Mortuus, Camyla, Tywin (in progress)

Mortuus looked vainly pleased with himself when he revealed his place in the pack. His smugness melted into a more reserved, thoughtful frown when the young wolf revealed the same about herself, which... honestly didn't surprise him. The look, her mannerisms, it all made sense. She may be young, but she was, perhaps, an old soul. He could actually see the spark in her, something special... Silence fell as Mortuus lifted his grey muzzle and scrutinized the wolf through the smoky veil. Thoughts had stirred something inside of him. An idea, perhaps, come to life. "And I thought we were a dying breed," he said quietly, reverently. He did notice her trinkets, and was entranced by them. The fire spat and sputtered, and the spell was broken. She questioned him, and he had to think for a moment."I'm no historian," he growled. "But there was a time when this place--this Citadel Territory--was cursed. It's..." He sighed. "It's a long story." He looked like he was in no mood to tell it. "Talk to the drappa, Tarth. Her blood is connected to this land. She would tell you more. That is, if she welcomes you." His yellow eyes pierced her again. "Tywin might be easier to convince if you wish to linger here, but talking about Tarth's history will appeal to her better nature, for nothing is more important to her than family."

Tywin: Not too far from where the Dragga had left Mortuus, quiet and watchful eyes enjoyed the swirling plumes of smoke which journeyed to the clouds above. There was something so very comforting about the gift of fire, but as any wolf knew...it came from a source of corruption. Mankind used flames to kill and destroy, a subject that Tywin had never felt comfortable with. Alas, it provided heat and could be used in many other ways as well. Tywin's thick coat was given a shake once all four paws were once again supporting his muscular form, motion sent back towards the firepit in hopes of finding the old wolf content and pleased. Canary yellow eyes fell softly on the form of another, nostrils reeling in the scent as head lifted and tail arched slightly upwards. The voice which traveled out was gentle yet traveled with confidence. "Mortuus, I've only been gone for a short time, how is it that you get yourself into trouble so easily?" A playful look was given to the female as a few more steps were taken towards the fire, their shadows all dancing about in the final moments of dusk.

Camyla smirked at the old man's comments, giving him a nod. "A dying breed indeed. You don't meet many who love plants more than wolves." She cackled, listening in on his explanation of the Citadel group, brows narrowing once more into a serious expression as she made mental notes to herself. Tarth and Tywin. Now all she had to do was put the names to a face. "Hmm, where exactly in the main den located?" Crimson eyes narrowed as she looked intently at the den entrance once more, trying to figure out if there were any more living bodies in there. Her intense stare-down with the den was interrupted by yet another unfamiliar smell. Amongst the stench of burning wood, she inhaled the smell of another man. Head quickly turned to stare at the brute, skeleton-mask of a face resuming its emotionless expression as she sat patiently by the fire. She noted the slight upright tail, a sign of dominance. This must be one of the leaders the old man had mentioned. With yet another smirk, witch-woman looked between the two men as she noted the dramatic difference between the two. Old and new. So different. With his words, Camilla was able to finally place a name to the old man as she looked back in his direction. "Mortuus is it? So the "Master Healer" does have a name then." She cackled once more, lips curling into a contorted smile, snaggle-tooth peering from her lower jaw.

