Anouk paused for a moment, raising her head to catch the scents on the wind. She was definitely near the pack borders. The girl continued but at a slower pace, the litter patter of her steps creating a steady rhythm. The Spring sun beat down on her back, warming her tremendously. Her paws were weary from travel, but she hadn't relented in weeks. Her fur was slightly raggedy, but kept well enough. She let a shiver run down her spine.
Soon she arrived at the border. Anouk halted a few steps away, leaving a respectful distance before sitting down to wrap her tail neatly over her paws. As she tilted her head back, forest green eyes closed and the girl let out a musical howl. Her head lowering again she waited patiently, looking around at her surroundings curiously.
Bazi and Scimitar were not the only wolves to deem Nova Peak an attractive place to live. In the past week alone, Bazi had accepted, talked to, or at least caught sight of nearly five wolves near the outskirts of their claim. The ranks were filling up with wolves from all directions and walks of life. Hopefully, some of them would one day match the calibre of veterans like Falwasi and Kieran.
Border-patrol gave Bazi something useful to do without having to travel far - even though one could argue that a pregnant woman was little use as a warden. She spotted Anouk as she approached, a dark smuge against the blossoming landscape, and sat up to wait for some further sign that back-up was not needed. The approaching female delivered it in the form of a summoning howl. Bazi go to her feet and trotted towards the sound, belly rocking gently on her spine.
The wolf wanting entry was on the small side, clothed in a tousled coat of black and bursts of paler colour. The Alpha - Anouk's colour opposite - strode out of the shadows with a raised head and tail, doing her best to appear regal despite being heavily pregnant. "This is Nova Peak," she announced, casting a critical eye over the little female. "I won't waste your time - I assume you're here to join us. We're a pack of nine, soon to be more - I need solid hunters and diligent sitters. Do you fit that profile?"
Anouk wasn't waiting long before a woman approached her. She had beautiful white fur, rarely seen where she herself came from. She was heavily pregnant, bringing a smile to Anouk's face. As the white-pelted woman stopped, she dipped her head in respect. Bazi got right to the point.
Ah, Nova Peak was the name. Anouk smiled. "Good afternoon, ma'am. I believe I do fit that profile. I can hunt well. I had younger siblings to care for in my former pack, so pups aren't a problem." In truth, the dark furred fae loved them. "My name is Anouk Tanaka, ma'am. I think I can be useful to you and your pack." She dipped her head again, green eyes shining slightly.
Oh. Well then.
In a string of border encounters, this was already scoring high. Bazi did not have to pull teeth - Anouk offered her name and intentions gladly and with a smile. "That's what I like to hear," the Alpha grinned, shifting weight from one side to the other. Her paws ached after a little too much patrolling, and she longed for the soft floor of her birthing den. "And why did you leave your old pack?" There was no scent of disease, and Anouk looked outwardly healthy. If she was in fact a lunatic, they would all find out sooner or later.
Anouk returned the grin, relief that it seemed to be going well washing over her. She could feel the wind picking up slightly and tugging at her fur, forcing blades of grass to keel over under it.
She noticed Bazi shuffling a little. The woman enquired about why she left her old pack. Anouk grimaced slightly before replying. "I didn't leave, persay. My former pack didn't like keeping such a small wolf in their midst, ma'am. They believed I was just a waste of space and didn't believe in healers, which I was aiming to become, so I was chased out." The girl relayed, slightly quieter than before.
What he had thought to be a fast pace still did not outrun his very pregnant mate – a sad fact indeed for the regal when he came upon his pale dove chatting up the stranger at the borders. Sliding up alongside Bazi, the cinnamon wolf cast his bright eyes upon the other, his one good ear flickering forward to catch what she had to say. He missed most of it, and with a sideways glance to his mate, the Frostfur gave a gentle nudge to her cheek.
He did not speak – there was nothing to say, and his trust in Bazi’s judgement for their future pack mates indefinite for him. Still – there could be trickery in every wolf.. and many of their past members had proven just that.
In the not so distant past, Bazi had wondered at the fact that anyone could hold a disparate group of cast-aways and vagabonds together. She head observed many a wolf enter the Teekon Wilds with all manner of ambition - to lead, to settle down, to fit in. Many were driven from their homes by family or circumstance. Now, a full year later, she understood the benefits. Wolves had come and gone, but the best had stayed - once you got over the high rate of turn-over, the benefit of a constant flow of fresh blood was undeniable.
Healer caught Bazi's attention. She was about to quiz the polite little female further when Scimitar arrived, offering wordless support to his pregnant mate. She gave him a fond look, one Frostfur to another. "We have a healer here," she told him, glancing back at Anouk. "I would have given her an automatic pass if I'd known, but she had already won me over with impeccable manners.." The grin widened into a smile, and the Alpha turned back to face their newest recruit. "Welcome to Nova Peak. If you'll find me after my nape, I have.. plenty of work for you."
Just as the girl had nearly finished speaking, a male came up and joined Bazi. From the way they were with each other, it seemed that were mates. Anouk smile and dipped her head in respect. Green eyes watched as the woman told Scimitar that she was a healer, and her second comment brought a slight blush to her cheeks although it would have been hidden by her dark fur.
When the pale furred woman turned back to her, Anouk returned her smile. And like that, she was accepted. Her tail wagged happily as she thanked Bazi and Scimitar. "Thank you, ma'am and sir. She dipped her head again. Perhaps before finding Nazi again Anouk would find a den to rest in herself.
Bazi cast him a grin -- one he caught glance of with a sideways look, though his eyes remained trained upon the she-wolf before them. His mate, however, sung nothing but praise for the girl, and relaxing slightly, the cinnamon Frostfur allowed the flicker of a smile to light his features, giving a small nod. "Welcome, then," he murmured, his non-mangled ear swiveling forward. "Scimitar, the Alpha Male."
His muzzle tipped downward then to press his nose to the crown of his mate's head, noting she said she was about to head for a nap. Dutifully he would follow her when she left, allowing their newest member to explore the lands she had just been accepted to on her own and without a watchful eye -- though he held no doubt one of the others would find her before she even had a chance to settle herself. It seemed to be how their pack worked.
A good day's work. Bazi turned her head up to kiss her mate's chin as he did the same to the top of her head, and the two of them walked slowly, cautiously - Bazi's new favourite pace - in the direction of some place to cuddle up and rest. She needed plenty of it these days. Soon, she would not be able to walk much further than a few paces from the birthing den without collapsing in a heap of wheezing fluff, which was probably for the best.
Their newest recruit was left to face the rest of the pack on her own.
Concluding!