Swiftcurrent Creek this exam accounts for 80% of your final grade

For @Njal - I thought we could gather the newbies and have the Beta team tell them what's what? :D I hope it's OK to powerplay Njal outside his den.

Beta wolf of Swiftcurrent Creek. The humble part of Bazi's brain - much smaller than the rest, but present nevertheless - was still recovering from the surprise of the nomination. The dominant part told her that she deserved it for serving her pack - and it was a position that she shared with Njal, and therefore an honour halved. It was a sensible move, though, and Bazi knew that her age made her a riskier choice.

But honour made up a paltry 10% of leadership - the rest was hard graft and difficult decisions. Today, she wanted to round up the newcomers and make sure the knew how to conduct themselves beyond Swiftcurrent Creek, understood the pack's system for feeding itself, and what the surrounding territories had to offer. Njal, as the highest-ranking warden and seasoned warrior, could use it as an opportunity to spot the most physically able, and make sure border patrol was on everyone's to-do list.

She tracked her comrade to his den, where he stood guard at the door. Tuwawi's pregnancy was progressing quickly, and she needed to spend more and more time off her feet.

"Njal," Bazi whispered, smiling brightly at her Creek brother. Whatever congratulations that passed between them were silent; they were professionals, after all. "I want to gather the newbies and make sure they know how to behave themselves beyond our borders, and what the food policy is. Are you up for that? I'm sure Fox would approve." Sky, Athena, Amekaze, Razo, Serengeti, Scimitar, Cutthroat.. the Creek had been overrun recently. Bazi feared that these wolves would become Lunar or Majesty equivalents, running rampant over Jinx's territories in the west, or trespassing too close to Vale lands.

Dawn broke over the territory, and with it the birds began to sing. But it was not in this moment that Njal awoke, for he had become accustomed to waking even earlier - rivaling the sun in vigilance. The man brooded alongside his wife, who remained asleep even as he roused himself and departed the den mouth. For a few hours the warden did what he did best. Stationing himself there, Njal could oversee a segment of the river just beyond the fields. He was antsy for action, now more than days before, as he had assumed an even higher rank. Beta, the mountain chuffed to himself, This is where I am meant to be. And he firmly believed it. With his new rank appointed only hours before - in the middle of the night, clandestine in that regard - he hadn't even told Tuwawi yet; but by the time morning truly sprang to life around them, she would know.

He remained at the mouth of the den, standing for a few moments and then sitting, or pacing. Njal could not sit still for long. And then, out of the corner of his vision, he spied a white cloud - "Bazi," his voice rumbled, but he then silenced himself. Casting a glance towards the dark den mouth to make sure Tuwawi was still asleep, he was just about to march an intercept course towards his rank-buddy when she was suddenly there.

Bazi was quick in her words, and mindful enough to keep them quiet. Her plan was met with a nod, and though Njal was an older gentleman, he felt a great strain while he tried to contain his glee; a wave of his tail was all that betrayed things, along with a fire burning in the pit of his gaze. "That is a good idea. But let us do it away from my wife's sleeping quarters." Njal smirked as he spoke, and then wordlessly ushered Bazi away from the den mouth, towards the edge of the river.

5 years old with a younger wife - what a dude. ;) Bazi dropped off a buck skin for Tuwawi in another, ongoing thread - that's what she's referring to.

Bazi nodded mutely, glancing into the darkened den. She couldn't see Tuwawi, but wondered what the past few days had done to her body - the pups had grown phenomenally in the short time between the gathering of ladies in the glen and a more recent encounter, distending their mother's belly in a way that was both strange and wonderful.

"Did she like the skin?" Bazi asked at normal volume when they were far away enough from Njal's snoozing wife, choosing a flat, grassy spot by the river to sit. "When do the pups come?" Fox had said two moons, but Bazi had no idea which night of raucous coupling had produced results - but then again, neither would the parents.

He's such a bamf.

