Walk | "Talk" | Think The Sunset Falls was the last place he had spent time with his mother before her disappearance and death, and it was his present place of residency. It was a decent place; the forest was bright and colorful with the season, the grasses below were sheltered from the majority of the bright sunlight and still made comfortable bedding for resting openly beneath the trees, not to mention the quiet sound of the waterfall was a pleasant lullaby when resting. It was not, however, home. It never would be, not with the plans the youth harbored. That special title belonged to Tortuga, the neighboring volcano that sported a beautiful, lively forested mountainside for its dwellers. He had grown up there, knew it well, and hoped one day to return to it. Perhaps even as leader. Growing up, he had never wanted the responsibility that came with high roles. He had been born somewhat of a runt among his siblings, the oddball by look and temperament it had seemed, and it had certainly felt like it when he spent time with his charming brother and adventurous sister. But he had learned with age and experience that he was still very much like them, like his distant parents, the cool, collected, analytical sides of them combined, and desperation to preserve what once had been his was shaping him into something else entirely. He found himself unsatisfied with the events of late, angered by unfortunate luck, and determined to set things right himself. If no one else saw fit to rectify things, then he saw no choice but to carry that mantle himself. Now, however, was not that time. For starters, it was far too early, not even dawn yet and the sky was still dark and star-filled. With the falls winding its incessant way down the hillside through its collection of shallow pools and sounding off each drop it made into the next, Rune lay sprawled upon one side beneath the trees some yards from it, perfectly content and comfortable there in the relatively open position and with only the waterfall for company. Sleep had claimed him some hours ago after his thoughts had finally grown tired of performing their nightly continuous loop, playing through all he knew, all he had learned, all he had yet hope of learning when he finally decided it was time to act. Not dreams disrupted his slumber, no unusual noises broke the stillness. For the moment he felt entirely peaceful, and slept soundly beside the falls. OOC: Feel free to be noisy and wake him up. I can figure something out if you don't.

It had been so long since Bronze had been on his own. He did not regret he and Silent's decision to have a final litter of children, no, not at all -- but it would be a lie to say that the brute did not miss some of his alone time. But even as he wandered from his home -- tired paws taking him slowly, step by step, further from familiar territory -- he found his mind lingering on his children. Ara, Faolan, Mercury, and Jendai. Four pups -- and four grown children he hadn't seen in many years. One deceased. Nine children in all, only eight living. Had he failed any of them? He was always consumed by worry, even as he saw his childrens' smiling faces, worried that he wasn't doing the best thing for them. It was a natural thing for a father to wonder if he was doing the right thing for his children, and doubt was not at all uncommon for the aging man. Silent had granted him a night away from home. With full bellies, he knew his children would sleep quickly, and he bid them a happy farewell. Of course, he would return in the morning, but he felt inclined to go on a short mission to clear his mind. Nothing was burdening him, he simply wanted to travel again. Even if it was a brief journey, it would calm his anxious soul immensely, he was sure of it. His paws took him east, towards the lands he knew Song and Cherokee and their children lived in. Though he had only met her a pawful of times, Song was a dear friend to Silent -- and thus a dear friend to him. As he walked, and pondered, the sun slowly set, the land becoming cloaked in darkness. Before long, the entrancing sound of running water reached his ears. Luckily the moonlight overhead was bright enough to reveal the falls, the water glimmering as it poured over the rocks below. It was a lovely sight, and he made a mental note to take his children here soon. Ara especially would love the view. Slowly he crept forward, his poise guarded as always as he peered forth, examining his surroundings. As he crept a bit closer, through the darkness he saw the figure of a wolf, lying beneath a nearby tree. Clearing his throat, as though to alert him of his presence, he spoke up. "What are you doing, boy?" He questioned gruffly, though his voice was not at all threatening. "This is no place for a wolf to rest." It was quite dangerous, and if he was deeply enough asleep he could be easily pushed into the falls. His nose wrinkled as he watched, waiting to see if the boy heard him ... or if he awoke at all.

