Leto trotted along, unencumbered by her burden of craft goods and hunting implements. She'd left them all stashed in her temporary den this time, a nook under a half-fallen dead tree, because she had no intention of hunting and had decided to sticks around the area for a while longer before she made the trek back down to the southern continent. She certainly had no intention of staying up here during the winter, no thank you. She'd prefer Auster's dry season over snow any day. Anyway, she'd had a nice bit of luck earlier in the day and had ambushed a covey of quail, most of which made for a good meal at the time and several more that she'd carefully buried under a cairn of rocks near the tree nook for later so she didn't need to worry about hunting right now, and she had a good number of snares set up in the area she was staying in so she'd have more to add to it when she went by to check on them, hopefully. It was already getting a little chilly for someone who'd grown up in Auster like she had, but she was sticking around a while longer for one reason alone, the only reason that could possibly drag her out of her stubbornly independent, crazy loner status. Family. Having found Iskra again - in true Leto fashion her anger at their last meeting had already vanished as though it had never been - Leto was certain more of the Aeris lingered in the north waiting for her to find. Da? Mum? Art? Maybe even crazy Aunt Caia that she hadn't seen since Aerie. That said she had no intention of putting herself under anyone else's authority, so even if Da had remade Aerie she wouldn't be staying. Maybe she'd make them a pack though. Maybe she should anyway. If you build it, they will come. Wasn't that a phrase or something? Whatever. She wasn't really keen on the idea of tying herself down to one place and shackling herself to a group of needy wolves, though. They'd definitely need to prove that they were worth her time before she'd let someone stick around. No freeloading whiners for her. Stopping, she eyed the low, flat boulder contemplatively, then with a stretch of her nebula-covered, sturdy body, she sprang up on top of it. Oooh yes. The dark rock surface was definitely holding whatever heat it could catch from the weak autumn sun, and while it didn't really provide a fancy lookout point or anything she would willingly forgo that benefit in order to bask in the warmth like a lizard. Settling down sphinx-like, she half closed blood red eyes and enjoyed. - Leto

Tyranis had always been on the gaunt side, his fur had always been too thick and plush to show it but his narrow hips and long thin legs were telling enough. He had never cared enough before and had even thought his sleek frame was more fitting for a young man of intellect, but now that his thoughts were turning toward becoming alpha and the very real notion that he would need to fight had arisen, he was starting to view it as a weakness. He needed to get stronger, and that meant gaining muscle, which of course meant eating. He had always thought of hunting as beneath him, in spite of the fact that he was built perfectly for it, and thus had done little in the way of learning to track and catch prey. He had one lesson with Brandr once when he was around four months old, but that was the most he could account for other than catching the occasional snake in the plains. He crept with his nose to the ground, searching for signs of anything even remotely edible, when he saw it; a pheasant, a great fat thing picking its way through the grass. It had spotted him, and regarded him apprehensively and began to pace away, unsure if the young lean creature was actually a threat or simply an atypical piece of scenery. Tyranis stood completely still, every muscle in his body tense as he watched the bird. It was hesitant and that was its mistake. In a blink of an eye he shot toward it and the bird took wing, with a ripping snarl he opened his jaws and closed them, just barely managing to grab its tail feathers. The bird shrieked and kicked and beat its wings wildly, still trying to escape, trying to sacrifice the bulk of its feathers for its life, but Tyranis had been lucky and had gotten a firm grip. He snapped his jaws over the phesant’s rear, tasting blood and smelling shier panic. He threw his head in an arch and dashed the bird’s body against the ground, stunning it until he repeated the motion twice more and killed it. Lucky. That seemed to be a running theme for him although just how true it was had been mostly unknown to him. He let the limp bird fall and shook out his fur, dying to dig into what he considered a well earned meal when he caught something in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and looked, cocking his head to the side as he began to realize just what he was seeing. At first he had thought it was a pile of leaves resting on a large rock, but the way it moved in the wind was odd. Slowly, and with just a touch of horror he realized; he had had an audience. "Talk"  Thought "You"

Let's mindless reverie of bliss was suddenly interrupted by a beating of wings and a snarl, followed closely by a raucous screeching and flailing. Eyes popped open into narrow blood-red slits to stare down from her rock in a faint mixture of irritation and curiosity. What greeted her eyes was the much larger, lanky form of a yearling male, frantically beating a partridge against the ground. She continued to watch with slitted gaze until the stupid bird went still and quiet, her tail twitching against the rock in annoyance as she waited for the disturbed silence to return.

And finally, that blessed silence.

But it seemed like boyo had finally had the situational awareness to note her presence, for he turned his head to stare and she stared back for a long moment of silence. She had no problem letting the moment draw itself out, and got a hint of amusement at the idea of making the male uncomfortably aware that he was being watched. But she couldn't really go back to drowsing with him aware of her now. Big guy or not, she had no doubts she was scrappy enough to put him in the dirt if he tried to pull something, but not if she wasn't paying attention.

So she deliberately yawned widely, showing every ivory tooth, before returning her red eyes to him. "Sloppy," she taunted with lazy amusement. "I seen pups who waste less energy flailin' round ona hunt than that. That how you gonna take out th' bear who heared your liddle friend squawkin' and come to investigate too or are you expectin' they jest lay down an wait fer y' to gum 'em t'death? Thet ain't no way t'hunt."

