Now that he had had a chance to explore Waterfall peak a little, he realised the territory was a rather interesting one. The water at the higher point was freezing, but fresh and clear. Even with winter in full swing, it hadn’t fully frozen over.

He trotted up there again today, having a nosy around the territory as he explored for the potential of rare herbs or mushrooms. He also filled his waterskin from the pool of water, and chucked it in the bag he had borrowed from the Armada stores. He was sniffing through the undergrowth when a sound caught his attention. He lifted his head, looking around himself. Was someone else there?

"Speech"

Redrum’s muscles twitched as he cautiously sniffed the air, his long ears flicking back and forth to catch any sound. The cold air of Waterfall Peak nipped at his fur, but he ignored it, more concerned about the potential stranger nearby. His nose wrinkled as he picked up an unfamiliar scent, mingled with the crispness of the snowy terrain.

He took to steadying his breathing as he prowled forward, feeling his muscles twitch more prominently with each passing moment. Despite his uncertainty, there was an edge to his posture, a predatory intensity in his gaze that he couldn’t quite control. His eyes scanned the undergrowth, searching for any sign of movement.

When he finally peeked through the underbrush, he caught sight of something quite strange. A wolf, around his age, with wings. Redrum’s brows furrowed, lips upturning in a spasmic grin as he revealed himself. He was used to being the reddest thing around, but this had to be the strangest.

“Wings like– a bird. Hello.” The young brute greeted, drawing closer in a semi circle as his eyes, accustomed to predator-prey encounters, looked for an opening on the other wolf. But as his skull tilted, he ceased movement, head held low between his shoulders as he regarded the stranger with interest.

""

It didn’t take him long to see who’s presence had disturbed him. With a coat like that, they must be accustomed to standing out like a beckon. He offered them a smile, his tail starting up in a friendly greeting behind him. “That’s me!” He agreed easily. “A bird. Or was it a wolf? I never could remember.” He teased, his eyes dancing lightly as he encouraged the other wolf to tease him.

The other wolf grew closer, their stance predatory. A warning. Wylan had never in his entire life taken another wolf as a threat. His open, friendly stance didn’t change a bit.


"Speech"

Redrum's eyes gleamed with interest as he watched the other wolf, his predatory gaze locked onto them still. His long ears flicked back and forth, catching every sound around him, checking for hidden dangers lurking. Tension rippled through his body, uncertainty mingling with a strange curiosity.

“Redrum– is Redrum’s name.” He replied, his speech halting and uneven. His lips twisted into a spasmic grin, making his expression unintentionally menacing. “What is– winged wolf-bird’s– name?”

Despite the other wolf's friendly stance, Redrum remained tense and stiff. His head tilted in an almost unnatural manner as he spoke, eyes narrowing as he regarded the stranger with a mix of study and analysis, a realm he wasn’t much for. His tail flicked behind him, the intensity in his gaze making him seem ready to attack at any moment, even though he was merely trying to understand the stranger's intentions.

""

The wolf spokely a little strongly, but wylan wasn't one to judge. He did his best to follow along, gaining the wolf's name and a question for his own. “Nice to meet you, Redrum. Are you from Insomnia?” He asked politely, the scent of that pack vaguely familiar from its proximity. Even if he didn't come out here that often. 


His tail still swished warmly behind him, and his own posture relaxed a little more. Seating his rump on the grass behind him. “I'm wylan fatalis” he introduced himself in turn. He nudged a wing, pointing it in the general direction behind him. “I'm from the Armada”

Redrum's muscles twitched slightly as he processed Wylan's words, his predatory gaze softening just a touch. His long ears flicked back and forth, catching the sounds of the forest around them as he still kept alert. Probably not because of Wylan, but because the red teen was a paranoid young brute. A predator knew predators, and he would not drop his guard.

“Insomnia, yes.” Redrum replied haltingly, his speech uneven as usual. His head tilted in that almost unnatural manner again, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Wylan. “Redrum’s mother— is Queen. Redrum heir.”

As Wylan introduced himself and pointed with a wing, Redrum's curiosity deepened. His tail flicked behind him, betraying his interest. “Wylan Fatalis,” He repeated, testing the name on his tongue. “Armada— big pack, yes?”

His posture remained tense, but there was a genuine curiosity in his eyes. Redrum was trying to understand this new wolf, this Wylan from the Armada. “Is Wylan— Exploring too?” He asked, his voice curious, still unsure of the stranger's intentions and demeanor but intrigued nonetheless.

""

“Oh!” Wylan said with excitement “me too!” He paused, and then carried on. “Well, not Insomnia, and not the Queen of course. My cousin is the Warlords and I'm one of his heirs along with Spider.” He explained, not realising he was rambling on a little.

“Yeah, Armads is a big pack. A lot of the members are my family.” He was more than happy to explain. “Is Insomnia a big pack?” He wondered, not really knowing what the outline was for a big pack vs a small one.

“I am! There's so much to see. Just a little North, there's these hot water south that explode up from the ground!” He was happy to report.

Redrum’s ears flicked back at Wylan’s excited exclamation, his predatory gaze softening further as he listened. The red teen’s muscles twitched involuntarily, but his attention was fully on the winged wolf before him, despite the odd cock of his skull as he maintained his stance.

“Warlords’ cousin- heir,” Redrum repeated, his voice halting and uneven. He processed Wylan’s words, his curiosity piqued, a cheshire grin splitting his maw in two. “Spider. Interesting. Is Spider– a spider-wolf?”

As Wylan continued to talk about the Armada, Redrum’s tail flicked again, a sign of his growing interest. “Insomnia is- not a big- pack.” He admitted, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully, long ears twitching again. “Mother is- strong. Insomniac’s keep– to Insomnia. West.”

The mention of the hot water spouts to the north captured Redrum’s attention completely. His head tilted in that unnatural manner again, eyes widening slightly. “Hot water– exploding from the ground?” He echoed, his tone a mix of curiosity and awe. Golden eyes searched for the truth, like he could see the picture if he looked hard enough into Wylan’s eyes. “Does- it burn? Does– cold- cancel out- the boil?” This new information had ignited a rare excitement in the young heir.

""