Tracking Iskra had gotten easier and easier as time passed. It's not like her adoptive parental unit had not been leaving little hints for her to follow. No one was on fire quite like Iskra. She was in an upbeat mood today and it had started like any other day, disturb the wildlife, take a nap, hunt a little, then see bout stirring up some trouble. That was her current objective, and how better to stir up trouble than to find the queen of trouble herself. Of course Arwen was becoming a close second to that. She stumbled upon a marking and she made a face at it. What was Iskra doing there? Uh well, might as well go in and drag her out to play right? Not like Iskra could resist trouble, hell it was practically their middle names. She did walk the border a bit first though. She was all for trouble but a whole pack, plus if Iskra wasn't even there? not worth it. The glowing child didn't find a sign of her guardian leaving though and she was determined to find her. Should she wait at the border probably but she didn't want to sit there and wait forever. It's not like she could just howl to get her guardians attention or that one guy with the cats. Have you ever heard a mute howl? No? Thats because doy they couldn't. With a hop in her step and her tail up and wagging she did what she wanted. Her paws went over the border and the glowing spirit girl moved towards that huge looming thing. One she wanted to see what the heck that was. Two she wanted to find Iskra. Three she was causing trouble the best way ever. Okay maybe it was the worst but she had to improvise sometimes. She was following Iskra's scent too. It was intertwined with the cat guys and she was starting to puff up at that. She looked for the best thing to make noise with as she went and once she found a looser stone she stopped. That would do. She hopped up to the stone and started pushing on it. After a minute it was falling to the stones below. CRACK! The sound was loud enough to get someone's attention hopefully. She wanted iskra and she was starting to get jealous of the cat man. Walk "Talk" Think

Having been spending several days just exploring and becoming familiar with the lands Talis occupied as well as enjoying her time with Dragon, Iskra'd been rather occupied and hadn't left herself much time for idle thoughts. One morning the red wolf had been quite tempted to pull Dragon close and sleep in a while rather than getting up. It had been so weird in retrospect though. Iskra always woke up ready to go racing off and causing mischief wherever she ended up, but that day she'd just felt so content where she was that she didn't want the moment to ever end! What even was that? Today she found herself strolling through the many rooms of the castle, appreciating how large each one was and how the many winding corridors provided amble space within it. Wondering if there might be a way to get to the top of it so she could look out at the lands around it, Iskra was going to take off and explore further when she heard a noise that seemed out of place. A loud crack, like stone hitting stone, from somewhere behind her by the entrance, perhaps? Brows furrowed and realizing that this was a problem she ought to address since she heard the sound and kind of lived here now, Iskra turned around and went trotting towards the source of the sound. Maybe it was just another pack member somewhere... Or not! Seeing the glowing blue figure, she knew right away who it was and couldn't decide if she was very excited and relieved, or very upset and nervous. Probably all of those. Yes, all of them. HUrrying over to Arwen Iskra lifted a paw to try and pull the girl close to her for a moment, then backed up and fixed Arwen with a serious look. "Arwen, love, I'm happy to see you but I'm not sure you should have come so far into the territory!" her expression was worried, but it changed to thoughtful as she considered things and then mused, "But you can't very well signal you've arrived another way, hm? I see, well, I'm glad I'm the one who found you then!" Nuzzling the smaller blue wolf, Iskra passively looked her over to make sure she looked like she was okay. The young girl seemed to be alright, which was good. "Have you been doing good? Not causing too much trouble, right?" she grinned at her charge. Turning a bit more serious, she glanced around and spoke with a more even tone, "Arwen I do have some things to tell you. Nothing bad, but it's important. I won't be wandering so much anymore, which is good 'cause you will know where I am, but also means we probably need a way for you to signal from the border... Hm... Anyways, I joined  this pack, so I live here now." She tried to explain things gently, hoping the girl would somewhat understand that this wasn't a bad thing. The last thing Iskra wanted to do was upset Arwen, she just also wanted - needed, even - to be with Dragon here. It didn't mean she couldn't still spend time with Arwen, though. Turning and glancing around in case they'd already been joined by someone else, Iskra let out a bark to summon Dragon to her side. She hoped he'd be understanding about the fact that Arwen couldn't have called from the border if she wanted to. If the girl had tried she may have been standing out there for ages before someone ever found her! Well, at least until the next patrol passed but who knew when one would go by wherever Arwen had been. "Speak"

