Terich-mir DeMonte was the beta male of Porcupine Ridge. When he and Capri left Argent Creek those many months ago, this was not what he had envisioned. Perhaps Capri as alpha female, sure, but himself as a leader? Never. Terich wasn't fit for such things usually, but something had come over him after the hunt. Perhaps it was adrenaline or testosterone or something else, but Terich wasn't going to let someone else eat before him. So after Farstep retreated from the goat, Terich-mir stepped forward and claimed him place as beta. He was sure Farstep would try him again, but for now he was going to hold his place as beta and use it wisely.
This morning he was exploring the hollows and vales of the ridge. He was usually found in the lower reaches of the pack, since the higher ridges caused him some anxiety (which he wasn't sure how to deal with at the moment), and today was no different. He was not only scent-marking the lower border, he was mentally mapping the area for game trails, and looking for a den at the same time. So far he'd been sleeping curled next to Capri, but soon they would have to find a true den when deep winter hit. And perhaps if she found a mate, a likelihood he didn't like thinking about, he'd have to find a den of his own.
The tree root make shift den that the dark she-wolf had found was not the most practical. It sheltered, yes, but it didn't hold much heat. So the previous night Jhala had spent practically wrapped around herself in order to stay warm. In the end, she didn't get much sleep, but at least it was some. The pretty young wolfess was now exploring around the tree den, searching curiously for something interesting. Perhaps a neat land mark she could remember, or a sort of water source. For now she only knew of a smaller creek that ran nearby, although it was still a decent hike since the territory was so mountainous.
Before she could find something of the land, she found a wolf. He stood tall and proud, his gray fur standing out only slightly of the white snow. She wished to approach him. Who the male was, she didn't know, but she figured he was part of the pack. The way that the twany wolf and Capri had acted made her feel that the borders were quite well guarded, and she had no thoughts about loners in their territory. Besides that, the male's scent was actually all over the area anyway, including along the borders. That was evidence enough to Jhala.
The girl let out a chuff of greeting, her body lowering in a respectful submission. It was a request to approach and speak with him, her tail wagging in a friendly manner.
Terich's idle musings were interrupted by a wolf's soft chuff. He turned to see a female lowered submissively, her tail waving behind her in a friendly manner. Terich smiled (as much as a wolf can) and returned her chuff with one of his own, inviting her over with a nod of his head. He also helped close the gap between them with a few strides, though he didn't entirely close to distance because he wasn't sure how close she wanted to come to him. "Hey," he said softly, allowing his own tail to wag behind his hips. She smelled of Capri and Farstep, and a bit like Taggarik too, so he was sure she had been accepted and wasn't just some stranger wandering in their territory.
"You new here?" he asked, studying her briefly for a moment. Her fur was similar to his, grey but much darker, and her eyes were the warm glow of afternoon sunlight. He smiled softly, hoping he wasn't intimidating her. Any new wolf was good news to him, but sometimes he wondered if allowing their ranks to swell so quickly wasn't a bad thing. "I'm Terich. What's your name?"
sorry for the late response! Mind if we move it forward? Maybe before the fight with Farstep and him? (:
The head of the female dipped to him. "Relatively," she replied with a wag of her tail. She was the newly pronounced Delta, and from what she knew this was the packs Beta. She hadn't actually met the male before. Usually she'd at least seen the wolves on hunts or border patrol but she had seen none of him before; it was his scent that she recognized. Honestly, however, she was quite pleased with his image. He was not a sight sore for eyes, to her anyway.
"Jhala," she replied, dipping her head again. Her ears raised slightly as she scanned around them for any threats. Nothing obvious showed itself and she directed her full attention to him once again. He didn't seem as formal as Capri or Tagg did, and she rather liked that. It was a nice breath of air, if you will, from the strict hierarchy that this pack associated itself with. Not that she minded, it felt nice to be given respect, even as a middle tier rank.
"It's a pleasure," she added, smiling warmly at him.
Terich was the quiet sort, and that meant he preferred to meet the wolves of the pack on the inside of the borders rather than on them. "Pleasure to meet you, Jhala." He smiled softly and dipped his muzzle in greeting, noting the way her eyes flashed in the sunlight. A sensation seized his chest and stomach, a fluttering of his body, as she studied him briefly before she looked away. Terich wondered at that, but didn't want to seem unversed in the art of women. So instead he simply grinned again and invited her closer, to walk with him at her leisure. "How came you by Porcupine Ridge?"