There were few that would be permitted near his wife at this point in time, and fewer still as the due date approached. As eager as the pack was to welcome these little lives in to the world, Njal's instincts told him to keep a close eye upon them all; however, he knew that Fox would have access, and most likely Bazi. Her interest was friendly and it would be wise for the foolish man to keep that in mind. As they walked he pondered this, and other things, until Bazi spoke up - and her question made his smile ever wider. "She did," he responded without extra comment. Tuwawi was often asleep in the den, and the skin no doubt made his own absence less obvious to her.

"When do the pups come?"

Well, that was a harder question to answer. Njal's ears twitched to either side of his head, shifting slightly back as he tried to do calculations, but in the end he only shrugged. "I do not know how it works, so I cannot say." He sank to his rear upon the grass, but could only sit for a few moments before needing to stand again; his energy was bountiful still, and would remain like this for quite a while. He looked to the distant trees which flanked the den, beaming with adoration for his warrior wife. "But she is getting bigger, so it cannot be long now."

Bazi returned his grin - she was proud of that particular piece of work.

Tuwawi's husband did not dwell on the pregnancy for very long. Bazi was desperate for details, but supposed that was not that was not his place to share - it was quite likely that whatever aches, pains, kicks, and changes that the mother-to-be felt was better shared with fellow women, and she made a note to find Tuwawi something interesting for dinner in the hopes that she might share the experience.

Njal's rear was having a particularly indecisive day, bouncing between earth and sky as if fearing both would turn into hot coals. Bazi raised a hind leg to scratch behind her own ear, making a low, satisfied noise when a particularly persistent itch was taken care of. "Right, to business," she announced, getting back on all fours and arranging herself into a position befitting a beta - shoulders back, head and tailed raised high, plush ears standing high on her head. This entire process was probably old hat to Njal, who was 4 years her senior and likely a veteran of several beta positions - Bazi didn't look round to see if he was snickering at her excessive posturing.

With both betas in place and Tuwawi safely out of earshot, she called for the new recruits: @Cutthroat @Sky @Scimitar @Amekaze @Razo @Serengeti @Athena

Hi guys! This is for the newer members to find out a bit more about the ways of the pack. It isn't an official pack meeting, but it'd be great if you could reply (or PM one of us with permission to assume your wolf participates if you don't have time). Standard posting order rules; let's see if we can get 3 rounds in so that everyone can use this thread towards whatever EXP goals we've got. :) Let's set the reply deadline for the 13th.

[size=small]
Athena had just been attempting to fend off a very sassy bumblebee when she heard the call. She immediately bounded off towards the sound, thankfully leaving the bumblebee behind. She wanted to make a good impression with the other wolves in the pack. Plus, it felt nice to stretch her legs again after resting up a bit from traveling.

When she came upon, she saw the white female, Bazi and Njal. She pricked her ears forward in interest as she slowed to a jog to reach them. Athena recognized both of the wolves from their encounter with the stranger. Hi!Athena said cheerfully.[/size]

Cutthroat had just caught, after a zigzagging chase that nearly landed the distracted pirate headfirst into a thick tree trunk; alas, he managed to swerve in the last breath of a moment to avoid slamming headlong into it (which would have no doubt hurt) he had finally, finally caught the dastardly rabbit that had been trying with the last moments of it’s life it had left to extend it, and was mid-chew into his first bite when a call rose through the air, weaving through the copse of trees like a siren’s song. His slowing chewed until it stopped altogether, ears swiveling to the side as he contemplated if he should go or not, despite that he was one of the ones that had been summoned (there had been others but he had no faces to associate with them so he paid them little mind) by what sounded to be Bazi. He chewed once more, swallowed and cast a forlorn look down at his bloodied, open carcass catch before he glimpsed over a sleek shoulder as his ears lowered to half mast atop his skull.

Why was he being summoned with all the others? He rather thought he was like some sort of infestation upon the Creek, alive and inside it’s borders only because they thought he could help them get Crossbones back (as far as he was aware he couldn’t); and Cutthroat knew that he was the only Tortuga native around these specific parts because the others that had joined them had been killed, the only two survivors: Cutlass and Corsair having made off with Crossbones.

