The Sunspire a new dawn

@Rannoch

The morning air was rather cold today, although it was spring winter still seemed to linger here. There was frost on the meadow, every little blade of grass coated in a fine layer of dew and ice. A low, thin fog hung in the air and laid close to the ground. Her paws made a soft crunching sound with every step as the somewhat stiff blades bent beneath her. Ember made her way along the river which still had a tanslucent layer of ice hanging in parts of it, unwilling to let go and melt into the rest of the water. It was barely dawn but the golden female often found herself to be an early riser. She had come so far now that she felt she must carry on until she found.....something. She could feel it, she was close to whatever was awaiting her here. She had been alone for a long time now, but all of that was about to change.

The tall wolf lowered her neck and let her dark pink nose trail along the earth. She was picking up the scent of another, a large male.... The scent was all over, forming a boundary here. She must have found a pack area, someone surely owned this place based on these distinct markers. She may have been somewhat young, and not too familiar with other wolves, but she knew better than to enter someone else's domain without an invitation. Ember stood waiting, her plush tail slowly gliding back and forth in the air, head held high peering over the mist for anyone who may be out there. She let out a small whine just in case, hoping someone would find her.

The sound of Ember's whine had caught Rannoch's attention; he was surprised that Sunspire had company so early in the morning. Rannoch had been patrolling along the western parameters when he heard her, just as he had every morning since Redshank's attack, and he wasn't too far from where she was. Rannoch set off with the intention of greeting her quicky, and he moved on stiff legs to ensure that his pace was brisk.

When Rannoch arrived, he stopped in front her with his shoulders squared and tail erect.  He took a moment to observe the stranger silently before offering his greeting; Ember appeared to be in good health and lacked any indication of her alliance to another pack— he was intrigued by her presence. 

"Hello," he said, "I'm Rannoch Frostfur, Alpha of this territory. What brings you to my borders?" 

Not much time passed before the wolf that matched the scent markings appeared before her. He almost emerged from nowhere through the mist as it began to rise. A large male, proud and grand with green blue eyes and stark markings of grey and cream. A startling scar lay across his throat which did not seem to fit his pleasant aura. Ember looked up at him, he was a great bit taller than she was so the only way to really look at him was up. A small smile appeared on her closed lips and she listened to him speak to her. 

"Hello, thank you for your time....Rannoch. I'm Ember, its just me here. I've come a long long way and don't really know what to do with myself here. Hoping I may find a purpose in this place." She hoped the dominant male would think well of her and she gave him a slight bow in a display of submission. She had a good feeling about him. She was usually a pretty good judge of character, you had to be when you met strangers in the wild. Friend or foe needed to be decided quickly and mistakes could be fatal. Ember was sure she was not making a mistake with this Rannoch.

Rannoch nodded and came to a conclusion of what was implied; Ember was looking for a home. "I see," he remarked, his voice kind. "If I were to allow you into my ranks, what could you do to provide for the pack?" 

Thus far, Ember had done well in presenting herself accordingly. She understood and obliged to Rannoch dominance, and that fact alone allowed for the Alpha male to relax noticeably; his tail remained erect but, the sharp edges of his shoulders rounded as his posture loosened.

The big alpha beamed down at her with a welcoming presence. He was easing up a bit which made Ember feel more comfortable herself. She felt she had nothing to fear from this male. He questioned her a bit, which he had every right to do. The honey wolfess would not deny him the answers he was looking for. She did wonder what she could provide for them, everyone should have a purporse. Ember was not sure of her's yet, here in this place. She felt it was something that would come with time.

"Well, I know I can hunt, I have been doing that on my own for ever now. So that I know I could provide for you and your pack." She paused for a moment, her rosy eyes almost searching within herself. "Beyond that, I am sure I will find my place. I would love to do whatever I can to make your home a better place and improve in whatever way I can." She hoped Rannoch would approve. She was still young and had much to learn in her lifetime. But she hoped she would be given the chance to live and learn within his pack, his family.

Rannoch smiled; he was quickly convinced about her acceptance with the promises she had made. "A skilled hunter is always welcome in my ranks," he replied. Although he did not want to comment on her condition, Ember appeared to be well fed, and it gave him an implication of her abilities.  

"If you agree to keep true to your word, I will accept you right now," he apprised with a wag of his tail.

terance rolled up late-- whoops-- but it seemed rannoch already had it under control. he'd been out for a long while now, so this was probably a good stopping point. he approached with his head high and tail swinging, respectful of ran's as always. he looked over the stranger curiously, her coat a pretty canvas of beige and sandy tans. he hadn't seen many wolves that color before. his nose twitched.

he regarded both wolves silently--  rannoch with a smile-- and stood by listening. he wouldn't intervene unless asked, but he felt it was his duty to at least stand by. it seemed everything was wrapped up-- and this girl was going to join their ranks. his tail waved a bit at this news, he was always happy to see their ranks grow.

Ember listened intently as Rannoch spoke to her, noticing movement behind him glancing as she listened, one ear to him the other in the direction of the approaching stranger. A new wolf appeared, handsome and dark. Her eyebrows raised a bit but she continued to focus on her new alpha.

"Absolutely, you can count on me." She looked over Rannoch's shoulder and gave a small smile at the new male. It was obvious Rannoch new him because he didn't seem to be bothered by his presence. "Thank you so much for allowing me into your home, Rannoch." She gave him a light bow and would carry on her way if he was finished with her. She had some exploring to do.

Rannoch smiled as Ember vowed to uphold her promise. "Of course," he replied with a wave of his tail. "Welcome to Sunspire, Ember."

"Do you want a tour of your new home?" Rannoch asked as he regarded both of the wolves in his company; Terance was welcome to join them if he had the time to spare.

When the proposition was agreed upon, the group of wolves moved towards the heart of the territory. Rannoch did his best to point out all of the areas of interest, and after some time, Rannoch let Ember to get settled.