Landon Ancora

Autumn winds brought it more than just a chill to the lands of Boreas today. Riding on the cool breeze strode in a golden framed male with emerald eyes. Landon had heard many tales of the lands of Boreas from his family, including the ones about distant family members he has never met before. That was his true reason for coming her, but the fun isn't in the destination right? It's in the journey there, and boy was Landon ready to have some fun with the wolves of Boreas. He couldn't very well decide what he wanted to do first; should he find some big bad wolves and throw down or should he track down some tasty females and get down to real business? He mentally shrugged his shoulders, guessing fate would decide that for him.

The northern lands were exceptionally colder than the southern lands, but that worked for Landon; his body carried with it a thick coat designed to keep heat in and cold out, so it was a rather nice day out for him. Somehow, the large male managed to travel into a rather interesting looking scene. Before him laid a slanted tree, resting its ends on a fellow tree, offering an almost bridge-like passage to higher ground. The way Landon figured, the higher up her went, the more he could see, and the more likely he would be to see something interesting to entertain him. So with the combined force of his hind muscles and tendons, the young male bounded up the trunk towards the skyline. Carefully did the golden male find himself a sturdy branch, thick enough to support his mass, and decided to lay across it, keeping his emerald gaze trained on the ground below so he might catch sight of something interesting.

"Speech"

Since losing her siblings Ferrous had taken up wandering with Zahir. There were pros and cons to being alone. The pros were that it was easier to feed two instead of five, and deciding where to go and how long to stay was easier too. The cons were that she missed them terribly and loneliness had become a bit of a problem. She wouldn't let her sadness hold her back, though. She would press on in good spirits knowing that her siblings would expect nothing less of her. Wherever they were, she hoped they could do the same.

An odd sight up ahead brought Ferrous out of her reverie. The moment she laid eyes on him, on the big, heavy looking dude draped across the branch like a puma, her mood lifted. She snorted a laugh and frisked towards him, stopping once she stood under the branch he was laying on.

She smirked up at him, her expression bright and good-natured, and quipped, "I must say, you's the oddest looking cat I've ever seen."

Large emerald eyes rested at half mass as time began to tick by, slipping ever so close to impending boredom. A large sigh slipped passed his lips as his tail twitched below him, offering his body some type of amusement while he laid there. It almost seemed like all hope was lost in this new world, that is, until the faintest of laughs was heard from under the man's perch. Immediately, golden ears perked up and flicked forward, intrigued by the sudden noise. Grass eyes widened to their regular size before casting their gaze down upon the poor unfortunate creature that would have stumbled into his path. A lovely little charcoal minx trotted towards his branch, looking awfully giddy at his appearance. A curious brow rose at her words, while a smug smirk began to curve it's way into his features.

Landon couldn't help but let out a sarcastic gasp at her feline remark, a looking as offended as he could while sitting upright. "A cat! Good heavens, do you not know a lion when you see one?" He dragged with a flirtatious grin before he let his eyes wander over her form; she was a pretty little thing, a bit young perhaps but that didn't mean he couldn't toy with her now, would it? Mischievous thoughts raced through his mind, before his lips purred to the girl.  "And I must say little mouse, you look like a delicious snack." Eyes narrowed slightly as he attempted to flirt, before he pulled away, and resuming his comfortable position laying across the branch. He would then turn back to the stranger, curious as to what this encounter might brings him.

"Speech"

His dramatic response caused her grin to widen. Feinting chagrin, Ferrous lifted a paw to her chest and let her expression grow apologetic. "Oh, my apologies, Mr. Lion! Can't see your mane from way down here." She held the sorry expression for a second longer before cocking her head and adopting a shit-eating grin.

She noticed him sizing her up but decided to play dumb. The 'naive puppy' act usually worked for Ferrous. She'd keep an eye on him, try to figure out why he was eyeballing her all predatory-like, but in the meantime she was gonna enjoy herself. Let him try to play her; he'd be in for a surprise.

