Wolf RPG

The last events in Hoshor Plains had made Rakharo realize just how different this place was to Rhaesh Dahaan. The Dotharan were feared warriors in the hoimeland, and not many dared stand up to them, even less bring to their borders a beated and unconcious of their own. A land to be tamed. These wilds were proving to be achallenge for the young Khal, and he was willing to take the challenge.

The Golden Plains were not the best strategically-placed territory in the area, that was clear. Surrounded by other packs on every side. The Spine probably wasn't too far west from what he'd heard, and more than one group gathered to both their south and north. He knew of the Mountain pack, directly west to them, but he wasn't eager to go up a mountain for a while longer, and the greatwater lake served as a barrier to the southern packs. There was only one major concern in the moment. The north.

Rakharo didn't leave his Khalas without specific tasks before leaving, but he did set foot to pay a visit to his closest northern packs. Those scents being the strongest after the mountain pack's. The Khal didn't expect any group to be friendly towards the Plains' pack, but he wasn't going to be a sweet little cherry pie either. He would demand respect, directly and clearly, and he would come back to whoever disrespected him and his own.

The vegetation grew thicker as Rakharo distanced himself from the plains. It grew greener and more alive, and the heat from the grasslands seemed to dissipate as he got further north. A couple days later, he found himself bordering the first of the northern packs. He stayed back, respecting the frontiers, but he howled to get the attention of the locals. Holding his dominant pose and high self-confidence, although not too paciently, the Khal waited for a warden to attend him.

As had been the case for the past weeks, Tomahawk, the zafra, clung to her master. She licked his chin in deference when they arrived, unsure of what his plans were here. Why did they come to the doorstep of another pack? Did he wish to leave her here? No, that could not be it. She was of use to him, and she would soon bring gifts for him into this world. He would be pleased then, and he would be pleased now to have her services as a translator.

Though she still held sway among the youth ranks, Eilidh felt less like a child with each passing day. She was nearing her halfway birthday, and she spent every moment dictating to the other youngsters, who just happened to be her brothers. As the princess of the plateau, she felt a great deal of responsibility for them and for the other pack members in general, and in her own small way contributed to the well-being of the pack.

Today that included responding to a stranger howl to the south. Getting to and from the plateau on the southern route was easier than the others, since there was a wide, sloping track to take. Eilidh, proud and defiant as she was, waited at the precipice for only a moment before descending. She would treat with these strangers as if she were the queen of the land, though, perhaps, she wouldn't use those words exactly. Her mother was the queen, currently. Well...the almost queen. She was beta. Did that make her a princess, too?

Eilidh climbed nimbly down the slope, keeping her body under control as much as a youth could. Despite her age, she was able to control her body quite well, and lately her growth had made her ears and paws not seem so ungainly. So when she approached the two strangers, she looked quite a princess. Perhaps smaller than them, and younger, but still proud and genteel and quite ready to face them. "How may I help you?" she asked, trying to mimic the female voices she had heard all her life. She didn't want to sound like the pup she was, so she lowered it just a hair, and hoped she didn't sound clownish.

The Khal awaited not so patiently at the pack's borders, scanning the scenery to save it in his mind. This place was just as strange as it had been the road here from Rhaesh Dahaan. Tall trees, steep hills and narrow passages. Rakharo felt claustrophobic anywhere that had not an open sky.

When the youngster walked down the hill to attend him his fiery eyes turned quickly at her. She was significantly smaller than Rakharo, and her frame was not yet fully developed into an adult figure. Rakharo knew this female was very young, not beyond six or seven months of age, but she was already a beauty. Maybe it was her green eyes, a reminder of his beloved Zhalia, that made the Khal fall silent at her sight, or maybe it was her coat of gold that reminded him of home, but until the girl greeted them Rakharo wasn't able to get his eyes off her.

The maiden spoke in the common tongue, and although Rakharo knew she had offered a greeting he allowed Tomahawk to whisper her translation to his ear without looking away from the teenager.

"Tell her who I am and tell her to bring her leaders." Rakharo instructed. The girl might have been attractive, but she was still young, and Rakharo felt disrespected for not being greeted at least by a true warden.