In the end it was curiosity alone, and maybe a little desire to see the ivory cloaked woman again, pretty though she was (Cutthroat as a dashing rouge of the Seas was very good at admiring pretty things) that spurred the ink colored Pirate to abandon his meal, pausing to dip his muzzle in the creek to rinse off the blood that had smeared there, before making his way to where the call had risen from, finding Bazi first with ease, only then noticing the male that stood beside her whom he had not yet gotten to know, and another female that seemed to cheery and bubbly for the witty pirate’s general liking. He slunk in, submissive, noting Bazi’s projected stance of dominance, wondering what this was all about and why he was wanted at something that seemed to be a normal part of pack procedure when he was an "unoffical" Captive.

Sky heard her name and her ears perked up. She had just started eating a fish. Sky finished the fish as fast as she could and she ran as far as her legs took her to the sound of her name. She sprited into the forest away from her private creek and used her ears as a guide. She moved out of the way of trees, bushes, and other wolves in her way. She had to be going at top speed faster than most of other wolves. She looked as if a streak of white lightning was dashing though the forest. She finnaly stoped at the wolf who called her name.

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She had risen somewhat late and was just beginning to head out towards the borderlands when the howl had gone up, promptly derailing both her focus and her path. The dark wolf furrowed her expression and was not sure of why the summon called for her specifically. She knew of the sudden influx of happenings in the pack but rarely had any of it concerned her directly just yet..

So she lurked that way, feeling vaguely perturbed at the sudden change of plans but working to change that to curiosity as she went with a long, casual stride. Amekaze wasn't the first to arrive and did not draw attention to her arrival amongst the other wolves; she lingered near the back of the gathering in a neutral posture, along with a keenly watchful expression.

Njal and Bazi were familiar to her, of course, but the others were not. Two females and one male. By her standards, it was a good handful of wolves to be around so suddenly. She gave them a sidelong look over, then regarded the highest ranking wolves intently with the question silently posed: what exactly did they wish to do here?

*slides this not-so-sneakily under the wire*

A schedule of patrolling and tracking had kept her consistently busy until a howl met her twitchy ears on the breeze. She instantly snapped her head up and altered her course, breaking into a swift trot towards the location where the call had originated. Intent as she was to continue on the trail of what she’d been doing, it would be easy to pick up where she’d left off after the leaders were through with whatever business was on the table today.

The svelte northern furred female arrived on the scene briskly, though after a few others already had. Her keen attention was given to the two leaders who were assembled at the front of the group and she scanned her previously unmet pack mates before stopping amid them and waiting with as much patience as she could muster. There was no tawny scoundrel to be seen. Sod 'im.

The cry had caught him off guard – the male, wading in the creek edges and maintaining silence so he could nab a fish or two glanced up sharply, his eyes seeking the direction. The land itself was still unfamiliar to him, though he wasted no time moving back to land. Paws firmly placed upon the soft grassy ground, he shook his pelt, glancing down at his haphazard appearance before giving a wry grin of bemusement. With a mental shrug, he loped forward, seeking out the she-wolf who called upon him and others.

Blinking, the cinnamon male would come across them moments later. The pale dove, Bazi, was regal in her position – clearly the right hand to the feisty alpha. The other was a male he had yet to meet, though seemed to hold equal importance. The left hand, perhaps? Or perhaps this was mate to the lithe she-wolf, and not the dark male he had met upon his acceptance to the pack.

Noting the numbered gathered already, his interest was piqued to what they had been summoned for. Were they all new? No wonder Fox had challenged his ability so. With a nod of courtesy and submission, the large male slunk forward, seating himself a respectful distance from the group and beside an ivory she-wolf who he knew not the name of, but had seen her enter only just before him. His thoughts trailed back to Luka – how pleased would his previous companion had been with the rather beautiful specimens within the ranks.

The vast majority of the newcomers came when called, gathering in a loose semi-circle around the Beta pair. Serengeti arrived without Razo, Bazi noted, but presumed he was serving the pack elsewhere rather than ignoring a summons. Upon seeing Amekaze, the northern wolf swished her tail excitedly - she had not expected the mysterious dabbles-in-herblore loner to choose a pack, and it pleased her that Swiftcurrent Creek had come out on top.

