After his trip to Moontouched Cliffs, Bancha was left ruminating on what direction he wanted to take in life. The mysterious Ellara he had met had mentioned a phrase that struck a cord within him. Nurturing and ever-vigilant. It described him well enough that he made his way from the cliffs along the coast and into the new territory that Scylla had recently moved them to.

Mangroves grew bountiful in this marshy area. Their twisted and gnarled roots created perfect hiding holes for animals alike - even the dangerous sort. Not much light reached the ground through the dense canopy. Though it is dim here, it has a brightness to it that he can’t explain. Strips of dry ground lead pathways through the mangrove forest while criss-crossing streams weave in and out. No doubt, one would get wet here even if they weren’t trying.

As he wanders, looking for Scylla, a plant catches his eye. Swamp milkweed! It was a very universal sort of plant that could be used in almost any and all salves. Excited to find something so useful, Bancha hurries over to it. Still wanting to meet with the new leader, Bancha tips his head back and lets loose a requesting howl. Nothing urgent or demanding - Bancha could never be like that. Just whenever she made her way to where he was, he would appreciate it.

In the meantime, as he awaits, he starts to gather the milkweed, placing it gently on the ground in a pile nearby.

BANCHA

1/3 gather an herb - milkweed
1/3 explore a new land - lover’s mangrove

With a yawn, the napping Sovereign uncurled herself from where she had been napping on a pile of nice, spongy moss. One of the best ways to try out a new space was to see how comfortably you slept there. You know... plus she'd been up patrolling all night. No big deal though. This was her job. At least it was someone cute and sweet that had called for her.

After a series of delectable stretches, Scylla picked her way through the gnarled mangroves, leaping stretches of thick roots and small rivers of water that wound their way through the territory. In time, she came to Bancha, blue and grey eyes noting the pile of herbs that he'd begun to stack up. "Sweet Bancha, keeping yourself busy, I see." She smiled at the boy and moved forward to inspect the herbs.

"Scylla Klein"

Bancha could not lie when he thought about how wonderful the mangrove forest was. Compared to the rapids, this place was a blooming landscape of life and opportunity. While the rapids did provide water and fish, this place also provided that plus more. Shade, security, privacy, and potential danger to anyone who didn’t know their way around. It was no wonder the alligators frequented the shallows…

He didn’t feel as if he were any danger today though. No beady eyes lingering on him as he carefully inspected each milkweed that he gathered. It would do no good if he harvested sick or dying specimens. That would only worsen the illness of whoever he applied it to. Pleased with what he had gathered so far, he looks up as Scylla makes her way closer to him. Giving the Sovereign a smile, he can’t help the way his tail wags happily as she speaks.

“I suppose one cannot call me lazy if I do,” Bancha jokes, his eyes crinkling at the corners as his paws continue to carefully move over the milkweed’s stems. “I’m sorry if it’s a bad time. I forget sometimes that I’m an early riser compared to most,” there is sincerity in his tone, no doubt. He wasn’t one to purposefully wish harm or upset upon anyone. “I-I just,” Bancha hesitates, taking a deep breath and swallowing before he musters up enough courage to say what’s on his mind. “I want to work my way up the ranks. I don’t want to be a freeloader you took on from Kotori or my father’s. I’d like… to be my own wolf,” his voice is soft, feminine almost, a betrayal in the way his hormones were beginning to develop.

BANCHA

The boy was always considerate of others. Scylla felt as though he was too good for this world and, for a moment, she wondered if Obscura was the right place for him. Part of her wanted to ship him off to The Hallows so that the good in him could be nurtured to grow. The other part wanted to keep him close, a treasure that was all hers. He apologized for waking her so early and the slate and cream woman waved it away with one paw. It wasn't a big deal.

Bancha then moved on to the reason that he had called her. Soft tones explained to her that he wanted to be more than just a hand-me-down wolf from the takeover. He wanted more. He wanted to move up the ranks. In that moment, Scylla loved him.

Moving forward, one dexterous paw moved up to cup the earthen lads cheek. Eyes of blue and grey staring straight into his own as she gently directed his face upwards. "You are your own wolf, darling. I already hold you in higher regard than many others in the pack." With one gentle caress of her thumb over his cheek, she released the boy from her hold. "What rank would you like to attain, my love? We'll make it so." She would work with him, raise his skills so that he could be the wolf that he wanted to be.

"Scylla Klein"

Her dexterous paw reaches out to cup his cheek, tilting it lightly so that he looks directly into her piercing gaze. For a moment, Bancha's breath is caught in his throat. Scylla's words are soft, but important. She speaks highly of him and it makes his heart flutter in a way he's never experienced before. At a loss of words for a moment, Bancha can't do anything but swallow the admiration he feels for the new Sovereign. She was... more than Kotori ever hoped to be and Bancha realizes that now under Scylla's care, he could actually be somebody.

When she releases her hold, his breath rushes from his lungs. Captivated by the mesmerizing pixie, Bancha takes a moment before his thoughts can collect themselves and he's able to formulate proper sentences. "You already have so many proficient healers," he notes, remembering Satira and Strix and his other siblings that strive for something along similar lines. "I am also interested in navigation. I love to explore, to examine, to see the world for what it is," he lifts a paw to motion at the jungle around them.

He sees the way the water glimmers in the morning light, reflecting fish scales beneath the surface. How the shadows draw long over the mangrove's roots, hiding away critters from the jaws of predators. The way the leaves flutter in that salty, but fresh breeze as it ruffles over their coats. This place was perfect and if he didn't already have such a humble abode tucked away behind the nearby falls, he would consider moving his stuff to here. Even looking down now to the milkweed beside him as he carefully pulls the last leaf he needs from the stalk, he knows now that while healing has a place in his heart, navigating would suit him much better.

"I am small, agile, and smarter than I appear to be," Bancha muses, a playful smile on his lips. "I would make for a good scout. Fast, ability to run quickly. I can hide in small places without being noticed," he adds on for good measure, hoping that Scylla would agree. "Do you think that would be okay? For me to work my way up to some sort of navigator for Obscura?" The youth questions, his bright teal eyes drawing upward to the Sovereign once more, a hesitant but happy thump of his curled tail against the damp ground revealing his hope.

BANCHA

Ah, how she admired the drive that Bancha had within him. He eagerly asked if she believed he could become a navigator for the pack. Who could say no to such hopeful, teal eyes? "You could absolutely be a navigator for the pack. I've decided to name that rank Wayfarer, by the way." Ranks needed names, she realized. It sounded fancier than just saying "You're a fighter. You're a hunter. etc." Wolves like feeling fancy and special.

"I expect you to work hard on your skills, Bancha." She wouldn't be easy on him. Nor would she be easy on anyone else. One had to work hard to move up in the world and she expected that the boy would continue being as industrious as he had been thus far. "See if you can light a fire under your siblings tails and get them moving too, eh?" The slate woman chuckled softly, then stretched, sliding down to lay on her belly at the edge of the water. "A lovely place, don't you think?"

"Scylla"