His next statement made her snort. All sass, she pursed her lips and quirked a brow at him. "A snack? Why, Mr. Lion, I'm offended you'd think so little of me."

She was such tiny little thing, even from his perch, Landon would tell she would be much smaller than he. He was very pleased that she was willing to play along with his game, evident in the Cheshire grin that spread across his lips. "Perhaps this will help," the golden man then shook his head, causing his thick fur to swing wildly around his neck. His shaking caused his balance to falter, making his chest slip off the branch slightly. It was enough to cause his nails to grip into the bark like feline claws, and his eyes to bug out wide with fear of falling. He looked down at the youngster for a minute before settling back on the branch, a little more aware of his presence.

He laughed at her words, seeing that she was in fact much smaller. To prove his point, and to feel much safer on the ground, Landon jumped from his perch down. The male landed with a huff and a thud against the floor. Once safely on all floors, he turned to face the female with his head held high. From there it was clear of their height difference, so he smiled softly as he spoke. "See little mouse? You are a snack for a lion like me. But, if it's any consequence, I bet you would be a most delicious snack." He had no idea where this woman had come from, nor what she was really like. But if she was truly as fun as she seemed, he would grow quite fond of her.

"Speech"

Mr. Lion shook out his "mane" and just about fell out of the tree. Ferrous burst out laughing. Between his "mane" and his panic she simply couldn't help it. Maybe it was rude to laugh, but she didn't care. It was funny!

It would seem the "lion" wasn't feeling too safe in his tree anymore. After a beat he jumped down. A wise move. If he'd fallen while trying to be all smooth and whatnot she would have busted a gut laughing at him. For her it would have been great, but for him - unless he was particularly smooth - there probably wouldn't have been a good comeback.

Ferrous scoffed light-heartedly at his words. "Puh-lease, pretty boy." Okay, so he was a bit older than her and maybe she should have been more cautious dealing with a big burly stranger, but she didn't particularly like being called a mouse. Maybe she should have played along, accepted the pet name and used it to her advantage, but for whatever reasons she simply couldn't today.

With a teasing tone, she quipped, "Mouse or not, I'd have you on the ground so fast your mane would give you whiplash!"

Landon grinned at her laughter, pleased he could bring such a tune to this world. His smile only grew more as she called him "pretty boy", making his chest puff out with pride and joy that she found him as attractive as he found her. "So, you think I'm pretty? Can't say I blame you." He purred, smirking as he looked down at the woman. She might be young.. but if she ended up offering herself to him, could anyone really blame him for granting her wishes? Her next words made his interest peak; his brows raising and his tail beginning to sway softly behind him. "Is that so little Mouse? I'd love to test your theory, but I'm afraid your dad would be upset if I kept you out past your bedtime." He grinned, backing up to give her some space in case she decided to pounce on him like the little kitten she was. He was conflicted with the idea, because he really wanted to have some fun but at the same time would it really be fair to fight someone younger and smaller?

"Speech"

Oh my, he was really trying to get a rise out of her, wasn't he? Well, it was working. She didn't like being called 'mouse' and she really didn't like what he was implying. Sure, he had like a bazillion pounds on her and just as many inches, but she liked to think of herself as pretty damn capable. She'd had to be. Growing up without her parents or a pack to protect her, Ferrous had had to learn how to handle herself. The lion was in for a surprise.

In response to his words Ferrous scoffed playfully and rolled her eyes. The way he'd originally looked her over coupled with every comment he'd made so far made the stranger's interest in her pretty clear. She was willing to bet it wouldn't be too terribly hard to make him think he was getting his way.

She appeared to waver, her gaze dropping to the ground for a second as she thought something over. After a moment she looked up at him through her lashes and took a few coquettish steps closer; her body arcing slightly around his so that they were side to side and she had to look back to see his face. "I don't have a bedtime," she purred invitingly. Her gaze then turned thoughtful and darted towards the sky. "I do think you're pretty. In fact..." Ferrous turned wide, innocent eyes on Landon, seemingly struggling with nerves...

