Stone Circle Music Flows on the Wind to Arrive

Hellllllloooooooo! @Valette @Stark just for notification purposes, everyone is welcome!

Plains upon plains, reminded her of home. She wasn't sure where she was, and hadn't been for sometime, but none the less she pushed herself forward.
Thousands of miles, upon thousands of miles seperated her from her longing. The longing of a life with her people and her family.
An ocean of water and land prevented even the strongest woman to accept her fate.

Three months had passed since she realized her plight. The ache in her bosom had yet to subside and and she knew it would probably never leave. The graceful ghostly woman perservered. She was a strong mongolian women, her parents taught her how to be stong when being tested by the gods. This was her fate, her journey had just begun and she must make the most of it. 

No matter how hard she tried the loneliness would never stop. She could try and push her family away, the idea of her grandfather teaching the yearlings, and her mother leading a hunt, or her father collecting herbs. But the deep pit of being alone was impossible to ignore.

"Damn it!"

Kegana wasn't sure what to do, she had been skirting a pack territory for a few hours now. Giving them distance. Her resolve to stand alone crumbled as she tried to avoid them. With a heavy sigh her decision was made.

Perhaps she could put her skills to use.
Perhaps she could be useful once more.

Wallowing in her own self pity was not a sustainable practice. With a deep breath she sent out a howl to the members of the pack within the beautiful land, searching for anyone who might answer her call. Searching for someone who could hear the music in her call.

Hello!!! :D

Valette had been on her feet, hence why she had been the first to arrive on the scene. Her belly was round with pups, but not yet round enough that a simple trot would be uncomfortable. She liked to keep her busy. Stark might not like it as much that she was on the border approaching people but Valette felt safe in her own lands.

The dark woman trotted up to the female. Somehow she was a bit reminded of her sister Nanook, she couldn't pin point why. She quirked up her lips into a friendly smile. She did keep a safe distance while keeping her tail and head raised. It was clear that she was in charge. "Hello, welcome to Easthollow. I'm Valette, I lead this pack," She introduced.

The female didn't smell of another pack, she assumed she was a loner. The alpha female had no aversion of lone wolves, though with pack wolves it was easier to identify if they were friend or foe. 'What brings you to our border?"

Heard and acknowledged, Kegana was rather surprised to see the dark lady appear before her. Not for her gender, as she seemed to carry herself well, more so for the taughtness of her belly. It was easy for the white princess to see the ailgment before her, having helped with a few whelpings herself.

Ocean blue eyes met the hazel green as the woman continued her approach. Kegana deeped her head in greeting and respect. Her own mother had also been brazen, approaching the borders when carrying future generations. A job Kegana's father had always disapproved of. None the less holding back a capable woman was never easy.

Easthollow.

The name rolled around for a moment, as she looked around commiting the name to memory. The surrounding while more mild than she was used to, reminded her very much of home. Although the pit in her stomach would not leave, she promised in the very moment that she would never forget her roots. Even as she spoke with Valette, the idea of living in a place so similar to her home seemed fitting. In a torturous way. A way that would insure her continued memory of her natal pack, and yet continuing the journey she was destined to take.

Refocusing on her alpha before her Kegana gave a sad yet hopeful smile. "I am looking for a place where I might be useful once more. I am a loner looking for somewhere I might be able to call home. I have skills in defence and battle strategy, and my grandfather often relied on me for advise bother personal or otherwise." Her resolve hardened, her back straightened and her head lifted slightly at the pride in her voice. "If you think I might be of use to you, you may call me Kegana." Her smile grew more hopeful and sincere as she finished her would be speech. 

A breeze fluttered up her back. A breeze she took as a sign, perhaps this was were she was meant to be.

Valette turned her ear to hear if someone else was approaching. If not, it was not a problem. She noticed that the female had been respectful to her. Valette didn't demand complete submission unless behaved like they needed to be put in place. She was often reminded of bad behaving children. Her mind was briefly wandering but it quickly came to focus when the female introduced herself. She nodded, to show the other she was listening.

She could imagine Stark, Howl and Mawk could use some extra help with the mercenary trade. Especially since Greyback made sure that he didn't want to fight or battle. "Nice to meet to, Kegana," Valette spoke. "We have space left for new wolves to join our family," she added. Which was true, some wolves had left recently, some through death and some to head out into the world and explore. She missed them. "That sounds wonderful. We could use guardians! However..." She paused briefly, thoughtfully so.

"We are a pack that prefers alliances over fighting. I mean, we have enough wolves that like to spar but I do hope we don't end up having battles with other packs," she explained calmly. "So we might not be what you are looking for? Unless you are looking for a warm and family orientated home?," Valette questioned. Valette didn't want to be the only deciding factor if someone was allowed in or not. Since this female was a loner she might not like or fit with there philosophy, and that was fine with her. Valette was very willing to give respectful wolves a home.

"I have no desire to fight without cause. If you'll have me, perhaps I can discover my other talents." The ghostly woman had no desire to fight, aggresion and violence were not her forte. However her analytical mind lent well to the strategy. Kegana however often prefered dealing with the other roles of leadership, helping her parents with more political aspects rather than wartime affairs. 

