@Malachi
The soft light of the grey dawn snuck through the thick bank of clouds, reflecting off the powdery white snow that littered the ground. The snow was light on the ground, the soft light of the grey dawn permeating the air with a frisson of heat but to the cold frozen ground of the valley, it tried but to no avail. The ground was frozen in the depths of the winter- and what a winter it had been. The snow had fallen thick since she had entered this place, her soul a desolate wasteland of grief and sorrow and sheer frustration. She was alone for the first time in her life, totally and completely alone.
And she was afraid, terribly afraid. So many things could kill her out here. Bear and such, other wolves even if she had the misfortune to travel through their lands. She was young and inexperienced and on the whole? Definitely not ready to meet the real world. But she was here, out in the world as an orphan and separated from her siblings.
And she was here, on the edge of a pack territory across the mountain but even now, she was terrified. She had no energy left to be brave, for she had been brave for almost two week now. Néa had survived on small rodents and small animals but she had neither the experience nor the manpower to attempt a larger hunt. So she wandered, hungry and alone and confused about what the hell she was going to do now.
She bordered on the edge of a life both achingly familiar and excruciatingly painful in her memories, to belong to a pack and a place. She wanted to be accepted, above all else and she would try her damned hardest to find her place in this pack's hierarchy. The winter was harsh after all and prey on the short side of existence. There were hungry mouths to feed but so little to feed them with and any smart alpha needed all the wolves they could get. Néa assumed she'd be accepted for the winter but who knew what spring would bring? It was a season of life and renewal.
What if they drove her off? Would she starve? Would she die from exposure, trapped in the open winter with no shelter from the inevitable snow storms? She didn't want to think about what would happen if she was left out here, broken and refused entrance to a pack that could give her most anything she could ever want. Sniffing the ground, she brought her head up further to the apex of the sky, letting a howl ripple from her throat and echo loudly across the territory. It was shaky and trembling but it was carrying well. Hopefully, she could find someone. She made herself comfortable as she waited and leant her weight against a nearby tree and sinking down in exhaustion, knowing her call would be heard and responded to by an Alpha, though anxiety settled into her gut at the thought of such a meeting. She would most likely have a breakdown if they were harsh or terrifying strict, as she knew some alpha's were.
Malachi picked another bit of meat off the frozen carcass of one of the birds cached from their recent hunt. He ate in haste, as fast as one could when they were dealing with a carcass of equal meat, bone, and feather. Though the forest blocked the horizon from sight, the soft light filtering through the evergreens told him dawn had crested the distant hills. Spitting another feather from his mouth, he pushed in for another bite. But a lone chord shook the frozen air and he withdrew with a turn of his head in the direction of the call. An instinctual frown twitched across his mouth and the boy hesitated for a moment before easing himself to his paws.
Kicking a spray of snow to cover the remnants of his meal, the boy made off in the direction of the call despite the itch that pricked him through with every step. He had hoped to cross Duskfire's bounds before the others arose and to make good on his way to the edge of the world by midday. His trip to the ocean would have to wait now, a thought that didn't settle well with Malachi. He wanted only to move, already having wasted enough time debating whether he should really go.
His impatience remained a twitch inside, for his heart to see alone. Forcing himself to the situation at hand, he pulled his way through the trees until he saw the wolf's cinnamon coat from a far. Not wishing to scare her like he had Scarlett, Malachi slowed and let out a gentle chuff as he approached her. Her exhaustion became clear the closer he drew, but he steadied his gaze despite the concern that rose within him. The girl held the scent of the barren land and the frostbitten air, and if she belonged to a neighbouring pack, it was not one he knew. "You called." The warmth of his breath billowed in a foggy cloud before his face, obscuring for a second the cinnamon girl he assessed through calm eyes.
Deep in thought, Néa glanced out across the icy view with barely seeing eyes, as her thoughts trailed into the darkest depths of her mind and soul. She was unsure of this entire plan, to approach a pack and in doing so, risk becoming attached- or, worse, being thrown away. And people she became attached to had a habit of dying and she would not bring her curse upon a pack so easily.
The scent of a male nudged at her nose and she sunk down into a submissive position, training her gaze squarely on the ground near the feet of the alpha male who approached her, cornflower blue eyes, vivid in hue, analysing her quickly. She chanced a glance, her own eyes darting across his taller frame and noting the speed his legs carried, as well as the strong muscles of his flank. A strong wolf, a good indicator for her chances in the pack. If the pack was strong, then maybe they could afford to have a juvenile join the ranks.
"A-ah, yes...I am Linnéa Hjort... I want to join, if you will have me." She glanced once again across the valley, breathing in the scents and wondering if there was an alpha at that moment. The male in front of her was strong but his scent was that of an alpha, a distinctive trait all alpha wolves carried with them. It belied a sense of deep command and loyalty, a demanding but not forceful presence that demanded respect.
He passed his gaze across her, taking in what he could of the cinnamon youth bowed in submission before him. When the girl stole a glance his way, Malachi caught a glimpse of her own youthful face in return. Her eyes reflected the clarity of childhood, and despite the gentle maturation that had begun to take hold, she still held subtle characteristics of a wolf not yet come of age. Paired with her lanky frame, Malachi determined she couldn't have been over a year.