Mortuus's senses were too slow to notice the Dragga's approach. When it occurred to him who it was that stepped into the vicinity, Mortuus lifted himself gingerly on his tree stump, and crept down from it. It was a sign of respect; most dominant wolves did not like others perching themselves high. "Oh, you know me," he grunted sarcastically, nevertheless displaying submission to the Dragga the best way his joints would allow. "Feast your eyes on this intriguing little outsider." He allowed his belly to rest on the ground. He hated to admit it, but the ground was more comfortable than the tree stump, even though he had an odd fixation to that stump. He continued. "Gave me a fright when she first came here. Perhaps she'll benefit the pack in some way." Was he actually being nice? Or was it for other reasons...? He wasn't sure, himself. "Anyway." He scratched the earth, his voice gruff. "Tywin, you didn't have to go out of your way to build this fire." It was as good as a thank-you. He turned to face the female, and blinked. "Oh, right. I suppose it's a common thing to exchange names. I am Mortuus, and here before you stands the Dragga of this pack." His tone changed from surly to veneration. "Dragga Tywin of the Citadel Territory." He did not miss the female's lack of submission. If she had any hopes of staying here, she would do well to show Tywin some respect. He narrowed his eyes at her indignantly, and shifted them back to Tywin. If Tywin wanted to pull rank, that was his protocol.
Mortuus felt a sudden weariness take hold of him. He blinked up at the two wolves, grimacing. "It seems my long nap from before wasn't long enough. I'm going back into my den. Don't bother me until Fenris brings the dawn." He got up slowly, dipped his muzzle to the Dragga, then grunted as he stepped away. He paused just long enough to speak one last time to the witch. "You, female; it occurred to me that I don't know your name still. But you know mine. I feel as though you and I have much to talk about. If things work out for you, come find me later. I think a better introduction is in order. Farewell. May Tor guide your paths with Her gentle light." And with that said, Mortuus crawled back into the gaping darkness of his home.

Tywin: Amusement brought a twinkle to Tywin's striking yellow eyes, or perhaps it was just a trick of the flame. It was clear that the two before him had already been in some form of conversation, and he'd sadly interrupted it. It was true that a conversation with the Dragga would probably be much more civil and easy to have than with Tarth, for the male's patience and fair dealings made up for what his mate lacked in both. Yet where she lacked and he made up for it, the same was to be said about himself as well. Gaze watched intently as Mortuus removed himself from the stump and signaled his greeting, Tywin's own head dipping ever so lightly in return of the respectful gesture. The old wolf was traditional to a t and very set in his ways, a thing which the Dragga took into consideration when eyes returned to view the younger female. His voice was deep and clear so that both were able to hear the reply. "Intriguing indeed." He allowed Mortuus to continue on with his goodbye's before taking a few more steps towards the one with no name, nostrils flaring inquisitively in her direction. "As the title implies, I am the Dragga of the Citadel Pack. I welcome you to our land and will insist that you allow us to house you for your stay, unless that is...you've come for something specific." Hospitality was important, and it gave him a chance to gauge her reaction and reply. "The old man doesn't often speak highly of strangers, care to shed a little light on why he might do so of you?"

Camyla: stayed quiet throughout the interaction as she watched the exchange be made between the two. With a small smirk, she gave a dip of the head when the old man crawled back into his cave. She would indeed be back. Something had sparked her interest in the aging brute and she was intent on figuring out exactly what. Attention shifted to the other, much younger male as she gave him a nod as well. Although she felt no need to submit herself in any way to the man, she was careful not to show any dominant body language out of some form of respect. After all, she was only a guest upon these strange lands. "And I am Camilla." Short and sweet, that's the way she liked it. After listening to his proposal, contorted smile appeared back onto her mug as she gave a nod. "That would be much appreciated Tywin. I've been wandering for days now and would benefit from a good nights rest." Camilla instantly felt at ease by the idea that she could have some peace and quiet for the night without having to fear for some unwanted stranger to come across her during the dark hour. "Hmm? I only mentioned my affinity and knowledge of herbs and medicine to him. Nothing too spectacular." Witch-woman was obviously trying to be humble as she sat upright, displaying her various necklaces of skulls, bones, and feathers upon her neck. "But if you do not mind, I can elaborate more once I've rested. It's been a long few weeks.." She grumbled, shaking herself and her ragged fur our once more before getting up on all fours, ready to follow the man wherever he would lead her.


