(I'm back, baby! All welcome.)
Gaiban had been shaken up so much when the Spine had disbanded. He had barely escaped the flame, and the floods, but also had to deal with a tormenting pack of loners. all that had not only roughed him up on the surface, but shook him deep. He had been picking up on information, bit by bit, about where his former pack had been. He got that they went under a new name, and a new leader. He missed Cara, and wished he could have said goodbye, but why dwell on it?
He was coming back to this "pack," but under a new name. Why? Because he was haunted by grief like no other. Grief that drove him to the point of creating a new identity.
The alpha female left the cubs in her mates capable paws as she again went to stretch her legs. The pack had met the babes but a day ago, and from then on, they would develop and flourish. The alpha female strode toward the borders to investigate the Hollow, but there was a new scent on the wind—one that caused her to alter her course. In due time she arrived to where the pale male stood, large and promising in appearance. Still, she could smell the youth on him... they had four cubs in their ranks. If the wolf before her couldn't hunt himself, that was the end of his road here. With cubs of her own, Tonravik could not foster another.
She did not recognize him, or know that he had been with the Spine long, long ago when Cara had reigned. Perhaps it was for the better, because she would have known who had fostered him. She stopped only when she was before him, the bear-like woman drawing herself to her full height and looking down to him expectantly. He was not too close to the land, which stopped her from outright attacking... so the floor was his own. Her plume was rigid above her hindquarters as she waited.
Gaiban stood stock still. He didn't want to give his name still, as somebody in the pack might remember him, and blow his secrecy. The large white wolf spoke out, absolutely no emotion on his face.
"I'd like to join." Gaiban was no longer the little white wolf the spine had once known. In fact, he wasn't even Gaiban anymore.
He had a weird denial method to avoid the confrontation his mind would give him. The hulking wolf had disconnected from everything, and had so many mental locks, his head almost felt physically heavier. Among that, he had missed a crucial period in his development. He was almost mute by the time he made it to the spire. So going under a new name, and trying to build himself back was the only viable method in his eyes.
His words were met with a blink. I would like to join. Well, at the very least, he wasn't loitering for no reason at all but had come with intent. Tonravik shifted her lofty weight and licked her chops. "What do you offer," was her simple response. The alpha female did not know him, or know of his past... but as with anyone else, the alpha female did not truly care. In his case, he had never done anything to offend her... in fact, this was the first time the other existed in her world at all. That he was now attempting to forge a new identity with her was honestly for the best. The lest attachment to ones own past, the better.
Tonravik did not think that he knew of she and hers to a great extent. Few might. His face was unfamiliar in its entirety to her. That he might have ever lurked outside of the Spine when they resided there did not occur to her... he had kept a good enough distance to not warrant their attack. The wolves of the Spire could be difficult to trail, but given there was one clear cut path to the place, she suspected that if one ever did wish to find them they could if they tried hard enough. But the alpha female could think of none that would desire to exert their effort in such a way.
(sorry for the late post, and short one at that. Got school..)
"Protection, and little drawbacks." Gaiban replied simply. it was true. He wanted to be part of something. It was a very boring conversation so far, but it was kind of his fault.. ehh. Gaiban wanted to know who he was talking to, and her point of power. Usually an alpha greeted potential greeters. But the customs could have changed drastically since then. He didn't ask though, because he knew so far, that this was a wolf that didn't dwell in small talk.
He followed up his answer, with another question.
"Is there anything else you would like to know?"
His words were met with a stony look. Protection, and little drawbacks. What little drawbacks he had were more than they did, and protection? They had that in spades. Tonravik greeted none up until the point she deemed them of worth to know it; she and hers kept to themselves, and there was no use in informing others of things they might not need in their day to day if all did not go well. Tonravik knew what it was like to not be the most sociable, talkative of wolves... so she did not fault him for what little he said thus far. Still, she asserted her rank—something he had yet to acknowledge—with an upturned lip and a quiet, thrumming snarl born in her chest.
"We have plenty of protection," she responded evenly. And while more of that was always welcome, if that was all he could offer, she was not intrigued. What else would she like to know? "Your drawbacks," she responded curtly, ears flicking atop her head. That they needed mentioning at all was a concern to her. And if he wanted to expand upon what he could offer, now was perhaps the only time he would be given that chance.