When he began to go in search of packs to speak with he was actually surprised to find that he had to go a fair distance to even find the closest one. It seemed that somehow Pantheon was now the only pack left standing in the west so he decided to head toward the south first. After maybe half a day of comfortable travel he finally came across the distinct scent of a pack border. He looked out over the Prairie that stretched out in front of him from his side of the border while he tried to put his thoughts in order. His first meeting with another alpha as an alpha! He quickly shook out his coat to make sure he looked presentable and then lifted his head to let out a howl to call for the alpha of this pack. He hoped whoever it was would be friendly... he'd hate for his first ever meeting to go poorly. "Talk" "You" Think

Walk | Talk | Think Though he had made it clear he would begin setting out to visit Secretua's neighbors and learn of the other packs out there, Rune found it hard to leave. It was one thing to say it while his mate still carried their children, but it was another entirely to face them and tell them he was going to be gone for a little while. He was dragging his feet, he knew it, delaying his trips so that he could spend more time with them and enjoy their youth while he still could, all the while with that nagging voice in the back of his head reminding him that knowing the other packs would keep those kids safe. But what was one more day in the long scheme of things? He was with them when he heard the call, and reluctantly he dragged himself away from them. They were safe, protected by not only the thick, maze-like vegetation of the Gulley but family and pack members alike, and yet he still carried himself with a bit of defensiveness, always ready and prepared to place himself between those in his care and anyone that would threaten them. By the time he reached the Prairie, he was ready to face Secretua's visitor and paused just a moment to spy the wolf along the border before he approached. Pale eyes darkened by a stern frown stared out of a stoic face and quickly assessed the dark, rust-colored wolf waiting for him. Young but strong, the wolf looked expectant on the border, but as he neared Rune realized it likely was not because he sought a place in his pack. With the foreign scent of a different group upon him, the Guardian assumed he was being given a chance at getting to know one of his neighbors without leaving his home, and while the whole experience made him nervous with pups hidden away inside the territory at least it meant he did not have to travel very far away to conduct his business. He stopped, offered the young leader a curt nod, and said in his gruff voice, "You stand on the borders of Secretua. What brings you here?"

Luckily he wouldn't be kept waiting long. He had to fight the urge to fidget nervously while he waited and the gray and black man appeared just before Hercules gave into the temptation. Hercules looked to the man expectantly and made sure that he held himself in a way that showed respect but also gave off an air that he was here with a purpose. He didn't want to seem like he could be mistaken for anything other than an alpha, but he didn't want to offend the other man either. It was a fine line that Hercules wasn't entirely sure he knew how to walk yet. The other alpha's greeting was short and to the point, but not mean. Hercules assumed he was the alpha anyway. He didn't exactly introduce himself. However he certainly seemed to hold himself with some authority. "I am here today simply to introduce myself and hopefully create some sort of friendship between our packs," he replied, silently proud of how steady his voice was. He didn't feel that nervous, but as a yearling that suddenly had a pack of his own and was meeting with other alphas not even a month later he wasn't too sure of himself either. "I am Hercules Olympus. I've recently taken over as Patriarch in Pantheon. We still reside in the far corner of the West, but it seems we are the only pack to still own a piece of the West so you seem to be one of the closest packs to mine now. Which is why I have come to you to see about making a friendship between our packs first." He smiled a little and waited for a response, wondering to himself if his mother would have approved of how he was handling Pantheon so far. "Talk" "You" Think

Walk | Talk | Think It felt like it was becoming his natural reaction to become guarded and defensive whenever anyone showed up on his pack's borders with talk of making their packs friendly. It was counterproductive to what he wished to do, venturing around to learn more about his neighbors, but it still continued to rear up within him whenever Secretua had an unanticipated visitor. He felt it now as he drew in a breath, trying not to tense up and hold himself with unnecessary authority before this young leader. Visitors in the past might have ruined any openness his borders might have once possessed, but the paranoid Guardian needed to keep an open mind if he was going to make this mission of his work. Thankfully whatever he felt was kept more or less under wraps, and his guest did not seem outwardly phased by his unwelcoming appearance. The wolf, Hercules Olympus, explained where he came from, claiming to lead the only pack within the western region, and immediately the wary furrow upon Rune's brow deepened further into a proper frown. What happened to Arcanum? They had always been a strong pack despite being led by a pair of psychotic criminals. Had they moved or had something happened to them? And what did it mean for his two young nephews that lived there? Concern filled him for the boys that had been taken from his pack at a young age and during an impressionable time, and it was difficult to keep his mind on task. Already he was mentally preparing himself for a journey to the last known location of Arcanum, assuring himself that Alamea, their children, and the pack could handle that quick absence, and forcefully Rune had to drag himself out of his plans and back into the present moment. His frosty eyes closed and his head shook to clear his mind, and though he found himself still less interested with this boy and his pack he made himself answer. "Secretua doesn't concern itself with the affairs of other packs," he explained, blunt as always, "and we aren't looking for alliances." Maybe he was misunderstanding what the young leader meant by "friendship;" it would not have been the first time. "But so long as Pantheon doesn't upset what we have going here, our two packs won't have a problem with each other."

Something that he said seemed to bother the other male quite a bit, but he wasn't sure what it was. The other alpha also still hadn't introduced himself, which Hercules found very odd, but he tried not to think too much about it since the male seemed quite distracted by whatever it was that he was thinking about. Hercules gave a small nod of understanding at the male's blunt response. His smile faded a bit, but it wasn't because he was disappointed in the response. After all, he hadn't been looking for an alliance to begin with. Perhaps he was more disappointed in this man's blunt words that were on the borderline of being considered rude? He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but he tried to reassure himself that not all alphas would be this way. "That is perfectly fine," he responded. "I more just wanted to touch base with you to ensure the peace between our packs rather than form alliances. You won't have any trouble from Pantheon, I assure you. He gave a small dip of his head as he said his goodbyes, easily seeing that his man was much to distracted at the moment to talk more. "I'll be on my way then. It was nice to meet you. Perhaps we will cross paths again sometime." He turned to leave unless the other man stopped him for some reason and went on his way. Perhaps there was another pack for him to visit out here before he headed home. "Talk" "You" Think