"We've gathered you because you're all fairly new to Swiftcurrent Creek," the white wolf began, sweeping her blue gaze across each of their faces. "My name is Bazi - this is Njal; your betas. We will be getting you up to speed on what's what both within and beyond our borders, and assessing you for trades. Njal will cover defense and border patrol. As head outrider, I will cover scouting rules, the surrounding territories - and also pack policies on food and hunting."

"Stay well clear of other packs' borders when you are out there, unless you have actual business with them. This is particularly important when it comes to Silvertip Mountain - they are on the other side of the mountain range, beyond the flatlands, so there is really no need to stray that far unless you have business with Jinx. And I do mean well clear - visiting the surrounding forests and peaks will get you into trouble, and your pack will be too far away to do anything about it. Our own policies are similar, but Njal will cover that."

"Our nearest neighbours are the Vale, though I have seen and heard much less from them of late. Before that, relations were frosty - approach with caution, if at all. Beyond that is Blacktail Dear Plateau - Fox is friendly with their alpha, Peregrine, and their healer, Blue Willow, is a very kind and giving wolf. Do not give them cause to dislike us."

"Horizon Ridge was twitchy about visitors last time I went - they claim the coast and the ridge near it. There is a marked mountain path that leads to their borders."

"I am due to go on a scouting mission to a forest in the south-west in a matter of days. I would like two volunteers to come with me - preferably an aspiring healer and anyone wishing to become an outrider. We will detour via some of the important landmarks on this side of the mountain before we go."

That covered pack relations - Njal would take care of Swiftcurrent's approach to intruders both in and around their own territory.

"Game is plentiful at the moment, and we are the largest, strongest pack on this side of the mountains. We have access to fish, small game, and herds from the south - take advantage of that. Any choice meats should go to Tuwawi as she grows our first litter of Swiftcurrent children - but do not approach uninvited; courier it via Njal or myself if you are unsure. All members are responsible for joining in hunts and keeping the caches filled, but it is mine and Jace's responsibility to oversee. Seek out Jace if you wish to join the gamekeepers."

"That's all from me - if you need me, howl," she finished, and looked to Njal, who sat tall and proud beside her. If there were any wardens or warriors among these wolves, he would find them.

Please let @Njal post second. :D

I hope I covered it all, omg.

The gathering grew as they waited: first it was only the petite girl that they had defended at the borders from the collosal dark wolf, but soon enough others began to slip from the woodwork. Njal waited as patiently as he could, but was antsy to get things rolling. He didn't know when to begin talking as he did not know who was going to show up - nor did Bazi, although she knew more names than he did. Eventually there were more fresh-blood recruits milling around, and Bazi took to explaining a few things to them. Her ability to swiftly get down to business and to say what needed to be said made Njal very proud; he watched her in his periferal vision for the most part, poised as he was to observe the newcomers. The warden studied them as Bazi spoke. He looked for fitness in the larger wolves and potential in the smaller ones, knowing that they could all contribute to the pack in some manner - and Bazi was correct in her assumption that he would weed out the defenders. That goal was in the forefront of his mind, even as the white Beta passed the stage off to him. He allowed a brief silence to separate Bazi's information and his own. In doing this he hoped to avoid overwhelming these strangers with too much knowledge.

But when he did speak, he did so with a forthright manner, cutting through the specifics quickly. "We have met with many vagrants lately - some of them which are amongst our ranks now. The popularity of our location and resources makes us a prime candidate for intruders that are both friendly and not so friendly, and also allows us to choose the best wolves from those that appear on our doorstep." His gaze took on a shine at this, a vague mirth, but Njal remained frigid and blank otherwise. "If you encounter anyone that you do not recognize, anyone that lacks the scent of a pack member, you are to howl for assistance. I am on constant patrol and will be at your aid whenever needed." As he spoke Njal's head lifted ever so slightly, unable to hide the pride he felt as he boasted about the greatness of Swiftcurrent, their strength, which these fresh faces would help to grow.

