, and every, conversation... That doesn't seem like the right way to go about this, and Helaku would /not/ be pleased if Haze came to visit them, upset about her avoidance of certain things he should probably know. Her smile fades, and in her soft, always-pleasant voice, she says, "I appreciate the gesture, Haze, but I cannot say we'll be accepting your invitation. There are members of your pack that are not very fond of me and those close to me."
Haze's head tilts slightly, his expression clearly one of confusion. He has yet to hear of any open grudges or wolves he should watch out for from the older members of Lazuli, but then again, he's mostly been left to figure out the reins of alpha by himself -- fortunately, both he and his mate are children of alphas, and so have young memories and experiences to draw upon for guidance. "Why so?" Realizing this may sound poor for the proclaimed leader, the brindle wolf explains: "Forgive me, I have only become the pack alpha recently, and was not raised among the Lazuli."
While one of his siblings might have decided to use this 'boring' conversation as an opportunity to explore, Onyx decides to remain and listen. And almost immediately, he's glad that he has; it's amazing what one can learn by being quiet and observing. A whole new and strange pack is invited to come visit them? He'll definitely have to think that one over later on, but for now his mental capacities are directed toward figuring out why Skelaghe apparently isn't well-liked by Onyx' packmates. Why wouldn't they like her? She seems nice enough, and even answered his earlier, impetuous question! What's not to like? His tailwag slows to a halt, though his ears remain alert and carefully listening.
Why? Skelaghe honestly doesn't know. According to Bodhi, Eclipse entered Lazuli in very similar circumstances to those that drove Skelaghe and the dogs to Lazuli, and Skelaghe knows Eclipse. Still, Eclipse /is/ half-wolf, whereas Sketch and Vincent are not. So, instead of telling Haze /why/, she mentions the events that have her cautious towards most of those in Viridian. "A while back, I was injured, and after that, my friends and I were driven from what was then our home. In our attempt to get someplace safer, we had to travel through the forest... And some in your pack took exception to it." Skelaghe does not mention that her friends are dogs. She doesn't need these wolves to decide to get violent because there are dogs living a short distance to the north.
Again, the connection is missed due to the lack of details about the she-wolf's canine friends, but it's entirely likely that Haze would object to the behavior nonetheless, recognition or not. The brindle-furred wolf frowns, his tail hung low as he responds to the other canid. "I do apologize. I don't know all of the reasons behind the former alphas' decisions, but I do know there has been a great deal of strife among their pack in the recent past. If you'd like, I can talk to the others in the pack and see what they think on the matter now." After all, that was the former leadership. Haze isn't even Lazuli-born, and so it's not surprising that he is already so different from the previous set of alphas' behaviors. Then again, he's still young, and times change.
This wolf may not have been born in Lazuli, may not share many of their views, but Skelaghe has to assume that most of the wolves in his pack were born there, and do hold those views. With the twitch of a smile, again, she says, "Do not cause them more strife, then, especially not over me. It is enough that we meet on friendly terms when we are outside of our respective territories." Even if Skelaghe is not pleased over the way her companions, more than herself, were treated, she has absolutely no intention toward behaving unkindly toward anyone, regardless of whether they are associated with Lazuli. Can she say the same for her mate? When she is there, of course... But she doesn't feel entirely comfortable with offering the same invitation to Haze that he gave to her. If Helaku should object, and she isn't there to oversee the meeting... She would hate for anything bad to happen.
Though he highly doubts that his father will ask for /his/ opinion, Onyx is more than willing to share it, should it be requested. Skelaghe doesn't seem like a bad she-wolf at all, and the young boy doesn't think it would be a bad thing to let her visit the pack. Why /would/ it be? If some of the other wolves get all irritated, then.. well.. too bad! Daddy's the boss, and he can say if Skelaghe can visit or not, so there! All of the talk about the 'former alphas' and 'Viridian-born' versus 'Lazuli-born' is still a bit confusing to the boy, but it's enough that for now he understands that his father is trying to make the female feel happy and not scared. Something like that!
Haze considers Skelaghe's words, answering them with a solemn nod. Committed neutrality is better than no sort of alliance at all. "Even so, I hope you will not mind if I call you my friend. Should your pack ever need assistance, come find me, or my mate, Larkspur. I believe wolven loyalty goes deep beyond the boundaries of packs." A suitable claim for the male who left his home to join the pack of his childhood sweetheart. "I'm sure our paths will cross again soon, Skelaghe." He glances down at his son, nosing him gently. "Say goodbye to our new friend, Onyx."