...and then she threw herself at his lower forelegs. If she succeeded, her head and shoulders would squarely strike his legs and begin to knock them towards his right. Then, once her upper body was completely under him, she'd straighten her forelegs while keeping her hind end lowered. This would hopefully knock the big guy over (basically guiding him down her back as he rolled) while allowing her to escape out the other side unsquashed. "I think you're the prettiest sucker I've met all day!"

The reaction he expected from the little woman was not what he received, in fact, it was the complete opposite. Since their first exchange she had responded with snarky, comical responses, and now she appeared almost flirtatious in the way she moved. He stood still, watching her form curiously, for there was something fishy about her sudden mood change. But then again, especially in his experience, women tend to change their minds faster than the wind. Once she moved to stand beside him, he was tense. Emerald eyes were determined never to leave her face, in case she was trying to trick him in some way... but damn was that hard. He couldn't help but let his eyes drop, for just a moment as she spoke so seductively. That was all she needed to strike like a rose with thorns.

It happened quickly, which wasn't surprising due to her leaner form. His legs buckled under the surprise strike, and suddenly his weight was riding on top of the little girl, making him flip down her spine. Instantly Landon worried his weight might've broken something, but his pride had other things to be concerned about. Like, how he just got side-swiped by a little girl? How could he have let that happen? His legs twisted to catch himself, but only just. His rump hit the ground for a few seconds before he popped back up, green eyes gone wild as they prepared for another attack. He chuckled, shaking his head a bit as he praised her tactics, "You almost had me, little Minx. I must say, my feelings are a bit hurt." He mocked a pouting lip before it turned into a grin. She had proved herself to be no mere mouse, a Minx was more fitting to her now.

With his head lowered to be parallel with his shoulders, Landon began to circle around the dark vixen. "Tell me something, little Minx, who taught you this move?" He paused, tilting his head to the side while seeming to shrug his shoulders. "I only ask because, well I get the feeling you're no pack slave nor a family girl, so I can only wonder if this is training or pure talent." How interesting would that be? A young girl with a knack for fighting? The idea stirred in his mind, plotting out his moves, while his eyes stayed narrowed in on her form, awaiting her answer with as much anticipation as he could muster. "Gotta any more moves to show me little Minx?" He would stop his moving then, turning to face her more directly, waiting to see if she truly wanted to show her skills or if she would settle for her minor victory over him.

"Speech"

Cackling wildly, Ferrous spun to face him as soon as she was in the clear. She quirked a brow at him; her expression smug. Sweetly, she asked, "Just your feelings? I didn't give you whiplash, did I?" Hehehehe. Served him right!

Oh, ho, ho! So she wasn't a "little mouse" anymore, huh? Good. He'd learned his lesson. Although, now she wasn't liking how he was looking at her.

Her gaze unrepentant, Ferrous kept Landon in her sights as he circled her. She let him; but she mirrored his movements in a much smaller circle so that she was always facing him. It was hard to tell just how 'hurt' he was and in her experience there were those who couldn't handle being made a fool of. She'd fight him for real if necessary, although she really did hope he wasn't the tantrum-throwing type. So far he'd been fun.

"Talent," she said cockily. She had a bit of training too, but fighting with a snow leopard was different than fighting with a wolf. In response to his question, she shrugged then retorted, "None that you'll like."

Since he didn't seem too butthurt, she asked, "So, you got a name, or do I get to call you Whiplash?"

He chuckled at her banter, happy that she was back to her normal self and no longer trying to trick him. "Close, but not quite." He answered, twisting his neck a bit to loosen up the tenseness in his muscles. He liked this one, she seemed to be able to have some fun while not being afraid to hold her own. It was unique, nothing he had seem before. His gaze assessed her response to his movements, and found it appropriate under the circumstances. She understood he was not to be tricked again, and further more, that she should keep an eye on him. That meant she was smart, keeping her guard up even though he hadn't made any advances.. yet. Landon smiled at this, wondering at what kind of warrior she might one day become. Probably none I'd want to face, he mused to himself.

