I've never been what I know I should be oh,

Open thread! Territory Discovery — One of the tallest peaks within the chain of mountains stands sentinel to the Bay situated neatly alongside it; so high does it seem to stretch that the clouds reach where the eyes cannot. As broad as it is tall, the territory is home to coniferous forests near its base that slowly dwindle before eventually erupting into strange spires, making the territory appear impassable and inhospitable to start. Indeed, it is a difficult labyrinth to make ones way through and a stranger to it could risk injury if careless upon entry. But x(TERRITORY NAME?) offers much to those who dare to test their luck, one of which includes the best view of the surrounding territories

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It was not without purpose that Hydra moved; her gaze was, at present, searching. Even still, the Ostrega did not know what to make of the events of days past... but she was determined to put the pieces together, one way or another. In time, she surely would. Hydra kept the brunt of worrisome thoughts away by continuing to act upon only what she could control. For now, discovering. She was near the spires now, at the base of the large mountain she and hers had began to call their own; the going was not easy here, even despite the lands seeming to have (more or less) leveled out here. Behind her now was the backdrop of trees on a gentle incline leading into the place she presently determined to protect. 

A sound in the near distance gave the Ostrega pause; at once her demeanor shifted into something more guarded as she sniffed at the air to determine the source of it. For now, she was still as her ears cupped forward to suss out exactly what it was she had heard.

+1 discovery points

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When he rolled over, a small stone pressed into his side, causing him to open his eyes and lurch forward. He drew in a breath- what felt like the very first breath of life he'd ever drawn, if his body had any capacity of remembering what it was like to have been born. Blinking, he gazed at his surroundings, eyes adjusting to the light and searching for something recognizable about the scenery. And it wasn't that he recognized none of it- but it felt as though there was something he was looking for, but didn't see. Still, and stranger yet, nothing felt out of place. He felt as though this was exactly where he'd been all along. 

He sneezed loudly as he drew to his feet, and looked up to see the pointed tips of mountains reaching into the sky beyond the evergreen branches of the trees he'd been sleeping under. Everything checked out- this all made sense. He licked his lips, and began to move- his body remembering the terrain of a mountainscape with every step he took, further reassuring him- and when a familiar scent met his nose, he turned, and began making his way across the tree-dotted slope, until he spotted her dark fur in the distance. 

And for a moment when he first saw her, there was a small ache in his heart- he wasn't sure why, but he felt overwhelmingly relieved to see Hydra again. He called out with a chuff, and began to trot toward her.

+1 discovery points

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OH MY gAWD AJGNSJANJSGNSGJNSGN GJNN FA IM SO HAPPY! Also... subterritory borders mention hehe (at SOME point... but... YEAH) 

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A scent on the wind; Hydra heard him next, and turned around to see his familiar face. Like Bronco, Hydra could not place the reasoning behind the feeling of strange elation to see him here. Perhaps because there seemed to be so many uncertainties. But here was Bronco, a familiar face that warmed her to see. Turning on her heel, the matriarch bridged the gap between them, light footsteps mute over the snow she traversed over. The sound she had heard was, “Bronco,” and she moved to nose him in greeting. 

Her gaze turned to the jutting spires at the base of this place, and she considered, “just outside of this seems as good as place as any to mark,” with a sway of her tail, “should we decide this to be the place we settle. But for now, it feels to be in our best interest to get to know the territory further.” Her inclination, though, was to mark and warn... but also to draw forth the rest of her family. She thought of her son, Osiris; willed him to appear before them both as she looked out into the distance. Looking to Bronco, she gestured to the spires strewn helter skelter, sharp like teeth but standing far taller and asked, “what would you call this place?” she hummed, their own decided borderlands.

+2 discovery points

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When she spoke his name, he shuddered- and a strange sensation came over him. It was as though that word, he'd heard it before- but spoken by other voices. Who those voices belonged to was far beyond him- but he knew 'Bronco' to be his name, just the same as he knew Hydra, and he knew her to be his leader. He chuffed softly as he greeted her, nuzzling his muzzle into the warm fur of her shoulder for a moment, before touching his nose to her cheek. He felt himself sigh with relief, as though he'd come to the end of a long search. 

