Hushed Willows Ghostly Shadow

Gwen walked miserably through the Sunspire Mountains, trudging along without much enthusiasm. It wasn't that she didn't care, or wasn't interested, she was just nervous. On edge. She hadn't come into contact with another pack (Though she'd met a few lone wolves along the way) for at least 5 months. She had no idea what to expect from the pack she was travelling to, whether they'd even accept her was a troubling thought. 

It can't be that bad, surely. Pull yourself together. She murmered to herself in her head. She'd done that a lot recently. She must be getting lonely. Or perhaps she was going mad.

She finally reached the border and hesitated. Was she really going to do this? Of course, It'll be just like before..... Gwen let out a howl, hoping to bring any wolves from the pack to her. She didn't really know what to say though... maybe they'd just ask questions? Either way, she was going to have to talk fairly openly to them. It would be good to have someone to trust again, though.

Ongoing drama aside, today had been quite a peaceful one in Marauder's Keep.  Banner thought she and Stark might face more of a problem with low morale to match their low numbers, but the small pack's spirits were elevated.  She paused, her steady pace along the borders faltering for just a moment - spirits were elevated but not necessarily high.  Ah, it was better than nothing.  She huffed and continued on, slowing down here and there to sniff at random things along the way.

The summons she recieved did not give her pause - rather, the Alpha female's brows knit thoughtfully as she trotted right along to the source of the howl.  A visitor?  Marauder's Keep didn't get too many of those.  Several weeks ago she would have attributed that to the pack's previous isolationist nature, but now Banner knew it was just because they were small and had a disproportionate number of pups to care for.  Wiping the cringe at her own thoughts off her face, she slowed considerably when she came upon the caller.  A small female, very white, maybe a little nervous.

Clearing her throat, Banner's ears perked forward.  It was instinct to fluff herself up a bit when facing a newcomer - good thing, too, because she didn't have the luxury of feeling like an awkward fool these days.  Hello, can I help you? she asked politely, her low voice easily carrying over the distance between both females.

I apologise for the short reply :c

Gwen was watching an beetle scuttle past her paws when she heard someone approaching. She raised her head to see who had met her at the border. After the female had spoken Gwen perked her ears forward. "Hello" She began, her nerves easing slightly. This wolf seemed very polite, more so than she had expected. "My name is Gwen, I came to see if I could join this pack.... Are you the alpha?" She questioned, curious. So far so good. Apart from her voice being fairly rough. Though that was most likely due to her silence and lack of speech the past few months.

Ah, Gwen.  Okay, one thing checked off the list of meet and greets.  Banner realized that she hadn't done this sort of thing before - odd, considering she'd been in a leadership postion for several months now.  What she found even more odd was that the white-coated newcomer stood at the borders of her pack, questioning if she were in the presence of an Alpha, and didn't have the courtesy to show any sort of submission.  Hell, her ears had even just perked forward.

Frowning, the short Marauder took several measured steps to close the gap between them and lifted her tail in the process.  It was by no means subtle.  I am, she answered in a voice much stronger than before.  Name's Banner, she tossed out as an afterthought.  It was easy to resist the urge to settle back on her haunches for the time being.  Such a thing would have implied a sense of comfort with Gwen.  As of right now, the Alpha wasn't quite sure how she felt about the stranger.

Ah, so she is an alpha. Gwen soon realised she'd probably need to be submissive. Man, I need to be social more. When the wolf confirmed that she was the alpha, Gwen immediatly lowered her head. She didn't really remember how to be submissive, but she hoped that that move would be it? The alpha then closed the gap in between them.

She also tucked her tail in between her legs, and decided against meeting the alphas gaze. That might be a bad idea... She didn't really know what to say then, so she quietly repeated the name of the alpha. "Banner" she nodded, as though trying to get it to stick in her brain.

Mostly satisfied with the delayed show of submission, Banner nodded to the white female.  It was enough for now.  We're a small pack with many young mouths to feed - what can you offer Marauder's Keep? she asked, her voice steady.  She wasn't used to being so formal within the confines of her own borders and it made her a bit uncomfortable, but she didn't give any outward indication such feelings.  This was an interview, after all, and she wasn't the one who had anything to prove.

Truthfully, the short Alpha wasn't sure if she could afford to turn anyone away.  All wolves could hunt and their caches needed to be filled for the winter months - adult wolves were much more useful in that regard.  They could take care of themselves and pitch in with the youngsters.  Banner offered a small, friendly smile to Gwen in an awkward attempt to lessen the tension between them.

Gwen listened to the alpha, who seemed content with her actions, then offered a response. "I can hunt well, due to being small and fast," she smiled slightly, though remained in a submissive posture. Hunting was something she enjoyed very much and her light build made her a good hunter, though she was a fair tracker too. She wasn't exactly the heaviest wolf, so she was agile and her paws landed softly on the ground, making her almost completely silent, which could come in handy, or so she'd been told. "I can track, too," She said finally, then decided that was probably enough to say. The alpha had offered an awkward smile, which made Gwen relax slightly and she almost sighed with relief. It had been getting fairly tense and that was not exactly what the white female had come for. Guess I'm not the only uncomfortable one here, She thought, though that thought itself gave her a sense of peace. 

Hopefully I don't mess up now.

Hunting and tracking, both faily basic things for a wolf, but if Gwen had the chance to hone her skills, she'd be invaluable to them.  Banner nodded again and relaxed her stance a bit.  Good, she offered lightly.  We need more dedicated hunters.  Are you willing to work toward that trade?  Her head tilted a bit as she asked, genuinely curious.  If the small white female was willing to put in a bit of work, that would go a long way toward her acceptance in Marauder's Keep.

The matter of Stark's opinion was, as always, in the back of her head.  He likely wouldn't be pleased if she'd thought to accept Gwen into the fold without some sort of interview - not that Banner had even considered it, of course.  But recruiting wolves with something to prove?  That could only work in their favor.

Gwen nodded "Yes, I'd be very willing to work towards that trade, in fact, it's something I've been considering for a while. So yes, I would." She thought about the possiblilities of being a hunter. It had always been a little dream of hers, one that grew as she did. It would give her so much satisfaction to complete.

She flicked her gaze back to the alpha, snapping out of her thoughts. The white female was still in a submissive pose, yet a more relaxed one. She had begun to respect Marauder's alpha female already, and she could most certainly see Banner as her leader - though she wasn't quite sure if there was another alpha. That could wait, however.

The smile that graced her dark brown maw was now less forced.  Banner nodded once again - she sure had been doing a lot of that! - and let out a sigh, her demeanor becoming more relaxed as she quietly expelled air.  I'm glad to hear it, she offered genuinely.

As long as you continue to work toward the Hunter trade, you have a place here in Marauder's Keep.  The Alpha female paused for a minute and wagged her tail for a couple of beats.  Unless you have any further questions, I'll show you around - point out faces and names.  We all sleep together in a large cavern called the Crook, she threw her head back to gesture in the vague direction of their sleeping quarters and then returned her bright green gaze to Gwen to wait politely for any questions the female may have.

Sorry for the short reply, but I guess this is the end of this thread?

She gave a quiet sigh of relief when Banner said she had a place in Marauder's Keep. Phew. She listened to what the alpha had to say then she smiled. "Thank you. And I do not yet have any questions, so please go ahead," she nodded and wagged her fluffy tail slightly. With all said, she waited for Banner to lead.