Morningside Cuesta we'll make a home from the ruins

@Katya?

With @Grayday's blessing, Khoe was able to take a short, albeit much needed walk away from the den. Her joints were beginning to ache and her muscles were growing sore with anticipation; she loved spending time in the den with her three little ones, but there was still an insatiable wanderlust plaguing her from day to day. There would be no leaving the territory just yet, but that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy herself with a bit of tracking near the border. 

As she sniffed around with her snout low and her stub high, Khoe realized that there were several scents she didn't recognize, and it didn't sit well with her. She whined lowly as she made her way back into the center of the territory, her focus on meeting the newcomers who would be resting so near to her young. 

I won't let anyone hurt them.

The she-wolf worked her way outwards from the peak of the cuesta, her short legs never breaking stride as she trotted down the slope. Katya enjoyed the feel and scent of the breeze ruffling her fur: the sharp, cool fragrance of conifer trees seemed to be imbued throughout the valley.

She had been scared for too long, she realized. She had yet to feel safe in Morningside, but she was improving. She trudged slowly to a halt at the sight of a dark silhouette, a few dozen yards from where Katya stood and watched.

She habitually sniffed the air, detecting only the faint traces of milk-scent mingled with the distinct Morningside aroma only pack wolves could bear. A mother within the pack, and their lean frame suggested she had pups not long ago.

Treading at a slower rate, Katya cautiously made her way towards the other she-wolf, tail waving slowly to punctuate her good intentions. She had only met a couple of Morningsiders, and she didn't want to give the wrong impression to the alphess.

Khoe looked over her shoulder and saw the approaching femme, making her change from her previous, anxious posture, to a more neutral one. She had no real authority over anyone in the pack, but the fact that she was the mother of the alpha's young gave her some sort of standing in her mind.

She waited for the new wolf to come near enough for them to be in earshot of one another, then gave a low bark as she turned face-to-face. Being as small as she was, Khoe knew that she had to depend on deception to give off the air that she wanted; when it came down to it, her only defenses were speed and Grayday. Who are you? she asked, much colder than she might have months before. She had young to protect now, and thus had to harden herself to protect them.

"My name is Katya Balthazar," she answered, unfazed by the woman's chilly tone. They were about the same height, and Katya steeled her shoulders, meeting the fae's eyes.

"I joined Morningside at Grayday's request," she barked smoothly, "and you are..?"

Sorry for the short post. I'm about to go to work.

Khoe hardened her gaze and raised her hackles only slightly, though enough to show her status as mother to the alpha's pups. Although not an alpha herself (she wouldn't have expected the rank either; she'd been raised to know that a mother had the same power as the gods, and no mortal title could overpower that), she demanded respect from those she came across. Khoe Morningside, she answered, rather than sharing the name that most packmates used to call her.

Akuti was gone, and all the memories had would have long died with her.

Mate to Grayday. You say he sent you? she asked, wondering what could have been so special about the femme. She didn't mean to be cold (she was once a warm, loving woman) but motherhood had done something to her; where there was once light, there was darkness, and where there had been vulnerable spots, the flesh had been covered with stone.

Katya decided she didn't like this woman's haughtiness. Katya was in no position to judge this wolf or her actions, but she began to feel like the enemy when Khoe continued to display her dominance. She was only here to brief Grayday's mate about the addition to her pack, then leave.

A mother had every right to be suspicious, Katya kept reminding herself, but she wasn't going to grovel. She couldn't have imagined what made Khoe defensive--Katya had answered all of her questions and elaborated so the other wolf had the whole story. Katya felt like she was being corrected like a pup in front of an expectant father. What the hell had she walked into?

She lowered her chin, complying to Khoe's silent demand this once.  "Yes," she confirmed, nodding briefly. "Grayday said he needed more hunters in Morningside. I accepted.

"Actually, I'm looking forward to running with your pack. I've heard a lot about Morningside since I came to the valley."

Khoe huffed and turned her head, dropping her dominant signals almost immediately. It just didn't feel right, she decided; of course, that didn't mean she didn't still expect respect, but she did know how silly she must have looked trying to play leader from where she stood so close to the ground. We can always use more hunters, she sighed, taking a few steps forward and kicking a patch of dust up behind her. Khoe looked over her shoulder to see if Katya had chosen to follow, then proceeded with her stroll.

If you're happy to be here, then we're happy to have you. She wanted to apologize for the show she'd put on, but she bit back the words that threatened to inch away and instead gave another gentle huff. I'm a tracker; I'm a bit too small to hunt any large game, plus tracking is safer with the pups around. What can you do?

Katya easily matched the she-wolf's stride, turning her head to listen to Khoe as she spoke. She flicked an ear, her eyes scanning their surroundings.

 "Thank you," she answered politely, "I hunt, though I'm adjusting to the landscape. I am expanding my knowledge of herbcraft, and I'm a proficient navigator."

Katya licked her bottom lip, thinking. After a stretch of silence between them, she barked softly, "It seems I have spent too much time alone, I had forgotten what it was like to just... talk.

"Things are different here. I was born in a land that is stark and barren, even in the springtime. We fought with other packs, and then the famine... it was no longer home to me."

She turned away, and cleared her throat. "I only mean to say that the valley is my place now, and I'm grateful to you for allowing me to stay. Your approval is important to me."

If Khoe had any say in who stayed and who didn't, the ranks would have looked a lot different than they did. For one, she wouldn't have allowed as many women as Grayday did (it was something that annoyed her, but at least they each had skills of their own), and she surely wouldn't have been as lenient with her joining process as he was with his own. Katya seemed to have enough skills to hold her weight, so Khoe wasn't too put-off by her, but she still had to put on the hard face she'd begun with. 

There's three of us now, then. The two of us, and an older woman named Heartha. Have you met her? Thinking about it, Khoe realized that it had been some time since the two of them had crossed paths, but that was probably for the best. Then came the sob story (it seemed like everyone had one these days), at which point she managed to not roll her eyes. Everyone's pasts seemed to pale in comparison to Khoe's; she didn't like to be so rude when it came to sensitive manners such as this, but she couldn't help it. No one's pain seemed to flow as deeply as her own.

Well, she breathed, we're glad to have you. And provided things keep going the way they are now, you shouldn't have to worry about another famine anytime soon.

"I haven't yet, no. Sunspot intercepted me at the border when I first came, but you're the only other I've met, besides Grayday."

A muscle in Katya's eyelid twitched, a sign of her irritation. She wasn't going to start lecturing the wolf about how weather, grazing patterns, and prey migrations were unpredictable, but instead she tersely barked, "I certainly hope so."

The blue-furred wolf didn't expect pity, and she didn't receive any. Admitting she needed guidance or acceptance came as naturally to her as setting herself on fire. Still, she remained silent as she trotted alongside Khoe, keeping her gaze fixed ahead.

Khoe sighed and slowed her pace until she eventually came to a stop. I should be getting back to the den, she said, shaking her fur loose and stretching her limbs free of any kinks. It was a pleasure meeting you, she complimented, then began back in the direction of her adorable (yet impossible) pups.

Sorry for the short post. Let's thread again sometime :)