After a light breakfast, Clove had cleaned herself up and left the castle walls behind. She had an objective in mind, one that would be fun and useful for her to practice. Making her way into the starlit plains, she searched the territory for a stretch of land that was relatively flat. She only needed a stretch about a quarter mile long. Once she found an area that was satisfactory, she went to work on removing some of the debris in the pathway.

It took some time, but Clove cleared it out and set two sticks as markers at each end of the strip. Nodding to herself and feeling accomplished, Clove tipped her head back and called for someone to come and race her!


"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

Pack scents always made his nose wrinkle. They were strong, acrid, and horrendous. Something he probably would never get used to. He avoided them as much as possible. While he stuck around some nearby areas such as the garden or the beaver dams, he never dared cross those lines. From what he had seen, they had wolves patrolling often and by the shining metal strapped to their backs, they were wolves he didn't want to mess with. As much as he wanted to hunt rabbits through the plains, he always skidded to a stop once he reached that fine line. Today was perhaps the first day he broke his rule. He wandered casually along the border in search of his next meal. Deep red eyes scanned the grassy terrain as it shifted from bright green blades to tall and yellow grasses that scratched along the skin. Minding his own business if you please, just admiring the scenery, looking around for a hopeful game trail he could follow. Until a howl from a young-sounding wolf caught his ears. Drifting over from the plains that tempted him so. Pausing, he looks in the direction where a grey blob stood not that far away. The call sounded interesting... a race by the sounds of it. Fuck it. Wilder thinks it as his paws are moving his over the territory border and across the plains. He picks up an easy lope until he approaches the younger girl. He looks at her and then looks at the sticks she has set up. "I'll race you," he states simply as he holds a neutral and relaxed stance, his tail hanging low but wagging a few times as his gaze draws back to the smaller wolf. "Speak."

After Clove sent out her challenge, the girl went back to work on perfecting the racetrack. There were a few more sticks that needed to be moved, and a rock or two here and there.. and oh! A pesky bug too. Making the last alterations, she finally settled onto her haunches with a huff. What was taking everyone so long! She had been convinced that someone in her family would answer right away, but this was taking longer than she expected. She was almost ready to accept defeat and pout back to the castle. But finally, someone showed up and answered her call! Only, it was a stranger who had trespassed into the parklands and was older than her. The sight of him put her on edge, little paws digging into the ground to steady herself in case she had to defend herself or run away. His demeanor was friendly as he approached, he even wagged his tail a few times. Was it okay to play with a stranger? Being young and naive, Clove decided to play it by ear. Bedsides, Daddy would come to save her anyways right? “Umm, hi…!” She said, hesitancy in her tone but she didn’t back down. “I’m Clove- this is my mom and dad's territory!” Explaining the obvious, she wanted to make it clear that she knew he wasn’t supposed to be here. “If you promise to be nice, we can still play- but if you're mean, I'll call daddy!” Setting the ground rules, Clove took her place at the starting line. “First one to the other stick wins!” She waited for him to acknowledge the rules before her countdown started. “One… two…. three... go!” And with that, she was off.   "Speech"

Clove vs Wilder for Race
Round 1/2
Age: < 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Skills: Intermediate Hunter & Intermediate Navigator

Oblivious to her hesitancy, Wilder stands there and looks at her. He doesn't move, but he listens. So she was the daughter of whoever owned these lands? Hmm, interesting. Wasn't quite important to him anyway because he wasn't looking to join a back, but he didn't want to be in trouble either. Hesitancy grows in his chest as she declares that if he's mean she'll call her daddy. His ears flick back and his brow furrows slightly. Why would he be mean to her? She wanted to race right? Letting out a huff, Wilder follows Clove without a word over to the starting line. There is a soft nod in her direction to let her know that he understood, agreed, and was ready to go! As her words shouted out into the air, Wilder burst forward. Stretching out his long legs, he pushed against the dirt and grass. He gained momentum as a smile widened along his lips. Did the young Clove think she could beat him in a race? He was older and much larger already so covering ground was no issue for him compared to her shorter legs that would have to work harder to go farther. "Slowpoke!" Wilder calls out as he lets his tongue loll from the side of his mouth and flap in the wind. "Speak."

Wilder vs Clove for Race
Round 1/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Skills: Beginner Hunter & Beginner Navigator

She didn’t get much of a reaction from the boy, which she found to be a bit surprising. Maybe he was just quiet? No reaction was better than a show of aggression she assumed. And so, Clove proceeded with their little game, setting herself up at the starting line and giving the signal to begin. Wow, he was fast! As soon as he kicked off he sent dirt and grass flying behind him, which Clove had to scrunch her eyes tight while running forward to avoid the debris. She ran basically blind for several feet, spitting away some of the dirt on her lips before opening her eyes to see he was already in front of her. ”Slowpoke!” A taunt, which brought out a competitive huff from the girl. Her legs were much smaller, and she was younger- but she also had agility and a light build on her side. Pushing herself to go faster, Clove attempted to catch up to him, hot on his heels, honing in on the stick that represented the finish line.   "Speech"

Clove vs Wilder for Race
Round 2/2
Age: < 1 year
Size: Medium
Build: Light
Skills: Intermediate Hunter & Intermediate Navigator

A jolly laugh leaves him as he looks back at Clove. He can see the determination in her expression and how she is driven to win. Ha, in her dreams! Giving her a cheeky grin, he turns back to focus on the race ahead of him. Zoning in on the sticks that represented the finish line, Wilder pushes harder. Hearing her zooming up behind him, he can tell he is quickly getting winded. Unlike her slim and agility-based figure, his broader and bulkier stature is leaving him huffing and puffy. Damn, was he that fat?! The closer he got to the finish line, the slower his paws thumped against the grass. No way he was going to let a little girl beat him... "Speak."

