Aha!! He'd escaped!! Mom had gone to get lunch and he had managed to escape from the den and make it past  the borders and to...well, he wasn't sure. He was no more then a little over a season old, but that didn't stop him from going to adventure! He ran as fast as his paws could carry him, before mom could figure out he'd escaped and catch him. He had no idea the world was so huge! The second he bolted past the borders he had kept going and not stopped, trying to see how far he could make it before he was caught. Panting with the effort, lanky legs finally stopped him and he panted heavily. Looking around, he felt like he sort of recognized this place...but nothing smelled familiar. At least, not to his conscious mind. Maybe in a dream? Who knew. "Time to explore!" The Imperium boy set about sniffing around the newly scented borders (not that he knew that because well, Imperium was all he knew). He figured that maybe this place just stunk...but, then again, maybe all lands smelled different then his home? Huh...who woulda thought!? "Speech"

Atreides had been on patrol when he had stumbled across the rapidly cooling scent of a young young pup crossing the borders. He scowled at the scent trail in the spring muck, then sighed. He could either go try to track down the pup's mother or Valentine and let them know the little guy had wandered off, and waste time that could possibly result in the death of a puppy way too young to be out of pack borders alone, or he could go track the pup himself. He was reluctant to leave pack borders himself - he wasn't even sure why - but he couldn't let something bad happen to one of Imperium's pups. So he set off on the trace.

He was surprised and concerned to find that the pup had managed to cross several lands, nearly the whole continent most of the way to the coast actually, before Trei caught up with him nosing around another pack's borders. He carefully scented the air and was alarmed to realize that the pack was brand spanking new pack, one he didn't know anything about. For all he knew they could be cannibals, and the appearance of a juicy little puppy on their borders would mean an easy snack - and the grey male himself the main course. Covering his alarm with his usual lazy smile and friendly demeanor to keep from frightening the pup, he approached him. "OK now, you've had your adventure. It's time to go home now. My name is Trei - I am one of Imperium's fighters. I can bring you home."

ooc:  super quick post got to go to town!  

ic:

Spring!  Integra could feel it in the air, the sun…. the dam birds that would not stop chirping.  Magenta eyes opened as she eyed the flurry of robins nestled in the trees.  Spring meant a greater wealth of prey and better herb hunting but it also meant her feathered neighbors would insist she be up way before the crack of dawn.  Bird snacks sounded good…

Integra removed herself from her den and started her day, checking up on various herb locations as the noon sun began to rise.  She was wandering far, heading towards the western areas of Alacritis where rich crops of herbs could be found nestled in between the arid terras when she caught the scent of one of Avalon's pups near a fresh back border.  She stood there for a moment but chose to ignore it.  She was getting used to Avalon and it seemed like she was proving herself to be useful to the pack after all but it was not Integra's job to look after her young…. nope definitely not.  Not her job…. fuck.  Integra's loyalty to Imperium was strong and that meant loyalty to the full members of her pack… including the whelp who was likely to get into trouble.

Following the scent she soon noticed the pup as well as her brother.  Trei!  Integra quickly moved to her brothers side, gazing at the pup.  "I'm Integra, his sister.  You trying to start a war, twerp? We're not supposed to be waltzing into others territory without permission."

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

Patrolling was fun. He'd been doing it before the pack was even started, but now it held a whole fresh sense of purpose, especially the fact that he could hike his leg and leave a loud, clear mark to announce to all who understood that there was a pack here, already plenty of wolves strong, and trespassing was off limits. To those who understood that was. He was coming along toward the second quarter of his patrol in the Plains. His mother was handling the Lake today. The wind shifted, and brought the smell of strangers, though they also held a strong scent of Imperium. He remembered the smell, from when he'd met Valentine as a yearling, then from when he had explored toward the south last Summer, and then again when he'd met the... well, he couldn't say she wasn't pretty, but Evangeline had sure had an odd fixation about his fur. They were close to the borders. One was a pup, but the other two were his age by the smells. And all three, while being strangers, also held another undertone of some strange familiarity, distant and just our of reach. For the moment, that didn't matter. What mattered right then was that they were dangerously close to crossing a clear border. He kicked into a measured charge. As Future, the heir of his pack, it was his duty to warn off trespassers, and if they gave him trouble, rip them a new one. However, a pup was a different matter altogether. This one smelled young enough that he maybe hadn't had the talk about borders and what they really meant drilled into his mind where it wouldn't leave yet. So Regulus came in, powerful vibrant red frame rippling with muscle, and yet hackles only half raised. His sapphire eyes were on the pup, and as he sought to close distance, he gave a resounding roar. To the older two wolves, it would be clear that no actual harm was intended. While his posture was dominant, it wasn't a full on 'I eat puppies for breakfast and big wolves too, and I am gonna rip you to shreds!' posture. More threatening enough to give a pup enough of a scare and a lasting impression that going any further would be bad business, that he'd scramble back from the border, or back over it if his little paws had crossed over by then. That was Regulus' hope, at least. He screeched to a halt as soon as his mother's scent, mixed with the pack's and his own, caught his nose, as though there were an invisible wall keeping him in; a show for the pup. Really, he liked children. He'd known it the moment he'd seen his newborn siblings. He wouldn't want a pup like this getting hurt because he hadn't learned the rules of inter-pack relations and what was right and what was wrong. His baritone voice thundered menacingly as he lowered his head as close to the level of the pup as he could, and growled, "Pups who wander from home and trespass can find a lot of hurt if he trespasses into the wrong pack." His menace lightened slightly, voice dropping to the teaching level he'd used with his siblings. "Take a good sniff, right here." He gestured to the space between himself and the three wolves. "That smell means these lands are taken by the pack of Celestial. We don't hurt pups, but other packs might. Be more careful, and go back to Imperium with these two." He raised his head back to its regal carriage over his shoulders, sapphire and gold pendant shimmering under the spring sunlight, and studied the two Imperium adults. One had the smell of a healer, the female. The other looked similar to the female, and their scents were enough to suggest they were siblings. While one had more earthy tones to her frame, and the male had more grey, there was a likeness to their features around the edges. Regulus' sapphire gaze held only guarded respect. He'd liked Valentine, and Imperium wolves were well known for being masterful fighters. What wasn't to respect? "I'm Regulus Anatolii Adravendi, Future - or heir - of Celestial." His voice was relaxed, solemn, but had a tint of guarded friendliness to it. Not enough that he could be mistaken for chumming up, but enough to say he would remain amiable until they made a mistake, like setting paw over the border.

