Torrent was on her way out of pack lands to find the last of the herbs Pidge insisted that they needed to stock before winter killed the plants - though she herself argued that they could simply make the longer trip down to Auster to seek out substitutes that would still be growing in the southern continent, for what was the northern continent's winter season was by far the better growing season in the south anyway, but Pidge had been outright horrified at the idea of traveling that far in the winter. She had tartly told Torrent that raccoons were not fucking idiots like wolves and she would be staying right in her nice warm den unless she absolutely had to leave it. So that was that, all herb gathering would happen now.

But she had no sooner crossed the border with the cranky racoon - quite fat now in preparation for winter, at that - clinging to her shoulders and Asriel stalking silently beside her, when the tall Imperialis bitch paused. Her muzzle raised, nose twitching, tasting the wind. Yes, a stranger was approaching the border. The scent was growing stronger, as though he were coming more or less straight for her rather than skirting around the pack lands. They could yet turn aside from the border, but it was not a risk she was willing to take with her family's safety. Torrent stayed put until she could pinpoint where the scent was coming from, then moved to set herself solidly in the approaching male's path, her dual-toned head and tail raised in a dominant posture as she waited, all four paws set solidly to the earth and lacking only the loose, lightly bent joints to be a true warrior stance so it would be less than a breath to drop into it.

OOC: Being vague about what specifically has happened at Aerie though this is set afterwards, under the assumption Eli isn't showing up to force claim him so eventually he'll be allowed to walk away win or lose. While his visit was short, he'd found it had helped to soothe at least a small portion of the boiling anger that was overtaking him. It was only natural he found himself continuing along the path to the Armada (he had to go home and face the music eventually, after all) though with the scent of another pack pulling his focus he did not find it a difficult task to change his already flimsy plans. One more small intrusion couldn't hurt, could it? Perhaps he'd get a real welcome this time, an all-out assault by a man who could rival his height and power, and not a tiny healer who'd foolishly put herself before him like he was a rabid dog. Her kids, she'd said she was protecting. Azure may have been a bit of a monster, though he wouldn't go out of his way to injure children - of that there was no sport. However this time his opponent stood just before the borderline and the surprise of the initiative she'd met him with brought his brow to raise. Not only that, but this one was a chick who didn't look like she was suicidal or stupid or tiny and afraid trying to be fierce in protection of her children. Regardless Azure continued forward until he was at what he assumed to be a polite speaking distance, his body language relaxed and - for the moment - non-threatening. "I'm getting the impression that I'd be wasting my time trying to just waltz in, hmm?" At the very least this woman might provide a good distracting fight. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

The wolf who stepped out of the brush to confront her was every inch her size, and with similar fangs to those that trailed past her own jaw. Even his markings were similar enough to many of the Imperialis that he could have passed unremarked if he had lived among them, and the way he leered as though it were all a joke... well... that would not have been out of place among her older siblings and niblings either. Torrent, however, arched her neck to look down her nose at him with narrowed eyes and stony features. She made no effort to hide her appraisal as she looked him up and down, and dismissed him as an overgrown child. "I'm certain the plants would grow better for it if you tried," she said coolly, "With your blood to nourish them. I don't tolerate trespassers. " She tilted her head slightly, the faintest invitation for him, and the flash of her fangs. "Care to find out, boy? Or should we pretend it was all a misunderstanding and save us both the effort?"

He did not miss the unimpressed way she inspected him, though he stood quietly and allowed her her appraisal. Az had no interest in having the benefit of surprise anyways should it come to a fight. Her comment drew from him an amused scoff, though his gaze grew colder as she remarked upon his age. It was a touchy subject. "Funny, Aerie didn't seem to tolerate my trespassing either. Begs the question if there are any fun packs left in this land at all." Her threat didn't affect him any more then the last wolves who appeared to defend their soil against him. Az made a show of glancing around, over her shoulders and back towards the trees. "Are you sure it's not you who's misunderstanding? After all, I haven't stepped foot in your territory yet. This orchard I hear is free land, and I doubt the drunks who harvest the trees here will appreciate blood in their wine." "Speech" "Thinking" "You."