Wolf RPG

@Caiaphas

Noel wanted nothing more than to join a pack. She wasn't doing so well as a lone wolf, she craved the presence of another wolf. She was too social for this. She put her nose to the ground and breathed in the scent of the pack. She took a deep breath in a let out a deep howl, signaling the pack of her presence. Once she finished, she glanced around, looking for movement. Hopefully, some good news would come out of this.

the salt-witch paused as a howl punctuated the drone of the shore, its sound tapering off into the whipping wind. caiaphas turned, making towards the source of the sound. it had been a long time since she had a visitor entreat entrance into her fold and the remembrance of her old duties flooded her with a warm sense of dreaded familiarity.

the sylph stopped as a caramel-doused female met her view, noting the soft cream of her features. the coywolf's tail rose and she regarded the stranger carefully. it was liberating to not have to keep the sound a secret -- not the way the nereides did -- and caiaphas slipped easily into conversation. "this is saltwinter -- what is your business?"

Noel quickly scanned over the female that approached her. She drew up a tiny smile, and spoke. "I'm Noel, and I wish to join Saltwinter." She shifted her paws, standing up straighter. A cold wind struggled to get through her thick, wavy fur, but failed. Winter was her favorite time of year, they prey was easier to catch, and they were weaker. Only one thing she hated about winter, herbs don't grow. Herbs were something she loved. "I am practicing to become a naturalist." She added, hoping there was a open spot for her to train. 

the shewolf cast noel a sidelong look, her gaze scraping from the caramel buff of noel's limbs to the soft cappuccino-foam that bepopulated her pelt. a naturalist -- that was not something they had yet -- caiaphas' long ears drew forward in interest. "we could use a naturalist. the grotto's cache is low."

like noel, caiaphas didn't care for winter much, though it was for entirely different reasons. she flicked her tail as she finished her survey of the pale female, drawing herself up to her full (and entirely unimpressive height). "well then - consider yourself a saltwinter recruit." had it always been this easy? caiaphas recalled the gauntlet those on the shore who sought ankyra's fold once had to undergo - this was much more preferable.

"before you go, there is something you should know. saltwinter was formed with only one purpose -- to survive winter. you are welcome to our ranks so long as you contribute to our survival. detract from our chances, and we will cut you loose." or worse, kill you the siren queen thought.

Noel was the complete opposite of lazy. She loved to run around, and make use of her time. She was happy about the lack of a naturalist in the pack, she really enjoy the work, and it was helpful to the pack. "Thank you! I promise I am not dead weight, very far from it. Can you show me where the herb Cache is?" she asked. Her eyes were shining. "I never got your name by the way." She added. He cocked her head slightly when she did.

caiaphas' ominous and thinly veiled threat did not cause the pale female to skip a beat. the coywolf drew herself upright, a simple smile unfurling across her narrow countenance. perhaps this female would be a welcome addition to saltwinter's ranks -- only time would tell.

at the mention of her name, caiaphas' smile dissolved and a look of importance smoldered in her yellow eyes. she had been many things - and these titles she wished to utter -- but the nereides was no more and caiaphas the last of its dying kind on the strand. "i am the alpha - caiaphas." she had almost said matriarch -- siren queen -- but instead, elected to choose the simplest of explanations.

"i will show you the cache - follow me." other wolves would have been hesitant to draw stranger close into their realm -- but caiaphas knew the grotto well, well -- well enough that if noel ended up not being the kind wolf she appeared, caiaphas would be ready.

Noel bowed her head at the mention of the alpha's name. She was very excited about learning about the pack, she felt like she would fit in. She happily followed the female. She turned her head left and right. She tried to take in every inch of the territory. "Have you seen any herbs around. Even though it is winter. Any Mushrooms, or moss either?" She asked.

caiaphas casually strolled towards the grotto, her narrow muzzle tilted slightly as she trained her gaze on the female in tow. she looked inquisitive -- caiaphas noted the way she brightly assessed each part of the terrain, scouring for what caiaphas could only presume were the tokens of her profession: vegetation.

the mention of moss caused an auburn-stripped ear to tilt back. caiaphas ducked her head as they pulled under the impressive archway that announced the grotto's entrance. "some lichen - moss along the caves. vegetation is sparse - plenty of seaweed though." with that she paused as they embarked down the tunnel: "this is the grotto."

Noel fully appreciated the power of what the land gives you. An herb could help soothe a bad stomach, a headache, a way to dry up milk for a mother. Herbs are a real life gift of magic. Noel also didn't sugar coat things to make people feel better. She is not a fan of surprises, and she wasn't going to lie to make people feel better. She wanted them to know the best and worst outcome. She cocked her head as the woman mentioned seaweed. "I am going to tell you the truth, I have never worked with seaweed, but salt water is good for cuts and scrapes, so seaweed might be really handy." She said. She wasn't going to lie to make herself seem better. She looked around the grotto. It truly was beautiful. "Very beautiful place." She said, sounding clearly amazed.

caiaphas appreciated the honesty of noel's claims -- it took a certain bravery to admit where one's knowledge fell short. caiaphas was not so noble, nor so honest -- and she had no inclination of revealing her poor understanding of the vegetative world. of kelp, she knew some -- she knew which fronds were bitter, which toxic -- she knew which to supply to a wound and which to avoid, yet beyond that she knew not their names. only their purpose.

noel's compliment was ignored, though not deliberately -- caiaphas felt the pull of the grotto sound in her and a weariness compelled her to make her exit. "make yourself at home." the siren said -- with a dull dip of her muzzle she would then retreat to her stone-laden chambers, eager to sleep in the cold bask of the flowstone.

The the lady was quick to retreat. Noel was quite taken by surprise. Did this mean she was welcome officially? Noel quickly dipped her head. "Thank you much." Noel said. As the lady began to retreat, Noel looked through the stash of herbs. The winter was still somewhat young, hopefully herbs stayed from the chilly grasp. She found very little, some herbs weren't even good enough to be used, maybe she could rejuvenate them. She took a huff and sat down to tend to the herbs.