A seashell, speckled with exuberant pink dots, lying abandoned on the bed of sand. Another set of azure waves, darkened by the shade of the sky, rolling into the shore, crashing against the surface, allowing a rumble to echo inside the Roman girl's petite ears.
The closer she walked, the stronger the foreign scent grew. Aemilia was very sure the smell belonged to a pack, as it wouldn't be able to be this strong unless a wolf was very nearby. Which it wasn't.
She couldn't sight anything. She knew the borders were very close, though she did not dare trespass. The Angelus Mortis would do anything else but to disrespect a pack's borders. She knew that would result in many... things. Punishment, being chased out, as far as death.
Aemilia padded closer, though she made sure to keep a respectable distance away from the imaginary line that drew the beach and pack territories apart. She'd been in a pack before, a... harsh one at that, and she had seen what had happened to trespassers who dared to venture into pack territory, whether it was merely a step or was far deep into the lands of Noctem Vagus.
She released a breath of cold air. It was unlikely, very, very unlikely, but it was possible that one of her brothers would be sighted inside the pack. Aemilia did not know if these wolves were open to recruiting to new members, but still she lifted her petite head up as a long howl was released shortly from her throat. When she was sure the wolves would have heard her, only then did she end her song.
Trying to get Stavanger Bay on track wasn't as crushing or as hard as he had initially assumed it might have been, though if anything the fact that the shit storm slammed through while Ragnar had been absent, handling an important outrider mission made Ragnar less inclined to ever leave his Bay again. There was fault in that determination, though. As of right now he was the only Outrider they had, but his duties as Jarl were far more important in the long run and so it was within the confines of the claimed lands of his pack that he would stay, at least until the Bay had some more wolves to their ranks. Currently, they needed every body they could get to assist in pack hunts, and with the three young mouths to feed Ragnar was running on overdrive. He was used to this, to the pressures of harsh and savage winters and it was not the prospect of the oncoming winter that filled the Viking with trepidation. It was the fact that, until otherwise, he and Thistle now had three fostered infants to take care of. It wasn't so bad as long as Mercury and Gunnar helped out and thus far the sons did not seem to mind helping out.
Ragnar had been on a check of the pack's caches when the howl had been sent up, slicing through the cool, crisp autumn air that dithered on the cusp of being winter. Eyes of icy carribean blue moved in the direction of origin, close to the beach, likely calling from the massive arch that acted as mother nature's own barrier to ward out those that were unwanted within the Bay that it protected. Abandoning what he was currently doing he wasted no time seeking out the owner of the voice, the sand cool against his large paws as it molded without resistance to each step the platinum silver Viking made.
It wasn't long before she emitted a howl did a lupine appear. This one was a remarkably icy silver, was broad in stature, his stance one of a king. Scars, big and small, littered his pelt like an incomplete puzzle. The Roman girl felt the wolf's eyes on her, orbs of cold blue that seemed to be able to slice through a soul at his will.
This wolf was definitely the Imperator, or what other wolves called, the Alpha. If not, a wolf of a high rank in whatever pack he belonged in. Immediately Aemilia lowered herself into a position of subordination, dropping her head and her tail as he approached.
The Imperator began to speak once he halted to a stop, endeavouring to receive a reason to why Aemilia had come by his borders, why she had stopped and howled for him. Her answer was on her tongue and was ready to roll smoothly from her lips.
"I come here, seeking for a pack that I could join," She said clearly, her voice steady, not quite intimidated by the lupine's presence.
Ragnar admired wolves that got right to the point, preferring them over wolves that tended to beat around the bush. Ragnar wasn't the type of man to beat around the bush, going for the straight and narrow, even if the lack of flowery words tended to bite him in the butt at different times. The woman before him got straight to the point herself, ready to answer, likely, he assumed, before he'd even asked his question. She wasted no time answering him, nearly directly after he'd inquired as to her purpose at the borders of his Bay. Ragnar was on the mark with his assumption as she confirmed it, causing him to give a small nod of his head in acknowledgment to her words.
Aemilia watched attentively for his reaction just as the words spilled from her lips. The Imperator gave a brief nod, content with her words. Perhaps somebody like him would have already knew she would say something like that, something about joining his pack, but the petite Roman girl was careful not to make careless assumptions.
His voice was cool, calm, collected as he spoke a second time, acknowledging what she had said before proceeding with his inquiries. Immediately Aemilia was racking her brains for the correct answer, the right answer which would possibly gain herself a place in his pack.
The silver-grey female was careful to keep her eyes lowered, periwinkle blue orbs trained on the platinum male's paws as she spoke, her answer again, smooth and steady.
She smiled. "I am an experienced fighter and hunter, capable of adaptation, my versatility promising." Aemilia thought of Noctem Vagus, the way her brothers taunted on her in what she called the "fighting arena" just because she was the small girl, how Hadrian had moved in swiftly, offered them a few words and had shut them up. She would never forget what he said.
