Horizon Ridge JOIN · The soul felt its worth

I'm getting ahead of myself a bit here but I'm excited for this plot, so I hope it's cool for me to start this. I'm going to date this for Christmas Eve. :D

Snow fell as Pied made the trek to Horizon Ridge. Her heart had lodged in her throat, the result of saying goodbye to the plateau and saying hello to the ridge—and being with Kisu. Everything had happened so fast that she spent half the time panicking about whether she'd made the right decision. Any time the doubts started to overwhelm her, she stopped, closed her eyes, summoned up Kisu's face in her mind and took a deep breath. It always worked.

She arrived at the pack's southernmost border in the early afternoon, the snow still falling thickly, though not hard enough to obscure her sight. She gazed up at the ridge, her heart beating fast, and then promptly called out to both Kisu and Akhlut. She wondered if Kisu had gotten the chance to tell the leader about Pied's likely relocation. It didn't really matter one way or the other, though; she was here now and would be happy to fill in the Alpha.

While she waited, she fell back onto her hindquarters and tried not to let her thoughts overwhelm her. As if sensing Pied's high emotions, Mag came swooping out of the snowy sky and landed on the piebald wolf's right shoulder. She felt the faint but cool ectoplasmic touch as the magpie's wings brushed her cheek, then as her claws hooked into the white fur on her shoulder. The bird's presence immediately calmed Pied and she waited patiently, admiring the snowflakes as they drifted around her face.

Yay for being exceptionally vague. =)

Akhlut's world was settling comfortably into place. With the sun on his back, the sea in his sight, and the earth beneath his paws, Akhlut-the-Kesuk-Nereides had always been pleased. But now with his pack making a home for themselves at Horizon Ridge, Akhlut-the-Alpha-Male felt the satisfaction of being a part of something larger and more enduring than himself--that was the hope, at least. He saw in Lysianassa, in particular, his aspirations for the future, for she was a creature of the Sea and of the Light, just as he was, and she was both Kesuk and Nereides to her very bones. Yet he could not spend all his time indulging his whims by watching her play on the beach, and he knew that despite his wish to treat her like his baby sister, she was growing up faster than he could ever dream and she needed her own time to do it in.

So he meandered along the borders of Horizon Ridge's claimed lands, a bit put out without the girl's presence and with no other companion to fill it. His boredom, however, was quickly filled with snowflakes and soon with sound, as the howl of another breeched the silent snowfall. Bright-eyed and with a keen expression, Akhlut made swift work of the distance between himself and the female who'd howled, unable to shake the impression that he'd heard that voice before. When he saw her, he knew his instinct had been correct; he supposed his eyes even widened, for he had not expected Blacktail Deer Plateau's Delta to show up on his metaphorical doorstep.

"Good day, Pied," he said, not unpleasantly, but clearly with some reticence. What had brought the female here, and without her swarthy and, he still suspected, Dark leader in tow? He did not query further, only stepped close enough for conversation and lifted his tail faintly, one brow quirked in unspoken question.

I was gonna wait for Kisu to pop in here but I think Pied would like the opportunity to talk to Akhlut on her own for a minute. With that said, feel free to drop Kisu in here anytime, Sammi! :)

When Akhlut appeared in the distance, Pied lowered her head and dropped her gaze in preparation for his approach. As he walked closer, she did her best to read his body language from beneath her lashes, where snowflakes occasionally clung. He moved with confidence, though there was an air of uncertainty as he made his approach which was further reflected by the inquisitive gleam of his icy eyes. When he halted a few yards from her and spoke, she heard the reticence in his voice, though his warm salutations heartened her.

"Hello, Akhlut. It's good to see you again," Pied said courteously, her tail tapping the snowy ground. She kept her eyes trained on the spot where his socked legs met his swarthy chest. "I don't know if Kisu has had a chance to speak with you about this yet but I am here to ask if I can join the pack to be with him. We're courting," she explained. "We talked about it and decided I would be the one to move, for a few different reasons." She would be happy to explain them if he wished. "I have Hawkeye's blessing." This was probably the most important piece of information to him, as Akhlut would surely be concerned about the effect on pack relations.

Pied lapsed into silence then, giving the Alpha male a chance to digest this information and then proceed with any inquiries. As she waited for any questions he may have for her, she also listened for her lover's approach. Truthfully, though, she was a little bit glad to have the chance to speak to Akhlut alone for a few moments first.

Akhlut is torn--he likes Pied and wants her as a member, but isn't sure of her motives.

Akhlut's dark tail flicked back and forth, betraying his curiosity as he listened to Pied speak. He hadn't been well-acquainted with her on their last brief meeting, but he found her to be refreshingly straightforward, if nothing else. Her request, however, surprised him greatly. No, Kisu hadn't mentioned anything to the Kesuk-Nereides wolf, and so Pied's request to "move," by which she apparently meant abandon her pack to join Horizon Ridge, was a bit startling.

