Silver Creek the kindness of strangers

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the dark one did not know the name of this place yet, but it was boisterous, reminding her greatly of the home she had left behind - no, the home which had cast her out. there were twisting paths, heavy ivy growth between the trees, and massive ferns throughout; every inch was covered in vivacious green and she, a creeping shadow, found herself enamored.

the forest soon branched west and there was no course of action available to her, aside from the obvious: as the path led west, so she must go. but when she came upon the obvious signs of claim (bark stripped from precious tree, gouges in the earth, the scent of the beast upon the loam) she knew to stop. whatever force had brought the woman here, she would not be lulled too close - she was smarter than that. instead amaranth chose to slink through the grove and keep to herself, to observe, in case she could learn anything more.

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Her young pup was napping, and Sky wanted to stretch her legs, so she believed now would be a good time to go and take a patrol around the borders. She was just marking when she caught the scent of a stranger close by. Curious, the dove began to pad toward the source. Honestly, she was hoping it was a newcomer. Their numbers had been very low the past few months and with the alphas litter and her own single pup they did need more members.

On arrival, Skylaris made sure to raise her tail and puff out her chest, a clear sign of dominance. She would remain like this until she knew what the stranger wanted. "What brings you to our borders, miss?" She spoke, scanning the woman with her light eyes.

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before long she was met by a stranger, and it was at this point the wildling had to put on a friendly face; she pulled it off well. a slackened posture, diminutive gaze, the shifting of her attention from the beautiful trees to the wolf who had so easily discovered her.

i am a wanderer, she explained peacably, the lilt of her voice clearly holding an accent of some sort. but i yearn to put down roots. i had not thought to find a place so beautiful before, but now that i have - oh, she smiled with increased fervor, and every inch of amaranth bespoke a natural charm. i am not so presumptuous to think i could enter your lands without invitation, surely. i am amaranth. and i am at your service, kind one.

as she bowed her dark head her smile faltered, but only to be replaced by an expression of austerety. she did not think her name would be recognized this far south - but the ismerian was not keen on sharing all of her secrets. she kept her surname and titles close to her breast; let this guard believe the basics, for they were true, to a point.

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Skylaris kept her stance as it was, despite the introduction from the woman, but allowed her gaze to soften ever so slightly. She remembered when she first arrived at Silver Creek, hoping for a new life and a new start. But after spending so much time here she had realised that her life would never be perfect. But she had her one son, and that was what made her life worth living, even if he had only been born because she was stupid enough to go out when she was in heat. Briefly she remembered her friend Mawk and cursed herself for not visiting him yet.

"Well, nice to meet you, Amaranth," It was a curious name, but it sounded nice. She had never heard of it before. "My name is Skylaris - but you can call me Sky." Hopefully this woman had good intentions at this pack, for they were close and intruders were not welcome. Truly, Sky was not completely trusting of this stranger - this wanderer, as she had called herself - but that was to be expected. She had manners, to say the least.

"I'm sure you'd be very much welcomed here, but do you have any skills to offer us?" Skylaris would also have to check with either Spring or Heston whether they wished to accept Amaranth, but so far the meeting seemed to be going well.

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it had not been too long ago that amaranth had been praised for her skills, treated as royalty for her blood; yet here she was faced with a new life, and had to choose exactly what to present to the guard in order to achieve her goals. the goal of finding a home had been met with ease - although time would tell if amaranth's choice of jumping in with the first pack she encountered panned out - and now she merely had to reinvent herself. or not. it was a tough call.

i am an herbalist, a caretaker, a teller of stories - which sounded positive to amaranth, but could've been taken as a slight by anyone else. being a skilled charmer could potentially come back to bite her. as with any wolf, i can hunt. and i am adaptable. if there is any skill your family requires of me, i will happily oblige and do my best to meet their demands.

she sounded too good to be true, but what else could she say?

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Skylaris nodded, eyes sparkling with new found interest as the woman spoke of being a herbalist. Sky herself had a passion for herbs and medicine, as well as caring for others, which might have been seen as odd based on her personality. Even so, the dove felt even more like this Amaranth could be a good addition to Silver Creek - she might finally have someone to talk to about herbs, now that Spring was busy with the pups!

"I think we may have a few things in common, then. I believe you have told enough of what you can do, now you just need to show us that you really can do them. Hold on one moment." She gave a small smile to the other woman, then tipped her head back and let out a call the for one of the alphas, more specifically @Heston, but if @Spring was around and able to leave the pups then she was more than welcome to come to the borders instead. Sky saw no reason for them to send Amaranth away, but they were the alphas and their desicions were final.

Skylaris' call on the breeze drew him steadily to the border. He arrived to see a woman with her, one he was unfamiliar with. His eyes swept over her, but found nothing that should give him pause. She looked every part a loner, a wolf who had lived without a pack for a time. That was nothing to turn a nose at though, for he himself had traveled alone and had learned the hardships of depending on ones' self.

