[Gabriel♞]

This is for @Schorl , but any other visitors from Alteron and aspiring Kestrels are welcome to join. If you're interested, just ask! <3

  The leaders were elsewhere discussing terms, and despite his position, Gabriel was inclined to follow. He was, however, tasked with overseeing these visitors. Despite his frequency here, he's not all that familiar with the layout of the first ring, away from the direct borders. In the first ring, he is a Sentry, the second is a pack member, and third, himself. A separation of spaces helps him to compartmentalize. That's the excuse he's come to, for why he's having such a hard time socializing.

  "Just up ahead," he croaks, clearing his throat before continuing, "there's a break in the mountains where the sun can reach, so most of the snow melts off." It's a rather scenic patch of grassland, overlooking the river that leads out of the territory, and nestled right against the second ring. With any luck, the small band with garner attention from passersby, and he won't have to entertain them alone.

[Schorl]

((OMG I didn't check this account's notifications, so sorry for the wait!))

The Inarian Party has been her first diplomatic duty, though with a load of prey strapped to her it felt more like a pack mule mission. Going to a strange pack to build a relationship from the ground up: now that's what he signed up for. Or, at least, that's what she thought. Schorl managed to choke on her first go. She understood that things happen, she was green. Telana didn't seem upset. She'd have another chance.

"It's impressive." The territory was different from Alteron, but not too entirely different from the lands she traveled in. Schorl could no longer hold in a shiver, "So the snow leaves? Feels cold enough for it to stay around all year."

The hellion didn't mind mindless small talk, she liked to talk and interact with others in general. Yellow eyes went to her guide. Would he feel the same? Schorl didn't know his rank, only that he showed up at the border. As far as she knew he could be some high ranked individual, though the fact that he was saddled with tour guide duty instead of going with the alphas indicated otherwise. Horned head swung towards the mountains.

"Does your territory go up there? Or do you stay in the valley?"

[Gabriel♞]

{WHOOPS; my wait was even worse.}

  He chuckles slightly at her statement. "Oh, the snow leaves, but the cold doesn't." Gabriel smiles slightly, before shifting back into alertness, gazing up at the peaks she indicates. "Only enough to give us the high ground. The space outward from the mountains is used generally only for movement into and out of the territory. Most pack business occurs in the second ring or inward." It takes him a moment to realize the vocabulary so ingrained into his everyday existence isn't used outside of Saboro. "We have multiple concentric borders of sorts, accessible based on rank." The male shrugs; this is something he's explained dozens of times, usually finished by saying to stay in the second until told otherwise. "We're extremely fortified."

  This, as well, is another fact to him, and something it would only deter outsiders to know. He actually enjoys conversation-- if he hasn't discussed the topic to death already.

[Schorl]

At the mention of rings Schorl's gaze drifted from the mountains to her guide and she was thankful he took the time to explain. It was a fascinating concept.

"Borders in borders..." She mused, "I never heard of anything like that. So, you keep new recruits away from the rest of you? Some kind of initiation? Alteron is surrounded by a moat, er" the hellion realized it might be her turn to explain a concept. She hadn't heard the term before joining, "A very deep gorge with a river running in it surround the border. There's some bridges and that's the only way to get in. They are also fortified, of course."

She smiled at the wolf. It was, after all, their job to make their packlands sound as protected and formidable as possible but surely one on one time could be more causal.

"It's really always this cold here? I don't know how you stand it. I mean, for a while I lived where we had snow for months, but it had the decency to warm up. I haven't seen snow yet in Alteron, but damn does it rain. But I haven't been there too long. What about you? You been in Saboro your whole life?"

[Gabriel♞]

  Ears angled toward her, but scanning the mountains, Gabriel nods thoughtfully. "An initiation... Yes, something like that." He remembers when he was still reckless with youth, calling out the Harriers that had mauled his father not long before and suggested himself as a replacement-- smirks as the faces of all the new Sentries flash in his mind's eye. There are some remnants of Howls around, after all.

  Schorl speaks further, finally under the Sentry's full attention. He cocks a brow at the mention of a moat, finally nodding at her description with a sound of understanding. It reminds him of the river that surrounded their old claim, which in turn brings up everyone that crossed it in abandoning him-- and those he prevented. He frowns at an imagining of Knife, mangled and shredded by her pseudo-mother. Dragging Artemisia by the scruff on her order, coming back for the girl, but no burial came. He made an example of the almost-escapee to her very siblings. Oriana...

  The Jack says something with the inflection of a question, and then another he catches. "I have, in fact, as was my father. My grandmother actually founded Saboro." Now there's a story. "Of course, this is all old Saboro, back in the rainforest, and swamp before that. We've been here less than a year, under new leadership." Gabe winces briefly, regretting that final mention, before he recalls Sincate saying it themself in front of the full visiting party. "You want to hear about horrific weather, that was it."

[Schorl]

"Really now? That makes you some sort of royal descent! Or at least, old royal blood. I hear that's important." The hellion gave a harmless, knowing smile as Gabriel thought he committed some sort of slip up, "Hey, I'm not here to spy, just makes friends for Alteron, so no worries...aw damn, I forgot to ask your name! I'm Schorl."

Was she supposed to spy? Shit, maybe she should have spent more attention in orientation.

"I just joined Alteron." Dear wolf gods, the flood gates were open. No one asked, but the topic was open and Schorl did enjoy talking, "I had lived alone mostly, other than puppy years. Traveled around for a bit until...man, I don't know how to explain this to you, but I found something unnatural. Wood and stone in shapes I've never seen before, some even making...dens? It doesn't feel right to call them that, you know? They were advanced. This is going to sound crazy, big guy, but I think something made them. Dunno what, but something I've never seen before. I dubbed them Cryptids, thought that sounded cool. I lived there for years and collected their stuff but was kicked out when some wolves thought they could chase me off." She chuckled, "Guess they were right, huh?"

The little hellion was always looking for an excuse to talk about the Cryptids. If canines knew what tinfoil was surely a packmate would have fashioned her a hat by now. But she knew what she saw, and was desperate to find someone else who shared her experience, maybe knew more than she did.

"Hey, you said Saboro traveled, did you guys see anything like that?"

[Gabriel♞]

  "I hear that's important."

  "Maybe once, a long while ago, it was." Clear eyes narrow in concentration. "The throne went to my aunt, and being rather secluded, our branch was all but forgotten... barring disgrace." It's a line of conversation he clearly doesn't want to continue.

  Thankfully, the hellion reassures him of only the best intentions, which he finds hard to believe of any faction willing to ally with Saboro. "You must not be very good at this, then." His flat tone indicates nothing for or against sarcasm, but he cracks a smile at just the moment the topic changes. "Gabriel," he responds in kind. "It's a pleasure, Schorl."

  He politely withstands her tangent, smiling hesitantly as she dubs him "big guy" and eventually deciding he quite likes her company. Patiently, he answers her inevitable question with, "Not to my recollection, no." Hating to disappoint her, he addends, "But I wasn't looking all that closely, either."

  If the aim of Alteron's ambassadors is to personally ingratiate themselves to Saborans, Schorl, at least, has succeeded.

  "Do you have any other evidence of these cryptids?" he asks with a light smile. The floodgates are open, and Gabriel isn't the one to close them.