Horizon

Tesla had introduced herself and made ready to make her way to the island with him with no hesitation. He found her interesting, to say the least, and somewhat mysterious, which went a smidge further to keep him engaged in seeking out information about her. It seemed she was some sort of huntress, but not necessarily of prey. He wanted her, if she was any good at her job, though the only quarry he knew her to seek had obviously slipped away without her being able to find success. Still, the desire was there, and that was something to consider.

Just before slipping into the water, he had bowed his head slightly, and spoken his name by way of introduction; “Crixus. A pleasure, Tesla.” And then the two had set out.

He was sufficiently impressed by her ability to keep up with him- he having made the swim many times, was no slowpoke about it, and was barely winded upon arrival on the shore, and so when they stepped onto the rock-strewn beach, he shook off, took a few steps, and turned to face her. “You will find the scents of two other females here, and of course that of myself.” He hadn’t happened across the cripple’s scent, so if she had reached the island, it would have been before he himself had done so- an unwelcome thought- and her scent would have long faded. However, she was welcome to explore and verify his truthfulness.

That was an unusual name. Not that she could speak. The pale girl shook seawater from her coat, taking a few steps from the male to do so. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, and she was glad she hailed from the north - the water temperature was plummeting, and southerns doubtless would have been far more affected than she. She needed a good brisk bout of activity to warm up, and trotted a short way to investigate the scents he spoke of.

“Da, one was female I saw reunite wiz you and other male, kin of yours - Abaddon? One female I do not know - older. She is almozt your size going by zat print in sand.” She nodded to a nearby pawprint left over from the male’s other follower.

Quite the little harem he was building here. A pity she had prior engagements - he was interesting. 

Now her ability had been demonstrated, Tesla moved on, glancing around then tilted her chin politely to Crixus. “You vould show me your island?” She asked, rather than setting off herself to explore. Tesla knew how to deter to males, how to play up to their all-encompassing need to be in charge.

Tesla proved herself to be observant, and he nodded. Of course she’d seen Larisa before, and his brother, but to note even Kaya by a footprint in the sand.. impressive. His face was carefully blasé, unwilling to show the underlying desire to have her for his pack. He didn’t even know how he would utilize her, but it didn’t matter. He wanted all the toys. “That’s correct,” he responded, smirking at the print as he padded past it.

“Yes- you have my permission to seek out the scent of the cripple, though I do not think you will find it here. For now, come,” he gestured with his head, and moved off at a trot along the beach, trusting that she would keep up. “I imagine, with your profession, you travel much,” he said, beginning to pry.

He was good at concealing his emotion, but Tesla hoped what he was hiding from her was that he was impressed.

“My thanks to you.” She dipped her head and followed willingly at his side - perhaps a fraction too close considering what a careful grip she had on how she moved her compact body.

“I trust you Crixus. You vould be foolish to lie, to me only to invite me here.” But since he was showing her the island, she would check for the scent just the same. She continued to inhale the distinct and separate scents of the other two females as she tailed him - checking that there was no scents of the crippled cunt in between them. 

“Da, much.” She agreed. “I am familiar wiz the north where I haff been tracking; but also forests south of bay and zheir packs. Before zat, I followed ist river in through desert zen traveled north.” She nodded at him in a ask if you want details gesture.

Ah, good. She trusted him- or at least said she did. Crixus liked when wolves trusted him. It made things so much easier. He felt her fur brush his own as they walked, and he stirred at the contact, licking his lips again, but carnal feelings aside, he was interested in what this wolf had learned of the valley in her travels.

It seemed that she knew the packs to the south of the bay- that was no great help, unfortunately, and nor was the knowledge of the desert. But to the north? He turned his head a fraction to look at her, a single brow raised. “The mountains to the north?” he asked, clarifying. Larisa had come from there, and encountered nothing but an apparently simple-minded pup.

Crixus wanted to know about the mountains, though he could have been clarifying the area north in general as well, asking where she’d been. “Ze wetlands and prairies, and da, mountains.” She agreed, focusing on the latter. “When I travel through was ill, dying male with maybe two others; so obviously, I did not linger. But also met a woman who runs mountain pack, decent sort.” Tesla hadn’t at all minded Kamaal, who had given her a greater understanding of the gullible nature of packs here.

The current packs, anyway.

Crixus hummed at her description of the wolves she’d encountered. Slim pickings just about everywhere, it seemed. He led Tesla to a shelf of rock that provided a decent view of a good bit of the island, and began to climb it nimbly, hopping from one foothold to the next until he sat atop it.

Waiting to see if she would join him, and mulling over thoughts of the pack in the mountains, he sighed softly. “I seek to establish a pack, here,” he said, nodding at the stretch of island before him, some of it masked by trees but the beach visible to the sides. “However, I am not interested in just any recruit. I need strong wolves, intelligent, hardworking, and with an understanding of and appreciation for the betterment of our kind.” His eyes flicked to the female.

