Hattori had been trailing after the wounded gazelle, followed it at a leisurely pace as it fled forth, wounded and bleeding. It's strength fading fast. What he did not expect was for the creature to make quick work of dashing over a border that smelled far closer than he recalled, nearer than it should be. He slowed to a walk as he watched the creature bound away, into a land it knew he could not follow. Safe for now, but in its mind that was probably enough. The immediate threat banished. He saw it slow to a walk as well, winded as it peered over its shoulders, ears flicking as it watched him with big eyes.

He'd never presumed the Hallows and Fenmyre would choose to share borders like the Ashen empire tended to do, but he supposed it was none of his business. They could do as they liked, as far as he was concerned.  More than that he'd need to let the others know to tread a new path to the Bifrost, if there even was a viable one without encroaching on either pack's land.

If not would they be required to pay some sort of toll? His ears flicked at the though.

Instead of seeking out the gazelle he began pressing north, seeing if there was a way without skirting too close to what wasn't his.

"Speech"

Zephyrus was growing faster than anyone could have anticipated, and with that new growth came the yearning for freedom and independence. A bird had to leave the nest at some point, and while Zeph in particular had no interest actually breaking from his pack and leaving, he did spend more and more time patrolling the nearby territories now then he had before his flight feathers had come in.

He mastered the art of soaring quite easily, figuring out early on in experimenting how to catch the winds at the right angle so he could glide effortlessly without losing too much altitude, while still having enough speed to carry him long distances. Flying was an art form, and Zephyr was honing his craft with each and every day. On this day he'd taken off south, gliding down from the highest point of the Hallows' castle tower into the adjacent territory of the God's Garden. It was one of the few nearby lands Zephyr could explore comfortably alone - close enough for protection from predators, but far enough that he could still feel like he was growing up.

So far the area was not leaving much to be desired, looking as flat and empty and plain-ish as many of the territories he'd so far visited were, but without the cool features of dinosaur bones or waterfalls. The only points of interest he could make out from above was the sheer amount of overgrowth, along with the crumbled and beaten down walls that must have at one point in time been a standing structure like the castle walls. Scattered among the unruly grasses were herbs and flowers by the dozen, none of which Zephyr could name or identify, but from what he had been told they were some of the rarest you could find in Auster. This territory was a healer's paradise, somewhere someone like Lia might come to replenish her stores.

He had angled himself downwards for a steep dive and landing to explore from closer up when a panicked gazelle crossed the grasses below him, drawing his eye. A wolf had been giving chase but slowed as it headed off toward the treeline - had he given up on his hunt?  

Banking hard, he adjusted his course and moved in to intercept it, not noticing the scent border it had crossed in it's escape. Zephyr had been raised right, and if this wolf was weak and hungry enough to abandon his hunt for the wounded animal then it was the young raptor's duty to see the man fed. He came upon it at speed, extending his talons instinctively and sinking them deep into the gazelle's side. Zephyr had only a moment to be intensely proud of himself before his momentum continued, his oversized body pitching over atop the gazelle's back and hard into the grass. His first successful aerial hunt, and his worst landing yet.

Getting back to his talons and working to hold onto the last sliver of esteem he had left, Zephyr grasped the mutilated carcass with his beak and began to limp it over to the horned man. In lieu of expletives, each painful step was instead punctuated with muffled 'ow, ow, ow.'s This dude had better be grateful - and he'd better share.

"Zephyr"

Hattori had seen a lot of things in his time. Some he wished to forget and others he intended to cling onto with all he had, till his dying breath. And yet the sight of a giant bird hurtling into the ground with the gazelle he'd been trailing wasn't something he could say he'd ever witnessed before. Not in Boreas nor Auster and certainly not back home. He blinked owlishly, pale brows raised as he took in the sight of the creature. It's landing was less than graceful, forceful enough to thud the ground beneath Hattori's paws, like a meteorite had fallen from the sky. But with feathers and wings, clutching the bleeding remains of his former prey in its beak.

He tipped his head slightly, still unsure what to make of the creature as it hobbled closer, clearly sore but victorious in its catch. Less interested in the gazelle than the bird, he couldn't help but note it carried a hint of Hallows to it. Like even the wind couldn't bustle away the scent of home.

Either way Hattori figured he ought to show some degree of gratitude to the bird. He could have easily just claimed the kill as his own, he didn't have to bring it back.

"Thank you." Hattori rumbled, a little rusty but understandable all the same. "Though I suppose most would consider the kill now yours, since it passed into Hallows land." He didn't seem overly upset by this fact, merely stating the facts in the same way he wouldn't get annoyed over the fact grass was green, or the sky blue.

Zephyrus spat out the limb by which he had been dragging the carcass as soon as he'd neared the man and stepped back, offering the wolf space to accept his generously gifted meal without Zeph's hovering. He was a bit out of his element in giving food to someone else, but at the very least he could assume that wolves didn't like being stared at while they ate.

Turning his head deliberately, Zeph eyed the garden. The view from the ground was much different than the view from the sky, the foliage was thicker and more unruly and smaller herbs and flowers within the brush could be seen. The ground was uneven, but not in the natural hilly sort of way. There were carved slabs of stone visible through the blades of grass, overgrown and in the process of being retaken by nature. What had once stood here? Zephyrus wondered as he idled.

The horned man rumbled his thanks, except his voice sounded all wrong and nothing like the Hallows' raptor was accustomed to hearing from his canine family. His brows furrowed in concern, was this wolf so hungry he'd forgotten how to speak properly? Was this shock, or stroke, or something worse? Zephyr shifted his weight between his talons, reaching for a way to offer the stranger help for his weird condition without being overly rude or forward about it.

