The pungent scent of the other pack made his nose wrinkle. His papas had told him that it wasn't okay to trespass into the other territories, but he had a reason. As of late, with how fast his heart raced and how terrified he was of going outside, he had wanted to find anything to help. Something to soothe the racing thoughts made his brain go a million miles a minute. Of course, he had confided in his papas about these feelings and they had mentioned chewing on some mint or lavender, but in passing, he had overheard someone mention a plant called hops. Now in all fairness, the lavender and mint had helped, but not quite enough. From what he had heard, hops was the real deal so now he was on a hunt for them.

Sniffing out the wheaty-scented plant, Bancha had nervously hemmed and hawed over the whole trespass situation. Wouldn't he better off just doing a quick little trespass and getting on his way? Whoever led this pack wouldn't mind right? The hops were right there, just feet from the border! Finally mustering up the courage, Bancha practically scurried his way over to the plants that loved the loamy soil that surrounded the Stone Steppe. Admiring the yellow and tan plant, he sticks his nose up to it to get a good whiff. The scent alone makes his brain feel fuzzy and his heart slow down. Yep, he could get used to that!

Focused and intent on gathering some of the hops, Bancha definitely didn't notice anyone noticing him trespassing on someone else's territory.

1/3 gather an herb - hops
1/3 explore a new land - the stone steppe

Something called loss had left Björn⁢'s father rather sullen lately. Somewhat less attentive, he'd been spending time in the company of the priests since their return from the trip down south. Some of his older siblings had returned with them, bringing more noise. More activity. Driving Björn⁢ at first closer to his father, and then down the mountain to the Steppe when he grew bored. So much plotting, consulting. Scheming. He wants action. Gaze sharp on the expansive land before him, taking it all in. The ground beneath his paws was dry, but not enough to be dusty. Not yet. Picking up a loose, easy jog, he picks up the scent markers that line their border. Not long since the last patrol, sorting out exactly who becoming the thing that keeps his mind busy. Sharp gaze, taking in the massive slabs of stone to one side, and the border to the other. It's only as Björn⁢ crests a natural rise in the earth that he spots them-- Trespasser. Hackles up, sharp gaze narrowing. Björn⁢'s goal is to make himself look as large as possible as he rushes the boy, hoping to plow squarely into the smaller pup. See, he knows that trespassers should be stopped, but the procedure? He hasn't gotten that far yet. BJÖRN Ragnarök awaits.

Bancha thinks it quite pretty here. It's different type of pretty compared to his home. Instead of trees and rivers, it's rolling hills and wide flat stones. He can see them from where he stands as he grabs ahold of a stalk of hops and twists his head so it breaks free and he can begin to pile them beside him. The weather is even pleasant today. Clouds listlessly roll by in the sky, the sun warms his back. Even a few birds troll the windy pockets, probably looking for mice to eat. The pup wonders if birds only ever fly west to east or north to south. Do they ever fly northwest? It would be a question to save for next time.

He even stops to talk a bite off the head of a hop and move it to the back of his mouth so he can chew on it like a cow chews cud. The release of its oils and scent calms his nerves until he spots a darkened figure ahead of him. Bancha tilts his head and glances around. Behind him, he sees the river that divides the territories. On his sides, he sees outcroppings of plants and bushes. Where had this other pup come from? What he can see, they're probably around the same age, but dang, this guy was twice his size!

In the next moment, just as he blinks, he watches as the horned pup comes barreling toward him, looking bigger than he had a second ago. Bancha can't help but let out a startled yelp and fold in on himself. Cowering toward behind the hop bush, he basically allowed the larger boy barrel into him. The crashing thud of his body being rolled over forces him to yelp one again. "P-please!" Bancha cries out, his paws covering his floppy ears. "I j-just wanted some of the plant!" His bright teal eyes water as he peers up at the dark coated boy that ran him over.

2/3 gather an herb - hops
2/3 explore a new land - the stone steppe

Björn's patrol is purposeful, and he's caught something. Like a child catching his first fish, the brown and white pup is a feature of the landscape in the same way. Trespasser! It's all very exciting. The boy is already reveling in it, despite not quite knowing what to do with the trespasser now that he's caught. Where had the other pup even come from? Björn thinks for a long moment about the land just to the south west. The river that separated them, and he can't wait for a day when the supervision is loose enough to cross it. But for his trespassing companion, that day had been today. Lucky. Maybe not lucky, judging by the way he yipped and cowered. Björn stepped back, reaching to poke at the boy with a claw. Near scientific in his curiosity. A tiny stranger, how weird. "What's so special about it?" He squinted down at the boy, not the plant. Björn's head tipped curiously to one side, then the other, squinting down. Curious. Hackles still up, still looming large. He's practicing his intimidating stance, shhh. BJÖRN Ragnarök awaits.

Laying on his side, cowering beneath the boy, he notices how lovely the dirt smells. Yes, it's a weird thing to notice, but it smells... different than the dirt at home. It is a metallic note to it that leaves Bancha wondering if the mountain has anything to do with it. Or the weirdly stacking stones in the distance. The two territories aren't far a part so why did each area smell so differently from the other? Did the wolves occupying it have anything to do with it?

He thinks about these things as he quickly chews on the hops. The other boy is hovering over him. A demanding presence that he can't ignore. When the question comes, Bancha is left with a dry mouth and closed throat. Slowly, he slinks backward, tail still tucked and floppy ears folded as backward as they could be. "Uh, I, uh, see," he can't find the words to explain it with those piercing eyes glaring daggers at him. Scooching closer to the hop bush, he hurriedly pulls another piece off of it and holds it out to the boy. "Just, just try it. I l-learned that it can help with nerves," his voice stutters, barely a whisper as he hovers close to the ground, looking up at the boy as his chin digs into the dirt. Could he get any smaller?

3/3 gather an herb - hops
3/3 explore a new land - the stone steppe