"If a wolf is close to the territory but not passed the border, I suggest keeping an eye on them. We have encountered many wolves lately who do not appear to have working noses and if they are seen wandering one of the neutral lands, it is my belief that they will soon be upon our lands; however, consideration must be made. The neutral lands are not ours and anyone can wander them. If you see someone suspicious or encounter anyone that seeks ill upon us, I urge you to summon help - myself, or another warden. Lone wolves should be chased away if they linger at the edge of the territory, but if you encounter a viable recruit in the neutral territory, you are permitted to speak with them and find out if they'd fit within our ranks. Find their strengths and their weaknesses, any past pack activity, and anything else you think would benefit Fox in knowing."

A thought popped in to his head at this. These wolves would not know who the defenders of the pack were - but they didn't need to, did they? A simple call to arms and someone would be there. Njal paused to think about this, and then began to speak again:

"Our leader Fox is a trained warrior and warden. There is also myself, a black-furred wolf named Jace, Bazi," he flicked an ear towards the pale girl at this mention, "A grey male named Ferdie, and-" my wife, Tuwawi, he wanted to say. Remembering that she was pregnant suddenly, he slipped up in his words and came up with something on the spot. "-and anyone else that wishes to train with us. Many of you appear strong and viable for the position. If you would like to join me in training - or any of the other available members of your new family - then simply seek them out."

With all that said, Njal fell in to complete silence and waited for Bazi to prompt any other discussion that needed to occur; he spent the remaining time watching the individuals before him, and found his gaze lingering the most upon Amekaze - although he did drift, and from time to time caught the eye of a swarthy male that did not seem keen to be there - ignorant to the fact that the male in question was a captive.

Sky wanted to go badly. "Umm, Miss Bazi, I would like to go with you on that scouting adventure, I want an adventure." Sky was ready for her adventure

He was pleased at the no nonsense approach -- no sooner did he straggle in did the ivory she-wolf who had first met him at the borders launch in to the reasoning of having them join her. While he had assumed the female held title by the simple air of presence, the knowledge of her rank was fully given, and his eyes gleamed back to the other male, noting he had yet to meet him.

Silence drifted over the group as their leaders spoke, and while Scimitar was intrigued by the presence of others around him, his attention remained rapt upon the two who demanded it -- maintaining a respectful posture as well. As the one called Njal subsided in speech, one ear flickered to the pale she-wolf known as Sky, offering to aide her along her scouting mission. With a quiet dip of his creamy muzzle, the cinnamon male would arw attention to himself with a gentle chuff. "I too will offer my services to accompany you, miss," he murmured in turn, uncertain what she desired to be called.

His eyes skimmed the others then, waiting to see what else would be spoken. In time he would also seek out Njal and take him up on his offer -- a friendly spar to shed the rust of his fighting skills would certainly be welcome.

lol, Horizon Ridge is twitchy. <- Ragnar's handiwork. :p Also, this is short and blah because Cutthroat really doesn't have anything to say at the moment.

Cutthroat remained silent as the few other filed in and listened to what Bazi and Njal both had to say in turn. It was a lot to take in but the inky pirate did not see how any of it really pertained to him because, though he had not asked and did not know for certain, he was fairly sure he wasn’t entitled to things like Trades because he was a captive first and foremost. The rank he wore was only a courtesy, surely. A fancy word to hide the truth. He wouldn’t be able to accompany Bazi on her journey, he wasn’t allowed outside of Swiftcurrent Creek’s borders - that had been made clear - and he doubted anyone would want him on the borders out of nothing more than mistrust, if not for a similar reason: he could escape if left too close to the borders. So, thus far this little meeting seemed …irrelevant to the inky pirate. When the two newest leaders fell silent a few others spoke up offering to assist. Cutthroat’s ears twitched to signify that he was paying attention for whatever it was worth but, again, the Pirate prisoner favored his silence.

