@Taggarik @Capriccio
Harley Quinzel stopped at the strong scent line he came to, quite obviously the pack border. His milk colored fur was disturbed by brown-red tips so dark they seemed black until submerged in sunlight or water. Sandy colored fur-tips ticked his back, rimmed his ears, and patching over his eyes in circles. Those eyes, intensely looking as far into the forest as his sight allowed, were bright amber, colors of Autumn dancing in their kind, intelligent depths. He sat with his tail curled around his right haunch to touch the tip to the nearest paw. The strong, sturdy muscles of a wolf were prominent and well-worked, but they covered the body of a German Shepherd. He had the smarts of the Shepherd, and remained on the side of the border that wasn't belonging to the pack he was about to attempt to join. He howled, long and loud, for the alphas of the pack, hoping they were kind or at least not aggressive. He wasn't sure how to hold himself, whether to wait for the alphas to show up or to just stay low now. Sighing, he decided to wait; no need being submissive if he didn't need to be.
Going to assume this takes place before my thread with Diane.
It had been some time since the pack had a caller at their borders. Once full, the pack now had room for several, after the unannounced departures of some of their members. Thinking of them, the black wolf frowned. Even some of his current members had disappointed him, but perhaps some fresh blood was just what was needed. However, Taggarik had no intentions of reducing his standards. If anything, they were elevated in the wake of so many who failed to impress.
His gray eyes laid upon a half-breed, some mix of dog and wolf evident in the colors of the coat and shape of the body. He wondered at the male's history, and perhaps would inquire later, but for now his approach was silent, yet nonetheless demanding. His head was held aloft along with his tail, and his ears were tilted forward. With no one else having beat him to the interception, he did not downplay his position.
Harley respectfully lowered his body, tail and head, making sure the alpha that approached him knew there would be no issue with him. He glanced up at Taggarik, his amber eyes patient but excited. He made sure to keep his milky fur flat, the red-brown tips blending together and blending with the creamy hues underneath. It took him a moment of thinking to himself and the alpha's silence to realize that he needed to explain himself, though the mixed wolf didnt know exactly what needed to be said.
"Hello. My name is Harley. I was looking to join your pack."
What else was he to say? What would up his chances of being accepted....
"Being an oldest of a large litter, I'm good at caring for others. I've always wanted to learn to heal, but never had anybody to teach me."
Was that enough? The shepherd didnt know what else they needed to know, what else might get him in, so he stayed quiet. If he was accepted, he would get to see what kind of life his mother had lived instead of raising her puppies. If he didnt get accepted here... Then he would just have to go elsewhere.
In the beginning, the black wolf had been willing to accept anyone that showed proper respect at his borders, asking only that they contribute and make themselves useful in the weeks to follow. But after seeing so many come and go and feeling generally unimpressed with the caliber of his recruits, acceptance would not be so generously handed out any more.
He appraised the half breed before him quietly, his expression giving no indication of what he thought about what was said. He answered only with his own question. "Tell me about yourself. Where you came from. Where you lived."
Unsure whether to stay submissive or not, Harley kept himself low as he watched the alpha. He was intimidated by the black wolfs lack of emotion, but spoke back in a calm and collected tone.
[size=large] "Well, my mother was never around. My father said she hadnt wanted half breed puppies..... So she birthed in his den and left as soon as she caught her breath. Somehow, Dad managed to pull together a home for all seven of [/size][size=large]his pups. His sister nursed us, she lost her own litter just days before we were born, and he took us to an abandoned farm where he was raised." [/size]
The milk colored male paused for a breath, and to check around his surroundings. He didn't expect a stranger, especially an alpha faced with some half bred at his border, to watch the back of someone he didn't know.
"All but one of my litter mates grew up loved and happy, even without our mother. They seemed content to live there, safe and happy with each other. But I just could never stop wondering what it was like as a real pack, what was so great that our mother abandoned us. So I'm out to live a life like she is."
As Harley finished his explanation, he glanced up at Taggarik with his amber eyes and hoped the alpha liked him: or at least accepted him as part of the pack. He knew, with training that his father couldn't give him, that he could develop his skills and be a fine addition to the pack.
It was as the black wolf wondered, that this wolfdog was more dog than wolf. He could respect that the male wanted to live like a wolf, but Taggarik was looking for recruits, not pupils. He frowned, and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I appreciate the respect you showed at my borders here today, but I am not looking to have to teach anyone how to live as a wolf." Especially not when his plans were for pups to be brought into the pack soon. "I wish you luck elsewhere."
He tipped his muzzle down, a gesture of respect and dismissal both, for truly the wolfdog had done nothing wrong. His timing was simply against him. The black wolf turned then, and headed into his territory.
Harley whimpered and felt his heart drop like a stone into his belly. Rejected.... He dipped his head once more and spoke low and sad, though he didn't argue. No use begging for a place in a pack that didn't want him.
"Very well. I'm simply thankful I got the opportunity to try, and I will do so again elsewhere. Thank you for hearing my tale, I wish your pack the best."
At that, he stood and slunk off away from the borders. Where to next? Finding someone willing to train him would be hard, but the half breed knew he could.