We Drive Until the Gas is Gone

The skies were clear, and the temperature had fallen somewhere just at the point where the snow that had collected on the thick branches of conifer trees had begun to melt, creating a soft, pattering noise as ambience as Bronco made his way around the base of the still nameless mountain, with the intention of reinforcing the borders that he and Hydra had begun to establish. Patrolling came naturally to him- he took interest in noting and categorizing the variety of tracks and scents he found along the way, so that he might get a better idea of their resources and potential threats. 

But he had few concerns, as of yet. He could smell that there were others that had also been marking the border territories, and that they might be able to establish themselves as a pack- once they'd found a name. The terrain was difficult to traverse, but he did so having had training, and having spent time on a mountain before. His body remembered- which was why it felt so natural to be laying claim to a mountain territory once again.

+1 Discovery Point

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He could tell by the variety of scents he found that there were more wolves Hydra had assembled, that he had yet to meet. One male in particular seemed to be making his way around the mountain, but he did not know the scent. A female as well, new to him- but given how they crossed Hydra's own tracks here and there, he assumed that they were welcome. He'd have to track them down eventually and meet them- but until then, he'd focus his efforts on claiming the borders. 

So when a voice called out to him, he lifted his head and inhaled- expecting for the owner of that voice to have been the male whose scent he'd noticed. Instead, though, the scent he caught was different- not one that he'd noticed earlier at all. This was a scent that was completely new to him, and he felt unsure for a moment if this was perhaps a new recruit, or someone who didn't belong to Hydra's gathering of wolves at all. The friendliness of his salutation caught Bronco by surprise; and he was led to conclude that his confidence might've stemmed from being a new recruit, rather than a stranger. His question, though, made Bronco balk. Maybe he wasn't a new recruit? 

"Uh," He fumbled, "I wasn't born here, no," He said, "But I live here now, with the pack." A fledgeling, unofficial pack- but he was still content to call it as he saw it. "Are you new?" He asked. He looked pretty comfortable for a stranger, but then again- maybe he was just a friendly guy. Bronco didn't mind that- friendly interactions were much easier to handle than aggressive ones!

0 Discovery Points - he's not really discovering here, just explaining himself

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Narp! Just had to clear me cache :)

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He began to become a bit more concerned when he was assured that the man was new- but in referencing the grasslands, he did leave some room for speculation. Still- his unerring confidence was enough to convince Bronco that perhaps someone else had met him before, and that he'd been accepted into the group. He seemed as though he might belong in the area anyway; he looked like he was built to handle life on a mountain, and his distinct coat pattern might make it easier for him to sneak up on prey. With a portion of his face masked in one colour, and the rest being much darker, it served to help break up his outline- potentially making it harder for prey to spot him and recognize him immediately as a threat. 

The fact that he admitted he just woke up triggered something in Bronco. Occasionally, he forgot that some things simply didn't make sense. The majority of the time, he simply felt comfortable enough in his surroundings that he didn't question his reality. But every now and again, a memory was triggered that made him feel a bit odd, and perhaps a bit uncomfortable. It rattled him enough so that when the male asked him about the pack, he didn't notice at first that his phrasing hinted that he wasn't a member of their group at all. He felt a bit flustered, being asked details about his pack- and when Hieronymous suggested that he might be better off talking to a leader, he balked. 

"You haven't met Hydra yet?" He asked. It wouldn't answer the male's question- but part of him felt it was more important to know exactly how this guy fit in, first, if he fit in with them at all.

0 Discovery Points - also a recruitment-oriented post

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He could feel some of the blood drain from his face (and brain, or so it felt) when Hieronymous spoke his alpha's name in the form of a question, as he realized then that this wasn't a new member of their family group. This was shaping up to be a stranger who seemed completely oblivious of the fact that he was on claimed grounds. To be fair, they were still in the process of determining borders, so the markings still had some distance between them, and the paths taken by each guardian meandered a bit one way or another...But even still, Bronco thought that the markings should have been clear enough that Hieronymous would have taken a bit more caution. 

Either that, or he was one very bold wolf. 