Skelaghe cannot rememebr the last friendly wolf she met. Ajax? Yes, that must be it. Certainly, she has met many more unpleasant wolves than pleasant wolves, and meeting a friendly one now lifts her heart, especially since they are staying so close to one another. "I appreciate your friendship, Haze. I shall certainly speak to my mate about you when I return... But before I do, you should exercise caution, should you decide to visit us. My mate is a little... overly protective." After speaking to Haze, Skelaghe again looks to the younger male.
There's no doubt that his father just said something profound. 'Wolven loyalty'? Most definitely. What Daddy said, yep! And then he's being nosed and verbally prompted, but Onyx really doesn't need any persuasion at all. He's not normally quite so energetic or eager to speak with strangers, but perhaps it's just the fact that it's been such an exciting day so far. Onyx offers an enthralled smile to the female. "Goodbye, Skel-aghe!" Just a /slight/ trip on the pronounciation. And to impress his father with how much he's listened, the black-furred juvenile adds: "I.. I hope your path crosses too!" Score!
Haze chuckles amiably at the warning about Skelaghe's mate. She must hold some sort of ranking if she's allowed that sort of privilege, but he won't presume until he's told specifically. Perhaps the next time they meet. "I see. Stay well, regardless." At the black-furred pup's childish farewell, the alpha male can't help but laugh again, licking the top of Onyx's head affectionately. "That's my boy. Let's head back to mommy and your siblings, kiddo." With that, Haze leads his son back around towards the south again, leaving Skelaghe to her own crossed paths.
The farewell from the boy brings a friendly smile from Skelaghe. It's all she can do to keep from echoing Haze's laughing. Not that much longer, and she'll have cubs of her own. She can only hope they are half so cute as this boy. "Travel well, both of you." She says nothing else to keep them here, though, and as they head off, she glances back to the southwest. Should she continue on the path she set earlier? Or should she return to her mate and speak to him about this meeting?
Haze, adult male wolf
Skelaghe, adult female wolf
Onyx, juvenile male wolf
This winter has been remarkably warm for the Lazuli pack - the cold isn't nearly as harsh down here in the desert, especially for the mountain-born alpha. It's good for his pups, too -- not having to worry as much about them starving or freezing to death is a big relief to the first-time father, though he's still as protective as any other new parent would be. While Larkspur sleeps warmly with the other three, Haze has slipped out into the bright sun with the only pup that's resisted the lure of an afternoon nap. "Come on, son. Let's go see what we can see today." Fortunately, the Lazuli pack has had a chance to rest and relax so far south; the wide open plains are much easier to patrol and watch for any trouble before it can get too close. This time, the father-son pair is heading north, away from the den and back towards the open grasslands.
Skelaghe has started to get worried. She has gone several days without hearing from Sketch before, but not for quite a while. Of course, Sketch wasn't expecting the dog to make it to Amaranth and back in a single day, but she /was/ expecting the dog back yesterday. As the sun rose with no sign of Sketch, Skelaghe decided to slip away from her small group to look for the dog for a while, rather expecting that Sketch probably just got turned around. Her path doesn't take her directly toward Haze and Onyx, as she's angled to the west slightly. It won't be enough to allow her to escape notice, though, especially as she is not traveling too quietly. She has ventured into this area once or twice since she and her mate settled down south of the waterfall, and she has never encountered any opposition to make her more cautious in her travels, even for all of Helaku's attempts to convince her that danger lurks behind every rock.
There's often a particular reason for a wolf to go somewhere. Hunting, for example. Or patrolling a pack boundary. But for the sole purpose of casual investigation... now that's what Onyx likes. To see and observe, to learn and understand. Anything that stimulates his creativity and thought. With a happy wag of his tail, Onyx climbs to his feet with a smile growing on his muzzle. It's not too often that he gets the chance to go alone with his father, though the enjoyment of each time never seems to lessen. With a grin back toward his sleeping siblings--that's what you get for wasting time sleeping!--the young boy trots toward his father, eager and excited for whatever adventures will happen in the next hour or three. Let's go!
Haze is more than happy to take his pups out on 'adventures' -- after all, given his behavior at their age, he'd much rather supervise their fun than restrict it and risk harm coming their way. So while the Viridian-born male stops here and there to catch a particular scent or leave a fresh marking, most of their stroll is dedicated to the leisure of exploring their new surroundings. A frosted-over cactus bush. An iridescent beetle. A chipmunk scrambling for forgotten nuts and seeds. And...another wolf. The new alpha's tail drops to an even hover, black nose twitching in the air as Haze tries to pick up the other lupine's scent. "Stay close to me, Onyx." A mild caution in the presence of a stranger before the brindle-furred wolf lifts his muzzle in a short, but friendly, call.
