Larksong Grotto Michael Khors

someone from LSG ? (: specifically looking for @Tavi!

Everything was already different. Jhala felt homesick and guilty, her feet heavy as she walked. She'd left Capri by herself to deal with everything that was going on- more specifically this 'heat' that Vuk was in. But she wasn't a good Beta for Porcupine Ridge. There were too many rules and she was better and following them than she was enforcing them. She'd let her alpha's down a handful of times, and she didn't know how to handle that. Anwyl had left the pack, making even more problems for the young girl... It was time to restart, she thought. A new life would be good for her.

But still, she couldn't shake the overwhelming guilt she felt for leaving. 

For now, the dark girl walked along a lower part of the grotto, her tail swinging as she went. Her warm, amber eyes glowed in the sunlight, the spring air flowing softly around her. She was looking now for the second leader of the pack, although she wasn't even sure if there was one. She merely assumed that Reek had a mate, and that it was a woman. She looked curiously for any signs of wolves, following trails of wolves that didn't have a distinguishable name. 

With her energy still a bit stagnated, Tavi hadn't gone far from her resting place upon the ridge, where Reek and herself had encountered the Dragon wolf. She had managed to work her way down the slope without injury, leaving her tired and a bit hungry — but upon seeking out one of the few caches to find something to nibble on, the scent of the unearthed meal churned her stomach. So, she abandoned it, moving on. As she hiked along a reedy hillside thick with fresh spring grass, she noticed a smallish figure roaming around. The stranger's head was low, her pace was a bit slow and steady, so Tavi caught up quickly. She came up behind the woman without much issue, and then - without thinking, as was common for Tavi - blurted, Yo, what's got you so down in the dumps?

It seemed she was going after the wrong scent, for mere moments later a female approached her with questions. Not that Jhala knew that this was the Queen she was seeking, but she wouldn't have found her anyway it appeared. The girl kept walking, the other now trailing beside her. Jhala was pretty big for a yearling, but still not fully grown. She had a few months before she would peek, and by then she'd be considered rather large for her species and gender. She was bulky too, muscular and thick besides her rather slim waist- mostly from the lack of food in the winter. She wondered if the other could tell her age, or even if she cared.

"Who are you?" she asked, not answering the question. Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't. Did this woman even care? "'m Jhala," she then said, feeling that she should probably introduce herself regardless. She didn't place her title with her name, it was not important to her anymore. She did not add that she was from Porcupine Ridge, it did not matter anymore.

Okay -- not the response she had been expecting. Instead of an answer, there were more questions, and Tavi's head pulled back like a horse being yanked by its reigns. I'm Tavi, your boss. More or less. The quip was swift and merciless, but light-hearted all the same. As surprised as Tavi was, she figured not many of Reek's chosen companions would recognize her. While he had been busy making nice with the locals, she had been recovering from her conversation with Saena. Back to my question -- you look unhappy. What's up? If it was something she could mend, she'd try. Hopefully nothing untoward had happened since the pack's inception, but they were a group of utter strangers, and so far Tavi wasn't sure who could really be trusted.

Jhala's ears perked with surprise, but she quickly shook her head and lowered herself to the ground. "God, no, I'm so so so sorry," she muttered quickly and fearfully. She'd already gone and fucked up again. On like the second day too. "I was tryna find you- seriously- but I guess I didn't have the right scent and like- God I'm so so sorry miss," she rambled anxiously, her head still shaking with embarrassment. 

"I'm- I'm fine," she then answered, "I just left home and, I feel bad ya know? I like, left them hanging'," she added softly, ears falling to her crown. She didn't know Tavi very well, and felt even worse unloading problems on her- but this was her Alphess, her Queen. She couldn't just not answer questions. Jhala felt worse, like an uninformed moron. She should've known that this was Reek's mate. She should've known.

It wasn't that she was particularly fond of her title, but having someone squirming before her was a huge ego boost. It had been enough to lord her rank over Spring back in the Maplewood, but here -- here she was the queen. Everyone knew it, too. Or at least, they would know it, if she'd get around to meeting all of Reek's recruits. As the girl floundered, Tavi quickly lost patience. She was prepared to leave her to her waffling, but then Jhala got to the point.