Walk | "Talk" | Think He was certainly not the safest he could have been, but he was the most comfortable. Not only was he able to sprawl out where he lay, as was his custom, but his position, so close to the falls, enabled the water's noise to drown out any thoughts he might have had before slumber could take him and clear his mind for a restful sleep. Which he really did need. Waking hours were spent in deep contemplation, planning and setting forth scenarios for him to follow through and determine the best course of action. Truthfully, he felt as if he spent more time running around his own mind than he did any particular territory, and he hoped it would all be worth it in the end. He needed the exercise, both mentally and physically, and surely every little bit of it would help. Comfort was quickly set aside though as a gruff voice addressed him. It rang quite suddenly through his mind, causing the grey youth to startle awake, and as his frosty blue eyes opened and he lifted his head enough to peer at the male, still prostrate on his side, Rune tried to settle the raised dark hair that had sprung up along the back of his neck. It was an elder wolf who stood before him, question posed in an oddly conversational manner and without threat. A look of drowsy confusion set about his face as the stoic wolf frowned, rolling slowly to his stomach to at least get his paws under him as he quickly made sense of what the other was saying. When he answered, it was not in an altogether friendly tone, flat but colored with irritation and defense. "It is if he has nowhere else to go," the grey wolf answered, matching the elder's gruff tone with one of his own. He tried hard to fight it, but his jaws eventually parted in a long, wide yawn, and it seemed to do a little in helping to clear his mind and wake him up. "Normally no one's up and about around here at this time," he added, tone flat though the look he gave the wolf was sure to hint that he had taken the interruption to his sleep less ideally than he could have. Normally he might not have been inclined to be prickly and intolerable when conversing with others, but considering the hour and his unceremonious wake up, along with all the things weighing on his mind, he did not feel in the most hospitable of mindsets.

At one point in his life -- perhaps no less than a year or two ago -- he would've found this a lovely opportunity to start a fight. He'd been lonely, painfully so, and he knew no other way to connect with others than through strife. Through bloodshed. It seemed nothing else had gotten him far. But much had changed in the last few seasons, and his stance was entirely unthreatening as he watched the gray-furred boy. Perhaps he was a lost soul like himself; his curiosity of the stranger had been sparked, and he waited quietly for him to stir and fully come to his senses. When he did awaken, it happened quite suddenly, and he jerked his head upright to stare him in the eye. He was quick to roll over, as though he feared he might have to either fight or run. It was funny to him, how strong his instinct to protect himself was -- he wondered what had made him this way. Bronze never slept very deeply himself, and he would've likely reacted in the exact same way had he been napping here, and the boy approached him instead. But it was always a particular incident that set off such a strong reaction to being disturbed unwillingly -- he knew his children, oh so innocent, slept soundly each night, without fear of impending death. He wished so badly they could feel that safe forever. "Then you ought to find a better place," he suggested lightly, but his voice was teasing, almost condescending. But he began to chuckle, knowing fully well that he had spent countless nights in equally silly places. Now, with young children, he couldn't imagine them sleeping anywhere but tucked safely away in their den. There was simply too much evil in the world. Had to always be on guard. "I'm just messing with you, boy. I'm sorry to have startled you." Brown eyes wandered over him. He couldn't help but wonder his story. "But I do hope you won't deny an old man some company, even if you weren't expecting any." It was distressing that such a walk left his joints feeling sore, and made him need rest so badly. Slowly he reclined to his haunches, thick tail curling about his hindquarters contentedly.

Walk | "Talk" | Think The fact the elder wolf did not seem to take the least bit of offense from what Rune had said hardly made the youth feel any better. He had truthfully been hoping for at least a little reaction, some small token of irritation that he might cling to and know that he had irked the other male just as the male had irked him by waking him at this time. Instead of feeling satisfied, he could only allow a follow sigh to exit his lips, rolling his shoulders slightly where he lay upon the ground while finishing the process of waking himself up. It was a real shame he had been disturbed; sound rest like he had been getting had been rather hard to come by these days, at least insofar as his thoughts were concerned. Always vocal, always chatty, they were an irritation that no one could cure, and it only proved to make him that much more irritable of late. With a hushed groan, the grey wolf hefted himself up from the ground and propped himself back into a seated position, still miffed that the old man could laugh at their situation when he saw nothing so humorous about it. Still, how often was it that he was just happened upon by company of any kind? His chosen haunting ground tended to be quiet and reclusive when he chose to remain within it, and rarely if ever did he go to seek out others beyond the confines of the Battlefield. He had been all about training lately, sparring only to recoup and spar again. Perhaps a little impromptu conversation in the wee hours of the night was just what he needed to clear his mind and help put his thoughts to rest. "Well, I'm not sleeping anymore," he answered noncommittally to the elder's request, glancing around a little with peering eyes into the trees and then out to the waterfall. Nothing seemed amiss. Maybe he really could just have a casual conversation for once. "Why not? I'm Rune," he stated by way of introduction, not bothering to incline his head or any outward displays though his tone had righted itself into something more proper, less irksome, "Formerly of Tortuga." He chose not to inquire after the other, assuming his own name would follow, but did set about studying the male with mild curiosity, unable but to wonder what had set him off at this hour to wake up the restful in search of company.