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She jumped down from where she had dropped the rock and waited. She didn't need to wait long either, which was good because had she needed to she might of went to see about chasing some prey around here and making everything panic. Oh that would be so much fun! She could cause trouble while she was at it too! She shook her head to focus and shake away such ideas for now. She grinned as Iskra came and pulled her into her embrace. Her tail thumped eagerly on the ground. Her words when she pulled back earned Iskra a roll of her eyes. Honestly she couldn't have just called at the border. When she nuzzled Winny, she nipped at Iskra's ear. And then Iskra asked her how she was doing and she gave a big grin as if to answer that she was good. Though trouble was her middle name and she gave a snort of air through her nose as if to answer that. Then the explaining and stuff started. Oh boy, Iskra joined the cat man in his pack and now he was taking Iskra from her. Jealousy bubbled up inside her and she fixed Iskra with a stern and harsh look. She wasn't a fan of loosing Iskra. She liked having someone to depend on all the time, someone too adventure and make mayhem with. Why would she do this to Arwen? It wasn't fair! She had only just got to start thinking of Iskra as her guardian. Did Iskra not like her? Did she not want her? Her ears fell at the thought. Iskra hadn't even come to tell her that she was joining some stupid boy's pack! Did she like him more than her? And ew being a pack wolf meant being stuck in auster and responsibilities! Why would Iskra want that!?! Walk "Talk" Think

It wasn't till she had Arwen held close that Iskra realized how she'd missed her. Often she wondered if the girl may have been better off with a guardian who could actually sit still and devote all their attention to her. It was likely, and Iskra felt worse knowing that if things worked out in Talis that she would probably become someone who could provide that too late. Her sisters would almost definately never understand her taking in Arwen, and that was unfortunate because Iskra was glad she'd taken charge of the glowing blue pup she found. Sure, she made a lot of dumb mistakes, but she also learned from them, and at least Arwen hadn't had to be lost and alone. Right?

Nodding, Iskra smiled warmly at Arwen, "Good, I'm glad you're fairing well!" Narrowing her eyes and giving the girl a sly smile, Iskra shook her starry hear and chuckled, "Can't say I'm surprised, just don't get into anything you can't handle and get back out of, okay?" That was the best advice she could give to someone so determined to take after her. The girl would probably have to learn what was too far through the harsh reality of hands on experience. In their time together that's what seemed to work. As long as she didn't get hurt, Iskra  figured she could handle stepping back and letting arwen find out what getting in actual trouble was like at least once. Otherwise she might end up raising some wild child or something, heaven forbid.

Iskra let one ear fall to the side, the other fixed on Arwen as her own face took on a look of warning. Arwen's look said she was upset, while Iskra's said 'you better calm down right now'. "Arwen," she began sternly, though her voice was softer than if she'd been seriously scolding the girl. "Listen to me, this doesn't have to be a negative thing. I'm very sorry I didn't tell you before, I wasn't sure I was going to join until recently, and I didn't want to tell you and then end up not doing it or something. We can still hang out lots, go on adventures, and you can come find me any time you need me cause you'll know where I'm at." Now she felt lost. How did she explain it. She didn't want Arwen to feel hurt of upset, ughhh. Why was life complicated and why wasn't she  better at thinking ahead and preplanning. Of course the child wouldn't want her to disappear into a pack without her. And of course she'd feel miffed that Iskra was going to be dividing her attention now that she was with Dragon. Of course Iskra didn't mention that part in so many words, but now didn't feel like the best time to add fuel to the fire.

Gryphon had been on a fairly relaxed hunt, just restocking the small game caches, when he came across an unfamiliar scent crossing the border. He stood a moment, allowing his sensitive nose to disclose all the information he needed. This was more important than restocking the caches, and who better to track an intruder than someone whose job required them to refine their scenting abilities beyond the normal? The scent said wolf, of course. Female, young. Definitely pre-sexual maturity but not a pup, so somewhere between her first and second birthdays. Definitely, definitely not a member of Talis. She didn't bear the slightest trace of Talis scent, nor did a Talis scent accompany hers in a way that would have indicated an escort.

The ranger's expression hardened. A yearling was certainly old enough to know better than to cross borders. There was no excuse for that sort of disrespect towards a pack's claim. Expelling his breath through his nose in a deep sigh, Gryphon turned to follow the trail further into the territory, toward the castle that many of the pack called home.