The pair continued to walk along the hollows of the ridge, in the grassier parts of the vale below the mountain range above. This was where Terich thrived. He did not like the higher reaches of the pack, but no one save Taggarik and Capriccio need know that now. For the time being, he would remain below, mapping the trails, finding game, seeking out the streams and creeks that littered the lower reaches of their home, so that at least his contributions would not equal nothing. He turned one blue eye toward Jhala and watched her, waiting patiently for an answer, a crooked smile on his lips.
Terich was a lot of things that Jhala found interesting. He seemed quiet yet mature, and held a conversation very well. He wasn't like the silent Gamma, whatever his name was. That male was intriguing to all extents; and the girl often wished just to study him and how he worked. How could one live so long without true socialization? Did he not wonder what others were saying? Did it not drive him mad? She'd never know. Terich was simply reserved, it seemed, and she liked that.
He asked about how she came to the Ridge, and she gave a bright smile to this. "Wandering takes you many places," she mused in response, glancing at him as they went. She thought about her journey this way- it was extremely peaceful and it ended very well. She glanced to him again. "The pack is new, yes? How do you like it?" she asked, genuinely curious. He wasn't one of the founding members, she didn't think, but Jhala didn't really know. It was best to assume nothing, and left it vague.
"Aye, that it does," Terich replied, dipping his muzzle in agreement. His own wanderings had taken him many places, too, one of them being here upon this ridge with Capri and Taggarik. Whatever would become of this stay remained to be seen, but at least for now they were settled. "We're less than a fortnight old. Taggarik brought us together quite quickly, and we settled the ridge together." Though he was still unsure of his position as beta, Terich did feel a sense of pride in his role in founding the pack, and didn't shy away from the fact.
"I'm still getting used to the height, but my pack-mates make it easier." Before living at Argent Creek, he'd lived on a mount, but his memories of that place weren't the fondest or brightest. Perhaps in time he would grow used to the height, the peaks and valleys of the ridge, but for now he'd stick to the meadows at its base. "How are you liking it so far, Jhala?" Terich asked, his blue eyes turning toward her as they walked.
Jhala smiled. "I'm loving it," she told him, her grin bright and silly. Unlike Terich, Jhala absolutely loved the mountains. She had ground up in territory similar, only colder. To her, this was a home away from home, and she really enjoyed it. "Whatcha think about Tagg?" she then asked curiously, her head tilting to the side. "I'm real excited to follow under him, he seems like a cool guy," the girl then informed him, walking happily alongside the larger male, her tail wagging behind her. "Capri too,"
She thought briefly of her encounters with with alpha, and then to those of Capriccio. She scared her, a little bit, but overall the two seemed pretty chill- they probably had a good idea of what they were doing, she thought.
"Taggarik is strong and able." Terich smiled softly, dipping his head in a nod. Taggarik was a strong wolf, no doubt about it, but there was something stiffly formal about him that sometimes rubbed him the wrong way. Perhaps it was nothing, but Terich always listened to his gut. "Capriccio is my best friend, of course," he smiled wider this time, eyes glittering in the sunlight. "We've grown up together, you see, as companions." If Terich could hear her thoughts, he might have laughed at the idea of Taggarik being "chill." He was quiet, sure, but Terich wasn't sure chill was the word to describe the stoic, traditional, no-nonsense alpha male.
The girl smiled, her tail wagging. "No kiddin'," she woofed, her ears perked curiously. "That's real neat, I haven't met too many of the other wolves here. Just you and the silent guy," she added, not really caring if he cared to hear or not. She lowered her head to sniff at the ground for a moment before looking back up. She liked Capriccio and Taggarik, and the other one who's name no one knew seemed nice enough as well. Terich seemed nice, and she was excited to be his packmate. Jhala's tail wagged again, and her head tilted to the side. "You know who else is in the pack?" she asked, hoping to get some more names.
Sorry about this delay. want to wrap up?
Ah, the silent guy. The wolf. Terich didn't know him and didn't much care to get to know him. He had bested him to become beta, but somehow that still didn't mean much. Thankfully he was spared thinking about him for too much longer when Jhala asked about the others in the pack.
I know a few, but not many. I know the white and grey woman, and the darker male. I don't know their names.
It wasn't something he was really proud of, but this pack did not feel quite like family to him. And if they weren't family, they weren't important.
that's fine, sounds good to me!
Jhala nodded slowly, head tilting. She didn't know anyone else, really, so his information was less than useful. She gave him a smile before she shrugged. "I think I'm gonna go hunt," she informed him, tail wagging. "You can come, if ya want," she added, sending a smile his way. The girl waited patiently for a response, then turned to head out- with or without him.
That sounds wonderful. Lead the way.
Terich smiled softly and nodded, letting her lead the way. He wasn't one to take the lead in much of anything, and would enjoy the view of the terrain and the woman accompanying him as they set off to hunt.