It was not in the far-distant past that Bronze could recall wanting nothing more than to be alone -- only seeking out others when he grew frustrated and angry at his own existence. Such an old man, he thought to himself, and he laughed aloud, the sound rather audible even though he tried to contain it. It really was quite amusing, that he was forced to resort to walking up a young man just to indulge in a brief conversation. But it was a good thing, too, for it meant he was satisfied in every other aspect of his life. Oh, how happy his family made him, how complete he was. His final goal was to see his children to adulthood, and so long as he died alongside the only woman he had ever loved, he would die a happy man. The calmness he felt was a new-found thing for him, and he was basking in it fully. The slightest hint of a smile painted his weathered features as he watched the boy continue to wake up, finally pushing himself upright to sit on his hindquarters. 'Well, I'm not sleeping anymore,' he stated, and he smirked slightly. "As I can see," Bronze noted conversationally, tilting his cream-furred muzzle to the side as though in quiet thought. It was not even morning yet, and the sun had just barely begun to make its presence known, in the form of a gentle purple and pink rays that had begun to be visible near the horizon. But still the stars twinkled overhead, oblivious to what was going on below. "Well, it truly is a pleasure, Rune. My name is Bronze; I reside in Seracia currently." He hadn't given much attention to the other packs in the area; he'd only really met rogues, though near Valhalla was an ally to his pack. But the male admitted he was formerly of Tortuga, and his ears flicked atop his cranium in mild curiosity. "May I ask -- was your pack overthrown?" It was a bit of a strange thing to imagine, since Seracia seemed stable, unbreakable. It was part of the reason he had urged Silent to join, wanting a safe home for his children.

Walk | "Talk" | Think Well, at least one of them was having fun. Rune could not honestly say that the very early morning conversation was his particular idea of a good time, especially since that sleep he had been having had also been hard to come by, but there was little that could have been done for it now. Even if he tried, he would likely not fall back asleep right away and would waste time merely lying there lazily when there were other things that he needed to do. Like finding a quick meal to satisfy the quiet but growing emptiness inside of his stomach. All in good time though. The elder wolf introduced himself as Bronze, going on to associate himself with the pack known as Seracia. The name did not ring a bell, but that was to be expected. Rune had only ever concerned himself with one pack, and had only begun to broaden his knowledge regarding the rest most recently. It was perhaps unwise to allow himself to remain as ignorant as he was, but considering he had no one to offer his knowledge to he hardly saw the point in bothering with the other places. He only had interest in returning to the one that truly held value to him. And, somewhat surprising, that same valuable pack was questioned about, to which his immediate response was to snort with a humorless smirk. "Saying it was "overthrown" implies there was a fight for it," he answered, able to hear himself the slight edge of bitterness that had coated his words. Quietly, trying to stifle the majority of that sense, he continued, "More like it was handed over without a fight." It was not a fact of which he was proud of, not a fact that had sat well with him at any point in time. Even now the mere thought elicited aggravation from the young rogue. But it was the fact of the matter. Tortuga had not been fought for. It had been swept up right out from under their feet, and the lot of them displaced for it. In his mind, it was much worse than being overthrown. At least then, they might have seen it coming.

It was somewhat sobering to see a boy so young already so guarded. He, too, had been different at that age -- but so full of passion and love, despite his upbringing. Did this boy have anything to live for? It was a shame if he didn't. Bronze knew what it was like to be lost, to lose ones path ... and as he gazed at Rune, he wished badly that he could help the boy somehow. If he needed help at all. And his suspicions were confirmed, as the boy answered his question with a dry snort and a bitter retort. "Why even rule a pack, if only to hand it over?" He questioned, though it was more of a rhetorical one -- as Rune seemed to think the very idea was preposterous. "Have you ever considered fighting for it pack?" He didn't know how Rune's mind worked, but he knew he would've fought for his own pack at one point, before it had collapsed. Head tilted to the side slightly, curiosity shining in his brown eyes. (Sorry this is so short, just wanted to reply xD)

