The two wolves had made their way carefully back to the borders of Grimnismal. Kierkegaard knew the entrance well, as he had sought Caiaphas' company many times when she ruled over the pack called Saltwinter. So, as he and Kaori drew closer to the edges of the territory, the ghostly figure cast her an expectant look and nodded his head. It was a silent motion of confidence, and he hoped that she would find some strength there to meet Wylla with. If she were to show weakness, he was afraid that the young leader would turn her away. Though he did not appreciate cowing to such an inexperienced wolf, Caiaphas had picked this home and he was destined to stay with her as long as she wished to be there.

Drawing his head back, he called for Wylla in hopes that she might approach the borders. He did not have the authority to grant someone a place in the Grimnismal ranks. The dark-faced girl was the only one he knew who would be allowing strangers into their pack. While they waited, Kierkegaard plotted ways to hide the young Kaori in the grotto, if she was refused by their Alpha.

It did not take long for the soot-faced woman to arrive. Kierkegaard regarded her with a careful expression, lowering his skull and holding his tail tightly to his hocks. As much as he hated it, she was his Alpha and he wished to stay in the sound for as long as Caiaphas did. Though she was young, he could admire her spitfire tenacity and the way that she took everything in unabashed strides. While he thought that she was inexperienced and unprepared for her role, he would focus on the portions of the woman that he did appreciate until his time there ended.

Her eyes roamed over his companion for a brief moment before they settled on his own ragged, ghostly shape. The sentiment that she passed to him caused his nose to crinkle and a chuckle to escape from his mouth. Kierkegaard shook his head and then glanced toward her with a half-smirk on his inky lips. “Then why did you let me in?” the mercenary inquired. He was as stray as they came, and had been turned away from plenty of packs. Truth be told, if it weren't for Caiaphas, Kierkegaard was certain that he would not have a place at her side. Still, he did not appreciate the sardonic comments from Wylla – not when Grimnismal's numbers were still few.

Before he could say a word about the dark child next to him, Kaori had opened her mouth and prattled on about Lycaon. He frowned and turned to her with an exasperated sigh, furrowing his brow and fixing her with a stare. “Lycaon is here, child. Show respect,” he growled softly. Kierkegaard recalled meeting the young pale youth on the shores as he and Caiaphas had returned from the wash. Still, it seemed the two women beside him shared a shred of common ground. He turned back to Wylla with a small nod.

“She's come to be trained. The girl seeks a place in our ranks as my apprentice.”

Her dog. Younger years would have made him offended to such a remark, but the ashen brute simply grunted at her with an expression that lacked any modicum of amusement. Though she wasn't entirely wrong, perhaps that was the reason for his lack of enthusiasm. The smirk slid from his dark lips and he listened as Kaori explained how she knew Lycaon. Kierkegaard wondered if she would be suited to handle the rest of the exchange with Wylla on her own, or if she was bound to fumble against the leader of Grimnismal. He hung awkwardly in the background and only flicked his tail once when Wylla addressed him directly. She wanted to know what Kaori would be trained to do.

The ghost seemed irked, but he remained respectful to the leader of the coastal pack. “To live... without being taken advantage of. Figured she'd do well to learn from the most self-assured wolves I know,” he responded to her with a small shrug. It came off as nonchalant, as though it was an obvious reasoning. He did not know that Wylla felt at all threatened by the prospect of other females in her midst, and one so young and pretty. The woman did well to hide it, for the most part; or the ghost was too daft to catch on. Kierkegaard swung his head to nudge Kaori to speak to the Alpha and stepped back to let them converse.