ayoo! let's see how far Jhala makes it... and if she can make it in... well, we'll go from there ;)
@Taggarik @Capriccio and perhaps
@Kesan It was time, the gray female decided, to find a new home. She'd wandered the past month in search of... well she wasn't really sure what, but it'd gotten colder than she had anticipated (even traveling south) and the girl had no intentions of dying so early on in life. She was a year old, and hell, what had she even done that was fulfilling enough to die?
(Nothing, was the answer, in case you weren't sure.)
So, perhaps it was pure luck that she stumbled upon a packs borders so soon after she'd decided to find a pack. Perhaps she'd been looking for one all along. Who knows, who cares, really. The point was, she was here. Where here was, exactly, she wasn't sure. But here she was and, hopefully, here she'd stay.
Jhala. That was the wolf's name. Her purpose? To join this pack. She howled it out as loud as she could, hoping to catch the attention of at least one of the dominant wolves of the pack. She stepped a few paw steps back from the border, automatically lowering her head and tail. Right now she only had to wait, but she'd rather appear already submissive than to be taken as a hostile intruder and chased off.
He hadn't hung around to find out whether the trespasser from earlier that day would come back for another attempt at trying the pack's patience, but he had a distinct feeling that she wouldn't. Some wolves were born for the life of hassling others, but most were fairly respectful beasts. Luna had surely made a mistake when she crossed the pack's well-laid borders; it was unfortunate for her that it was a costly one. Farstep thought nothing further of her, though, not even enough to have a poor opinion. If he encountered her again, it would be neutrally so long as the encounter did not involve a second trespass.
It wasn't long after he'd taken a short nap and headed back out on patrol that the second unfamiliar howl of the day reached the ears of every pack wolf within several miles. His perked up immediately. Assuming it was Luna again, he slung his head between his shoulders and moved at a fast clip along the borders, though he cut diagonally across a section of the core territory to shave time off his venture, for it could mean intercepting the previous trespasser a second time.
It was not the white wolf he'd been expecting to find, but rather, a black-and-grey female. Her stance was already respectfully low and Farstep's transformed from a semi-aggressive stalk to a confident but aggression-neutral posture. He kept his ears trained forward, his shoulders arranged squarely, his tail waving just higher than his hips to acknowledge his position above Jhala but not as leader, and he peered freely at or into her eyes, depending if she averted them or not. His gaze was wide, as was usual for a non-submissive and non-aggressive wolf. He woofed a gentle sound, perhaps a greeting or perhaps something else, then lifted his tail a little higher and stiffened the wag into one that was more concentrated on just the tip with the base holding rigid, curious to see how she responded to his intensified assertion.
I'm none of those people but Farstep is guardian-in-training so here he comes! You and the leaders are free to skip as needed, all I ask is that I be able to sneak in a couple more posts before the thread fully concludes. ^_^
no problem! (: <3 good luck!
This wolf, Jhala noticed, was very rigid. Not rigid in his stance or voice, but with his actions. He did not seem stiff, but he appeared robotic. His movements were trained and according to his rank, she soon realized, and lowered her shoulders just a tad more. She was not angry with him or judgmental for how he acted, simply curious. Her curiosity showed nowhere but in her eyes which, mind you, remained anywhere but locked on his. The girl was not stupid, and knew not to look any stranger directly in the eyes. It was either a notion of dominance or an invitation to fight; neither of which were intended by the young female.
This male was not in charge, she made gentle note of. He was friendly and certainly dominant, but by no means the alpha. She wasn't sure of his rank, but if he responded to her call to join he surely must've been higher up. Jhala raised her head, ever so slightly, to let to male get a better look at her face. She kept her gaze lowered a bit, as to not make eye contact, but the eager expression could still be seen dancing in the light of her amber eyes. She noticed his tail, and again was curious of the strictness of the ranking system. Her last pack had a ranking system and she was accustomed to being submissive, but this seemed extreme.
Somehow, however, the wolf liked it. In response to his tail, she simply dipped her head before raising it again so he could view her face. The young girl remained silent. She'd given her call to join. He knew why she was here. She simply waited to be spoken to before she would speak.
