Her presence had been requested by the alpha of Valta to inspect a potential territory that might be claimed. Bowen hadn't been doing much lately, so she jumped at the chance for a little travel. Kotori had indicated that the land in question was one of bright pink leaves and a good deal of new growth. Others of the pack had come along and the caramel cream woman was glad for the company.

Once they had entered the Nook, Bowen looked about, green eyes scanning the surrounding area. She called out to the others. "What do you see?" What would make this place beneficial for a pack to claim? What resources did it have to offer? Bo was curious to see if others saw the same things that she did.

"Speech"

Kotori was grateful for Bowen’s presence.  It was important that someone skilled in reading the land help confirm his decision that the land was a good spot for his pack.  From what he’d seen so far it certainly seemed an ideal spot.  The weather was a bit warm but for summer but not overly so.  

“The trees seem smaller than most that I see in some places and while I’ve enjoyed their look I don’t know much about them.  Do you know how large they’ll get with time, or if they’re just a small tree in general?  I see some plants I recognize but not all.  So I’m not aware if any of them would be dangerous should someone eat them.”

Kotori looked to the other wolves that had come with them, seeing if they had any other comments about the land.  Would any of his own pack, or Bowen have answers about his comments.  Pups would put anything in their mouth which could include poisonous plants if unaware of the dangers so a good thing to be aware of.

How much would the trees grow and how far would the roots stretch out would be good to consider when planning what might be changed with the landscape.

"Kotori Fatalis"

Should he have followed some of the adults out to the nook? No, probably not, but here Shochu was trailing after Kotori, light on his feet and nose to the air as he sniffed at the air in this new area. Trees were here, smaller than those he’d seen in Valta’s lands, and they reached up towards a bright blue sky with brightly colored pink flowers growing upon them. He didn’t know what made them different from the other trees, but they were pretty. The boy would creep closer, tiny folded ears perking ever so slightly as the pretty lady and Kotori spoke. Was it okay if he spoke up too? Would they get mad that he had followed?

“Um… the trees are small but there are lots of smaller plants around them! Places that puppies could hide if danger came! At least until adults came. Some of the plants look kind of thick, so it might be harder for someone to get through them.” He frowned a little. “...a-and papa says we shouldn’t put anything in our mouth he hasn’t told us is safe yet!” A counter to Kotori’s fears… though that only worked if the pup listened.

"Speech," 'Thought.'

Athena follows the small group to the neighboring land that Valta seeks to expand to, amber eyes carefully inspecting the area as they go. When Bowen stops them and questions what they see, the woman slowly continues to inspect the area for important details. Kotori speaks up, talking about the trees and, when he finishes, she offers, “The healers would have to inspect the plants to determine what is good and what is poisonous. Now, it does seem like there is a good amount of prey here. I have seen several signs of deer as we came in. This might be a good land to keep for prey animals. If we don’t settle here, we could work on attracting useful prey so we can cull them as needed.” Head bops slightly as Athena falls silent, curious to hear what the others think of her idea. "Athena Nocturna"  ’Thought’

When the small male had heard of Valta’s aspiration to take the Redbud Nook, Strix had excitedly agreed to go out and inspect the land. The group arrives quickly and Bowen questions what they see so the young man turns his mismatched gaze to the land around him. Kotori mentions the trees and plants while Athena mentions prey. As she falls silent, the Klein man speaks up, offering, “These trees do offer wonderful shade that we could use to grow herbs. Some prefer partial to little sunlight so we can use their shade to our advantage. Also, if we cleared a few of them out, we could put in a garden.” Ideas swirl in his mind as he pictures a small garden surrounded by the magenta trees.

"Strix Klein"

Bo listened as each wolf present shared their views and concerns of the place. Kotori asked after the trees and the caramel colored fae looked upwards towards the pinkish petals. "Based on the space between each tree, I imagine the branches will spread quite a bit. The canopy cover will be nice in the summer to shield against the sun."