Tesla kept up, scaling the rocky perch until she took a seat at his side. Close at his side, though not close enough it made carrying out conversation difficult. Sure enough, she had kept him talking long enough for him to reveal his plans to her. Oddly, though she felt the usual smug satisfaction, she had no desire to hold the information against him - he was too worthwhile an ally.

“In ozzer words - you vant me.” She smiled then - a real one, that lit up her eyes and made her look almost warm. (if she’d been able to see her own reflection she probably would have thrown up). “I vill not lie to you, Crixus. I like you.” A casual grin - she never would have been honest with him otherwise. “My partner has prior claim on my time, at leist for now. After killing cripple, I planned to go to south coast, to dupe pack of bleeding hearts zhere into looking for less important wolves I am seeking. But. I zhink we could still be of use to von anozher.”

Tesla settled next to him, and her response brought forth a chuckle, canines flashing as he grinned slightly at her. “Yes,” he confirmed, then listened as she continued. When she said she liked him, he smirked again, chin raising a fraction of an inch. Of course she liked him. Look at him.

But then she went on to turn him down, and while at first he felt disappointment, her prior engagement didn’t seem to be necessarily permanent. He nodded as he listened, his face stoic. What partner was this she spoke of? He’d not seen her traveling with another, but it was possible they’d split up in order to search more effectively. If there was a wolf she considered worthy of partnering with, he wanted that one, too.

“Tell me about your partner, Tesla. Here I was believing you quite the loner.” His tone was somewhat flirtatious, but not overly so. “I do agree that a relationship of some sort may be mutually beneficial. What do you want from me?” Now both brows rose in question, his gaze direct and searching.

She almost laughed. He wanted two for the price of one! But there was nothing wrong with that ambition. She obligingly relayed a little about Sokol, thinking how much he would hate this, if he was here to hear it. “Sokol is his name. We were once rivals in ze north, however like me he understands vat it is to be surrounded by weaklings in zis valley, and once here - became partners. I vould not get your hopes up though Crixus - Sokol is, perhaps, too alike to yourself. Nozink of a follower.” Not for a second did Tesla believe he would be happy to serve underneath Crixus. But she would do her best to convince him the usefulness of having like-minded alliances, since he would doubtless be too much of a pigheaded male to see it himself.

As for what she wanted from Crixus…

“Alliance. I vill keep eye out for useful wolves for you on my travels. I am not saying zis valley of fools and idiots vill yield much… but if promising, I will send them to prairies - I am assuming you hunt zhere frequently.” Tesla paused to nod towards the easternmost section, where with the river running above and beside it, the grassland was particularly fertile. “In return - you watch northlands for ze crrippled cunt.  I do not care weather kill or capture.”

The same terms she had given the healer with no nose, only she expected Crixus would by far be the more reliable ally of the pair.

Crixus listened to the description of Sokol’s character, once more the little filing cabinet in his brain being opened up and stuffed full of information about wolves he’d never even met. He agreed with Tesla, though- if Sokol would not follow, he did not want him. But an alliance, as she requested for herself, might be useful.

He was pleased with her offering- it had been what he wanted, if he could not collect her right away. He still hoped that she might return, but it was better for now, if he didn’t have to funnel resources into her, and she would still be on his side. Yes, it would work very nicely, indeed. All she wanted in return was for him to dispose of, or hold captive, the cripple she sought. He, personally, doubted the existence of her. If she’d tried to swim, after all.. perhaps she was long gone, washed up on some distant shore.

He grinned, eyes bright. “You have yourself a bargain, Tesla.”

A grin at that, and her eyes danced. “Zaklyuchit’ sdelku*.” She pronounced, her accent even thicker, sealing the deal. 

A bargain. An ally. FINALLY, something had gone her way in the cursed valley. She found herself interested to see what sort of pack Crixus built here - and was quick enough to realize it had given her what Sokol had hinted at.

She would look for worthy packmates for Crixus not only for his sake, but her own.

A thoughtful look overtook her features. “Zhere is male who may prove useful to you - anozzer northlander. Giant, white fur, navy eyes.” She would not give his name, cautious of pushing Tiberius upon Crixus as an ally - he might not see things the way she did, she had not yet spent enough time with him to be certain. “You vill know him if you be speaking to him.”

((*Rough google translation: ‘to have a deal’))

He wasn’t expecting further information from her, but it seemed she’d come across someone that might be of use. The description could be one of his own kin, really, and his brows rose slightly with interest He nodded. “I’ll keep an eye out for him,” though he did note the lack of name given. It was possible he had not given his name to Tesla.

He rolled his shoulders, thinking. “I’m pleased we’ve met, and I do hope that you’ll not be a stranger. I don’t intend to stray far from here, you understand.” No way was he leaving the island unprotected for any stretch of time. It was his. But even if Tesla didn’t send him new followers, she might learn of things in the south that would prove useful to him.

Tesla noted how well spoken the male was - clearly he had some breeding, as if his appearance didn’t betray that. Perhaps she had better avoid winter visits here.

“Da Crixus, zis I share wiz you.” She agreed readily. “I am understanding. We vill most certainly speak again soon. Come now - vill you show me rest of your island?”

((Faaade this wicked wolf))