He scanned her body language carefully. His ears pulled higher when she lifted her head and his lips twitched a little in the corner, but as her eyes remained averted, Farstep didn't take it as defiance of his rank. He wasn't high enough to behave like Taggarik—perhaps if he had secured the Beta male rank for himself, he could've afforded to act with more impulse to test Jhala's willingness to accept her status and follow another, but it didn't seem necessary even if that was the case. Jolon had been another male among many males. The pack was in need of females and Jhala happened to be one of the finer sex. Because she was a female and naturally not as much competition for both him and Taggarik as other males were, and because the pack was in need of females to balance the tension from the ritualized dominance between the males, Farstep's dominance and his subsequent reactions to the other wolf's responses were quite gentle.
As such, he lowered his tail back to its original position, slightly higher than his rump and now wagging gently, and opened his mouth into a wolfish smile to accept her submission. He remained standing, but cast a glance back over his shoulder. Surely
@Taggarik and
@Capriccio had heard the howl and would arrive soon enough. They had probably investigated the trespassing wolf's howl from earlier as well and found nobody there, just the scents of himself and an intruder. This time they would have a real wolf to look forward to, one who respected the borders and respected their greeters as well.
As always, he was unable to speak with her, and instead continued to watch her for signs of negligence in her posturing. Taggarik and especially Capriccio would be the critical eyes here, but Farstep was the first line of defense against unsuitables. So far Jhala was passing the test; it was his job to ensure she continued to do so until the Alphas arrived and deemed her suitable by sharing their scents and accepting her deference.
The male still did not speak to her, and Jhala so wished to know his name. She did not ask though, simply remained where she was. Eventually, the male looked away, and when his gaze returned he shot her a friendly smile and lowered tail. Surely this was not all? she pondered. She was not even sure the name of the pack that she was hoping to reside in. Instead of returning his posture, the fae stayed put, simply returning a friendly smile and a gentle wag of her tail, keeping it low to the ground.
Jhala watched as his gaze continuously fell behind him... Where was he looking? Perhaps for another wolf, she decided. Perhaps an alpha. He did appear to be a lower rank, and not really accepting her so... The black and grey female her gaze fall to her feet as she thought to make sure that she didn't accidentally stare at the males face. Occasionally she would raise her head so he could see her again, but it would fall again. The silence was not awkward for her, she actually was beginning to enjoy it. It was however uncomfortable to be standing so low for a while, and occasionally shifted her feet as they waited.
The howl had stirred the dark she-wolf further along the borders, her pace increasing with the desire to determine who it was that beckoned the Ridge wolves. She felt antsy these days – her presence around
@Terich-mir had increased even more, though she found herself more silent. Perhaps it was her growing uncertainty with her rank – and as the scent of another she-wolf came to her before she laid eyes upon her, Capri felt her own form stiffening.
Yet while every female threatened her position and potential for puppies, she was not so insecure to turn them all away. Farstep had found their visitor before either herself or Taggarik, and the silver-tipped female gave a light hum of approval as she stepped closer to his side, her nose brushing the furs of his flank in greeting before she moved even closer to the stranger, her tail and muzzle arcing high.
Her frosted eyes rounded upon the girl, studying her quietly. She was young – her posture submissive, but nearly as much as wolves previously before her that had stood on her borders.
“Hello,” she offered, her tone gentle as she lifted her muzzle another notch to announce her rank.
“Can I help you?”
This was the alpha. Jhala was well aware of this when the women approached. She seemed taller than the male, but perhaps this was only because she held herself higher as she went. Unsure of whether to lower herself further or not, the girl did so anyway, her head dipping respectfully to the alphess.
Finally, she was addressed. A weight removed from her shoulders as the silence was slowly beginning to worry her. While she didn't mind the quiet (it gave her a chance to think about what to say and not mess anything up), it was growing worrisome. She was even beginning to question if the wolves in the pack even spoke- but that was an unfair assumption, as it was only this male who was silent. She raised only her head as she had done earlier, keeping her gaze from meeting the more important wolf's own stare, allowing the alphess a better look at her. After a few moments to let to women observe, she spoke, her tail and ears remaining low.