The boy set about to investigating the funny smell, until his fun was ruined by the scent of an approaching pack member. Oh shoot! He'd been caught. Turning around, he tucked his tail a little as his ears flattened when Trei showed up. While Dragon didn't recognize him at all, he recognized the scent and knew why he was here. But the boy wasn't as frightened as he thought he might be when Trei approached with a smile and friendly words. "Hi Mr. Trei! I was just 'splorin..." Before he could say more, another pack member would show up and began to scold him, even calling him a twerp! He huffed, eyeing the woman with a defiant look. "I'm not a twerp! And I dunno what you're talking about! I'm just trying to 'splore, and besides..." He glanced back towards the other borders, "It smells funny!" His eyes widened then as a weird red thing came flying towards them, he looked...angry? He almost scuttled to hide behind the pair, but he was brave wasn't he!? He made it this far! It took all his strength to hold his ground as the red wolf thing came to a sudden halt in front of him, words of warning being said which caused Dragon's ears to flatten. Was this man going to hurt him for coming too close? Green eyes watched the male as he indicated the border, and cautiously, the boy would sniff at it. Aahh...so that's what it was? "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get so close, I didn't know there were other packs like mine!" He offered an apologetic smile to the red wolf before stepping back a couple of times to give room, watching and listening as the red man gave a name. Regulus Ana what? What was an heir? Celestial? Already so many questions were running through his mind, but what he wanted to know was how the heck did this guy get to be so red!? "Well my name is Dragon Ancora! Nice to meetcha Mr. Red! By the way, how did you get so red?" ""

Atreides glanced over as his sister came up beside him, and shared an exasperated expression with her before rolling his head back towards the pup, carefully trying to keep his expression and voice light. "Buddy, you just 'splored your way halfway across a continent. Maybe next time you stay in pack borders so you don't get yourself and the rest of us in trouble..." A flash of red, a huge fast moving wolf with aggression written on his features, was the only impression Trei got before he spun, putting his stocky body between the pup and the approaching danger. His teeth flashed in warning, hackles bristling and body stiff. A snarl bubbled from his throat. "Wolves who threaten Imperium's pups can find themselves coming down with a bad case of dead, wolf," he returned without a trace of irony. He turned his head towards the pup slightly, who was attempting a friendly greeting towards the bright red monstrosity, without taking his eyes off this Regulus fellow. "Get behind Integra, Dragon. Now." His olivine eyes traveled the stranger warily. Easily as tall as the Imperialis wolves, the wolf was as red as a cardinal with equally bright blue eyes, making for an eyeblinding combination. He had six inches on Trei, slightly less on Integra, and the muscled look of someone who did physical training, but Trei was confident that he and Inty together could take the hulking creature. "Atreides Armada," he tossed out his name in return with casual confidence and more than a hint of arrogance. "And Imperium doesn't need your help teaching our pups." ""

Integra eyed the defiant little twerp.  She had no problem whooping his little butt since it was clear Avalon wasn't doing a good job of disciplining her kids or teaching them.  She'd never heard of a six-month old being so clueless about pack borders.  She nodded as her brother spoke before adding her own two cents. "That smell is the piss of another pack and that means we don't cross it. If you-" Just as Inty was about to continue a sudden rush of bright red came flying into view.  Integra snarled and leapt to put herself between the pup and the stranger, her hackles raised, defenses set before she realized the other was some sort of wolf rather than a demon as she'd first suspected.  She eyed him suspiciously. Dragon would creep around her and try to make conversation but Integra would remain where she was, fairly certain of her swiftness.  If she detected violence she'd be on this strange red man like stink on an irritated skunk.  She listened as her brother continued to speak but she couldn't help but snort at the mention of Imperium not needing any help.  "Well… Avalon might, as we can both clearly see she's done such a good job so far."  It was met partly in jest.  After all, Integra had more or less accepted the other woman as part of Imperium however she just couldn't resist the urge to jab at the other. "I'm Integra Armada.  Really, though the kids got a point…. you've a rather disturbing pelt color." ""