A family.

Something she wanted above all else, she wanted her family. "I look for a home, where I can continue to grow. If by chance one day I can find a new family within the borders of your Easthollow's I will have fullfilled my newest dream. Until that moment, I only ask for the opportunity I call your land my home, and defend it to the best of my abilities." 

Tag for visibility!

Valette liked her answer. She was glad to hear that even though this female was a strategist, she wasn't purposely seeing out conflict. Valette liked to hear that, otherwise this female should have found another pack. As it turns out, the female wanted a family. It was extremely sweet. Valette was certain she could be great friends with this female. So the choice had been made quite quickly. 'Well, if that is the case then I will accept that request. Welcome to Easthollow, Kegana," she smiled.

Valette howled to her mate @Stark that they had a new recruit. This way the female wouldn't be met with too much superstition, the rest of the pack would probably hear the howl as well. "Okay, let me show you around in our lands," Valette smiled. She turned and invited the female further in with her body language. "Okay so, the territory contains wooded area on one side, and the other is mostly plains. Most of us have a den in the wooded area, we hunt mostly on the plains,' she explained with a nod. "Oh and there is something very special here. The stone circle! Let me walk you to it,' Valette chatted.

I like this thread so lets continue for a bit! :D Valette can show her around

I'm loving it, Valette is adorable.

A weight lifted from her shoulders, which came as a surprise to her, the ghostly princess hadn't realized how much the loner life had dampened her spirit. "Thank you, I hope to prove my usefullness to you soon." Her logical thoughts were the only way she could see to respond, her reserved demeanor preventing her from showing the full extent of her excitement.

A tour would be very much appreciated, Kegana followed on the womans flank. Her pearly white tipped ears twitched and swivled following the voice of her new leader. "I see, and what prey do you hunt here on your plains?" She tried to hide her naivety, the majority of the creatures here looked similar to those she was familiar with and yet were very different at the same time. 

"My family's territory was similar to yours, except with no trees." Kegana thought to elaborate, however held her tounge, there was no use in explaining if the other woman had no interest. 

"What is a stone circle?" The inqury fell from her lips without much thought, something that did not often happen to Kegana. It was rare for the pale woman to speak before thinking the thought through. Obviously Valette was taking her there, there was no need to ask such a redundant question, only after speaking had Kegana come to this conclusion. Shaking her head slightly, she remained silent, content to follow the darkly contrasted female beside her.

Valette smiled at the female. She was pretty sure that the female would help out with the pack, in fact, she didn't even doubt it. It was nice to have some new members helping out especially seeing that she would soon be holed up in her den to greet their newborns. "We hunt deer but there is also bison on the plains. We try to hunt them when one is sick or injured. Since they have tons of meat." Then again, hunting those bison was tough and dangerous.

"No trees? Wow. I don't know if I could live without trees!," she admitted. Valette then glanced at her. "Why did you leave your birth pack?" Valette asked curiously. She was always eager to hear someone's backstory if they were up to tell her. It was curious how many different beliefs there were. Valette continued to walk to the Stone Circle. One could already see the stones on top of the hill.

"There they are," she spoke as she continued to walk. "They are upright stones, and they are in a circle. We don't know how they got here or who placed them but to us the circle is sacred. We hold our meetings here. Our loves ones are buried there too with the idea that they can be there when we have our meetings. It is the heart of our territory. It also provides us with food as we can watch all the herds from here," she explained as they approached the stones. Valette stepped into the circle proudly and then looked around at the tall stones.

Kegana had tried her hand at catching the elusive deer that congregated in these parts, she hadn't been to successful. Although she knew it would be much easier with the support of a pack. Hunting large game had always been one of her favorite activities at home. Kegana wasn't exactly sure what a bison was, but she pictured something like a yak. Yaks also had lots of meat. The pale woman assumed that she would find out sooner or later what a bison was.

She chuckled slightly, tree were definitley a staple here in the Americas. Her grin fell with Valette's question, her impassive mask slipping into place. "I..." She hadn't been asked this queston before. None had thought her reasoning interesting enough to ask about. "I didn't leave. I was taken. The gods of my people saw fit to test me. I was relocated by the humans." Kegana glanced at Valette, it was difficult to elaborate. "It's a very long story. The last few months have been... interesting.... and difficult, to say the least." She concealed her emotions, fearing that her story would become a burden, and deeply fearing the pity of another.

Recollection replaced with wonder as the full might of the stone circles came into view. Kegana listened closely as the alpha spoke, immensely interested in the architecture surrounding the two women. "They are amazing." Her ocean blue eyes roamed the area, her amazement evident on his face.

Valette showed pity on her face when she heard that the female was taken. She disliked that word. It was never a good thing. However, then the other spoke of humans. Valette didn't know what these things were. "What are humans?," she asked. "I never heard about them? Are they a predator as well? Why would they take another species?,' she asked. A lot of questions popped into her mind all at once.