"My name is Jhala," she woofed lowly, but clearly, as too not seem so loud or to imply dominance, which appeared to be a huge no-no in this pack. "I wish to join your pack," she then answered her second question. She did not inquire why or what she would do, because she was not asked. To be honest, she wasn't sure if that was expected of her or if she needed to be spoken to, so she waited to be asked.
I keep reading the title as like a hunting bow, instead of bow as in bowing down lol. It may be because I got a bowhunting book for Christmas haha. Just popping Tagg in for a cameo.
Earlier in his patrol he had found the telltale signs that his agouti subordinate had intercepted another foolish trespasser: the tracks in the snow, the unfamiliar scents, the trail fleeing out of the territory and away. He could not help but shake his head and grin. Two trespassers in such a short time span was downright shameful, but he was proud to have such capable wolves defending his borders and their home.
He continued on, hiking a leg against a tree here and against a rock there, strengthening their markers, though he knew no amount of scent would stop the utterly stupid. Soon, a howl reached his ears, and he quickened his pace, but he was some distance away and when he rounded a corner he could see that Farstep had already made another interception, along with his alpha female. Fortunately, this one was wise enough not to trespass, and was deferent to his packmates. Even better, she was a fine looking female.
Though, he mused inwardly, Capriccio may be disappointed. Neither wished to have their positions, and their chance at a future, challenged, but competition could not be avoided entirely, and balance of gender in the pack was necessary for harmony. The black wolf quietly glided to Farstep, offering the vigilant male a companion nudge to the shoulder in appreciation of his efforts, before catching Capriccio's flank in a feather-light nip as he moved past, offering the loner a brief look before he moved on down the borders.
The situation was in control, and in capable paws. He trusted his alpha to decide the girl's fate without him, but he would not be far if things turned sour.
The woman was to the point -- something Capri appreciated. Submission was also given, and while not to the extent previous newcomers had given, enough to satisfy the swarthy regal -- at least for now. She was about to inquire further, but Taggarik's presence stirred her voice to falter for a moment, and her frosted eyes glanced over to the dark male as he took in the sight of their new, potential member.
To say it was jealousy that stirred in her chest would be foolish -- the flutter of nerves was dismissed with the simple explanation that any of these girls could mean her rank was gone.. and it was becoming an irritating feeling in her life. Was it worth it -- feeling so uncertain of her future, when at this point in her life she should be building it? She would need to discuss with Terich-mir on his thoughts.
Her eyes drifted over the woman once more, and for-going the previous questioning process (the ebony stranger, Jolon, had proven how disappointing such a tactic could be), the current Alpha female could only speak to the respect shown. "You seem healthy -- otherwise unharmed. You are welcome to our pack as long as you put in the work the rest of our pack mates do," she offered then, her tail giving a gentle swish as she awaited an answer. Capri herself could be right to the point as well.
Farstep was thankful he didn't need to wait too much longer, for although the language of the wild was his entire life, there was still something awkward about standing around and staring. Yet it would be unusual to engage in play with a complete stranger and exceedingly inappropriate to do so on the cusp of his pack's territory. He couldn't carry a conversation, so when Capriccio arrived, it was primely relief that he felt.
He returned her affection by swinging his head around and nipping fondly at her chin while pressing back his ears and drooping his tail. His eyes pulled narrower in deference. Jhala was all but forgotten as he paid respect to the leading she-wolf, and then he stood aside, giving Capriccio the floor. Whatever went on between them next, he now knew he would only half understand... or perhaps two-thirds, because the body was more powerful than the growls, grunts and barks they uttered.
He thought to remain close for a time, but when Taggarik brushed by, Farstep turned to follow. The Alpha male clearly thought Capriccio was fine on her own, and seeing the lead man on patrol stirred the desire in Farstep. He fell in line behind the black wolf, following precisely in his pawsteps and offering scent markings in places Taggarik passed over. Capriccio and Jhala were left alone, unless Taggarik and he were summoned back.
