A mountain river flows into a large, stunning lake. The waters reflect silver in the day and under moonlight. A plain of gentle hills and forests surround the lake. Herds of elk are native here.
The seasons were clearly changing and the breeze was starting to cool. No matter how much Trisdi enjoyed the geyser with its plentiful hot springs, it wasn’t going to be as ideal of a place to find food in the coming winter. She had to move south. But the geyser’s land was surrounded by pack territories in any direction but north. Tris had to be strategic with her next moves.
The small wolf neared the northernmost pack border of the lake, but stayed a safe distance away. The tall, dry autumn grasses helped her blend in, but she didn’t attempt to hide. She stood tall, ears perked and eyes on the lookout for any movement.
Trisdi stood there for a good while before she sighed to herself. Sure, it may not have been a long time in actuality, but she knew she couldn’t move further without being perceived as a potential threat. And so, she continued to stand, breathing in tandem with the changing winds that ruffled her fur.
Her goal was simple: ask for safe passage to the open territories to the south. Trisdi cared a bit too much about her own skin than to risk making enemies of an entire kingdom so if they declined, she’d have to find another way around. Who knows? Maybe they’d be generous and either allow her passage or escort her through. Or maybe their conversations could lead to something else? It was worth taking the chance, at least.
Walk "Speak"Magic
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image by WatermelonCreature on dA
Caedwyn hadn't started the day intending to find anyone outside the borders. In fact, his day had been planned on something rather different. He'd awoken as he usually did and had ventured out with a little knapsack strewn across his back. He'd seen creatures here and there with intricate talismans and armor and recently decided he needed to procure such items for himself. Armor certainly had its uses. He'd seen Enya wear her bone armor a few times in the past. Not only was it intimidating, but he imagined it offered some protection in battle. He wondered how he could truly call himself a King if he didn't have something as iconic as that. Though, he hadn't quite decided what sort of item he would have crafted. Would it be a magical piece of jewelry? A talisman he could wear on his neck? or a full set of armor like Enya's? He supposed he'd eventually have to make that decision. But in the meantime, he simply needed to gather any sort of useful materials he could find. That was how he had intended his day. He'd already found a few unique stones, a small bone, and a fossil during his searching this morning. But the paths near the central territory seemed a little sparse.
Probably due to the high traffic, he decided. He'd have to look out farther toward the edges of the border. So as the day dragged on, he moved farther and farther out until he'd crossed the border entirely and was wandering just beyond. It was there that he came upon the trail of another. His wandering steps paused as he lowered his nose to the ground. No one he recognized. A stranger? Or perhaps one of those interlopers from Verdantis. He let out an annoyed scoff at the idea and lifted his nose to the air, trying to see if the wind would bring him the scent again. A faint smell drifted to him. His lip twitched, lifting ever so slightly at the consideration of it being one of those heretics from Verdantis. He'd have to investigate.
He set off quickly, coming over the hill when suddenly his eyes caught the form of his quarry. His fur bristled. "You there," he said in an authoritative voice, pausing his approach while he addressed her. "What are you doing here, lurking so close to the borders of Duskorna?" It may have been a simple misunderstanding, but he intended to get to the bottom of things quickly.
The sight of the stranger approaching from a distance made her muscles stiffen in anticipation. As he approached, it was clear he was over twice her size. Trisdi wiggled her toes into the soil subconsciously as she knew if he threatened her, she’d need to run. He questioned her - understandably so - but he seemed a little too on edge for her preference.
Though she was tense, Tris made her best effort to show she was no threat to the larger male with her body language. She tucked her ears and bowed her head low out of respect, a practice she had seen her mother do as a pup. "My name is Trisdi Halynn, a modest vagrant," she started, her voice confident and clear. She then lifted her head just enough to see him, but still low to show her submission.
"I have been living around the geysers for a while, but I need to move south for the winter so I won’t starve. I humbly ask for safe passage either alongside your borders or through your kingdom so I can reach the Brightwood… or further south if it was claimed since the last time I had been there." Her voice was almost melodic as if it was intentional to prove that she meant no harm. Well, it was intentional, but there was nothing wrong with playing nice when she could avoid conflict.
Tris knew that even if she stayed out of claimed land, there would be no repercussions for a kingdom wolf taking action against her should he decide so. Even if she was ready to disappear back to the geysers entirely, she kept her expression pleasant and non-threatening as she awaited a response.