"You don't have to tell me the full story," she assured her. "I can imagine it must be very difficult to be taken from your family," she spoke and offered her a kind smile. She could imagine now that the female was looking for a family. "Would you be able to return to them? Or is the distance too far?," she wondered.

They had reached the stones by now, and Valette could only agree. "Yes, they are. See the tallest stone? That is Steady's Stone. Steady was my mate before Stark. He was the leader of Easthollow. I lead the pack with him," Valette explained. "My daughter and other loyal pack members are buried in the middle of the circle," she admitted. "Though it isn't a place of sorrow, just to remember them and the good times we had with them."

The stones were wonderful, and a beautiful place for the center of pack activity. Kegana attributed their likeness to a shrine, as they came closer she let the idea wash over her. She approached the tallest stone, stepping away from her new leader, understanding the significance of Valette's statement. The pale princess bowed her head low, and arched her back in a kowtow. Silently overing her prayer to the fallen members of Easthollow. For the moment she ignored the questions posed to her, focusing fully on her task. 

She gave a slight smile as she turned back to the woman. "I am sorry for your lose. To have honored him in such a way, he must have been a great ruler." In the womans culture the grander the burial spot the more important the person, and this, to Kegana, looked like the most prestegious place. "And your daugter too. She must be glad to be remembered in such a way." There was no sadness in her voice, only happiness. Death was not the end. At least not to Kegana. It was just the start of another journey destined by the gods. 

Returning to the previous questions posed the bleached woman took a moment to think, supressing her emotions on the topic. "My family lives in a place called Mongolia." She returned her ocean eyes to the stones, "It is to far to return to. I-" She didn't know what to say, it had been months and still the hardest thing to detach heself from. "I will never return to my people." 

With the shake of her head and the clearing of her throat she moved on to an easier topic. Perhaps with time she might open about her feelings, maybe. But this was not the time, and she didn't feel comfortable enough the tell Valette her story. They had only just met.

"Humans are strange creatures. They are not a creature you want to encounter alone. They are beings who walk upright on two paws, and wear the pelts of other animals. I have never seen them hunt, however my grandfather used to say that they keep their prey in pens and kill them without a fight, he used to call them cowards." Kegana returned her gaze to Valette, "My clan never knew why they took us, but it was always known that if you were chosen, you had been chosen by the gods to discover your own path." 

Kegana had divulged most of what she thought to be important about the humans. They were not a creature she ever wished to encounter again, and if she did she would rip them limb from limb. 

Looking out to the plains below, the mongol could almost imagine that this was all a terrible dream.

Valette watched as the female approached Steady's Stone. She was amazed by the respect the female showed. It meant a great deal for the alpha female. She knew that Kegana really would become part of their family. She would be surprised if the female would suddenly leave. "He was. I try to be like him every day," she explained to the female. Valette nodded afterward, thinking about Keoni. She would have been such a useful member of the pack.

Valette then listened curiously to the female. She had never heard of Mongolia and she was an experienced traveler. She knew a lot of places in Teekon. "I'm sorry to hear that. However, it might soften the wound that now you are accepted here you will be part of our family," Valette spoke with a nod of compassion. However, what interested her far more was Kegana explaining about humans. She had never seen them, at least Valette believed so. She didn't realize that these creatures also flew in the big birds in the sky.

"I am pretty sure these creatures aren't here," Valette spoke confidently. "So you will be safe from them here. Though I am sorry to hear that they took you away from your family." Valette shuddered at the idea of being taken away from their family. Valette nudged the new female shoulder with her nose. "I am sure you feel better once you are settled here. A lot of wolves to make new friends," she offered. "And most of all, none of these humans."

The more they spoke, the more Kegana was glad she had stumbled upon the. Easthollow seemed to be somewhere she could grow to love and accept as her family. 

Valette's words were true, it did help to know that after all these months alone she could finally be part of something larger than herself. She was excited to start her journey, and learning more of her new people. Kegana was glad to hear that perhaps she had travelled far enough from the ghastly two legged beings. She hadn't realized that she had been running from them until Valette mentioned she had never seen them in the area. 

With the smallest curve of her lips Kegana nodded her head, and leaned into the other woman. "Thank you. I'm glad that I found Easthollow. If you ever need anything, please call on me." She wasn't sure Valette would take her words literally, but the mongol meant anything. Anything to do with her pregnancy, or pack business, or if she simply didn't have the energy to grab herself something from the caches. Kegana would do everything in her power to prove that she was a dependable wolf, and willing to go the extra mile.

Valette offered the female a big smile. "Thank you," she spoke. That was a very nice offer for the female. Valette really felt as if she could become great friends with this female. Valette realized that she was quite tired herself. The alpha dipped her head. "Then I will let you explore further on your own," she spoke with a kind smile. "I will see you again soon," Valette spoke and quirked up her lips. With that goodbye said she started to walk off in the direction of the forest. She was certain that other members would be eager to get to know her as well.

- end -

So much fun! Let's have a new one soon!