Tywin: The wolves had slept well under the bright full moon, the clouds shifting above as the hours passed by until finally dawn was upon them. Tywin was an early riser, thick coat shaking off the last bits of sleep as he bowed to stretch. Jaws parted easily and a long yawn stiffened his body momentarily before paws were on the move. Tywin had allowed the interesting stranger with the boned necklaces to stay just outside the den, and this was where he expected to find her now. Soft steps pushed into the grass and wet his paws against the morning dew, alert ears positioned to face forward as he made his presence known. "Ah, another day. Such beautiful colours the sky makes when it's only just awoken." Whether she was there or not, the Dragga would grin at his own musings.

Camyla had instantly fallen into a deep slumber outside the den. For the first time in weeks, Camy had had a restful night of sleep. Instead of having to wake up every hour or so to check on her surroundings, she allowed her life to be entrusted to the man she had met the night before, for whatever unknown reason. An early riser herself, witch woman would wake before the sun had rose to explore the area a bit more and collect her small bag of trinkets and herbs. She returned to the den, small bag made up on fur and some string hanging around her neck. The pouch had obviously been crafted by a more dexterous creature that no longer was alive. It was worn down and stained with various dried up berry juices and held Camy's traveling necessity and treasures within. As she approached the den, she gave a bow of her head to the man she had met previously. "May the Gods bless your morning Tywin." With a shake of her body to rid of any brush that had stuck to her while she was out exploring, Camy sat down as she wiggled the bag off of her neck, plopping it down in front of her as she proceeded to rummage through it with her paws and nose. Finally, she pulled out a small clutch of herbs she had collected, dropping them nearby her paws. "Here, these are a thank you for letting me rest here for the night." She gave a nod in Tywin's direction, facial expression easing up from it's usual frown and grimace to an emotionless expression.

Tywin watched with a warm expression as the other joined him, a tilt of his head was given at the small pouch which she managed to pull something from. He'd certainly seen the smaller animals of the wood preform favours for wolves when it came to things that involved a steady 'paw', but this craftsmanship was impressive. "Many thanks, Camilla. I trust you slept well..." The offer of presents caught him off guard slightly, nose reaching towards the offered herbs to give a light sniff. A small snort was given at the scent and head rose once again with an inquisitive look. "There's no need for gifts...but I must admit my curiosity. What have we here?" She was certainly an interesting individual, that was for sure. He wondered what Tarth would think..."

Camyla smirked as she saw the man snort at the herbs, laughing to herself. Most were unaccustomed to the smell of these potent foliage and to an untrained nose, most wolves would just pass them by as toxic or useless. With another nod, she pointed a paw at the first stack of yellow flowers. "This is Calendula, it is good for healing wounds. And this.. This is Valerian root. It has sedative and calming properties for those who can't seem to relax." She went back into her bag and carefully extracted a few purple spiked flowers and put them next to the other two she had in front of her. "And finally, Milk Thistle. It helps keep your body healthy." She stated simply, giving another nod to the man.

Tywin watched with quiet interest as Camilla explained the uses for the different herbs which were laid out in front of them, his posture relaxing into a seated position for the time being. This wolf clearly knew what she was dealing with, and the fact that some of these could be used to keep one in good health peaked his interest. "I am impressed by your knowledge, truly." The next question was asked in a cautious tone, his head dipping lightly in hopes of seeming more sincere. "If you don't mind my asking...where did you learn all of this? It doesn't seem like a skill that one is simply born with." There were so many different plants in the forest, and most wolves knew that there was danger to be had in tasting random things. Above them a flock of sparrows shot past in a v formation, Tywin's ears twitching to the direction in which they'd come. Silence for the time being, but he was the sort that was always on guard.

Camyla. Skull-like head stared at the man as she gave a slight shrug at his inquiry. "I befriended the forest and it entrusted me with it's knowledge." She cackled, necklace of bones rattling with her body movement. "One forgets that there are many hidden benefits that the Gods have tucked away for us to know. I've simply uncovering them for my own use and for others, I they seek it." She gave a nod. Camilla had spent a large amount of her time alone in the forest, and combined with her passion for plants over wolves and her keen sense of smell, she learned how to first decipher one herb from the next. With the help of other forest dwelling creatures, she also learned the medicinal properties behind them.