Athena badly wanted to go on the scout. She stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Bazi, her superior. If you need anymore help on this scout, I am here to do so. She said simply. She hoped that Bazi would allow her to come. Even though Athena was new to the pack, she thought that this scout would be a perfect way for her to show her skills and learn more from Bazi.

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Nothing she heard came as a surprise. The beta wolves instructed, basically, that they mind their manners in regards to others and work to better themselves accordingly. Ame considered this to be a rule of the pack wolf anyway, and while she appreciated the straightforward approach of this informative setting, she was less inclined to its wordiness. She did not need told to give best food to gravid females, to be mindful of loners at their boundaries, or be aware of other packs' hunting grounds and so on. This all came naturally and she was quiet in turn.

Others offered their assistance in scouting and while the idea of roving abroad appealed to her, she would not join them at this time. Too fresh out of the expansive wilds herself and not yet settled in a pack situation, she wanted to keep to here until her roots had time to grow a little stronger. But others were willing, so the task would be handled.

It was Njal's talk of training that she did deem most pertinent to her. His eyes on her seemed like he expected this out of the dark Rikudou. She didn't jump to reply immediately but instead waited until a handful of others had offered their two cents first. I will be training amongst your lot, she said with a short dip of her snout in the sterling beta's direction. Her skills had gone unused for so long and while she was still working to restore her body and health, it was high time she return to her prior fitness.

A vigilant observer, she turned her head when a tall and quite strapping male with a most enrapturing pair of turquoise eyes arrived not long after she did and reclined his powerful haunches to sit near her position within the assembly. His aesthetic values were numerous and she watched him for just a moment longer than was necessary as she turned her head away slowly and her eyes tore her attention back to the front of the pack, as it were. She didn’t feel a girlish flutter in her stomach and she wasn’t making plans to assess him for future possibilities. He was a work of art.

The meeting began shortly thereafter and at the words that were coming out of the mouths of the leaders... she could imagine the sheer scorn they would have elicited from Razo at being told just how to be a wolf. Of course, she saw the other side as well: it was entirely possible that they felt it was necessary because of past incidents. In any case she remained attentive, and when they came round to the point of a scouting mission and trades she designated Njal as her go-to for a Warden position whenever she was able to prove her viable capability.

Razo might like to accompany you on the scouting expedition in search of any medicinal herbs he can’t find within our borders, she said directly to Bazi. That is, if you’ll have him, she added. He hadn’t shown up to speak for himself, after all. But like Bazi, although she didn’t know it, and though this meeting would have been an event he might have shirked with absolute mirth, she assumed he must have been busy elsewhere.

Potential last post from me - I hope it's OK to conclude, @Njal ! As per the last round it's fine to ignore posting order after Njal posts.

The gathered wolves listened politely enough, but the meeting lacked the enthusiasm that Bazi had hoped for. It felt like the Monday morning pow-wow that everyone attends out of habit, nursing coffee and a deep desire to go back to bed. She noted those that had pledged themselves to her service - Athena, Sky, and - surprisingly - Scimitar, who looked better suited to warring than long runs. Razo was offered up by what Bazi presumed was his wife, and she nodded curtly at the suggestion.

Unrealistic expectations and low yield made a sourness build in the back of her throat. Bazi listened to Njal's booming voice, searching the gathering for a pair of eyes to lock on to. She found Cutthroat's golden eyes in the back - a wolf she had summoned mostly to keep an eye on (in more ways than one). They exchanged stares now, Beta and captive. It struck her that the black pirate was completely at the mercy of her whims, and that was both powerful and hugely amusing. What lowly task could she assign to him? Something that would force him to toil in the sun? Perhaps he could act as an errand boy within the Swiftcurrent borders.

Njal concluded his segment (which garnered interest from Amekaze) and thereby the meeting. With any luck, any overly social wolves among them would know not to approach strangers with wagging tails as so many Teekon Wilds wolves did. Everything else was common sense - supposedly, but Bazi had decided that summer wolves had the propensity for strange behaviour.