At the Sweeping Steppe, Haze howls.
Skelaghe stops moving quickly when she hears the howl coming from in front of her somewhere. At times, it might seem like Helaku has not managed to encourage her to be safe at all, but it's not true. Even though the howl sounds friendly, it makes Skelaghe a little on the nervous side. Thanks to her friendship with Bodhi, she knows all too well what unpleasant group of wolves lives to the south. What is Sketch accidentally wander into that pack's territory. Remaining precisely where she is, Skelaghe eventually returns the howl. Even after doing so, though, she remains still. No reason to make them nervous by approaching them, going closer to their home. She'll let them approach her.
At the Sweeping Steppe, Skelaghe howls.
For every point of interest, there's a question. Or two, or three, or four. Onyx hardly expects his father to answer them all--if any--as the questions are more his out-loud thoughts, wondering and puzzling about the world around him. Why can't a cactus talk? What does a beetle eat? What is that chipmunk's name? For all his questions, he might as well have been named 'Curiosity'. XD But as his father's demeanor changes rather suddenly, the dark-furred boy goes quiet and still, staying close to Haze as his senses strain for whatever it was that alerted the alpha. Wait.. is that the scent of a new wolf? Maybe he's just imagining--no, it /is/! There's no mistaking the return howl for anything other than a stranger wolf. "Daddy?" Onyx asks, "Who's that?"
Hazel eyes follow the she-wolf in the distance after his call reaches her ears, watching her reactions to his howl and listening to the returned answer a moment later. The stranger's stance gives him no reason to assume she has aggressive intentions towards him or his pup, and so Haze lowers his head, gently nudging Onyx forward with his snout. "I don't know, son. Let's go meet our new neighbor." Haze has no idea which of his pups will end up taking the helms when he and Larkspur grow old, but he's been treating them all the same, preening each of them for a potential future of leading the pack. His approach is cautiously steady, eyes trained on Skelaghe as he finally draws near enough to address her. "Hello. I am Haze, alpha of the Lazuli pack, situated south of here. You are not trespassing, but I am curious to learn about the other wolves in the area nonetheless. Are you part of a nearby pack?" As the new alpha, he imagines it might be beneficial to be familiar with both friend and foe surrounding the pack's territory.
Skelaghe knew this wolf had to be a member of Lazuli. Her luck just seems to be very thin today. The alpha, though? No one, not even Bodhi, has told her of Felstride's death, but she knows, now, that something must have happened. Something that drove them from the forest and resulted in the replacement of their alpha. Uncertain where this may lead, Skelaghe keeps her eyes on the adult male, all but ignoring the younger one, for now. At no point does it occur to her to be deceptive just because she wandered too near the territory of the pack she remembers as being largely unfriendly, unhelpful, and just plain unpleasant. "My name is Skelaghe, and my pack lies to the north." For now. She keeps her response short, searching Haze's expression for any sign of recognition, and what that recognition might mean.
That's right! Daddy's the /alpha/, so you'd better have good manners or he's gonna getcha! Onyx beams with pride as his father introduces himself, but his interest is aroused when the female introduces herself in return. A pack to the north? Is this Skelaghe the alpha of that? If such is the case, then why wouldn't she have said so? Because she's not on her own lands? But the two males aren't exactly on Lazuli lands either, so... she must not be the alpha. "What's your pack name?" he blurts out, immediately looking abashed for interrupting what is no doubt an important grown-up conversation. Onyx can always tell when adults are talking about something important from the way they look.. or don't.. at each other. Oh, great. Now he's going to catch it, no doubt on the way back home.
Had Haze been more directly involved in the confrontation between Skelaghe's trio and the former dominant females of the pack, he might remember this wolf a little better. But without a pair of dogs accompanying her, the male doesn't recognize the she-wolf as one he's met before. "From the north? You must be quite some distance from home, then...our pack used to call the forest home." Another sniff, now that he's closer. "And you don't smell like my home, the Viridian." His comments are merely observations, not accusations of deception. Another pack might have moved into Lazuli territory by now, though. He hadn't considered that possibility. When Onyx pipes up from the peanut gallery, the alpha's stoic expression is broken by a quiet laugh. "And this is my son, Onyx."