The wolf continued, and Zephyr's fragile worldview did yet another shift. Oh. He'd abandoned his hunt because of the nearby border? Of all the wolf customs he'd lived and learned, this one made the least sense yet.. and not only because he wasn't quite capable of smelling the scent line. "The Hallows is a sanctuary for all, I don't think they would punish you for seeing out your hunt to the end, would they?" As far as Zephyr was aware, wolves were capable of covering massive distances while tracking their prey. With the amount of space claimed in Auster and Boreas, how did one stay healthy and fed if they were forced to abandon their hunt every time they neared a border? It must have resulted in many wasteful expenditures of energy over a creature's lifetime.

"My name is Zephyrus and the castle is my home." He offered. "Do you live nearby? If you are still hungry, or sick, or.. need anything, we can help you. Maybe, uh, some honey for your throat?" He turned his beak to consult the bag that hung along his side, digging through it desperately and praying Lia had packed for him something medicinal.

"Zephyr"

Hattori wasn't quite sure about that. He found it hard to believe the Hallows wouldn't take offence to such an action, that in the best case scenario he'd owe them something in return. A situation that was quick to bring a scowl to his features, deep set and thoughtful, wholly against what he and Tojo stood for. Strength in their own independence, self resilience whilst not bothering other packs unless need be. In the most basic terms; live and let live. Instead of feeling a spark of offence, a jab at his pride, he saw the bird's intentions for what they most likely were. Pure, an honest attempt to help simply because it seemed to be young, didn't know any better.

How to best go about this? He pursed his lips thin, ears tipping slightly as debated his approach. He was not an outwardly awkward man but he'd gotten complacent amongst his own, comfortable in their routines and used to their social cues. A bird from a pack of an entirely different culture though? It was hard not to fall back into old, usual habits, distant and aloof. Probably rude to some.

"I do not think they would-" How best to say it? Uh."They are affiliated with someone who does not like me, I presume they do not view me in a very favourable light either." More than that why was he so insistent there was something wrong with him? Honey? Hattori blinked. "I am Hattori, Kaicho of Tojo-Kai. A pack to the south, within the Bamboo. I appreciate the offer but it is fine, I am well. This is just...how I speak."

Surely it wasn't so bad? Not that mattered but no one had ever mentioned it before.

The man seemed uncomfortable, but Zephyr couldn't determine if it was because he was hungry, sick, or simply not enjoying the present conversation. It had to be the throat thing, right? It sounded like the man had been eating rocks or something, or like his brain was broken somehow making enunciating the common tongue a bit more difficult. Zephyr did not say any of this out loud (that would be rude, and he was not raised to be rude) but he continued to dig through his bag in case there was some magical cure packed away for him. Food, snacks, more food, more snacks, damnit. Sighing, he pulled his beak out from the bag and peered instead across the god's garden.

Lia had explained to him what herbs did and why they were used, but not which herbs did what. Striding forward on his sore talons, he plucked from the overgrown ground one purple flowered stem. He held it up to his face, examined it, and then tossed it aside. Without the wolf agreeing to come to an actual healer, Zephyr worried there was very little he could do for the poor man. The garden had herbs galore of various colors and length and shape, but offering any of them up to this stranger would just as likely kill him as it would cure him. It was disappointing. Zephyr ran his talon sheepishly through the grass, feeling the odd change in texture wherever the clawed tip would hit buried stone foundation.

The man was explaining his reasoning, offering his name and where he came from. Zephyr tipped his beak back up to listen, pushing thoughts of the garden away. He did not think they would? Well, who the hell was he to say as much? Zephyr's feathers ruffled slightly in protective anger, but he allowed the wolf to say his piece. When the bird spoke once more, his words were more clipped and clearly a touch offended. "The Hallows is a sanctuary." The raptor's beak clicked as he enunciated the word clearly, accepting that perhaps this guy simply sucked at the common tongue and didn't fully understand. "It doesn't matter who you are affiliated with or whether or not you're well liked, so long as you come in peace and with good intentions, we take care of everyone." I think.. Still, the wolf insisted he was not sick at all and this is just how he spoke. Zephyr knew better than to be rude, but his curiosity compelled him further. Besides, there was nothing wrong with making one hundred percent sure someone was okay, was there? "Why do your words sound different, if you're fine?" The bird asked bluntly.

"Zephyr"

Hattori noted the ruffling of feathers, the narrowing of his eyes as it took in Hattori's words. He did not believe he had said anything outwardly offensive and thus he chalked this conversation up to a miscommunication of some sorts. They were two completely different species from vastly different cultures, no wonder things were getting twisted in the middle, coming out misconstrued at the ends. Deciding to put an end to this back and forth, he was a little blunter. Inching to aloof, talking more than he cared to so he could draw the final line in the dirt.

"If you insist. But as I said, I am fine. I do not require their assistance." Hattori would leave it at that, deciding to say he didn't care for the idea of accepting their help. As tactful as he could manage. "The common tongue," he dipped his head a little, as to point out the words they were speaking, "is not my native language. We do not speak it much in Tojo. I am somewhat out of practice. I prefer to keep to myself, you are the first outsider I have spoken to in some time."

That should explain it well enough. No true offence taken on Hattori's end really, the bird was clearly young and knew what was close to home. Everything else was no doubt foreign and possibly wrong.