Tomahawk was merely a middleman between the two. They spoke, and she regurgitated their words in whatever language was easier for them to understand. "This is the Khal of Hoshor Plains, Rakharo. He requests that you fetch your leaders." If the young girl spoke more, the coyote would ping the words back to her master. If not, she was content to wait until the leaders of this pack arrived.

The male watched her approach, and Eilidh reveled in the attention. Though she was ignorant of what it might mean or what could happen if she were alone with him. She didn't know danger even if it stared her in the face, and this man was most likely dangerous. But right now, wit her growing body and expanding mind, she liked the idea of his interest, even if she didn't know what it meant. 

The female spoke to the male in a language Eilidh didn't understand. He replied, all the while looking at her. Eilidh shivered, not unpleasantly, hearing that strange language pass between the two of them. Then the slim woman, the one that smelled like a very strange wolf, spoke to her. This was Rakharo, the khal of a place called Hoshor Plains. "Khal? What does that mean?" She spoke before she could stop herself, and felt all a fool for it. But he had asked for her leaders, and Eilidh wasn't quite ready to relinquish her power yet. "Why does he want to speak to the leaders?" She was careful not to say "my leaders" seeing as she was the princess and had as much right to be here as Dante or her parents.

At least, that's what she thought in her own mind.

Tomahawk translated his words for the golden foreigner, and she responded with a question, seeming confused about the coyote's announcement. Rakharo was no master of the common tongue, but he knew the basics of it. He didn't speak it for fear of looking weak, but he sure understood the way it worked. He knew that the female was asking what his title meant, and questioning his reasons to ask for her to bring her leaders.

Rakharo looked at Tomahawk for a moment, and motioning with his head he instructed her to explain. The Khal wasn't known for his great patience, but the warden was young and he needed her to bring her leaders without causing trouble, he didn't need more of that just yet.

"Tell her that this is no girl's business. I don't have time for this." he growled exasperated, feeling the last drops of patience dripping off of him.

"He does not say," Tomahawk replied. "His patience dwindles." Tomahawk did not wish to see the girl marred in any way. She wished that the girl would go fetch her leader(s) as requested, and stop dilly-dallying. Tomahawk knew that the Khal would not wait long before he took action, and she did not wish to see any wolves get hurt. Her Khal would not have the upper hand here, either.

Eilidh resisted to the urge to huff in annoyance and instead turned her maw skyward to release a short melody for her leaders: Mamma @Blue Willow, Pappa @Lasher, or @Dante. Then the young lady resumed staring at the two creatures ahead of her: one was clearly a wolf (the khal, whatever that meant) and the other, well. Eilidh had never seen a creature like her. She was so slim! And her fur was so beautiful, red and white with just a touch of black.

Since she had called like requested, Eilidh thought she could probably ask again. "What does 'khal' mean?" Her emerald gaze turned from the red wolf to the darker one, wondering. Was it a title? Or his name? The princess wondered if they would tell her, or simply dismiss her due to her age. "Where is Hoshor Plains? And what are you? You're the prettiest wolf I've never seen!" She did not say this with any trace of humor; what she was was true. This woman was beautiful!

Blue heard the howl of her daughter and took off at a sprint. She made it as her daughter finished talking. Her head was high and her tail above her back. And her hackles were risen ever so slightly. She stared at the two at their borders with wide green eyes and she waited. She didn't utter a word, had she seen how the male had been ogling her daughter she would have stripped the fur from his hide, despite who he was and sent him packing. There was no need for fully grown males to admire the youngest of girls. 

She was not feeling very gracious, but she dug deep for the manners she been taught, and asked them a quiet question. What is it that you need at our borders? How may I help you? Then she stood silent though she did not block her daughter from view, she did hold up a fairly protective stance near her.

Dante too heard the summons and arrived moments after Blue Willow. He was grateful to see the mother there, and while he hadn't come in time to hear Eilidh speak, he heard the final questions. They were the same he would have asked, so he instead merely approached with hackles slightly lifted, ready to aggressively push back these strangers if necessary.