Wilder vs Clove for Race
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Heavy
Skills: Beginner Hunter & Beginner Navigator

And the winner is...

Wilder

Clove lost the race! Totals: Clove : Speed Roll: 50 Stamina Roll: 88 Balance Roll: 55 Total: 193 Speed[50] + 5% Bonus[2.50]: 52.50 Stamina[88] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 88.00 Balance[55] + 5% Bonus[2.75]: 57.75 Total[198.25] + -5% Bonus[-9.91]: 188.34 Wilder: Speed Roll: 36 Stamina Roll: 85 Balance Roll: 87 Total: 208 Speed[36] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 36.00 Stamina[85] + 15% Bonus[12.75]: 97.75 Balance[87] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 87.00 Total[220.75] + 0% Bonus[0.00]: 220.75

Unfortunately for the trespassing Wilder, the Hallows had possibly the largest rookery of any established pack, and with so many eyes in the sky at all times, it was only a matter of time before one caught the intruder when he breached the border. Corbin had left his watch over Clove to report the intrusion to Artorias, and by the time the pair of racers had begun their fun, there was already a secret third runner in the mix. Artorias burst from Hearthstone, pausing long enough to spot Clove and the stranger, and then made a beeline for them. He kept his eyes on the intruder all the while, making sure the boy didn't try anything stupid with his little girl. Fortunately for the boy, it seemed to be little more than a friendly race, and that was enough to keep Artorias from wanting to carve up the trespasser on the spot for now.

The Aegis arrived just as the race was finishing. Clove had been soundly beaten by the notably older boy (shocking) but otherwise seemed unharmed and in good spirits. Her mood set the tone for his approach. "Looks like you two are having fun," he called out to the younglings, smiling as he looked at Clove, but there was a noticeable suspicion in his gaze as it settled on the boy. "Welcome to the Hallows, lad. I'm assuming I must have missed your call and you didn't just cross the borders right into my lands, right?" The tone in Artorias' voice was not hard, but there was enough assertion to get the message across: he was the alpha and he knew the boy was a trespasser. He was just lucky he had trespassed into a friendlier than normal pack.

"Artorias Carpathius"

Pushing herself to her limit, Clove quickly started to become exhausted. She had almost been able to reach his hocks, staying hot on his tail but given her younger, wobbly body, she just couldn’t beat him. He flew over the finish line first, and Clove was right behind him- but he was undoubtedly the winner of this friendly battle. Skidding to a halt, the girl practically fell over in exhaustion. “You-“ Huffing. "-are" More huffing. “-so-“ Dang, it was hard to catch her breath. “-fast!” Her tongue was hanging from her mouth now, and there was no way she could hide her smile. Even if he was a stranger, and wasn’t really supposed to be here… she had so much fun racing him! ”Looks like you two are having fun.” Uh oh, busted. Clove heard her father’s voice booming behind her, lacking any aggression but she knew he was going to be suspicious of the boy. Heck, even she was still kinda suspicious! Turning to her dad, she flashed him a sly, pup-like smile. She felt a bit guilty playing with the stranger… but nothing bad happened, and he was being so nice. So maybe it was okay? “Hi Dad!” She beamed, trotting over to him and trying to press her head against his leg. "This is, ummm," Dang, she didn't know his name yet! Artorias was quick to point out the trespassing, which she expected. And so, she fell silent for now, waiting to see how the strange boy would react… kinda hoping he would try to stick around and play some more. Or at least introduce himself. "Speech"

His paws cross the finish line in a stunning victory. Skidding to a halt that sprayed dirt and grass, Wilder spins on his paws as his body stops moving forward. With his tail wagging like crazy and his tongue lolling out of his mouth as he caught his breath, he turned his vermillion gaze on the puppy.

“Not too slow yourself, ” Wilder replied back in earnest. He wasn’t one to beat around the bush or lie to save face. As he’s about to plop himself down to the ground to recover, the sound of someone else’s paws thudding against the plains catches his attention. Quickly, he spies the navy bloke who is quite large and sure of himself.

Wilder freezes as the older male stops and regards them, commenting about how much fun they seemed to be having. At first, Widler took this as a good thing. His relaxed posture and slowly wagging tail gave away that he indeed had been having innocent fun. Before he could say much in response, the girl is moving over to his leg and saying hi dad! Oh, well maybe that wasn’t good for him.