"Hello, Sky." He called to the woman as he approached, tail giving a brief wave of greeting. "How are you today? And Soltero?" He meant his question as more than simple small talk, and his eyes lit upon the three legged woman's face with sincerity and concern. He hoped that should she ever need anything she would know that she could call upon him. He knew what raising his children with Spring's help was like, he couldn't imagine having to do it alone.

Once his concerns about his packmate were addressed he turned to glance at the newcomer. "Greetings to you too," He nodded his head to her, but an ear turned to Skylaris for introductions or explanations. There was no need to make the woman repeat herself if she'd already said much to Skylaris.

The children were sleeping, so she was able to rise with less worry at Skylaris's call.  With one last quick look at her children she departed, jogging through the wood, a light breeze shifting her fur as she went along through the forested area.

Upon arriving she noticed a unknown female, who was probably interested in joining, right by her was Skylaris and along with them was her mate, Heston.  She padded up to her mate, taking her place next to him, before she finally spoke.

"Skylaris, does this female wish to join us?"  She asked her subordinate, then turned to the female, which of whom she assumed to be joining them.  "What is your name?"

so so so sorry for forgetting about this!

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all seemed well. the stranger listened, was charmed, and before she knew it amaranth believed herself to be safe and secure; except there were more bodies - more and more, until she was overwhelmed by the presence of a man (who seemed utterly unphased by her visit upon the border) and a woman (whose scent was everywhere).

unable to say anything - as she had not been asked anything directly - amaranth paused for the guard's response first, then gave a small duck of her head and named herself, amaranth, my lady.

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"Afternoon, Heston," She smiled, turning her head to face him, happy that the alpha had arrived. "I'm doing alright, as is Soltero. He's a little bouncy today, but he's napping right now." She gave a small chuckle, followed by a small wag of her tail. Her little Solly was growing fast - he was becoming more and more adventurous, and even attempting to talk now as well. The dove could not wait to see him mature, but she also felt the motherly need to keep him close to her side.

"Hello Spring!" Sky greeted again as the alphess approached just after Heston. "Yes, she does." The woman replied, stepping back ever so slightly so that the alphas would be able to speak to the newcomer. After all, Skylaris' duty was pretty much done, but she stayed regardless. Perhaps just to see the result. She might be gaining a packmate after this, so why not stay and see?

"Glad to hear it, I just hope he hasn't started with the screaming yet. It's terrifying until you adjust." His reply to Skylaris was no sooner out of her mouth then Spring came up, asking her own questions. He leaned in towards her to bump her gently with a shoulder, a gesture to remind her that he was with her, in everything. Without any reservations Heston easily placed himself passenger in the interaction with the new female. He felt no need to preen and strut, to assert himself over Spring. They were one in the same, the same arm that sought to scratch the same back. Besides, watching her greet loners broguth back memories of when she had first met him at the border. He had no idea that the fierce woman he wanted as his leader would soon come to be so much more.

He had found her incredibly beautiful then, and he found her that way more so now. Watching her with her children, snuggling and playing with her, and then watching her step back into the uniform of a leader...it humbled him. He was a lucky wolf to have so much in a mate.

Amaranth.  That was her name.  She nodded.  "Pleasure to meet you Amaranth.  Would you mind telling me any skills you have, possible trades you are trying to achieve in the near feature?"  She asked the other quizzically.

She then took comfort in having her mate at her side, nuzzingly his side gently as he leaned into her, knowing she would never rather have anyone else but him at her side.

Surely - she started, a bit flustered now as she'd have to repeat herself. Surely your guards-maiden here - Skylaris was it? - could tell you of my skill. But I will oblige my lady if it pleases her, to say she was irked was an understatement. It was not common in Amaranth's world for the queen or king of a land to be out on patrol, or to be meeting rogues upon the borders themselves! She was thrown for a bit of a loop by the appearance of Spring, as well as her many other family members, and Amaranth felt keenly out-of-place. As I said, I am an herbalist, a druid of my people - a teller of stories, and greatly skilled with tending to others, young and old alike. She had to keep a level head if she were to progress in any manner, here. Amaranth knew she would not survive much longer alone, so playing nice was the key.

"I can imagine." She chuckled at Heston's words, then turned her head to look at Amaranth as she and the two leaders spoke. She waited and listened, observing how the alphas handled the newcomer - it was similar to how she herself had done it, so for that she was glad. She didn't want to make a mistake.

When Heston and Spring began showing affection to each other, Sky kept her eyes away. They were an amazing couple, but the dove could not help but feel out of place. After all, she had not found love yet, and had had to raise a child on her own, but these two had each other to support them. Sky was alone in that regard. What was it like, to experience love? Would she ever get a chance to taste it?