"Uhm, so," He said, and gestured that they should start walking- down the slope. "That mountain there, the tall one- we're uh, there's a bunch of us, and we've been claiming it for...At least a week now," How long had it been? He couldn't remember, but it had been at least a week since they'd started marking it, right? "I mean, it's still called the 'Nameless Mountain' but we'll get a name soon. And this is sort of...Within the borders we've been establishing." It was probably the most roundabout way of informing Hieronymous that he was trespassing, but Bronco had never been a very forceful wolf. "If you'll kindly follow me, I'll uhm. Take you this way," He said, figuring it was obvious enough that he wanted the stranger to be on neutral turf.
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He wasn't sure exactly what it was about how or what Hieronymous said, but when he censored his exclamation, it made Bronco soften and chuckle. It wasn't like Bronco was a child who shouldn't hear such language- but if nothing else it showed that Hieronymous was capable of minding his language even when stressed out. He looked genuinely sorry, so Bronco was quick to pass his misadventure off as a mistake. In compliance with Bronco's guidance, the male stepped off in the direction inticated and made his way along with a cheery bounce to his step. He certainly rebounded well- which was nice to see. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if Hieronymous might not actually be a perfect fit for the pack. 

"Uh, Yeah, I think so," He said. "Sort of down to the foothills here, so we can hunt in the forested areas along here, and have our borders be where the land begins to ascend." He said. "I'm Bronco, by the way," He said, realizing then that they'd at least temporarily forgotten their introductions whilst trying to sort out of they were packmates or not. "Are you looking for a home at all?" He asked next, still toying with the idea of perhaps recruiting Hieronymous because of his positive attitude, and how easily he took correction.

+1 Discovery Point

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Well, his name was definitely a mouthful, but Hieronymous himself seemed pretty easy to get along with. And while he didn't seem interested in being recruited, it did seem as though there was something that he wanted- though he didn't seem to be too sure exactly what it was. Bronco paused to sniff  a marking left behind on a bush, and could tell that they were getting closer to the borders now. He hadn't trespassed by much- just enough for him to have merited a warning and redirection. 

"D'you think that it might be a someone, rather than a something?" Bronco asked. There were times when he felt as though he was missing someone, though he couldn't recall who it might have been. Occasionally, when someone spoke his name, he heard an echo of many voices, but they belonged to wolves whose faces he couldn't place.
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[size=small]While it didn't seem as though he'd managed to hit the nail on the head, Hieronymous didn't seem too disappointed about not knowing what it was that he felt he was missing. A strange way to feel, Bronco thought- and something about that idea took root at the back of his mind. He didn't typically question the way of things, but some minute part of him was trying desperately to get his attention. But he was more concerned with other things, and the reality that he lived in now seemed to have taken over whatever reality he might've known before. [/size]

[size=small]But when questioned, he found himself drawing blanks. He had awakened, only to find Hydra not long thereafter. Something was strange about the fact that he felt fairly certain he was a pack wolf, belonging to an establish pack- but here he was, establishing borders. It was almost as though he'd been sent back in time, or something along those lines, but he didn't like to think of it. He didn't even like acknowledging that something was a bit amiss. So many things felt right, that he simply didn't want to question what those other, shaded memories were and why they existed. It was easier for him to tell himself it was all a dream. [/size]

[size=small]"I get weird dreams sometimes," He said, "But I've lived near the mountains all my life." None of that was untrue; not terribly specific, but honest enough. Some part of him felt a bit ruffled at being reminded that something was off, though, and he preferred not to answer any other questions about it. It unnerved him that other wolves were simply waking up- with no memories. "Anyhow, these are our borders, and I ought to get back to marking them." He said. Clearly, if they'd had one accidental trespasser, they might get more if their borders were as undefined as they seemed to be, as he was oblivious of how much struggle Hieronymous had with detecting scents. "You think you'll be alright from here?" He asked. [/size]
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He nodded slightly, and gazed off into the coniferous forest, wondering just how many other wolves had had the same experience...Had they all woken up on the same day? Had they all come from the same place? Or was there maybe just something in a water source that had made them all sick enough that they passed through the worst stages of the illness, and then forgot what had happened. There could definitely be some realistic explanation, he thought. After all- his weird dreams happened most after he ate something that had been buried in the ground for a few days. It was entirely possible that there was a natural phenomenon happening, that made memories fuzzy. 

He nevertheless gave Hieronymous a soft smile when he looked back over his shoulder, and chuckled softly. "You're welcome to visit again," He said, hoping that that might help his new friend feel a bit less awkward about trespassing. The way Bronco saw it, no harm had been done- and he had the potential to be an excellent packmate, if he ever changed his mind and decided he wanted a home on the mountain. He watched the male disappear into the distance, and began to patrol around the borders again, marking his scent along the way so that he might avoid having another trespasser. Not all would be nearly as friendly and cooperative as Hieronymous Boesch.
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