In truth, though Akhlut liked what he'd seen of her thus far, he was at first wildly inclined to refuse her entry into the pack. A frown creased his features. "Hawkeye will happily give up her Delta so that she can join Horizon Ridge to be with her lover?" The dubious nature of this claim was made evident in the thinly-veiled scorn in his voice. If this was the truth, then Hawkeye was a fool, whatever his prior impression of her alignment might indicate. Love was not the whim on which to rule a pack. "If you are only courting with Kisu, then why could the two of you not court from your respective packs, and wait to see what comes of your relationship before upturning your lives and abandoning former loyalties?" The question was a legitimate one. Akhlut did not think Pied was one to rush into things, but then, that had only been an assumption. Perhaps she was a typical flighty female who always thought herself in love with any male passerby.

In any case, the issue at hand was not one of the alliance between their packs, or Hawkeye's permission for Pied to follow her heart. If there had been no such permission, Akhlut was unconcerned, and if the alliance between the packs was nullified by accepting Pied, then so be it. Horizon Ridge would not be greatly harmed, he suspected, by losing Blacktail Deer Plateau's friendship. In truth he would prefer to welcome Pied as another strong and capable pack memeber. But Akhlut's concern did lay in knowing this Pied's motivations. If it were solely for Kisu and solely for love that she sought to join Horizon Ridge, then Akhlut would have none of it. He was no fairy godmother, granting romantic wishes on a whim. "I care little, really, that you are ending your ties with Hawkeye. That is your own concern, and for all I know she is a weak leader and you couldn't wait to be rid of her," he said bluntly, his expression now rather neutral as he shrugged. His ice blue eyes hardened with seriousness as he continued soberly, "But what is my concern is whether you would be a Horizon Ridge member first, my wolf first, and Kisu's friend and courtier second. If love of him is all you come for, then I don't know that there is a place for you here. If he were not here, would you be?"

It's totes cool. :3

Akhlut seemed a little taken aback by the situation and questioned her. Pied lowered herself even more, sensing his disapproval. She hadn't anticipated it, yet she knew he was well within his rights to probe for more details. It became evident that Kisu hadn't mentioned any of this to the Alpha male, which now seemed problematic. I should've asked Kisu to give him the heads up, Pied thought to herself.

"Definitely not happily, no, but Hawkeye places great value on love. I made sure to receive her blessing before doing anything else," Pied said, feeling her skin prickle at the scorn in his voice. She swallowed. "I would consider us mates but I was waiting until we were in the same pack to assume the official title," she said quietly, ears flattening.

Akhlut's interrogation brought to the surface some niggling doubts. Had she acted too hastily? It had all happened rather fast, Pied had to admit. Yet when she thought of Kisu, her heart bubbled with warmth even in the face of Akhlut's criticisms. They were new to each other but would spend the rest of their lives getting to know one another. There were also instinctual impulses at play; they each wanted children and the breeding season drew near...

His next comment made the fur on her rump bristle indignantly, yet she managed to flatten it before it could raise the Alpha's ire. She simply didn't like what he had to say about Hawkeye. She wanted to tell him so without disrespecting him and wounding her chance at gaining entry. After all, if Akhlut turned her away, Pied didn't have any sort of backup plan at the ready. She supposed she'd go back to the plateau but what about Kisu?

"Hawkeye is my sister and the wolves of the plateau have shown great loyalty and strength. Did you know we were a pack called Bon Dye, living in Blackfoot Forest, when our Alpha vanished into thin air? We rallied under Hawkeye's leadership and moved to the plateau only a month ago. You have a strong ally in them," she promised him firmly, nodding her head as if to punctuate this statement. She didn't mention Jinx by name—yet. Perhaps, by now, Akhlut had his suspicions.

She paused for a beat, then added, "I do have to admit that all the turmoil I've experienced since arriving here in the wilds may have prevented me from forming deep attachments, as I was only in either pack for a month. With that said, I'm more than ready to settle down somewhere for good, for the rest of my life. Kisu drew me here, yes, but I also came because I love the sea and leapt at the opportunity to live near it again, as I did in my childhood. I came because I'd met you and knew, even from our brief meeting, that you were a good and personable leader."

Pied stopped for a few breaths, then continued, "And I'm sure that's why you're second-guessing me, which I understand. I am happy to hold your lowest rank until I can prove my loyalty and worth. I will swear myself to your pack with as my passion as I feel for Kisu." And although it felt a little false, Pied nevertheless meant it as she finished by saying, "I will pledge myself to you and the pack first and Kisu second." Her would-be mate would want it that way.

Going to have to be vague because I'm not sure what Jinx and Akhlut will have discussed by this point...