"Talent, I thought as much. You should find a warrior to teach you more, then you might actually make a good General one day." In this moment, Landon would allow a bit of truth to slip passed his lips, something not many got to hear. When she asked for his name, he thought about it for a minute, before he shrugged and sat back on his haunches once more, his body attempting to relax once again. "The name is Landon Ancora, but, Whiplash sounds so much cooler doesn't it?" He grinned, wondering if he would earn a pet name like she had earned hers. He let his gaze bounce around the woods surrounding them, curious as to why someone like her would enter them alone. "Tell me, little Minx, are you really alone?" concern made an appearance on his features, but if only briefly and only slightly, for showing emotions was not really Landon's style.

"Speech"

She wasn't quite sure what he meant by 'general' but after saying she might one day be a good one he moved on and she decided to let it go. Perhaps he was part of a pack or something and that was one of their higher ranks. Either way, she was going to take it as a compliment. "Maybe I will." Perhaps there was someone in Niente who would teach her.

In response to his joke she snorted a chuckle. "It does have a nice ring to it." Landon was a nice name. In her opinion it suited him, which was more than she could say for her name. She didn't really feel like a Ferrous. Kestrel was better. Cooler. And when she used it, it put a bit more distance between herself and whoever she was dealing with. She liked that. It was safer. "You can call me Kestrel."

"Tell me, little Minx, are you really alone?" She cocked her head at him and fixed him with a curious stare. "Who said I was alone?" Of course, she was alone. But she hadn't said that and she wasn't about to confirm his suspicions. It was better - safer - for him to believe she was with others.

He nodded his head, agreeing that she should pursue such a position. Fighters were invaluable in packs, especially ones prepping for war. However, he hadn't seen any signs of war in these lands; no blood filled valleys, decaying bodies laying around, there was no cries of battle or whispers of death. It seemed like a rather peaceful place, which made it incredibly boring. No excitement, no mystery, no danger. Well, except for Little Minx, she was incredibly dangerous. Might pounce on him in his sleep or something. Landon had to hold back a laugh at the thought, however amusing as it might be, his fantasy might better be kept to himself. Her name got his attention back, Kestrel, it was unique and beautiful, but could also throw fear in the hearts of weaker wolves once she goes to battle and wins. He grinned his Cheshire grin, "Kestrel is a good, strong name. But I like little Minx better." It was his own personal pet name for her, one he hoped she would never forget. Plus, it would make her think of him whenever she heard it, hopefully, and he always thought of her when he said it.

Her answer was curious, for she seemed genuine in not being alone, at least, that's what she seemed to be alluding. He shrugged, figuring it wasn't his place nor his problem, even if she was alone. She clearly didn't want help. "Well, if you're not alone, I guess I don't got to stick around." He sighed as he stood, looking about the woods trying to decide which way to go. He needed to find more wolves to ask if they knew where his family was. His brows arches when he realized he hasn't asked Kestrel yet, so he quickly looked back over his shoulder. "Oh hey, you wouldn't happen to know where the other Ancoras are, would you? Or maybe you can ask the others you run around with, but there should be a whole pack of rascals like me running around here somewhere." Maybe she would know, but she hadn't said anything, do he figured she didn't. But the more wolves that knew he was searching for him, the faster he would find them.

"Speech"

"Well, if you're not alone, I guess I don't got to stick around." She wasn't sure what to make of that statement. Did that mean he wanted to travel with her or something? Or maybe he thought she was too weak to make it on her own. She shrugged dismissively. "What does me not being alone have to do with anything? You're free to stick around or...not." Here she was thinking they were talking as equals, but it kinda felt like he thought she was a child in need of a babysitter. The thought annoyed her. She could handle herself. As for the Ancoras... Ferrous shook her head. "Nah, never heard the name before, sorry." She thought about it for a second. "Are you sure there's a pack of 'em? 'cause I don't remember any alpha with the name Ancora and I've been all over." "Speaking" - "Thinking" - "You"