She mentioned claiming their territory, and he looked around with a nod. "Yes, it does," He agreed though he might have sounded somewhat distant. He would have to take some time to get to know the lay of the land- but that didn't mean that he didn't want to claim it regardless of how well he knew it. He could explore and get to know the borders of what would be their home over the coming days. He would move along with her, stepping into position as a loyal subject, glancing up at the spire-like mountain peaks that appeared occasionally through gaps in the branches. She asked him for a name- and oddly enough, he found himself without much of a suggestion. He couldn't think of any territory names he knew, in order to draw inspiration from them. So he looked instead to the source from which he was meant to take inspiration. "I...Don't know. They look like teeth," He said, though he realized that that wasn't exactly a name. "Like...Snake fangs, or dragon fangs," He commented. He'd heard stories of dragons- which were basically flying lizards, from what he could remember. Who had told him stories of dragons, however, he couldn't remember. But the memory persisted nonetheless. "I don't think I'd be much good at naming things," He said, with a soft laugh.

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It was strangely reassuring, his own presence here. And to feel him there, alongside her, warmed her. Bronco, a brave soul and heart both. How glad she was, that he was with her then. She had no shortage of bravery herself, but his being there bolstered her all the more. Through all the unknowns, Bronco had become a constant she had not anticipated entering her, or her sons, life. But she was glad he had; he was a man one could count on. As he agreed with her, her gaze left his warm furs and turned back to what they discussed. 

His longevity meant something to her, and so she took his suggestions to heart. While he did not think himself a mastermind of names, Hydra grinned. “Dragonsteeth,” she hummed, looking around them at the stones that seemed to act as a first line of defense to the (still nameless) mountain they had taken residence upon. Dragonsteeth was, definitively, a stretch of their land. Looking to him with a gleam in her eye, she drawled, “It has a ring to it, does it not?” she credited him, tail swaying behind her. “Of course, they would meet the teeth of wolves if they were to trespass, but...” she shrugged. Semantics. The image Dragonsteeth evoked might give any approaching party pause. The sight of it alone might cause that much, but there was plenty to be said about what could be in a name. Her gaze drew upward at one particularly long tooth, admiring it. 

+2 discovery points

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She parsed through his suggestions, combining them to make a simple label, one which her tone suggested that she liked. There was something formidable about the way Hydra smiled as she tested the name, as though she liked the dangerous image it evoked. Bronco, but more tepid in nature, liked the sound of it though he wondered if perhaps naming a mountain "Dragonsteeth" might invite the pack to be geared more toward being inhospitable. Vaguely, he recalled growing up somewhere that strangers were greeted with kindness; the alternative, of course, was to confront strangers with bared teeth and bristled hackles. While he was more inclined toward living a peaceful life, Hydra had asked nothing of him that he wouldn't voluntarily do. He felt safer with her than he did with others. 

"What would you call it?" He asked, curious to see if she had any suggestions, or if she'd come to like the name "dragonsteeth" enough to call it that, at least for the time being.

+1 discovery points

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Hydra considered his question, and then seemed to decide. “We will call this,” she gestured, referring to the borders, “Dragonsteeth... perhaps it will make any impending trespassers second guess themselves,” she drawled good-humoredly, while also recognizing his contributions and presence both. She quite liked the idea of it, and while she did not mean to make their homestead hostile to others... well, it would be protected from those who transgressed against them. Hydra wanted peace, and felt it possible to accomplish here. For once, there was no war looming on the horizon she could think of or recall. The trouble seemed to be just that, though—the recalling of all things. 

No wars here, though. Not at present, and that was a good thing as they became established. Turning to look upward at the mountain itself, she hmm'd quietly. “As for the nameless mountain... well, that will take some time to think upon,” she decided. It was difficult to land on any one thing; but she was far less creative than Bronco, and could not come up with a singular thing she was reminded of as she stared at its majesty. Clouds presently obscured the top of it, and she remembered waking somewhere near the peak. 

Looking, then, to the jagged teeth surrounding them, Hydra navigated the borders on careful feet. She imagined it would be all the more difficult to navigate in the Summer, when the snow had melted; they had the benefit of snow filling the smaller crevices, for now, making things more compact. She sniffed idly at the earth, one ear pricked forward as the other kept upon Bronco. No scents of their caught her attention but for their own, which pleased her.

+2 discovery points

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She actually took his suggestion? He was flattered, of course, but also a bit flummoxed, and he secretly hoped that he might not have to take any credit for coming up with the name. Perhaps it could be considered a collaborative effort, he thought, or maybe they might just forget altogether that he had been the one to suggest the name. Not that he disliked it- but he wasn't entirely certain he wanted to get any attention for having come up with a name for a territory. It wasn't his forté, so he would have gladly given up the credit to anyone else who wished to claim they'd come up with the name. Hydra had done half the work, at least, prompting him to name it anyway- so he could always simply say that she'd inspired the name. 

