j - brother, you don't need to turn me away

He'd spotted them two nights ago: a band of deer heading up to the foothills, with only a few stags to guard them. Since his escape from captivity, his once robust frame had withered away to reveal the ripples of ribs on his sides, and the gentle mountain range of his spine. He needed a kill, or for lady luck to swoop in and jostle the sure-footed deer into slipping down a cliff...

But as day three dawns, and he stalks the deer further up into the mountains, the wind shifts and carries with it the heavy scent of a pack boundary. The wolfdog comes to a sudden halt and cowers low while his belly brushes against the frost-laden grass. He casts a fearful look over his shoulder and quickly slinks diagonally, away from the deer, to a small little gathering of bushes. He sits, tongue lolling from his mouth as he begins to pant, eyes flitting here and there.

Wolves. Part of his mind is torn with the near irresistible urge to alarm-bark at the invasive scent, but the other is clawing, biting and scratching at his will; it wants to investigate, to touch, to see the beasts. His crawls into a lying position, but almost immediately jumps to his feet again, rife with nervous tension. He whines, licks his lips, and lowers his head below his shaggy shoulders.

Suddenly he is overtaken by the feelings flooding his stupid half-dog brain, and punctuates his sonorous call with a few high-pitched barks.

Dante heard the call, a strange summons to be sure, but heeded it without hesitation. He always attempted alacrity when responding at the borders, for to have an answer wait would be to appear in attentive and perhaps lead to attempts to take advantage of that assumption. Hardly a desireable outcome to the alpha. Though he was not as openly territorial as some, he would not hesitate to protect what was his should it prove necessary.

As the large male approached the one who had called, high in posture, he at first thought he was mistaken. It soon became clear however that this wolf was in fact some sort of hybrid, and not one he had encountered often. Coywolves were more common, but dog mixes? Not so much.

He did not look like much at the moment, appearing as though he hadn't had a decent meal in a long time, but still Dante held some caution. "You stand on the edge of BLacktail Deer Plateau. I am Dante, alpha here. Why do you call?" He had a guess, for it was rarely anything different, but did not wish to assume all the same.

As his howl fades into the woods, Sirocco almost instantly regrets it. He's just pinpointed his location to the entire wolf pack, and he isn't at all certain that they will take kindly to some hybrid fool. He twists in a quick circle; he knows running would likely incite the wrath of the pack further, so he is chained to the spot. He whines softly to himself, looking back to where the deer once were; they have, of course, fled into the trees at the sound of him.

A flash of movement catches his attention, and he looks back to see a massive wolf come striding towards him. He does not catch a flash of teeth nor hear the snarl of a territorial wolf. Perhaps lady luck has found him worthy again. He rallies and rises fully to stand squarely on all four feet, but remains significantly shorter than his full-blooded brother. His ears pitch forward as the wolf -- Dante, speaks, but flatten submissively again when the other finishes.

"UHhhh... oh, I'm Sirocco. I need a group. Sorry, pack. You call them packs." He replies, looking down, up, then down. "I can't make it on my own. I can watch your pups, or guard your borders...! Just help me. Teach me, please--I'll do anything."

Dante looked on approvingly as he flattened submissively, glad that he understood the hierarchy despite his obvious lack of experience with packs. If he hadn't, taking him in might have been more trouble than it was worth. A member who couldn't properly act around others would sow dissent that they did not need.

His lack of ability in caring for himself could show weakness, but his enthusiasm to learn, if true, was commendable. Dante heard no insincerity behind the words.

"We can always use one willing to learn and help out. But we cannot waste resources on one who will not remain loyal. Will you stay true to our family? Why should I trust my pack, and the pups to be born, to you?" It was a hard question, but if this hybrid did not know of packs, Dante wanted to be sure he understood the importance of loyalty. He had no interest in those who were just passing through.

Sorry for the short wait!

Thankfully, Sirocco had been introduced to the basic ideas of hierarchy during his brief stints in the yard. The other dogs (because, really, regardless of heritage they had been reduced to such) were far more aggressive about establishing the pecking order. If he took away anything from the horrible experience of his early life, it was that keeping your head low protected you from most major conflicts. He applied this here, because he didn't know any better. Dante was larger; simple as that.

He wilts a bit at the comments of loyalty, and almost immediately blurts out something to defend himself, but bites his tongue out of fear. Speaking out of turn could have dire consequences here; he knew he was treading on thin ice. His ears swivel back and his nose twitches as he thinks of a suitable answer. "I... If I were you, man? I wouldn't. You don't know me from Joe," He admits slowly. "I'm a wolf with a dog brain and clumsy dog traits. But I do know that if I don't prove myself to you, I'll die out here. I think that's enough to convince anyone not to screw over the folks willing to give you a chance, right?"

It's ok I'm sure I'll keep you waiting as well XD

Dante looked on carefully as he thought, glad to see him taking it seriously rather than getting defensive. Apparently he saw the question for what it was. His answer took Dante rather by surprise, and he did not hide it.

"You seek entry, yet admit that you are a liability. A strange response, but I appreciate your openness." He was right, survival was as good a motivator as any. And while it would not stop him from defecting to another pack, it would ensure that while he lived on Plateau lands, he would do all he could to remain in good standing. That alone would be a help.

A decision made, he spoke. "Alright. I will allow you in, but only so long as you work towards assisting the pack's survival. If you prove to be more a burden than a help, even after learning what you need to know, I shall have to rethink my decision though. We cannot afford the weight." He would not turn away a willing joiner now. He only hoped the terms were satisfactory. Surely he would understand the logic behind them.

The wolfdog expels the breath he was holding in a great big woosh and speaks, "Thank you man--Dante. Shit, sorry. I'm just a little, heh... uh, nervous. Thank you, I understand, but thanks for the chance anyway." He wags the tip of his fluffy tail and seems just a bit less, well, fearful. The big wolf was willing to give him a shot, and he wasn't about to squander it by being a pitiful mess.

He twists an ear forward and tilts his head a little bit before looking down, "Uh, just one favor? Tell me when I'm being an idiot, alright? I'm the biggest awkward walrus in the world, sometimes. I'll do my best not to be a dumbass but, uh, I'm kind of new to this whole... free will thing." He adds with a quick smile.

Dante couldn't help but get a bit of friendly amusement from his obvious nerves. "Hey, no problem." He wasn't so insecure an alpha that he cared what he was called. So long as actions were respectful, they could call him whatever the hell they wanted.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure we let you know." He was being serious when he said that, but finished with a wink. That was, after all, pretty much the concept behind probationary membership. He'd make sure Blue and Lasher were aware as well.

Dante looked then at the collar around the fellow's neck and eyed it curiously. "New to free will, eh? Well, I hope you find it better than the alternative. May I ask what that is round your neck?" Dante had seen man, but the concept of pets was one that was foreign to him. In his homeland, much like this one, wolves still ran unbothered in the wild.