Walk | "Talk" | Think Rune made no comment to Bronze's remark regarding leadership and one's own commitment to it, though it did turn the gears within his mind. Yes, why? Why had nothing been done? Why had all those in positions to do something about the usurper instead idly stood by to allow it to happen? Why was there no rallying to make sure that those who chose to depart would still feel the sense of belonging that came with being part of a pack? Had it all meant so little? His frustrations extended to all of those who had been within the pack - excluding perhaps Morphine's brats - and even extended to himself. He might not have been of an age to do much regarding the takeover, but might he have been able to keep them together? As much as he wanted to think himself confident enough for such a role, the hard truth of the matter was no, he did not. He was still far from the charismatic ruler that wolves needed to look up to. He was simple in his speech, too pragmatic and cautious to excite the masses. He had a long way to go yet before he thought himself equal to those who held power and respect. With a blink of his frosty blue eyes, the grey youth listened belatedly as the elder wolf's second question made another round through his mind, registering just a moment after it had been spoken. The fact he had been able to jump to that answer so swiftly surprised him, though only in a way that fueled his own conviction. "Yeah," he answered simply though with perhaps an added touch of respect for the wolf even bringing it up. "I'm not old enough to lead yet, but I'm trying to prepare." When was the last time he had spoken to someone about his plans like this? Had he even mentioned them before now, in detail? As much as his pride told him to speak sparingly about his trials, he knew in order to accomplish what he had already set out to do he would need help. And Tortuga - the place of his childhood and where his mother rested in death - meant too much to him to allow pride to get in the way. "I've got a long way to go. I'm still learning to fight and...I wouldn't know how to speak to a large group if I had to." He felt incredibly silly and naive for mentioning what he had, but there was no taking it back now. Instead he scowled at the space upon the ground between them, wishing the transformation he wished to make from clumsy, bumbling youth to fierce and charismatic leader would simply happen overnight. But he had never been one to wish for attention or leadership or responsibility of that caliber. To make himself ready for it, to where even he believed it himself, was going to be a long road to follow.

It was a good trait to have -- caring about something so deeply that you would fight for it. It had taken him many years to really begin to care. He had always been a loyal man; staying true to oneself and one's family had been engrained in him since birth. And yet he had left his family, not once but twice, rather than trying to fix things and fight for what he truly cared about. Bronze knew he'd been a coward, but now he was determined to never fall back into his selfish old ways. His gaze was serious and yet warm at the same time. He admitted that he wasn't old enough to rule yet, but his words expressed interest that was obvious. "Wise for your age," he commented conversationally. "And humble enough to know that you are not yet ready. A fine quality of a real leader." He would grin, nodding his head. A more power-hungry creature might not care that they weren't ready ... might simply want what they felt was owed to them. But Rune seemed a bit more wary. A smart boy, indeed. "Well -- you handled me rudely waking you up well enough," he noted. "If you do become a ruler, you have to know you might never get much alone time. That your pack will always come before whatever else you might want to do." Bronze shrugged, wondering if the boy had considered that. "I would fight you, but I am not feeling up to it today. Maybe in the future." The brute winked, but knew he was getting too old for fighting. One wrong movement and he could find himself with a sprained or even broken limb. "You seem a decent boy, Rune. With some training, you'll be all set. If you believe in something and try, I am certain you can make nearly anything happen. I have found that if you simply are yourself, you will make the best impression." It might be difficult for a young man to gain a big following quickly, but if he was steadfast and firm, Bronze felt certain that wolves would see the intentions hidden deep in his heart and many would even be willing to give his pack a try. He knew it was often better to suck up one's pride and join a pack than risk being in danger from the elements or from predators.

Walk | "Talk" | Think His pride was touched as the elder wolf labeled him wise, knowing that among those that he typically associated with his lack of quick action might instead have been called cowardice. He knew better, had always known better, choosing the course that took the longest but that he learned the most from every time. It was encouraging to know that there were others who saw the value in his willingness to sit back and think, to ensure that he was in top form before racing off headlong into battle. Moving too quickly, as he had often witnessed, was dangerous; you missed too much in the rush, too much that you could use to your advantage in that final round. Rune had never been one for failing. He preferred instead to get things done right the first time. He had also been one for avoiding the spotlight, allowing his siblings when he was young and his pack mates when he was older to swoop in and steal the attention that they craved. As Bronze put it, he would not be able to be that way again. The news, which he had considered once before, only deepened the frown upon his face as he continued to stare at the ground between them thoughtfully, drawing in a breath and releasing it in a huff that was close to a sigh. No privacy. Others always coming to him with their problems. It was certainly a lot of responsibility to take on, especially considering his upbringing did not prepare him for any of it. It only further proved to him just how much of a challenge his task was going to be. The vote of confidence was heartening though. It was one thing to hear it from Alamea, who he suspected would say what was necessary simply because of her feelings for him, or his Aunt Viridiana, who held a stake in his gaining power. But Bronze was completely outside the issue, at best a mere bystander watching the events unfold with nothing to gain or lose by his climb to power. To know that even he saw worth in his cause, in his ventures, did him good. The frown upon his face lessened with a quick glance upward into the face of the elder wolf, and with a little twinge of embarrassment he looked away while mumbling a quick, "Thanks," because even he knew that small touch of gratitude was well deserved. Nerves still clung to his mind, rooted there from the conversation, and though he still failed to look the other male in the eye, Rune attempted to coax more from him, curious through his anxieties, "Have you ever done anything like that? Taking a pack?"