Walk "Speak"Magic
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image by WatermelonCreature on dA
Caedwyn watched carefully as she dipped her head to him. A smart choice. Caedwyn wasn't a complete fool but he wasn't immune to pomp and politeness either. She claimed to be a vagrant and his nose flared a bit as he took in her scent once more. He didn't smell anything obvious on her but he also didn't make a habit of acquainting himself with those cowards in Verdantis. He thought back to his earlier years when he himself had been placed as a spy in Athadia. All he had to do was spend a week wandering the wilds before he joined Athadia to safely get rid of the smell of his home pack. But this Trisdi wasn't giving any obvious signs of subterfuge.
She was simply asking for passage so that she wouldn't starve. His ear twitched slightly with excitement. An opportunity. His tongue moved slowly across his teeth, under his lips. She may have seen it but he made no motion to hide it either. If she didn't get south, she would starve. It meant she needed him. Not only that, but she appeared to be in a rather dire situation. He was in a position to stand in her way... or, more interesting to Caedwyn, he was in a position to help her.
"Vagrant by choice or...?" His tone relaxed more than before and he let his bristled fur lie back down along his back to appear less threatening to her. He remembered when he too had been without a pack. When Enya had exiled him. He wondered if Trisdi had been exiled for some sort of crime or if she was simply the wandering type. Someone who was a criminal came with its own risks, but a wanderer - well, they'd take more convincing to stay that someone who was purposely looking for a home.
"... or is there some family waiting for you in Brightwood?" he asked with a curious tone, still trying to make himself appear more friendly. Behind his words, his mind was already thinking ahead, scheming. If Trisdi was alone, if she was desperate to survive the winter, he might be able to make use of her. Of course, she would be expected to serve Tsillah but - perhaps they could come to an arrangement and he could convince her to join their Kingdom. The thought was very tantalizing to him indeed.
He seemed to relax at her explanation. Good, she thought. It was a better start to the conversation than she had anticipated. The stranger wanted to know more about her, which if it were in any other circumstance would have been a bit more entertaining. Trisdi knew she had to be honest enough to gain rapport, but that didn’t mean she had to go into her past in detail.
”Born and raised a vagrant, like my mother before me," she replied simply with a casual smile. It was the truth. Her mother had been a vagrant all of her life, so it made sense that Tris herself had been one, too.
Her surname was her mother’s name, after all. Her mother’s surname was that of her grandmother’s as well. A tradition between those who belonged to the land and the blood that came before them. They may not have claimed the land as their own or joined a kingdom, but the pride they had within their small family was told through stories that would be passed on should she had pups eventually. But there was no need to share that with him.
Instead, Trisdi looked towards the south before returning her gaze to the stranger. There had been no introduction on his part, but it wasn’t like that mattered too much if he intended to say no right from the beginning. She wouldn’t get her hopes up, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try.
"The only unclaimed territory I could travel through from the geysers are the bluffs to the north, which would be too cold come winter. The Brightwood should have plenty of things to hunt… or even the Tall Trees. I’m not picky." Trisdi offered a brief, gentle wag of her tail to reinforce the gesture. She just needed a safe path, that was all. And he seemed handsome enough with those scars.. maybe she’d butter him up into telling her a story or two if he was open to more than just finding out about her.
Walk "Speak"Magic
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image by WatermelonCreature on dA
So she had come from a family of vagrants? or at least her mother had been the same. Caedwyn was thoughtful for a moment, wondering if perhaps she could be swayed to join them. A vagrant had no home, no loyalty already claimed by a Kingdom. That made things easier. But some vagrants simply rebuffed the Kingdom lifestyle and were simply unable to remain in one place. He let out a soft sigh while he thought things over. Trying to convince someone to join a Kingdom if they had already grown accustomed to a solitary lifestyle would be a challenge.
And yet, winter was fast approaching. There was also the necessity of safe passage, shelter, and food. Those were difficult to obtain living by oneself. "Yes, winter is nearly here," he said in response with a thoughtful tone. "Perhaps, there is another solution to your problem. " As he spoke, Caedwyn realized she hadn't answered his question of why she needed to go that way.
She'd mentioned her mother was a vagrant, but did that mean she was meeting up with her mother? or simply travelling?
Caedwyn didn't like making decisions without all the information but there wasn't much he could do here. "If you are simply travelling for winter, perhaps our Kingdom could offer you a safer place to stay?" he made a gamble and hoped he might convincer to join them. "Living on your own can be difficult. In our Kingdom, we can help each other so these winter months won't be so difficult. And you wouldn't need to travel all the way to Brightwood..."