He dropped the bird and scrapped the feathers off his tongue with his teeth as she regarded him, only for his head to snap up in confusion as she spoke. “I- What?” He had never heard anyone with an accent speak before, especially not one like the woman’s. The vaguest he could gather was that she was commenting on the sloppiness of his kill and…Something about bears? “I-I’m” He stammered, his face drawn with conclusion. “I’m not a hunter if that’s what you mean” Tyranis said as if he were admitting to heinous crime. He opened his mouth to say more in his defense then shut it, adjusting his stance to make himself appear more firm and sure of himself. “Who are you anyway?” He asked, almost demanding, his golden eyes narrow then without waiting for a reply introduced himself proudly: “I am Tyranis Wreckage, the true king of the east.” He said although that was mostly a lie, one he himself was undermining with his plans to take the mostly uninhabited North…For now anyway. "Talk"  Thought "You"

Leto shrugged and snorted at the yearling's assertion that he wasn't a hunter. "If y'want any sorta independence, y'gotta be a hunter. Gonna depend on everyone else t' take care of ya yer whole life are ya? Gotta be some kinda mentally deficient if that's what ya want in life, being coddled along like a baby." She couldn't help the snark and sass that tumbled from her muzzle even if she'd ever cared enough to want to, which she didn't and so far in her life never really had, so she continued to taunt, her voice rough edged and brash as it had always been. His unexpected claim of being... the true king of the east? ... startled a loud, full throated whoop of laughter from the woman. "King o' the East are ya, Mister Tyranis Wreckage Himself? Nice to meet you. Leto Aeris, the One True Empress of All Auster, born o' the night sky itself an' a wanderin' ghosty spirit." A wicked grin flashed beneath eyes full of mischief. She didn't bother to hide the sarcasm behind any sort of playfulness or pretend seriousness, no. If anything she amped it up as obviously as it could go. - Leto

He paused, and stared at her for a moment before realization dawned on him and aggravation quickly overtook his features. “Are you mocking me?!” He demanded through clenched teeth, his fur on end, eyes narrowed. “I could paint these rocks with your blood.” He snarled, his claws sinking into the earth. He had only ever been in one fight and had lost miserably, but this woman didn’t need to know that, and he had learned long ago that if you were big enough, no one would call your bluff. Or so he thought anyway. If she called his bluff he’d simply scoff and walk away, muttering that he didn’t have to waste his time on her, assuming she would give him the chance of course. He had already threatened her and his stance indicated that he was more willing to fight than he actually was. For all his empty threats and bravado however he did have several wolves who were loyal to him; his mother, his brother, Aranea he supposed although he wasn’t entirely sure. It might not have been today, but Tyranis knew that the day would come were she would curse the day she mocked him. "Talk"  Thought "You"

Apparently her words hit a nerve with the snotty yearling, and he bristled and blistered at her. "Oh, you figured that out already didja?" the Aeris wolf snarked with a false sweetness. "What a bright liddle boy you are."

Threats, was it? Well, it had been far too long since she got into a good hard scrap. It would be a grand old time, just like back when Artemis was around to tangle with. Grinning rather sharkishly, Leto rose smoothly to her paws, staring down at him from her perch. "That so?" she chortled with a harsh sound. "Lookit you, Big Man, thinkin' you have what it takes to... what... paint these rocks wit' my blood? Kent hunt worth shit but the snot thinks he can take me." She made a come-hither gesture with one forepaw, still grinning that toothy grin. "Well come on, then, prove it, Big Man. Paint th' rocks wit' my blood. That is, iffen you ain't too much the coward t' risk your pretty little face eh?"

He drew back, feeling the deep rumble of a growl in his throat as his golden eyes bore into the stranger’s. His lip raised with a furious snarl, ready to lash out and use the full force of his larger size to wipe the smug look on her face…But he didn’t. He shut his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth together, then slowly relaxed. He reminded himself of who he was- who he had told the girl he was; The king of the east, a bolt of lightning in the dark, a Wreckage, and slowly he opened his eyes, narrow with mild annoyance and disapproval. He snorted and raised his head snobbishly, before turning his back on her. “I don’t need to waste my time just to prove a point to some vagabond.” He rumbled proudly, flashing his teeth from over his shoulder as he spoke. “Go bother someone else, maybe they’ll teach you how to speak properly.” He hissed sardonically and picked up his bird before walking slowly and calmly away. -Exit Tyranis Unless Stopped "Talk"  Thought "You"

Ooc: M for Mature. Inappropriate language ahead. Just Leto amusing herself.


The boy's words drew a loud crow of laughter from the Aeris, as she threw her chunky head back and let the raucous cackle peel her lips back from her fangs. "Oh that's rich ain't it!" she said caustically, watching with a broad, knowing grin as the boy slunk off. "Run away, liddle coward, ya pansy-ass liddle piss-baby! Mebbee someun'll keep yer useless hide intact and fed for you, huh? Cuz you obv'yously kent back yer own bluffs by your baby self! Yer mum still lick yer ass clean fer ya too? Pussy!" The course, uncouth harranguing continued unabated, directed as loudly and derisively as possible at where the yearling's retreating hindquarters had last been seen. "I don' see any balls from here, liddle girl!" she hooted. "Come back when ya grow some an' we'll go a round or two since yer too coward-like ta have a go at me now!" Oh, she would get bored of shouting insults at the top of her lungs eventually, but she was going to make sure he would at least hear the barrage of humiliation every step of the way to the edge of the rocky field - and that was no small distance. She laughed agaim, a wild sound that echoed around the boulders. "Ya got fuck-all, liddle bitch."