Many days have passed since his arrival, and with those many days, much of that time had been spent exploring the new lands that he had come across. There were already a few encounters with the local residents, but he had yet to meet anyone he truly liked. Introverted and feeling truly free by himself, the Russian continued the task of simply surviving. The sun was beating against his earthly-toned back, salmon colored tongue hanging down the left side of his maw. Heat was not something he could tolerate well - he had been born in a burrow of snow. Audits perked up at the sound of some creatures nearby. They were small, but it was clear that they were jumping around in some nearby water. Without hesitation, and without realizing it, the man was quick to step over an invisible border that had clearly been overlooked. The desire to become hydrated was far too strong. Kneeling down at the lake, the foreigner quickly and thirstily lapped up the water, royal purple orbs focusing on the shadows that moved beneath the surface. Fishing wasn't a skill, and he wasn't feeling up to trying today.

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

He was on patrol, just reaching the Lake, and he was beginning to think that once they had more fighters, he would be setting up group patrols. Perhaps a group for each land to monitor them. He could handle both, but it was a long stretch. However, all these musings dropped away as his nose ran across an unfamiliar scent, going right across the border. There was no trace of any hesitation on the outside, but Justice and Baine’s scents from a recent patrol of theirs – something that pleased him – along with his daily application of his scent should have been enough to stop any wolf familiar with packs in his or her tracks. He contemplated howling for someone in the pack, but decided against it. By this male’s scent, he was dehydrated, which could have been the exact thing to cause him to walk right over the border. It was a more optimistic possibility than the other possibility that it was a loner who knew exactly what borders were and had intent to do harm. He angled to follow the traces, moving at a silent walk. This area was, by far, the most wooded area of Celestial, trees and undergrowth fed by the moisture from the lake. So, despite the near Autumn dryness of some fallen leaf litter, the ground was still soft and loamy, which gave his paws plenty of places to land without giving him away with a crackle of leaves. He could smell the tiny splats of saliva from a lolling tongue, and the idea that this was a wolf who had been driven by thirst gained more credit. A tuft of fur here, a scuff of track there. A brown wolf – or one that had brown in his coat – who was slightly larger than what seemed to be the average for these continents… or had big feet for a small wolf? No. The depth of the next impression said large. He slowed as he came to the edge of the tree line surrounding the lake, peering out to find the trespasser bent at the lake, drinking for all he was worth. After a bit, the lapping stopped, but the stranger remained hunched, perhaps contemplating the fish that swam in the water. There was no evidence of knowledge that he’d just entered into a pack’s territory; no wary glances over his shoulders, no flinching at any sound like it might be an avenging wolf bearing down upon his back at any second. Deciding that this wolf wasn’t here to cause trouble, Regulus stepped from the trees and approached, keeping out of lunging distance – for the stranger; his own range was greater than the smaller male, just from his larger size – and gave a low woof. It wasn’t an overly hostile sound, though his posture spoke a bit more loudly of ‘I am the leader here’ than his usually casual air of command and confidence. His tail was held more stiffly over his hips than usual, his head cocked higher and those fathomless sapphires held a sharp reprimand. But there was no sign to be found that he would attack without provocation. “Good day, stranger.... I'm sorry to have to start an introduction this way, but... I’m afraid you’ve trespassed into the territory of Celestial. Was this intentional, or did you merely miss the border markings?” His eyes searched the male’s face and body as he waited for an answer. He maintained a lack of hostility. If this fellow truly proved no threat, Regulus wasn’t averse to helping him out a little.

Finally Varon had drunken his fill, licking the rest of the water off his chin and lips with one clean swipe. A step had yet to be taken before audits flickered to the sound of a bark, purple orbs now turning to the side to see where it had come from. Out of the trees, a large red male calmly walked closer to him. The fur upon his back was a strange color, and even hurt the Russian's eyes for a few seconds. Upon this strangers neck hanged a strange thing - an amulet? The Russian waited for the larger man to come closer, his voice finally revealing the reasonings behind his sudden appearance. "Good day, stranger.... I'm sorry to have to start an introduction this way, but... I’m afraid you’ve trespassed into the territory of Celestial. Was this intentional, or did you merely miss the border markings?" What the red canine had said had kept him silent, Varon's own eyes slightly bothered by what he had just heard. Immediately, nostrils would open, the scent of many now starting to awaken his brain even further. How could he be so stupid as to walk into a pack's territory. Varon was upset with himself, but more importantly, now needing to figure out how to get out of the situation. The red stranger carried himself quite proudly, so immediately, the foreigner knew he held a high power - perhaps a beta, maybe even the alpha? While Varon was very proud, the man also knew when to own up to his own mistakes, and following pack borders were greatly important to him. "I have no ill intentions. Excuse the intrusion," accented tones rather politely expressed. It was a rare event for the Russian to convey an apology, but it was well deserved.

Regulus Anatolii Adravendi

The stranger’s reaction was enough to convince Regulus that he’d merely stumbled across the border without realizing it, and at Varon’s words, the behemoth nodded, relaxing his dominant stance and studying the brown fellow frankly. He paused, then added, “You look hungry, so I think I know a way we can smooth things over. My pack could use a large prey animal. What would you say to helping me hunt a mule deer in my main lands, with some help? In return, I’ll allow you to stay on Celestial’s lands, under my protection. You'll have a chance to rest, eat, and escape the heat for a few days before you head on your way. If that doesn’t sound like a plan, you can still head on your way, but don’t expect to get away with crossing the borders again, accidentally or not.” The deal was on the ground before the male. Two options. One that would increase relations with a pack for helping them, and would help him in return, and one that would still let him leave unscathed, but would carry a consequence that if he intruded again, whether by accident or by choice, he’d come under attack.

Audits were perked forward attentively, but his body had turned slightly, waiting for a quick getaway if this red beast decided to attack for the intrusion. Despite his polite entrance, Varon wasn't one to trust very easily, and it was always better to be alert than to be dealt a heavy blow. Thankfully, this.. alpha took his words well and Varon was now deemed as non-threatening. Killing children was one of the last activities on this earth that he was interested with, so this red stranger had no worries there. It was soon after that this older man suddenly laid down his intentions. He was certainly right that the foreigner was hungry, and the mention of mule deer made him move slightly forward, now more interested. He'd never seen a mule deer, but deer were common in his old lands, and Varon knew how to hunt them with a group. Despite this alpha giving the Russian access to resting on the lands, it wasn't something he would take advantage of. There was a last warning for Varon at the end of the small speech, head slightly dipping to show that he understood that there would be no second chances. Taking a step forward, the wanderer spoke quietly, yet confidently, "I'll help hunt a deer for you, but I'll have to refuse the extended stay. I'm not keen on staying on foreign lands. I'll help repay my trespassing with my strength and be on my way." There wasn't much more to be said, the man having given his muscles for a hunt in exchange for a meal and a pardon. While this red man was much larger, Varon was sure he could hold his own against him if he decided to attack for trespassing, but as a lone wolf, it would be difficult healing from any wounds that would be sustained in the fight. The larger the wolf, the harder the bite. Tail swinging neutrally between his legs, now awaiting for further instruction. There was no knowledge of where these mule deer were, nor the general blueprint of the area. It was best to follow the one who owned these lands.