Prey was mentioned and Bowen nodded again. "A great deal of smaller prey from what I see and smell. Some mid-size beasts as well. I can also smell fresh water and with that comes plants for healers." Bowen motioned for them to follow her towards the scent of water. Soft ears were ready to swivel about, catching whatever words the others shared.

"Speech"

Kotori listened to everyone's insight, nodding at points. “I’ve hunted deer on the land before, I agree about the plentitude of prey.”  Bowen answered his comments on the trees.  The information was more of a hypothetical but it was the sort that came with experience and noticing details Kotori hadn’t considered adding to the equation.

“A herb garden would certainly look nice under this foliage.”  Kotori could scent the water, noticing Bowen was taking them in the direction of it.  As they got closer the soft sound a toad croaking could be heard along with the soft ‘splish’ of something going into the water. “Water is always a powerful attractant.  Both for ourselves and the prey that seek it out.” Not that they were in short supply of water on Valta land but the more options and the more spread out locations the better.  

"Kotori"

He was late! So very, very late! Huffing and puffing to catch up to the group that traveled down into the blooming Redbud Nook, Bancha skids to a stop at Bowen's paws. Looking up at the cream and brown fae, the pup smiles wide and wags his tail. "S-sorry Bowen," he quickly apologizes before looking over to Kotori, his head bowing in apology to the Sumatar as well.

"I'd love to help!" Bancha backs up a few steps, his tail flagging happily over his back. "These trees are good for attracting pollinators!" His voice is excited as he skips over to one of the trees and lifts up to place his front paws on the bark. "If we do plant a garden, the bees and birds will help all of our plants grow," Bancha's smile widens as he hops down and turns back to the adults. "Oh and when the leaves and flowers fall, it'll help with fertilizing the ground too," he cants his head as he looks down to shuffle some of the leaf litter they stand on.

BANCHA

As the group discusses things, Athena politely listens to everything that is offered while scanning the terrain around them. She admires the trees and beauty of the land will Bowen leads them on and she remains attentive, dipping her head at the leader’s words as she offers, “We could also have pens to keep certain animals here. The trees would offer them shade and it would be simple enough to build whatever else they require. We could also use those to bring in certain types of prey animals that we may want here but we would not normally find.” A pup suddenly rushes up them and Athena pauses to take him in, chuckling softly at his eager description of the plants and pollenating bugs. Kotori takes about water being a powerful attractant and the earthen woman nods to him in agreement and says, “We could also create a fishery or multiple fisheries here.” Amber eyes look between all those that have gathered, curious to see what they think of her ideas. "Athena Nocturna"  ’Thought’

The small male made up of cloudy grays and black watches everyone else as they speak. They all have interesting ideas and he is keen to learn from them. As they move toward water, a pup joins the group and Strix offers a huge smile to them as they rummage through the leaf litter and talk about plants. When silence falls, the man carefully adds on, “Yes, those are all great points. However, we would also need to build a fence any garden we make or the prey animals that we wish to come here will gobble them all up.”

Looking to the others Strix says, “Some thin wire and urine from certain predators would do the trick. Nothing huge and fancy would be needed just small deterrents here and there.” With that, he allows silence to lapse and waits to hear from the others.



"Strix Klein"

Again, Bowen listened to all of their suggestions and observations as the group walked towards the water. Bancha came out of nowhere, thoroughly out of breath and apologetic. The small, caramel colored fae laughed softly and ruffled the fur atop the boys head with one dark paw. "Glad you made it." Why was he so cute?

Utilization of shade for potential livestock brought a nod from Bowen as she once again inspected the foliage above them. The suggestion of fisheries also brought a nod of approval. "Good thoughts." Bowen sat at the edge of the water and took a nice, long drink. The water was crisp and clear and refreshing.

"The soil is indeed rich and dark. Full of nutrients thanks to the leaf litter breaking down." The fae winked at Bancha as she agreed with him. Bowen then cast her emerald gaze towards Kotori. "This would be the perfect addition to any pack. You can't go wrong with this place." The Redbud Nook had received the Bowen seal of approval.