Coming around a piece of a fallen wall, he found his quarry and took them in at a glance. A strangely colored yearling female, and his eyes narrowed just a fraction at the sight of an unfamiliar adult female speaking to her. His nostrils flared, carrying both scents to himself. She, at least, seemed to be a member of the pack, albeit with the pack scent very, very new. Her own bright coloring seemed to imply some relation to the strangely glowing blue yearling, though the coloring and features weren't right.

He gave no other reaction to the unusual appearance of the pair than that single lowering of his brows, but instead stalked up to them both with his head and tail held high and a clearly disapproving expression upon his face and stamped upon his entire frame. "Give me a good reason I should not maim you and chase you from our lands as our laws require," he rumbled. Another wolf might have chosen to do so immediately, and in fact it was required that they do so - Gryphon wondered if he would regret choosing to talk first. Still, she hardly looked to be a threat he couldn't handle if it came to it, so he could afford to hold back for now.

Iskra was close to scolding her and Arwen took in a breath. Her cheeks puffed out and her eyes fixed on her with borderline hurt and anger. She could smell cat man all over Iskra and she wasn't sure she liked it at all. She definitely was feeling pangs of jealousy and she understood that something was up between Iskra and Dragon. Iskra would of never thought of joining a pack otherwise. How was she supposed to disturb the wild life if she had to do pack things? She felt betrayed. Like Iskra was choosing him over her. Another came and she huffed out the breath. Her golden eyes turned in his direction as he came towards them with a statement that if she could laugh at she would of. Grand idea, threaten their alpha's apparent love interest's adoptive daughter. Yeah she could see this going over well. She still didn't get how so many wolves in so many places had no idea how to read the situation and the fact that, hello, she didn't talk because she was mute. If she could of called for Iskra she would have, that's what the big rock she dropped was for and all. Big burly dumb dumb here needed a lesson or two on disabled wolves. She glanced to Iskra for only a second before looking back to Big burly dumb dumb, then a gesture she liked to use best came. She opened her mouth and closed it several times as if mimicking words, but nothing but breaths came from her. Easiest way to tell that the girl was mute in her opinion. Though maybe he'd think she was being a smart ass, whatever though. She then looked to Iskra for at least a little help explaining. Walk "Talk" Think

Arwen looked irritated and hurt but Iskra just didn’t know how to explain this to her. Things changed, wolves changed over time and one thing that changed when she met Dragon was her willingness to try joining a pack. It was mostly to be around him if she was honest though, otherwise she probably would have been traveling right now still. She was going to try and console Arwen by telling her it wasn’t all that bad and maybe she could join too if she wanted, as well as assuring the girl they could still have fun and be in a pack. Iskra didn’t get to any of that though because she heard someone approaching and soon a male voice cut through the brief silence.

By appearances and scent Iskra could hazard a guess that the guy was related to Dragon. Greeeat, first meeting with a family member and it was because Arwen was trespassing and Iskra had to somehow get her out of it. Or, do her best. She wasn’t really sure she could get the girl out unscathed since Arwen did do something wrong and there was nothing to do but apologize. Ears falling to the sides Iskra moved to stand alongside Arwen facing the man, tone apologetic and posture neutral a she replied, ”I’m very sorry, as is Arwen, she’s mute and didn’t think to wait for a patrol to pass by at the borders. She came looking for me because I seem to be an idiot and didn’t go find her after I joined…” Iskra’s words took on a sharp tone at the beginning, urging Arwen to drop the attitude for now and look sorry lest she actually be maimed. Clearly the kid wasn’t getting the picture on her own, and though she couldn’t speak aloud Iskra was familiar with her enough now to know flippancy when she saw it. Maybe the last bit wasn’t super necessary, but it was her way of trying to continue apologizing to Arwen subtly as the situation took on a far tenser feel now that the kid was in trouble.

Attempting to bump Arwen’s shoulder in case she needed more coercion to “say sorry”, Iskra shot the girl a disapproving look. Yes, Iskra ought to have done things better, but she wasn’t the one trespassing and in deep trouble. ”I’d implore you to be lenient, I’m sure she came in without thinking because she was mad with me, but it won’t be happening again I assure you.” Her words were gentle and faintly pleading. If it came down to it, Iskra figured she’d find a way to make it more her own fault and get Arwen out of there safely if possible though she did hope it didn’t come to that. Please, please, PLEASE let the girl behave now that things were serious.