A perturbing concern gnawed at Malachi while Linnéa spoke. She was only a youth, and should have been with her family still. The temptation to inquire of them rose strong in the boy, but though he knew he had the right to ask and the right to know before he settled her fate among them, his tongue resisted to voice the queries of his heart. Who knew what he would unearth if he asked of her parents? Had she lost her family, or simply chosen to leave? Had she run from them, and would they pursue her now? His thoughts jumped to Maera, before settling more firmly on her siblings, who shared this commonality with Linnéa. They would have been her age by now, somewhere in the world and out of sight of the parents who had given them life. "Why are you out here on your own?" He finally asked, deflecting her request for entry for the time. But whatever her answer, he would not turn her away. It was not in him to do so.
There was a long silence, it's gaping hole of possibilities gnawing at her heart. Was this alpha going to chase her off? So she would die in the depths of the winter still to come, as the cold of snowstorms overtook her and perhaps... Perhaps she would rejoin her mother and father, up in the sky as stars with the wolven host that made up the night sky. But who would then find her siblings, to ensure the eldest Bjorn looked after the youngest Alika? No, she could not die. She wouldn't let herself waste away in the winter, if this park turned her out, then she would find another.
All her inner courage and icy determination melted like the icy trees in a midsummer sun as the alpha finally spoke, his question soft but as loud as the beat of an anvil in her head. He hadn't answered her question but instead responded with another. Did he mean to not allow her in, or just to gain more time to decide? She knew not but she carefully considered her words as she began to speak. "My pack, just made of my mamma and pappa and my siblings, was attacked by wildcats. I-I-I had gone out of our marked territory that morning and they caught my scent, as a little half-grown pup and almost defenceless." She hung her head in shame, the heavy weight of the words she spoke like rocks dragging her to an ocean floor.
"They caught mamma unaware and she was dead and pappa tried to protect her a-a-and he died and I only watched! I could only watch!!" She scrubbed her eyes against the side of her foreleg, wiping away the moisture that gathered there and then raised her eyes a little to look at the alpha. "My siblings fled the other way... I have been travelling for a month to find a good pack."
A weight dropped in the boy when Linnéa spoke her story, and he felt that gentle burn of bitter ire claw at his stomach again. Another family destroyed by wildcats. Could they ever leave them alone? But his thoughts did not linger upon the brutes for long, stolen instead by the guilt befallen the cinnamon girl's voice. Malachi took in her every word and a gentle empathy brewed at the depth of his heart.
He met her loud emotion with a quiet look of understanding, and spoke not when she turned her eyes upon him. It was not her fault, but he did not tell her so. The words would feel hollow upon his tongue, stranger that he was. Instead, he lowered himself until he crouched on level plane with her. The similarities between this girl and Maera, though different in many ways, remained uncanny, and the empathy he could share from his own troubles struck compassion in the sundry boy. "Be still," he said, and though he wished to give her a nudge of comfort, Malachi restrained himself from drawing too near. Duskfire could not replace the family she had lost, but they could offer her a new start and a safer haven among their ranks. "You will have a place among us."
Would you like to wrap this up,
@Malachi EDIT: Please don't, I just realised there are not enough posts. ?
There was quiet for a few long moments, as she saw a thrum of emotion crossing the young alpha's eyes and even when she looked at him for his decision, not a word he spoke but instead, his look said more. It was a soft understanding, quiet and calm but just as powerful as any words he could have to offer her. But words were meaningless now, quite often words merely served as a harsh and grief-filled reminder of the past and did nothing to allay her feelings. But there was a small burst of hope, deep within her belly as he crouched to her level and surveyed her, before his soft but powerful voice announced his decision.
Her tail scuffed the soft powdery snow as it moved, happiness working it's way along her frame as her eyes lit up and she could feel the exhaustion she had been staving off for weeks beginning to make itself known to her mind. Now that she was safe and guarded and no longer alone. She smiled tremulously and then thumped her tail twice.
"Thank you... It's good to have a pack to have a place in."
We're almost at enough posts (: I think if we both get in one more after this, we'll be good.
The change in the girl was immediate, and a warmth settled in the boy's chest when a light took hold of her once sorrowful eyes. A gentle smile played across his lips: her joy leapt to him and, though he gave a subtler display, Malachi felt his tail sweep once in an arching crest across the snow when hers drummed the ground in fleeting rhythm.
Pleased with the acceptance of his offer, the boy drew to his paws and stretched his hind legs in turn, taking in the girl with quiet contemplation once again. Despite the relief that etched its way through Linnéa's frame, Malachi did not fail to notice the equal exhaustion that dragged at her face. She would need rest and food before she could contribute to the life of the Glacier, that much he knew for sure. He had no den to offer her, but he hoped the safety of being within pack ground would give her peace enough.
"I'll show you to a place you can rest." The food he would bring her himself. The realization he would not make it out of pack ground in the time he had planned nagged quietly at his mind, but he shushed the thought away. He would leave another day. For now, he would give his energy to this packmate who needed him more.