"Bowen"

The adults all have good ideas. Bancha is young and very inexperienced compared to them. He knows nothing of hunting or prey or really anything outside of what little he has learned from his fathers, but he still tries. Listening intently, he nods along and takes in all the information as best as he can. They seem very serious with their considerations and Bancha isn't quite sure why. This was land just like any of the other lands they already lived in, so why have this meeting?

His brow furrows for a moment, but he knows its not the time or place to ask questions outside of their topic. Making a mental note to ask his father's later, he watches Bowen take a long drink from the stream. "It's also really protected by that big mountain thing over there," Bancha lifts a paw to point at Mount Volkan that looms above the canopy. With Sunset Falls to the south of the grove, the only way for trespassers to come through would be directly from the west. If they were capable wolves, they wouldn't have a problem protecting it.

BANCHA

Kotori looked at the volcano the pup pointed to.  Protected by the volcano?  He recalled a pack living there before so it certainly could be climbed but it was a less likely route to choose.  If an enemy wanted to come from the north they’d have to pass through Elyssium.  So, it was true most enemies would aim for the easier route.  “Past here, to the west, the land is bare, and sinking sand spots are hidden.  So it's also a bad path to take.”

Kotori looked up at the volcano again.  “The volcano has benefits but, if it ever erupts our pack land runs up by it.  I expect the best shelter still on our land would be the far side of the rapids.” It was a sobering thought, but what were the odds of it going off?  A pack had lived there for years and apparently felt it safely dormant. “I wonder, maybe the volcano is why these trees grow here.  If it changed the soil in some way that these trees survive better than other species.”  Kotori shrugged unsure of it, simply a hypothesis.

"Kotori Fatalis"

Athena looks between all the gathered wolves, nodding as they each offer up their opinions on this land. This place seems to have so many wonderful perks to it and Valta would surely do well to have under their banner. As Kotori talks about the volcano, the earthen woman adds to those thoughts, “Volcanic soil is rich and easy to use for crops. While the threat of it erupting will need to be on our minds, there are benefits that come following an eruption. It is nature’s way of taking out what it doesn’t need and growing back healthy plants.” Looking to her Sumatar, Athena offers him a smile, hoping that her insight is as useful as she hopes it has been. "Athena Nocturna"  ’Thought’

Strix nods as they talk among themselves, weighing the pros and cons of this land. The issue of the volcano is brought up and he listens intently to all sides of the debate. As he contemplates, he muses aloud, “We could see about digging channels. That way, if the volcano does erupt, we could try to divert the worst of the lava flow. It would take time and effort but it could also save lives in the long run.” Brows arch in silent question as they wrap up their talk, settling on the fact that Valta will claim this land for their own. Yes, there might be some danger here but, with careful preparation, they could try to mitigate the worst of it.

"Strix Klein"

Ears perked, shifting this way and that as the group shared their beliefs, their suspicions, their speculations.  "Valid points, all," the woman agreed, giving a nod. She looked towards the dormant volcano in the far distance.  "It's indeed a risk, but I feel that the benefits of this land outweigh that risk." The fae tilted her head from one side to the other a few times, considering.  "Plans should be set in place and everyone should be very aware of what to do if the volcano does erupt again. Until then, however, I believe this land would be a perfect addition to Valta."

"Bowen"

Bancha listens as the adults talk. Their concerns for the volcano erupting are indeed sobering and yet, quite valid. He doesn’t agree that digging channels would be helpful, but more of a waste of time and resources. As he looks up to the slumping peak, he figures that if it were to erupt, there were sure to be earthquakes ahead of time and smoke billowing from the top.

“If that volcano decides to wake up, I believe that we will know far enough in advance to evacuate the area. This nook leads straight to the rapids which we know really well and we can make it to the water easily,” his muzzle points out toward the west where the shore of Fontamo Bay would lead.