Aemilia thought of all this as she spoke. "There will be another brain to your pack, Alpha, as I have the ability to use my wit and intelligence in addition to fighting to the best of my ability. I am also a thinker, as I have a firm ability to analyze and act, which is provided the safety of both myself and pack members. Also, loyalty is a trait of mine, which means my soul will be tied with the pack and my future pack members, no matter what the cost." Fondly she allowed a brief smile to flash across her lips. "I am willing to learn anything and everything, if the pack requires me to, as again loyalty is tied to my soul. In the end, it your choice, Alpha, whether or not to allow myself to advance towards another stage of my life."
She looked up, though not quite meeting his eyes. "My name is Aemilia, Aemilia Scaura Angelus Mortis, and I hail from the lands of Rome."
The stranger smiled at him though the stoic Northman didn't return it, instead lending her his ear when she went on t tell him that she was an experience fighter and hunter — both of which, admittedly, Stavanger Bay needed at the moment, especially given Julooke's disappearance and Verrine's assumed death. He needed the remaining wolves of the Bay to step up to the plate, especially because winter was practically upon their backs. Ragnar worked tirelessly to prepare them the best that he could but he was only one man and it was a job that required the dedication of each and every capable member.
After correcting her he fell silent once more as she seemed to have more to boast to him of. At the end of her montage, Ragnar drew in a soft breath and let it out.
What Aemilia assumed the Imperator wanted to be called slipped softly from his lips, correcting the term "Alpha" she had used with a word she could not identify— definitely not from the English language. "Jarl".
A foreign language. If she was accepted into the pack, the Bay, the sterling-silver girl would have to grow accustomed to its ways. The leader's origins made a large impact on what their subordinates would have to follow. Aemilia had been in a Roman pack all her life, though she knew she was going to adapt to the best of her ability, if that was necessary.
She nodded, went ahead and called the Imperator, the Jarl, by what he preferred he be called. "Jarl."
Aemilia knew the platinum male was not going to allow her a place in his ranks as swiftly as that, though this was possibly his way of indicating that the girl had at least earned herself the shadows of a spot, though she would have to work up to her title. Then came what she knew was the Alpha's final word to make sure how crystal clear she was on how hard of a tightship he ran.
She nodded firmly. She understood. She would again become the hardworking, the loyal, the girl-fighter that would live up to the name of Angelus Mortis. Her brain-gears were already churning on the topic of the Trades.
"I understand, Jarl. I will abide by your rules and nothing else. I will prove myself to you."
The woman Ragnar now knew as Aemilia repeated his title, a Norse word for Alpha — though there were many he could have chosen when he had taken the faithful helm of Odinn's Cove. He could have used his brother's favored Kóngur which translated to the common tongue word for King; but Ragnar was saving that for something indefinitely more special than a title. He had intended to name one of his sons that, in honor of Björn despite his elder brother's betrayal of the family. It had been a long time ago and Ragnar's grudge had ended with his brother's last breath of life. The Northman gave a nod of approval. He supposed, in the long run, his subordinates could call him whatever felt most naturally to them, but he would forever see himself as Jarl and no amount of other titles was likely to ever change that. Eyes of Caribbean ice followed the girl's firm nod, stating to him without verbal communication that she understood his terms. Part of Ragnar wondered if he was too strict upon his subordinates, too harsh towards newest recruits; but he'd give his life for Stavanger Bay in a heart beat, without so much as a secondary thought of doubt. All he asked for was loyalty and to contribute to the Bay, which was no different than any other pack out there.
The Roman wolfess didn't allow her mind to drift towards contemplating about which side her request to join was leaning towards. She didn't think she'd done anything to piss the Imperator off or earn herself a ticket out, but she wasn't arrogant enough to assume she was in.
Whatever happened, she wished for the best. After all, Aemilia had given him the very best she could do.
It wasn't long before the large platinum wolf before her spoke. One word, clearly and coolly spoken. "Good." Following was an official welcome into the Bay, or Stavanger Bay, he'd said, and an offering to take her on a tour around the packlands.
The knot in Aemilia's body loosened just as the Alpha took a step sideways to allow her into the pack borders. Giving a smile that was of gratitude, relief and determination, she stepped into the land the Roman girl would call her home.
She'd loved Rome, but she was now in a new stage of her life. Stavanger Bay. Despite all odds, Noctem Vagus would still remain a treasured part of her heart. Not forgetting the previous thoughts associating with finding her brothers, she followed after the Alpha as he started away from the borders and into the Bay.
"Thank you, Jarl. I will do the best of my ability to serve Stavanger Bay."
The girl crossed over into the borders of Stavanger Bay, and caught up to him when he paused for her. There was no point in giving a tour if he took off before the other was ready, after all. She offered him a smile but it was not something that the blood sick and weary Jarl could return at the current moment. He had little reason to smile these days, despite that he at least had his health, his love, his pack and one of his three children. It was better than nothing, and despite how he felt inside Ragnar was grateful for what he had. It was just that when turmoil hit him and his family it usually ended up in a giant shit storm of horrible events. It wasn't Aemilia's fault, however and it was this that Ragnar attempted to keep in mind when he offered her a soft tug of his lips upwards. Not quite a smile, but not a smirk, either. Without another word he began the tour, speaking only to point out landmarks to her, or to speak the name of the sections of territories within the pack lands so she might better familiarize herself with her new home.