Hearing that Reek had somehow wooed this girl away from an established pack was.... Another ego boost, but it was tempered by something else. Apprehension, maybe? Knowing that a few wolves had followed the pair of them out of the wood and away from Saena's rule was one thing; being given the knowledge that more packs might be pissed at them too was an unsettling thought indeed. It didn't sober her much though.

So? Tavi's brow rose, and she let a snide little smirk cross over her features. You feel bad for finding a place that suits you better? That's lame, but that's life. If you didn't do it, how happy would you have been? It was a similar question to what Tavi asked herself on a daily basis. How happy could she be in the Maplewood without Ukko? How happy could she be with Saena ready to rip out her throat? And how happy could she be without Reek? There was always something, or someone, that she tossed control over to. The only one who should be in control of one's happiness was... Oneself. But that was too deep a thought for Tavi. As soon as her mind touched upon it, she felt a sneeze overtake her, and it was gone.

This pack is small. We're dedicated to keeping it small, if only to avoid the scrutiny of the Dragons; a small pack wasn't really worth bothering over, at least to Tavi, so you've made a good choice. What rank did you leave behind, if you don't mind the quesiton?

This woman was unlike anyone Jhala had ever met before. She was similar, in ways, on a good day Jhala could be pretty good with comebacks and quick retorts. Tavi was also bold and, seemed, to care enough about how Jhala felt. She thought briefly back to the day she had defeated Anwyl in the Delta position, and the day following where she went to check on him. If it wasn't for all these quick remarks being aimed at her, Jhala might've been a bit more on her feet in the conversation, but for now she felt completely blind-sided with everything that occurred. 

The girl shrugged, her gaze falling to her feet and a small smile entering her face. "I guess so," she replied quietly, but looked up with a bit of a happier expression. "I probably woulda been pretty miserable," she added,  tail waving gently behind her as her usually personality began to flow through her again. Still so young, Jhala was still swayed so easily with different topics and moods- today was no exception, especially when Tavi asked a second question.

Her ears flicked downwards, and she shrugged again. "I uh... I was the Beta," she answered quietly. Hoping the other would judge her too harshly for leaving such a 'grand' position. "I don't think I was helpful in that sort of pack though anyway."

It was interesting to hear the answers to her questions, but really Tavi didn't care too much about what happened before; she was more interested in what she was going to get up to now. And if this girl really had been the Beta of a pack (like herself), then Tavi would expect exceptional things from her. Clearly Jhala had been trusted by her previous Alpha, and hopefully Tavi could extend that same level of trust to her. 

You'll  be helpful here. And who knows, maybe you'll earn back that rank among our wolves. There was a brief doubt in Tavi's mind - not directed at Jhala at all, though - wherein she thought of Reek, and the comments Saena had made during their final conversation. Reek had a habit of making-nice with the ladies, and given his history (having wooed her, the Beta at the time), Tavi couldn't help but think that Jhala could be another target. Her tail puffed out slightly at this thought, and so she wagged it, trying to remove excess nervous energy. You have nothing to worry about Jhala. This is home now. It'll take some time for all of us to adjust, but... You'll be fine here.

With that said, Tavi's tone slipped in to silence, and she appeared to turn her attention away. There were things to do, people to meet, and she couldn't spend all day tending to the wounded ego of a new recruit.

The girl didn't respond. Tavi seemed upbeat (kind of) about her situation, and even mentioned that hard work could earn her her rank back. But Jhala wasn't really sure she wanted her rank back. She'd been a bit weary about it to begin with, and even as she felt she was getting the hang of it she constantly let her leaders and pack down. It was not a burden she felt she was capable of handling so early on in such a new pack. She smiled weakly, shrugging gently. "I think so too," she agreed, but as Tavi's tone dropped off, Jhala felt the conversation had come to an end. She dipped her head gently to her alpha before she parted. "I'm gonna go refresh some borders," she informed her quietly, a slight smile on her muzzle. "Thanks, Tavi,"

With that, she left. Jhala couldn't decide if Tavi cared for her or not, and the same for herself. She moved swiftly to the nearest border, her ears low as she pondered the conversation in full.