"Dismissed, then," she barked lightly - Njal had summarized, and the gathering were free to. Before they could stand and go, she added with a generous hint of dark mirth to her voice, "Cutthroat here is our captive, for those of you who weren't aware. Make sure he doesn't stray to far, and since he's stuck indoors, assign him whatever labours you see fit." There was heat in her stare when the Beta female finally broke it away from the Tortuga prisoner, smiling as she turned away to seek some neutral object to rest her eyes.

For the scouts - I'll set up a thread in the members' forum to work out a few threads, shall I? :D

Concluding here. I'll try to set up a sparring contest (or something similar) for anyone interested in having their characters spar. In the meantime if you guys want to use Njal as an excuse to just go at it, feel free. You can say he gave them the go-ahead.

Upon the conclusion of his words, Njal waited. He watched the gathering with an expectant sensation growing in his chest, an eager glow to his expression, and yet... He noticed what Bazi saw. There was a distinct lack of enthusiasm within this group of recruits, and they each milled around with only half their attention directed towards the two Betas. Njal said nothing of this - he only passed a glance over the white wolf, sharing a very brief look, prior to her dismissal of the gathering.

It wasn't until Bazi made a verbal reference to the dark stranger in their midst that Njal truly took heed again; his eyes snapping to the rugged boy and lingering, perhaps too long, in study of him. The warden did not lift his attention from the shadow even as the gathering began to break up. Sizing him up for a moment or two before finally breaking his own concentration, and eyeing the rest of the gaggle. Njal moved to intercept Bazi briefly, nosing her shoulder in a friendly gesture before catching her eye, and making a quick look to Cutthroat as if to say, be right back. As the swarthy boy departed, Njal began to meander in his direction.

It seemed that was that as Bazi gave the word and the lot of them were free to resume their duties. The pallid female was left wanting more substance of content from the meeting that she had considered humdrum at best and self-evident on the other end, but she was disinclined to criticise the Beta-duo beyond the obvious. With the number of recent newcomers they had, she assumed they had only intended to get the basics out of the way in one go.

But Bazi spoke once more just as Ren stood and had half-turned to leave. Her gaze settled again on the other white female and listened, and although the words themselves were nothing to object to (aside from the fact that they were apparently housing a captive), her amused tone was ruffling. It began to colour her view of Bazi as arrogant and coming off as having stepped into her leader shoes too soon. It was very cliché, she decided, and to give it more notice than it was due was equally concerning.

Njal had already begun to move towards said captive, so this time she offered a cursory nod to signal her departure, then glanced round at the faces of her pack mates for any other points of interest before slipping smoothly into swift momentum.

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Ame's ears flickered at the notion of a captive and her minty stare traced his way then, studying the dark wolf with subdued curiosity. With her head tilted ever so subtly, she wondered the reason of this and of what good it could be. Her understanding of the pack was not yet full, so she offered him a squint and listened on, not sure how she felt about the taste of all this.

Then they were dismissed and Amekaze would not linger unnecessarily. She had a bit to digest, now, and wished to do so in solitude. Her ears would be listening for further word from Njal and his training plans, but she did not expect it to happen immediately, so would follow her own whims for the time.

She said nothing, but glanced across the other faces of newcomers and dipped her muzzle in a sweeping, generalized farewell before turning to take her leave. The dark wolf glided into motion, and soon assumed a trot towards a rolling hill upon which to hunt.

The two Betas seemed completely displeased with the gathering before them -- whether it was their distaste to outsiders in general, or the simple fact they were looking to run the pack like a commanding station, Scim was uncertain.. nor would he bother to put much thought toward it. His offer to the ivory she-wolf was seemingly overlooked, as were others, and instead, they were ushered a dismissive bark. The notion there was a captive amongst them stirred his interest slightly, and he found his eyes studying the darker wolf with mild amusement. What had he done to piss off the fiery regal so much?

Completely underwhelmed at this point, the agouti male drew himself up now, his eyes only briefly studying the others before he swept away. His pale paws picking up a light lope, within moments Scimitar found their voices dying away as he made his way to the borders, finding a quick sweep of them would ease his mind.