The sun burned as it fell, the exposed skin of her nose tingling from the exposure as she traveled. It had become red in color as she moved through the Wilds, Damaris tried to travel at night rather than by day. The albino had found herself on the move during the days lately as that was the way most wolves lived. She didn't want to stick out anymore than she already did.
The Mexican wolf was so busy thinking about what would happen when she came across a pack, that she very nearly crossed the border. Damaris leapt back like a startled cat, realizing she had almost trespassed into claimed territory. "Stupid. Do you want to die today?" Damaris mumbled to herself, breaking the silence around her.
The fey stopped, pondering her options for a moment. Attempt to join and possibly be chased away or leave? With a small shrug, Damaris sat down to wait as she tipped her head back with a howl.
Jhala arrives quickly to the sound of a howl, her ears perked. When she sees the visitor, she lets loose a low growl, a signal of warning. While the female has not crossed the borders, she is awfully close, and the Vicar remembers vividly the time she'd been scolded by Taggarik for allowing a wolf too close to their borders. She means no harm-- she's not nearly as strict as the black wolf-- but she expects more than just a respectful head dip, now.
"You're pretty damn close to our borders," she says, her honey-coated voice somewhat rough as it is lowered. "What do you want?" Reek would be proud, she thinks, taking care of the pack while he's gone. She'll keep the borders safe.
Damaris watched as a woman, a brown agouti with a stern face, appeared with a growl. The white girl's ears flattened slightly in surprise, wondering what offense she had commited. Her shoulder dipped in submission, head bowed enough that she wouldn't be seen as challenging even if this woman was much larger.
Oh. That. Damaris nodded as if to herself, realizing she was a tad too close for comfort. The albino shifted one haunch comically, followed by the other as she remained sitting. Damaris repeated the process until she had scooted backwards several feet.
Figuring that was far enough to be safe but not so far as to strain when she spoke, Damaris paused and glanced up to hear the second part of the woman's speech. "To join," she blinks slowly, just managing to keep the 'duh' tone from her voice. That wouldn't be very respectful of her at all.
"I'm uh, not much of a fighter, though I can hunt rather well and I'm a swell tracker," she tacks on with an enthusiastic tone, realizing that her comment might still be a bit rude. "Besides that I know a bit of healing though I wouldn't consider myself proficient in it," this admonition is a bit lacking, grimacing as she says it. Perhaps it will earn Damaris some brownie points if she can heal, no matter how rudimentary her skill is.
Unable to maintain a completely formal face, the dark girl cracks a grin as the pale visitor scoots backwards on her rump. It was pretty amusing to her-- maybe not to any bystanders, but the Grand Vicar was still keen on childish humor. She maintains her composure otherwise, however, her muscular body standing still, straight, and with her chest puffed out.
"Well healers are important, do you plan to-- uh-- pursue it further?" she asks, fumbling for the right word. Had it been any other day she would've simply said 'you wanna keep learning?' but she was trying her damndest not to seem so young and inexperienced. Pursue was a much bigger word. Good job, Jhala.
Damaris managed to make the stern woman crack a grin, a score in her book, and refrained from grinning back. It wouldn't do to look too comfortable, she knew most wolves were protective and almost anything could be seen as direspect.
"Oh yes, I would be interested in the pursual of learning how to heal," Damaris assured truthfully for she wanted to learn many things. That was a word, right? Damaris had felt intimidated by the use of larger words and had felt the need to show of her own wit, even if it came out as a mouthful that made her sound stupid.
"Oh, uh by the way, I'm Damaris," she added on, figuring it would do good to get that out of the way.
"Damaris?" she repeats, checking for clarification. "I'm Jhala, the Grand Vicar of this pack-- the Larksong Grotto," she explains. It's not clear if she's confirming that the other is welcome within their borders or if she's merely introducing herself and the pack-- but she continues speaking.
"Hiram," she begins, the name sticking to the roof of her mouth uncomfortably, "Is our packs Cardinal, and Kesheph is our Seer. They lead this pack in the hopes of guiding more lost souls towards the Daystar-- our.. our... God," she says, her explaination as vague as they came. She had not had her sins-- if any, really-- cleansed from her body, and she was surely not in the mood to be renamed, but Jhala respected Reek's decision to allow the religion into their pack, and therefore relayed the information to prospective joiners.
Damaris gave a nod of confirmation, nodding once more as the woman brought up her own name. The words confused her, never before had Damaris heard of a Seer, Grand Vicar, Cardinal, Daystar, or any of the likes. The Seer's name itself sounded like a mouthful.
"I don't know what any of those words mean," she admitted truthfully, "but I would be willing to learn. Consider me another lost soul." It was true wasn't it? No one else wanted the albino, she had been ostracized from her birth and forbidden from learning the religion of her tribe.
"Is there someone who would be willing to teach me," Damaris's voice was eager, she wanted to learn.
Neither do I, Jhala admits bitterly in her head. The terms made no sense to her, basically they just registered as the same as previously-- alpha's and betas. The other guys were just below them-- that's all she could put together. "I am the same rank as a beta-- the second hand. Hiram and Kesheph are like the alphas, leaders, etc.,"she explains, pronouncing etc. as 'eh-ti-cah'. "Kesheph left on a mission to spread the word of the Daystar-- although she is usually the one to teach. We have another guy named Phares who's a registered Priest... Or... something, he can teach you."
Damaris nodded, still a bit confused but willing to learn from this Phares guy. Maybe this Daystar was the reason she had stopped on Larksong Grotto's borders and not another packs. She had always felt as if a purpose was missing in her life and maybe the religion this pack had was it.
"Alrighty then," she commented, wondering if this meant she was now and official member or if there was more to speak about.
"Cool!" Jhala yips, her tail wagging. Her first real member!! Oh Reek would be so happy to hear that she inducted a new member into the pack-- into the religion! A religion she didn't even believe in! Well, Reek wouldn't have to know that part.
"You'll join as an honorary sister under the Daystar... you can learn and then... eventually..." she trails off, not actually knowing how the process works. "Welcome!!" she finishes anyway, stepping forward to press her dark nose to the others shoulder and exchange scents.
welcome to LSG! glad you could meet your confused, naive beta. (:
thanks! I'll archive
Jhala seems more open now, exclaiming and coming forward to smell her. Damaris returns the gesture with a wagging tail. She moves to follow Jhala, listening to her words with an ear turning in her direction.
Jhala seems a bit confused about the process and Damaris shrugs it off, certain she can figure out what to do from there after she learns.