"It probably would, I think," He said. It didn't even sound like something he'd want to mess with, if he hadn't known any better. So any strangers who intended harm might think twice before messing with wolves who actually claimed an area with such an intimidating name. A wolf like Bronco was likely more suited to a place called Pansy Creek- but as long as he was on the right side of the wolves claiming the Dragonsteeth, he'd toughen up and accept the responsibility of living in that area. 

He didn't mind the name "Nameless Mountain," either, but he didn't say it. Hydra hadn't likely intended for it to get that as a nickname, and if he made a comment about it, it would probably stick. "It'll get a name." He agreed, keeping his thoughts to himself about simply calling it Nameless. "I- whoops-" He said, stumbling as he stepped on a rock that had been covered in snow, and slipped. He regained his balance with a sheepish smile. He forgot what he was going to say. "Dang, I'll be happy when Spring gets here," He commented.

+1 discovery points

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She was satisfied by his agreeing with her, and so feel it the right choice. Sometimes there was nothing in a name—and sometimes, a name carried much weight behind it. Hydra liked to think that Dragonsteeth would be the latter of the two, and that she and Bronco's imaginings were right. Time would tell, as it did with all things. What a name would not convey her own teeth surely would, in any event. 

As they traversed the challenging (lack of) path near Dragonsteeth, Hydra paused to mark a jagged pillar—one of the teeth—and heard Bronco lose his step. Looking back to him to check that he was alright, she was glad to see him still standing, and loosed a rumble to concur with him. Hydra never minded the cold or Winter, but always looked forward to the coming of Spring and the promise of life it brought with it. But, “Dragonsteeth might be all the more difficult to navigate when the snow melts. As it is now, some crevices are packed with snow; when it melts, I would encourage more careful footing. It would be easy to twist an ankle here without paying attention,” she imagined; but that was the point. Not for her own members, but for those seeking to enter without welcome. Her subordinates would know to be cautious; any trespasser was already foolish to partake in the endeavor, and likely would have thrown all caution to the wind as it were.

+2 discovery points

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She was kind enough in delivering her warning that he did not feel patronized, and felt that her advice was likely something he should seek out more often. He didn't even consider what the rocky mountainside might be like when the snow started to melt- but he figured she was right. If the snow melted during the day, and then froze again overnight, it would certainly make the first few weeks of spring particularly treacherous. Having just slipped, he could definitely see how easy it might be to twist an ankle, or do even worse than that if a paw got hooked and pulled the wrong way. 

"I think that mountain though, the big one," he huffed lightly as he caught up with her after his stumble. "There'll probably be things like elk and mountain goats on it, yeah?" He asked. "Or sheep- I always forget the difference," He confessed with a light chuckle. "The goats are the shaggy white ones with the short black horns, and the sheep are beige and have thick, curly horns, right? Or do I have them backwards?"

+2 discovery points

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Continuing toward her work, she still was mindful of Bronco and their surroundings both. As he spoke on, Hydra pawed at the earth to excrete her own scent here as well. She nodded to start with, yes, that is right, and darted forward a few steps to sniff none too idly at the ground to check what sort of creatures had passed through recently, beyond wolves themselves. To his question, she reflected for a moment, trying to remember herself the differences between the two. Her mother and father both had always been sure to instruct her on the mountains fare, and she was relieved as she sorted through here own mental inventory to know the information was still there. 

“You remember rightly,” she informed, looking to him with a wave of her plume, “and I would imagine our nameless home might host plenty of them,” she drawled. The bighorn sheep she had not yet seen, but, “In fact, when Dirge and I were tracking recently, I do recall picking up the scent of rams...” perhaps a hunt was due, she considered, pausing to look upward. “Maybe you and I might find some other prey today,” she drawled, adjusting her course to head up the peak now. 

There was more land to discover, and with it food; the beginnings of the scent markers were there, at least, and she could continue her diligence there later. “Shall we?” she invited, gesturing alongside her with a swish of her tail.

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He liked the idea of having plenty of hooved prey to hunt. He did not doubt that the mountains they claimed would also have plenty of smaller prey animals to track down as well, but as always, a big meal always made him feel good. There was nothing quite like eating a meal so big that a nap afterwards was required. 

They would have to finish claiming the mountain, though, and that would take time. So when she offered an invitation to pick up the pace an continue travelling along, he paused momentarily to make another marking, before he nodded. "We shall!" He said, eagerly. Something felt right about claiming a home, about stalking through the craggy hillside where the trees were tall and rugged. The scent of pine on the air was fresh and made him feel energized; so they set about continuing to claim the borders around the nameless mountain that towered over their new home.
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