Moonspear Crooked spoons

@Charon or @Amekaze  

The slope was growing steeper, but with each step she took the scent of the pack border grew stronger. Each step brought her close to the end of her misery, the end of hunger and loneliness. Shandra was not a creature capable of survival on her own, as the weeks prior had so obviously illustrated. Another week and she would be dead. It was a certainty that this pack would become her home -- if they did not accept her initially, she would simply convince them using any means necessary. 

her breath came in long, exaggerated huffs, weakened limbs dragging her the last few steps leading up to the borderline. Here she paused, looking at her paws and drawing oxygen back into her lungs. When she had gained enough breath to sing, the cinnamon and sugar she-wolf threw her muzzle towards the emanating silver light of the moon and twinkling stars. She sang her heart out. 

Charon had been near the den that night, contemplating, gathering courage to pluck Ran away from her home and into the cold night. She was becoming more and more a person by the day — a real wolf, not just shapes, not just a blob, but a person. His daughter. But she would never have a good life, and it would only cause his family more heartbreak the longer he waited. He watched her play with a twig, until the howl came.

He was glad for the distraction and headed the call immediately, making his way to the borders to shake the heavy thoughts from his mind. Tail lifted over his back, head arched upwards, his body emanating presence and his place at the top of the hierarchy of this place. He felt confident in the light of the moon and stars, glad to have them by his side. His body language demanded proper submission as she came into view. He didn't say anything right away, simply chuffing to make his presence known and allowing her to say what she was here for.

Shandra had once been called a Starchild, but her brother  and by her mother. Her father, the bitter fuck that he was, could care less about her interest in the stars, but that was irrelevant now. She did not know what being a "Starchild" meant, only that she felt a close affinity to them, and that they brought her comfort. Such was the case as she waited -- impatiently -- for her call to be answered.

finally, such an answer came, in the form of a grizzled and pale, freckled man, perhaps middleage, although Shandra was not the best judge of age, as evidenced by her choices in men. This man, obviously a leader by his display of dominance, did not speak, but merely huffed  a wary greeting. Assuming all the elements of a submissive position, Shandra  made spotty eye contact, her eyes shifting to and from from his piercing green gaze.

"My name is Shandra. I... want to join this pack."  Her words were blunt and to the point. She was not a woman of frills and pleasantries. 

Charon was glad that she immediately submitted upon his lead; finally, a sign that there were yet wolves who would respect good leadership and who knew instinctively what to do when they were asked to do it. She introduced herself and then instantly asked to join the pack. He wondered what had brought her here; was she sick, or desperate for food, that she would throw herself at the pack in such a way? Charon felt instantly wary and he looked at her with some suspicion in his eyes.

"I'm Charon, Alpha," he introduced briefly. "Why this mountain?" He wanted to know, and his question was curt and quick. He watched her face as she answered, wanting to know what she'd reply, how fast she would reply but also if her answer was genuine.

he appeared skeptical; shandra caught the wary look in his eye. She tried not to be offended. It was his duty, as leader, to protect his pack from dangerous outsiders, outsiders who only sought what they could gain from a pack, rather than what they could give. Of course, the cream-furred female was on the market for a safe place to sleep and feed, but she felt it would be unwise to list these desires at the forefront of her interest in the mountain. 

There was a few seconds pause while she pieced together her answer, a pause which she hoped did not seem suspiciously long. I felt drawn to this mountain. It is the largest I have seen, She cast her blue eyes upward, towards the peak, though she could not see it from where they stood together. I would love to make my home here, she returned her gaze to his. I am a hunter. Should you need my skills, I'd be happy to employ them whenever needed. Offering something in return seemed like the best course to take.

The words she spoke were smart ones; anyone who complimented his mountain was taking good steps towards becoming an inhabitant here. Charon identified with the mountain, felt posession over it, so for someone else to be drawn to it was like they were drawn to him, and above all else, like they had good taste.

She was a hunter, but Charon was sure that she was much more. "Are you a teacher?" he asked; "Good with pups?" His were nearing the age of the rendezvous site and Charon wanted them to be taught by the pack, of course. To have a good hunter in their midst seemed like a smart idea.

he asked if she was a teacher,  if she was good with pups. Shandra answered,  calm as could be, but what she spoke was a lie. Yes, she bobbed her head. Very good with pups. And I love to teach... watch their little minds grow. Her words may have sounded a bit odd, because she spoke without a smile, and did not attempt to sound overly excited about the idea. Self aware enough to notice this, Shandra branded a smile into her face, attempting to make her eyes as wide and innocent as a fawn's

There was something off about her answer; maybe it was that Charon thought 'watching their little minds grow' seemed a bit over-idealistic, or that she said it without enthusiasm. He squinted his eyes slightly but in the end he knew the best way to find out was by just moving forward. Without any further signs that he was suspicious he said, "I'd rather watch their teeth and skills grow." There was no humour in his voice and he made no efforts to look enthusiastic himself. "What experience you've got?" Maybe younger siblings or pups of her own. "Me and my mate have three that are nearing two moons now — two daughters and a son." While he spoke of his family he watched Shandra's face to see her reaction. Months ago he would've already accepted her by now, truthfully; but the pups were young yet, Charon felt protective and the pack had grown since then, not as desperately in need of any ole stranger who knocked on their door.

His demeanor did not change in the slightest, thus she had no indication of whether he believed  her or not. In truth ,  Shandra did not enjoy pups in the slightest .  They were too stupid and selfish ,  and these things annoyed her. But she  was desperate. The forced smile would  remain for the entire duration  of this encounter. "I always had younger siblings. More each year." Though this was true, her next  words were not.

"My parents chose me to look after them. Loved every minute I  spent with them ." Shandra quietly swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled her awkward smile, wondering what he would make of the lies spilling from her mouth.

He watched closely to make sure he knew whether she told the truth this time. He couldn't really tell from the way she spoke or the look on her face whether she was telling the truth. Her smile hid her lies well, though Charon still felt a bit wary overall (a thing not uncommon to him even when others spoke the truth). But he wasn't going to turn away someone who could hunt well and teach his children about hunting, even when times weren't all that tight in the pack.

"Alright, that sounds good. Welcome to the pack, Shandra." Time would tell if the decision was a good one, as it always did. He'd be happy enough if he'd get to keep her past next winter so they wouldn't be short on wolves like the last year. Now they were fine, but how many of them stayed? "After you're rested and fed, I'd like you to coordinate a hunt for the pack, and make sure we'll have enough stocked in our caches." A steep task for a new wolf to the pack, perhaps, but she had said she was a good hunter so he trusted that she could do that. "Want me to show you some places, or take up rest first?"

He accepted her , but Shandra could not cope with the reality that she would be tasked with teaching children how to hunt. She had never taught a thing, not even to her own younger siblings. But it was now her responsibility, and she would do what was expected of her.

"Oh. No," she winced. "I would rather rest, if that's okay." The idea of a pack tour with this man absolutely did not agree with her.

He could imagine she was tired and he nodded at her request. "Sounds like a good idea. Have a good rest, then. We'll see each other later." With those words Charon turned away from the borders and started further inland, leaving her to be for now.

Shandra waited for him to turn away before heaving a sigh of relief. She took a route perpendicular to his so that they would not run into each other again. She needed space to think of how she was going to do this, to look after and teach pups that she was not even related to. It was a worse outcome than she had expected, but at least she had a safer place to sleep.