before heading further into this land, Bee had stopped at the borders of one particular pack. she had met a man from this one, knew it to be called Winterfell. it was the only other pack in the north to her knowledge. the people must be tough to live in ice and constant snow. and as it happens, she was looking for a place to settle for a bit. at least during winter when she knew it would be a bit hard as a rogue. there were no delusions about her wanderlust though; she knew it'd take a lot to get her to actually slow down. raising her head, she'd call for the leader of the folk here.

the woman rested before the border, red gaze on the treeline as she waited. as much as she loved to wander, she would never cross over someone's border. it was their hard work that made the pack happen, and she'd feel bad if she trespassed. actually, a lot of work went into a pack. not just border stuff. Bee wasn't a fighter either and would have trouble explaining just why she had gone over the scent line anyway. what excuse could she even give? movement caught her eye but nothing did happen. at least not right away. she tried to make herself a bit more presentable and not-threatening.

though calling directly for the alpha could arouse suspicion.

"Speech"
233/1500 words

A call at the border drew his attention, and he was curious as to who it was. Obviously nobody he had met before because the voice was unrecognizable and he had a knack for remembering the voices of those he had met in the past. He was patrolling on the opposite side of the territory, so it took him a little longer than usual to get to where someone waited. He briefly wondered if it was someone from one of the other packs, but having known some of the other leaders and knowing this was none of them, he doubted it. There were perhaps a couple he hadn't met, however, such as Lirim and Risen. If there were any others he was unaware of that was also a possibility. He had yet to go to the others packs to consider talking about an alliance, but did the pack really need them? It wouldn't be a bad idea to ally with some of them. After all, at some point in time there was always the chance of a pack with darker tendencies rising up, and while he personally knew Winterfell could handle such a possible threat, he wasn't so sure about the other packs.

Crimson gaze spotted a most peculiar looking she-wolf, her coat more green than anything. At first he might have mistaken her for part of the forest, but the blood red gaze that looked back knocked that thought out of the park. Was this simply a visitor? Someone seeking information? Perhaps someone coming to join? The possibilities were endless. He approached until he was a respectable distance from her, head dipping in a greeting. "Welcome to Winterfell, how may I be of assistance to you?"

"Acere"||Winter

“oh, hello there” Willoughby launched into at once in her dreamy tone of voice. The man had been prompted enough meeting her call, so she was friendly. Then again, if he hadn’t been, she still would be friendly. There was no need for her to be rude, after all. So, this pack was indeed Winterfell and this man was the alpha it would seem. The woman straightened up to look at him with the respect he was owed, though her eyes were still a bit far away in terms of whimsy. “my name is Willoughby. I wanted to ask some questions about your pack if you have the time.” She searched her own brain for what she felt were important ones before launching into more questions.

The concept of a pack was a foreign one. She had never felt the need for joining a community, but she also wanted to know more about things. Even if she had no interest in Winterfell, Bee wanted to learn. She wanted to be involved. More involved than she was, for she seemed to flit through life with some lucky streak. No one had been rude or cruel to her so far, but it could be a matter of time. She was not one to fight or be crass, but others could have those intentions. She was aware of this, chose to ignore it, in favor of living her life in peace. “now, I don’t want to join your pack…” she tilted her head to the side as she regarded the man, a soft smile appearing “I’m quite new to this land. I only wanted to be informed.”

She hoped that also wasn’t rude of her so she added in; “but if you prefer not to speak of such casual things, I will happily go on my way.”

"Speech"
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She was quick to greet him and he dipped his head in return, an amused look in his eye. She introduced herself as Willoughby, a strange name for a strange colored wolf but she was more interesting then she was strange so far. Perhaps this meeting would be amusing, perhaps even insightful for the both of them. "Acere, it's a pleasure to meet you, Willoughby." She said she wanted to ask some questions about the pack and he nodded, "Of course," He was always happy to talk about the structure of Winterfell and what was expected whether someone wanted to join or not, and although she made it clear she didn't want to join, he could respect that. She at least seemed honest enough to let him know upfront, something he appreciated so that he wouldn't have to worry about whether or not he might have to deny a place among them considering the pack was full to the brim and with pups on the way...but knowing now that she didn't have the intention of joining made it easier for him. She just wanted to know about the pack and he was more than happy to oblige.

"It's no problem at all, I'd be happy to share what you wish to know. It's not often someone comes around just wanting to know about a pack," Let alone his. But then again, Winterfell was stationed in the North. And with Winter coming, it was unlikely anyone would be coming up for a simple chat anytime soon after this, though he could be wrong. He figured he'd start the conversation about the pack, perhaps it'd make it easier for her to think up questions if he started the ice breaker. "Since you came seeking information, perhaps I'd best start about my position." He sat down, wrapping his thick and fluffy tail around his large paws. "I am the King of Winterfell, the title is usually obvious as to my position. I'm the primary alpha of this pack, and as of yet there is no Queen - or secondary." There will be soon, I hope... He thought to himself, mind wandering for a brief moment to Heloise. He knew she'd make an excellent Queen someday, perhaps a better queen than he was a king.

"Below me is my most trusted member, the Hand of the King. He stands in my place should I ever be unable to be there myself. Though as you can see, I am able to attend most anything that requires my attention. Winterfell is full of wolves from all walks of life, from young pups to our oldest member who I believe is perhaps eleven or twelve years old. Which in our species is quite ancient," He had never met a wolf as old as Avalon before, and he was always amazed each day when he saw her and she was still kicking. He had deep respect for her, and sought her guidance. Despite his own experiences, she still had years of it that outweighed his own. She had seen it all, been through it all. She was a valued member of the pack no question about it.

Looking to Willoughby, crimson gaze locking with crimson gaze, he wondered if she wanted to know more about their structure. The laws. Maybe the hierarchy? The way the pack worked together? There was so much to know when it came to packs, and each one had their own theme and the way they worked. Winterfell was more geared for battle hardened warriors, while packs like Abaven seemed to extend a hand to any and all who needed it. He felt it would be their downfall someday, especially if Shaye kept drawing attention and sticking her nose where it didn't belong. But who was he to judge? He didn't live there anymore and was glad for it. He was the King of his own pack, ruled how he wanted and did as he pleased. He thought himself a fair king, though nothing had really happened to put that to the test among his own yet.

WC: 682

the man seemed pleasantly surprised that she wanted to ask questions about the pack. she'd merely smile at him, grateful, before he launched into what he knew. it was soon revealed he was the king and Willoughby felt gladdened she had the chance to speak to the one running things in Winterfell. he told her much and was honest enough to say he had no second. she was used to alpha, beta... that sorta thing with ranks. it was common knowledge amongst wolves; even loners knew these basic positions.

so to hear they had different names for them in Boreas was exciting and creative. Acere added in they had an elder in the pack, a very old wolf around twelve years old. it wasn't uncommon in her nomad culture for a wolf to live that long; her grandfather had been eleven when he passed. and she knew the other wolves that lived where she had been lived happy, carefree lives. "oh my! it seems you run things quite smoothly here, King Acere" if he was able to meet at the border with a loner of all things, it sounded like a relatively peaceful existence. "there are no other packs in the north, are there?"

without competition, Winterfell could flourish and use the resources found here. especially without conflict. seeing as she wasn't going to join their ranks, Willoughby felt like asking too much was too nosy without commitment. instead, she asked something else of him. "what culture do you have here? beliefs? religion? if at all?" she loved to hear about different cultures and how to properly pay tribute to them.

"Speech"
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