Wolf RPG - ghosts :: no two wolves are the same

Keil trudged through the Northwood of Nova Peak. He ignored the hunger in his belly; his only thought on integrating himself into the pack. He had spoken with Kaskara briefly but joining the pack hadn't been difficult. His heavy coat swung about as he quickened his pace, his eyes focused only on the destination ahead. A sudden rustle of the pine needles that littered the forest floor caused Keil to suddenly stop, ears perked forward. He almost held his breath and his eyes darted about the space around him. Finding it to only be the wind, Keil laughed to himself quietly. He honestly should learn to relax.

He took only a moment more to examine his surroundings before continuing forward. He reveled in the feel of the ground under his large paws as he trotted through the trees. Judging by the suns position it had to be close to evening. Keil noted this in the back of his mind. He preferred the evening anyhow. The cooler temperatures brought much welcome relief from the heat of the sun. His coat had only just begun to shed the thick undercoat and the warmth of the day was more of a nuisance. Keil wished it would shed faster. The loose hairs were beginning to itch. 'Oh well,' he thought. Couldn't hurry nature.

Keil couldn't help but notice his surroundings. More a habit so as to establish proper vantage points as well as escape routes or hiding places, but he belonged to a pack now. He knew he would be forced to swallow his paranoia. His lip twisted into a small smile. It was nice, he mused, to finally have a place to call home.

From her vantage point on Nova Peak, Bazi had seen him approach the borders. Kaskara had accepted him without too much questioning - wise, she decided, since the move had decimated their numbers and left them vulnerable in an unknown place. A bad wolf was still bad, no matter how long you interviewed him for.

It wasn't until much later that Bazi descended into the Northwood to meet the new arrival, picking her way smoothly down the side of the mountain. Swiftcurrent Creek had not robbed the Alpha of her surefootedness. Once in the forest, she flared her nostrils to catch his scent - there was Scimitar's, thick upon the land, and the more recent trail of a passing pup. Bazi pushed on, swallowing down her ever-present nausea.

She spotted him through the trees before long - white as she was, with a much broader build. He moved nervously, taking stock of his surroundings. Bazi stepped out from behind the trees and announced herself with a loud cough, tail swaying and posture relaxed. The need to constantly assert herself was a trait that belonged with her first stint as Alpha - this time was different. She was to become a mother, and birth the first children of Nova Peak.

"Well aren't you all shiny and new," she declared, "Welcome."

The last of the sunlight danced across Keil's back, making his white fur appear gold. His tongue drooped from his mouth. The northern air tasted crisp. Keil breathed deeply. A barrage of scents drifted across the glands inside his nose. A rabbit had crossed his path earlier in the day; a deer had stopped to relieve their bladder a few hours before. He could also smell the pack, though the scents were foreign as he had yet to match a face to a particular scent. Then he smelled her. He could tell she was female. His pace slowed to a standstill, his ears flicking backward. Keil made sure his tail was properly low, a submissive gesture. He knew he was new and did not wish to offend the approaching wolf.

A fleeting shadow, a blur of white, then she stood before him. He resisted the urge to swing his ears forward at her cough. Her coat was like the snow, her eyes a cloudy blue. She wasn't what Keil would call dainty by any means. She was about average actually, but she had a certain aura that demanded respect. The Alpha then. Slowly, so as not to alarm the female, Keil lowered himself to his stomach. He bit back the bile rising in his throat, letting out a low rumble instead. He had never answered to an Alpha before and the thought of groveling did not sit well in his stomach.

"I would hardly refer to myself as shiny," he commented. "but your welcome is appreciated. I am Keidel, though they call me Keil."

The newcomer lowered himself before her - an unfamiliar gesture. Theirs was a small pack of familiar wolves, and recognition of her status tended to be shown in subtler ways - a lick of the chin, eyes averted at the right moment, the careful lowering of a tail. Bazi gave a small shake of her head to indicate that all the fuss really wasn't necsesary, closed the gap between them, and slid gently onto her own belly in front of him.

"Keidel," she repeated, looking him over with sharp, appraising eyes. By all counts, a good addition to the pack. Bazi was not ashamed of the fact that she preferred gents - they were larger, and easier to trust. There was something naturally wily about women - except Kaskara, of course. "Where did you wander down from?" Like her, he was a wolf of the North.