Viridian? The name of that pack brings a small smile to Skelaghe. Her relations with Viridian have always been pleasant, first with Silver and Silvan, then with Cottonpaws, then with Ajax. "It has been a long time since I have visited your home, but Viridian is not unknown to me." Only then does Skelage turn her gaze to the younger wolf, still smiling as she does. "My pack is called Ute." Both the former pack and the forming pack. In addition to deciding to name one of their pups after one of their former alphas, she and Skelaghe decided to keep the pack's name intact. "We have only recently settled just a bit to the north, for the winter." This is also said while looking at the pup, but after saying it, Skelaghe looks back to Haze.
Ears perking back up, Onyx receives the information with a smile in return, glad that he didn't inadvertently offend her by interrupting. His curiosity sated (for the brief moment), he sits down, tail slowly waging, gleaning whatever information he can as the two adults converse. Ute.. an odd name for a pack, but maybe he's a bit biased. Idly, the boy wonders what Skelaghe did when she visited Viridian. If it wasn't her home, then why go there? Maybe she likes exploring, too. Hmm. It's a difficult quest, finding the answers to the plethora of questions that he's come up with in his short life thus far; perhaps the most difficult part is finding someone--nearly always one of the adults--who is both patient enough to listen to him as well as knowledgeable enough to know the answer. Would Skelaghe be upset if he asked her why a cactus can't talk? Onyx deliberates.
Seeing the friendly smile on the other's maw reflects in Haze's demeanor as well, the alpha male appearing in a rather relaxed stance now that the stranger has given him no reason to be concerned, though a close eye is kept on Onyx to make sure he doesn't wander off too far while the two speak. "I have not visited the valley in quite some time. Perhaps I will do that again soon." He's visiting the cougars soon enough, after all...might as well take a detour afterwards to reunite with family. "Ute, is it? I can't say whether we'll still be living to the south after spring comes round again, but in the meantime your pack is welcome to visit among us." Already this alpha no doubt seems different from what Skelaghe may remember of the Lazuli, the male working to soften the brusque attitude occasionally attributed to the pack in the past. Of course, when you have not lost what the previous leading pair had, it's probably a lot easier to play nice.
Should she accept his invitation with sincere gratitude, knowing fully well that she will never visit them? Should she allow this male to return to his home to tell his pack about his meeting with a wolf named Skelaghe, only to have them react unfavorably to that news? As much as Skelaghe would like to avoid any unpleasantness in this, and every, conversation... That doesn't seem like the right way to go about this, and Helaku would /not/ be pleased if Haze came to visit them, upset about her avoidance of certain things he should probably know. Her smile fades, and in her soft, always-pleasant voice, she says, "I appreciate the gesture, Haze, but I cannot say we'll be accepting your invitation. There are members of your pack that are not very fond of me and those close to me."
Haze's head tilts slightly, his expression clearly one of confusion. He has yet to hear of any open grudges or wolves he should watch out for from the older members of Lazuli, but then again, he's mostly been left to figure out the reins of alpha by himself -- fortunately, both he and his mate are children of alphas, and so have young memories and experiences to draw upon for guidance. "Why so?" Realizing this may sound poor for the proclaimed leader, the brindle wolf explains: "Forgive me, I have only become the pack alpha recently, and was not raised among the Lazuli."
While one of his siblings might have decided to use this 'boring' conversation as an opportunity to explore, Onyx decides to remain and listen. And almost immediately, he's glad that he has; it's amazing what one can learn by being quiet and observing. A whole new and strange pack is invited to come visit them? He'll definitely have to think that one over later on, but for now his mental capacities are directed toward figuring out why Skelaghe apparently isn't well-liked by Onyx' packmates. Why wouldn't they like her? She seems nice enough, and even answered his earlier, impetuous question! What's not to like? His tailwag slows to a halt, though his ears remain alert and carefully listening.
Why? Skelaghe honestly doesn't know. According to Bodhi, Eclipse entered Lazuli in very similar circumstances to those that drove Skelaghe and the dogs to Lazuli, and Skelaghe knows Eclipse. Still, Eclipse /is/ half-wolf, whereas Sketch and Vincent are not. So, instead of telling Haze /why/, she mentions the events that have her cautious towards most of those in Viridian. "A while back, I was injured, and after that, my friends and I were driven from what was then our home. In our attempt to get someplace safer, we had to travel through the forest... And some in your pack took exception to it." Skelaghe does not mention that her friends are dogs. She doesn't need these wolves to decide to get violent because there are dogs living a short distance to the north.