Letting his ears fall back slightly, Wilder attempts to make himself appear slightly smaller. Wilder may not have been the brightest boy of the land, but he at least knew when to play dumb. “Uh, must’ve just had a bug in my throat,” he offers the Aegis a cheeky smile. His eyes dart back over to the girl who failed to introduce them because they didn’t even know each other’s name.

“I saw her racing path from God’s Garden and uh, couldn’t help myself,” his cheeky smile stays, harmless as it is, as his tail wags a few times. “Oh, uh, I’m Wilder, Morgan Wilder,” he clears his throat and looks back at the pup again. “ It was nice racing you,” then his attention is back on the Aegis, “if you’d like me to leave, I can. I meant nothing bad, swear,” Wilder then lifts a paw to his chest before placing it back on the ground and waiting with bated breath for Artorias’ next move.

"Speech"

As soon as the two heard him, both Clove and the stranger looked up at him with a start. Clove flashed him an innocent smile, perhaps trying to ham up her adorableness or perhaps genuinely not realizing the importance of stranger danger when it was within their own homelands. Either way, his little girl came bouncing over to bump her head against his foreleg. Artorias welcomed Clove's affections with a warm smile to her, lifting his giant azure paw to rest on her back and hug her close for a moment before releasing her once more. He didn't want to be the overbearing parent who embarrassed his daughter in front of her new "friend" by coddling her too much. However, when Clove couldn't produce the name of the strange male she'd been hanging out with, well, it was cause for Artorias to raise a brow her way. The end result was both Carpathians looking to the yearling for an answer.

To the boy's credit, he was polite in his responses, and even a bit sarcastic in the face of an older and larger wolf. Art could find some semblance of himself in the lad's responses. The stranger introduced himself as Morgan Wilder, then thanked Clove for the race and offered to be on his way if he was causing trouble. All throughout the interaction, Artorias had been closely observing Wilder's behavior and body language, assessing the teen for any signs of dishonesty, deception, or ill intent. While he had made a questionable choice crossing blindly into pack lands, the Aegis could find no malice in his behavior, and he would not fault the adolescent boy for making a foolhardy decision and disregarding his own safety. This could be a valuable learning lesson, after all, and Artorias believed strongly in teaching over punishment.

Artorias' expression softened when Wilder offered to leave and he gave the boy a more welcoming smile, warmth returning to his fire opal eyes. "And ruin your fun time? Don't be silly, all are welcome in the Hallows so long as you come peacefully—and announce yourself so we know who's visiting." He chuckled and gave Wilder a teasing smirk and a wink. "Just be careful about blindly wandering into a pack's lands. Some others aren't as hospitable as we are." Looking down at Clove, he motioned with a tip of his snout to go back to hanging out with her new friend if she wanted. This would be a good opportunity for Clove to interact with wolves outside of her family and maybe make a new friend in the process. "You two have a good time playing. Just remember to stay within pack lands, Clove," he instructed the kids with a friendly smile. "Morgan, you're welcome to stay for a bite to eat before you leave if you'd like. If anyone hassles you, just tell them Artorias allowed you in."

With that, Artorias gave a whistle into the air. From the skies swooped down Corbin and Eira, the jet black and stark white ravens alighting on the dire brute's back with grace. "Fii cu ochii pe ei," he instructed his avians, who turned their heads to look over Wilder and Clove before croaking in understanding and took to the skies once more. Artorias knew his directions would be unknown to Clove, who only had her rudimentary Carpathian lessons, and to Wilder, who would be totally lost by his change of language. Knowing that his companions would keep an eye on Clove for him, Artorias leaned down aiming to nuzzle his daughter's forehead once more before turning to make his way back toward Hearthstone.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

After receiving a hug from her father, she stayed at his side. Bouncing her gaze between the two, Clove watched their interaction unfold. She noticed how the stranger modified his body language- pulling his ears back, wagging his tail, smiling at her father. He was being very friendly, accommodating even. Which made Clove smile and wag her tail too. His comment even brought out a giggle from her- a bug in his throat? It must have been from him running so fast! And his name, it was Morgan Wilder. Her expression got a little more serious then. She wanted to commit his name to memory, and was hoping they could have more encounters after this. He had been fun to play with, so far. Trying to bid a goodbye, or maybe just being respectful. Morgan asked if he needed to leave. Shifting her gaze to Artorias, she unknowingly presented her most effective move- big ole puppy eyes. She didn’t want Morgan to leave! But she wasn’t going to disobey her father or beg for the new guy to stay either… at least, not out loud. Whether this swayed Artorias’ decision or not, she wasn’t entirely sure. But he offered to let the male stay, keep playing, and even have some of their food if he wanted! Father was being so generous. “I will!” She said, referring to his comment about staying in the pack lands. Artorias called for his ravens, giving them an instruction she assumed. With a muzzle to her forehead, which she affectionately pressed against him, Artorias bid a farewell. Waiting until he was out of eyesight, Clove whirled back around to face Morgan. “If you wanna stay and hang out more,” She was searching his face for any signs that he might want to leave. “I can show you our wildberry grove!” If he decided to stay, Clove had full intentions of towing him around all day and showing him the Hallows. -exit- "Speech"