A black male came out of practically nowhere. Jhala perhaps would have noticed his scent had she not been so preoccupied with the Alphess and the male that greeted her. She looked to him for only a moment before dipping her head in a gentle greeting, after that she did not stare. It didn't take long for her to decide that this was the alpha male, head honcho of the pack. She expected more questioning from him, but he gave her no more than a quick look down. He left without speaking, perhaps leaving his co-alpha to make the decision. She wondered what he thought of her, if he had been watching the whole time. Her thoughts were not able to be fully explored, however, as the dominant female then spoke her approval of Jhala.
The girl smiled, a let breath of relief released. Her tail, while remaining low, wagged happily and thankfully. The women seemed disapproving of her, she could tell, but regardless of such she allowed her a place among the ranks. For this, Jhala was greatful. She dipped her head as her means of thanks and respect. "I have no other intentions," she responded kindly and honestly, her amber eyes shimmering with excitement. Jhala looked towards the red male as he gave a last look, and then left. Her attention returned to the female, but not directly at.
"If you don't mind my asking," Jhala then said, "Your names, and the name of the pack." She hoped her questions weren't seen as rude, but the girl was curious and her time here had been mostly silence. She had been accepted to a pack, great! but, what pack? and who had accepted her? They now knew her but she was just as lost as she was when she arrived. The only difference was that now she didn't need to be afraid of being slaughtered for trespassing.
The silent Gamma swept away after Taggarik – not straying far, but distancing themselves enough to leave the fate of the woman in Capri’s hands. As far as the swarthy girl was concerned, the she-wolf would make a fine addition to their pack – unlike the past few that had attempted to join or stray over their borders.
The smile that fell upon Jhala’s muzzle stirred a small one from the Alpha as well, and with a flick of her tail, Capri was about to offer a tour of the land when the female spoke questions – ones Capri could appreciate. “I am Capri – the Alpha female. This is Porcupine Ridge and we’ve newly claimed – the dark male you seen that walked by is Taggarik, the Alpha male. The one who followed after him? We do not know his name – he does not speak. But he is kind and loyal.”
There was a pause as the silver-tipped she-wolf allowed the information to be absorbed before she canted her muzzle in the direction toward the heart of the territory. “Come – I can show you your new home, if you’d like.” Without waiting for a response, the Roux-Abrhen closed the distance between them, rubbing her shoulder against their newest member, marking the girl with her scent as an accepted member.
The male was silent. It made sense, and somehow put the young wolf at ease. "He seems kind. I do not doubt his loyalty," she woofed, somehow feeling the need to add that. She dipped her head to her alphess, smiling again. "And it is a pleasure, Capri, to be a part of your pack. I look forward to it." She spoke honestly and clearly, understanding that stammering over words was frowned upon. She was glad that she had had the earlier silence; it had given her time to string together possible conversations. This one (being accepted, that is) she had specifically gone over.
The black and white girl stood proudly, yet modestly, as the alpha rubbed shoulder with her. She lowered her posture soon after and returned to her regular stance to allow Capri her dominance, as assumed. At the offer of a tour, Jhala dipped her head respectfully once again, then nodding in an eager acceptance of the offer. "I would much appreciate that," she replied thankfully, hoping to find somewhere she could settle down and build a den. She waited for the woman to lead the way, planning to follow wherever she went.
Last post from me. :) Feel free to archive or reply once more with a fade.
The she-wolf was kind -- of that much, was apparent. A much more promising member than the others who had recently traipsed along their borders, and Capri was pleased by this.
The she-wolf noted how kind Farstep seemed -- an interesting assumption, given the male could not speak, but one that was not wrong. The Gamma's behavior and posture was never anything but kind toward his pack mates, and she herself held a fondness for him, despite his quiet nature. Giving a gentle nod of reassurance to the girl's words, the Alpha female strode toward the heart of the territory, offering Jhala a quick tour of her new home.
Porcupine Ridge was one more member stronger, and the Roux-Abrhen was pleased with this.
The girl smiled in return to Capri's silence, somewhat because the silence was the peaceful kind. Jhala quite liked the peaceful kind. It was reassuring that everything was okay, and it showed a strange sort of happiness that just... lingered. The dark she-wolf followed her new alpha with an eagerness that only learning could satisfy. She would make sure to learn everything she could on this tour, her amber eyes glimmering with the excitement of youth.
And so she followed, and listened, her heart warming as it was filled once again with the family that a pack offered.