Remaining silent, he awaited an answer, coming to a stop to stand at Eilidh's other side.

Although Rakharo was satisfied that the child had called for her superiors, he still explained what a Khal was, what he was. "Khal, King." he said with pride and a thick accent. He knew that his title made him superior to his subordinates, but what made him superior to these wolves was his strength, so when the child's mother and the grey male arrived he was still feeling empowered.

"Athchomar chomakea," Respect to those that are respectful - he said. That was the way Dotharan greeted foreigners with manners. Foreigners were always inferior to Dotharan, but some deserved respect, and Rakharo still didn't want the packs around him plundering his land. He needed to grow stronger first, and then he would plunder theirs.

"I am Khal Rakharo of Hoshor Plains," Rakharo barked with a alight bow of his crown, he was speaking in his native tongue, but he was still directing his words towards the foreigners. He felt the need to talk personally with them, even if language was a barrier. Tomahawk could translate, that was her duty, but he wouldn't be whispering to her ear telling her what to say all the time.

When he finished speaking he waited for his slave to translate, and then hoped for the introduction to be returned. He was in no position to threaten these wolves yet, nor did he have a reson to, but his purpose was to know his surroundings.

Tomahawk did not bother to translate every little question they had. Instead, she paraphrased, ignoring the child's comments completely. "They wish to know why you are here," she said to Rakharo. "This is the King of Hoshor Plains, Rakharo," she said to the other wolves she did not know. Tomahawk made no mention of her own reason for being here, for that was obvious. Her name was of no importance to them, so she left that out as well. The slave waited.

Khal. King. The words thrilled her! Not so much for the wolf that stood in its place, though he was handsome and daring and the king of the plains, but because of what it promised. There were places outside of these borders where kings reigned, where princesses turned into queens. Eil watched the adults speak, paying careful attention to the way the khal spoke, Rakharo. She mumbled a few of his words to herself, trying his tongue out on her own. The thought thrilled her, and yet there was something frightening about him, too.

Dante's eyes narrowed impatiently. He didn't care who the man was, not so much as why the hell he'd shown up on their borders. The business with the translation was clunky and put him on edge... he had no reason to doubt the translator, but he had no reason to trust that she was true either.

"Why are you here?" he repeated firmly, tail rising and expression far from welcoming. This was the only question he needed answered, and he didn't have all day to wait for it.

Blue Willow didn't say much, but she did lower her eyes. SHe didn't care for this male. She looked down at her daughter wondering how she was taking all this. If her daughter had made known her thoughts, Blue may very well have been horrified. SHe also may have ripped apart the male in front of her out of sheer spite and fear of the future. However, since she was not privy to details she stood still and listened waiting.

At first, the black female had even shwon kindness, but the grey one seemed to be annoyed by the Khal's presence when Rakharo was even trying to be polite with him. He did not deserve this kind of tratment, and he was not going to take it. Rakharo had kept to his territory since it was claimed, but perhaps it had been too long. Maybe the packs around him would need to be shown what kind of treatment Rakharo and his Khalas deserved.

"Si confn ergriff ekess tafiaf wer Khal di nomeno Khalas, vur ekess xurwk sio vucat. Si tir ti siofme mobi ui oium ihk tivol throdenilt." he growled himself and awaited to provide protection to Tomahawk while she translated his words literally. Then, he shot a fervent glance at the golden teen and turned around to walk away back to Hoshor Plains. One thing he'd gained from this trip. He knew the leaders of the pack, and they were not friends.

And there was a little princess there who deserved something bigger.

Dante remained silent in response, watching as he left and giving a slight warning growl as he cast a final glance at Eilidh. He wasn't fond of the way his attention was drawn to her, and took a single threatening step forward, but did not respond vocally. They were curt and he had no interest in carrying on a conversation through an interpreter. His patience had already been worn thin in the time that had passed.

He would scout their lands later, keeping his distance of course, and discover exactly how close the two worlds lay. But he doubted any sort of relationship could exist, for he felt no fondness for the wolf on first meeting and this impression had not been a good one. As soon as they were out of sight he too would depart, but not until he could be sure they were truly gone.