Again, the connection is missed due to the lack of details about the she-wolf's canine friends, but it's entirely likely that Haze would object to the behavior nonetheless, recognition or not. The brindle-furred wolf frowns, his tail hung low as he responds to the other canid. "I do apologize. I don't know all of the reasons behind the former alphas' decisions, but I do know there has been a great deal of strife among their pack in the recent past. If you'd like, I can talk to the others in the pack and see what they think on the matter now." After all, that was the former leadership. Haze isn't even Lazuli-born, and so it's not surprising that he is already so different from the previous set of alphas' behaviors. Then again, he's still young, and times change.
This wolf may not have been born in Lazuli, may not share many of their views, but Skelaghe has to assume that most of the wolves in his pack were born there, and do hold those views. With the twitch of a smile, again, she says, "Do not cause them more strife, then, especially not over me. It is enough that we meet on friendly terms when we are outside of our respective territories." Even if Skelaghe is not pleased over the way her companions, more than herself, were treated, she has absolutely no intention toward behaving unkindly toward anyone, regardless of whether they are associated with Lazuli. Can she say the same for her mate? When she is there, of course... But she doesn't feel entirely comfortable with offering the same invitation to Haze that he gave to her. If Helaku should object, and she isn't there to oversee the meeting... She would hate for anything bad to happen.
Though he highly doubts that his father will ask for /his/ opinion, Onyx is more than willing to share it, should it be requested. Skelaghe doesn't seem like a bad she-wolf at all, and the young boy doesn't think it would be a bad thing to let her visit the pack. Why /would/ it be? If some of the other wolves get all irritated, then.. well.. too bad! Daddy's the boss, and he can say if Skelaghe can visit or not, so there! All of the talk about the 'former alphas' and 'Viridian-born' versus 'Lazuli-born' is still a bit confusing to the boy, but it's enough that for now he understands that his father is trying to make the female feel happy and not scared. Something like that!
Haze considers Skelaghe's words, answering them with a solemn nod. Committed neutrality is better than no sort of alliance at all. "Even so, I hope you will not mind if I call you my friend. Should your pack ever need assistance, come find me, or my mate, Larkspur. I believe wolven loyalty goes deep beyond the boundaries of packs." A suitable claim for the male who left his home to join the pack of his childhood sweetheart. "I'm sure our paths will cross again soon, Skelaghe." He glances down at his son, nosing him gently. "Say goodbye to our new friend, Onyx."
Skelaghe cannot rememebr the last friendly wolf she met. Ajax? Yes, that must be it. Certainly, she has met many more unpleasant wolves than pleasant wolves, and meeting a friendly one now lifts her heart, especially since they are staying so close to one another. "I appreciate your friendship, Haze. I shall certainly speak to my mate about you when I return... But before I do, you should exercise caution, should you decide to visit us. My mate is a little... overly protective." After speaking to Haze, Skelaghe again looks to the younger male.
There's no doubt that his father just said something profound. 'Wolven loyalty'? Most definitely. What Daddy said, yep! And then he's being nosed and verbally prompted, but Onyx really doesn't need any persuasion at all. He's not normally quite so energetic or eager to speak with strangers, but perhaps it's just the fact that it's been such an exciting day so far. Onyx offers an enthralled smile to the female. "Goodbye, Skel-aghe!" Just a /slight/ trip on the pronounciation. And to impress his father with how much he's listened, the black-furred juvenile adds: "I.. I hope your path crosses too!" Score!
Haze chuckles amiably at the warning about Skelaghe's mate. She must hold some sort of ranking if she's allowed that sort of privilege, but he won't presume until he's told specifically. Perhaps the next time they meet. "I see. Stay well, regardless." At the black-furred pup's childish farewell, the alpha male can't help but laugh again, licking the top of Onyx's head affectionately. "That's my boy. Let's head back to mommy and your siblings, kiddo." With that, Haze leads his son back around towards the south again, leaving Skelaghe to her own crossed paths.
The farewell from the boy brings a friendly smile from Skelaghe. It's all she can do to keep from echoing Haze's laughing. Not that much longer, and she'll have cubs of her own. She can only hope they are half so cute as this boy. "Travel well, both of you." She says nothing else to keep them here, though, and as they head off, she glances back to the southwest. Should she continue on the path she set earlier? Or should she return to her mate and speak to him about this meeting?