Kjalarr heard the call rise into the air, breaking through the gentle and comforting lull of the tide and into the cavernous mouth of The Grotto where the young viking had been lingering, squinting out into the light gray, almost white (where it should have been gold) painted horizon as the sun inched ever closer to it's descent beneath the jagged risings of earth in the distance. Darkness had yet to fall, for the light of the sun would linger still for a few hours more but the call at the borders had demanded Kjalarr's attention. While this was not particularly true he had mentioned about guarding the borders to Caiaphas upon his acceptance though his interest had been less in potential members of the motley crew and in the promise of adventure he nevertheless made his way across the sands of the Sound's shore, catching the loner's shadowed form a few feet from their borders. Kjalarr's approach was slow, studying her to the best of his abilities with the distance between them, his head high and his tail raised above his back in an easy display of dominance.

As of right now, he was the only Saltwinter wolf to greet her and thus he was the highest ranking member present for the moment. “Why are you here?” Kjalarr demanded his inquiry and her purpose in the mimicked accent of his father before him, subconsciously canting his head ever so slightly to the right as he continued to observe her. He had a suspicion as to why she was parked at Saltwinter's borders it seemed like the best — if not the most obvious — question he could ask at the present moment. For now he would humor her until Caiaphas' arrival.

Upon his approach Kjalarr noted that she took a submissive posture, which undeniably worked in her favor despite that the viking had no pull nor weight to decide her fate when it came to Saltwinter. He was doing all he could do: interrogate her, ask her the basic questions and see if she could handle their disconnected way of life, and then he could reiterate the information to Caiaphas. As it was, he supposed this was good “practice” for guarding the borders. Patrols were one thing but confronting a potential joiner was a whole different end of the spectrum. The stranger let out a soft noise, one that Kjalarr recognized as her clearing her throat a few seconds later, and spoke a response to the question he had given her. She wished to join. This did not particularly surprise Kjalarr, for he'd suspected as much. He doubted there would be too many other reasons for a loner to be so close to their borders otherwise ...unless they had a certain death wish. “What can you offer us?” Kjalarr tried his paw at being cryptic, instead answering her tentative statement with another, also important question. 

Her continued submission did not go unappreciated by the viking. He might not have ruled Saltwinter but he was it's Delta and seeing as how she was neither Caiaphas nor Rosalyn, instead being a lone wolf with no rank to speak of, he was higher ranking than her and deserved (he believed) every ounce of respect that she would give Caiaphas. Hierarchy was a rigid thing to Kjalarr, he needed the strict regime simply because if he ever led some day it was such that he would adhere to. It was fluid but dominance was extremely important to him — as it'd been since he'd been old enough to assert it. The loner spoke that she could fill caches, no doubt a wolf they could likely use in their ranks from the seeming willingness to hunt, and that she was another number in time of conflict. For a moment Kjalarr's thoughts flickered to that pirate pack what did they call themselves? Bonechewers. For the time being things had appeared to be quiet but if the tentative peace would last for Donnelaith and Saltwinter Kjalarr could not say and would not firstly assume.

For a long stretch of moments Kjalarr was silent, processing what she'd spoken, his attention diverting to Caiaphas when she drew to his side. Upon her arrival, the viking's posture lowered to physically acknowledge the coy wolf at his side as his superior, but she did not interrupt nor did she dismiss him and so he felt it safe to continue. “We could use another to help in the filling of our caches and another set of vigilant eyes upon the borders,” They were a disconnected motley crew of wolves, meant to only be a temporary pack to survive the winter, and with Spring upon them Kjalarr wondered if Caiaphas intended to remain and build Saltwinter into something permanent or see them disbanded. Whatever she decided, she had the viking's unwavering loyalty and he intended to remain. “but every wolf can hunt and protect, fight even. That is all expected. Are there any other specialties you have? Any you are willing to learn?” He wasn't really sure what Caiaphas looked for in her wolves and he'd never actually apprehended wolves at the borders before. He stuck to questions that he thought were important, things that he would want to know and tried to keep his inexperience as discreet as he could by masking it would a razor edged and stoic confidence.

For whatever reason Kjalarr had missed her mention of healing, for reasons that Tori cannot reasonably explain other than perhaps he'd been so caught up in his consideration of her that her words entirely escaped his notice. Her surprise at his words served to confuse the viking who did not realize he had accidentally disregarded her creditable trade and thus caused his eyes to narrow slightly. Nevertheless he continued forth as if he hadn't messed up (not realizing that he had). “Healing? My mother is a healer,” He murmured thinking of Thistle Cloud and ignoring the small pang of guilt that resounded within his chest when he thought of her, and her anger at him at his departure. She had yet to call for him on the coast and Kjalarr had begun to believe that she would not. “It is a noble trade,” He commended in his mother's and the goddess Frigga's honor. “What made you decide to come to Saltwinter's borders?” Her answer to this question Kjalarr was most curious to know, if only because there had been a massive influx of packs within the past two months alone, so it was not as if there were not plenty to choose from.

Kjalarr watched as she looked down at her paws, her weight shifting and his own did in accordance, as he waited with renewed patience for any pressing questions she might have before he ...or Caiaphas proceeded. This was a learning experience for him and he assumed that since the alpha female at his side had not interjected that he was, at the very least, doing an average job at it. Which was something to take from this, certainly. “I am Kjalarr and this is Caiaphas, the alpha of Saltwinter,” He introduced himself and his coywolf companion with a respectful nod in Caiaphas' direction. “What is yours?”

Soon enough, though, Kjalarr realized he had nothing else to ask to her and felt that he'd (awkwardly) covered all the important points. At this point, he felt that if she was accepted seeing that she stuck to her word and earning her keep in Saltwinter would be on her. He looked to Caiaphas then, an unspoken understanding passing between leader and subordinate and Kjalarr turned back to the ebony colored loner at their borders, giving her one last appraisal. “Welcome to Saltwinter,” The northman paused before he spoke “come, I will give you a tour.” with a gesture of his muzzle.