Akhlut wondered if he had managed to discourage the woman entirely, or at the very least, to offend her with his near-dismissal of Hawkeye. But, after all, his comments had only been hypothetical, and from Pied's defense of the dark Blacktail leader, unfounded. It didn't mean he had to like Hawkeye, and indeed, his only reaction to her defense was a shrug and the vague statement, "Time will tell." The tale of Blacktail Deer Plateau was not so remarkable as all that. Rallying under a leader only meant that somebody stepped up and took charge when their former leader fled; it said only that Hawkeye had been the most assertive out of a particular bunch at a given time. He'd have been more impressed if she'd fought her way to the top and overthrown the former leader, then chosen to move the pack out of a sense of rebellion and just to spite her predecessor. At least that would have been a daring manuever. Still, time would indeed tell if Blacktail Deer Plateau and, by proxy, Hawkeye, would be loyal and staunch allies of Horizon Ridge, and Akhlut was hardly going to fawn over how wonderful they were until he saw proof for himself.

Admitting a love of the sea, however, and pledging her loyalty to pack and leader before boyfriend, the last of Akhlut's doubts were dispelled. He shook his head at Pied's offer to take up the Omega rank. "I wouldn't shame you like that. Truthfully, after our first meeting it was you I wished to know better, and I envied Hawkeye for having a capable Delta like yourself." For himself, he'd yet to get to know any of his followers well enough to consider their strengths and weaknesses in such a capacity. "In time, perhaps you will serve Horizon Ridge in the same way. I had no real intention of turning you away. I only wondered about the force driving you to come here. A love of the sea is much the same as what drew me to this place," he told her, a smile flashing across his features, warming them. It was a hint of the man he was in private life, though he had no one with which to share that private life. Well, perhaps his young sister counted, not romantically, but in a family sense. Around her, he didn't seek to present any particular image or persona. He was simply Akhlut.

"The guiding principles of Horizon Ridge are simple, but your actions should encompass them always. Show loyalty, courage, honor, and honesty. Work hard and reap the rewards. I see these as the domain of Light, in my faith, but they're virtues no matter what you believe." This speech was more than he had yet officially given to the rest of the pack, but as their numbers swelled he planned to bring them all together and make sure they all understood what he would and would not tolerate. The Light within him could be gentle and warming, but it could be scorching and angry and cleansing as well, if need be. "And whatever your qualm with Jinx," he added suddenly, recalling Pied's question and his later encounter with the ivory female, "keep it between yourselves, and keep it honorable." Disquiet within the pack was not something he wished to foster, and if the two females couldn't sort themselves out, he'd be forced to intervene.

The light snow that danced around them had been nearly forgotten during their discussion, but Akhlut watched it now with a light smile on his features, his mood clearly improving. "You will be Omicron for now," he determined. "I would ask you and Kisu to wait before calling yourself mates," he requested. "I'll call a meeting within the next turn of the moon and hold a small mateship ritual then, if it's still your wish to be joined. What is it they say, 'love is patient, love is kind?'"

Akhlet seemed to relent a little, apparently satisfied with her answers. Although Pied loosed a silent sigh of relief, she did not take this to mean she could suddenly relax. She remained bowed, both respectful and submissive, though now her pale tail thumped quietly on the snowy ground as the Alpha male accepted her into his ranks. His demeanor had gained some warmth in the last few seconds and it made the new Omicron feel welcome despite the brief interrogation.

"I understand and I didn't mind the grilling," Pied said with a twitch of her lips. Sure, she had felt intimidated and uncertain for a few moments there, yet it was all part of the process. "I'll do my best to earn my keep," she promised in response to his brief introduction to the pack's mission statement. She was curious about his mention of beliefs, yet decided to ask another time.

Besides, his mention of Jinx snared her attention. Her mouth fell into a grim line. "Jinx was the Alpha I mentioned," she said lowly, certain that Akhlut already knew this now. "I won't bother you nor the rest of the pack with our issues," she promised. As a matter of fact, Pied intended to avoid Jinx at all costs for the time-being. It wasn't just that Jinx had betrayed her and the rest of Bon Dye, it was also her absolute arrogance upon her return that put a bad taste in Pied's mouth. All the same, she didn't wish her ill will; she just planned to stay away from her.

When Akhlut asked her and Kisu to wait, Pied tipped her head curiously. She wasn't bothered by the request, simply surprised by it. When he mentioned a ritual, her two-toned eyes widened slightly. "That... would be kind of amazing," she said, a little fascinated by this unprecedented idea. It showed on her pale face, around which snowflakes danced. "Of course we can wait. Things happened fast between Kisu and me but, well, we have the rest of our lives to spend together," she noted with a little smile.

Hope this conclusion is OK!

Akhlut listened with cocked ears to Pied's simple statement of intent to serve the pack as well as he hoped she would, and turned his head aside when she spoke of Jinx, nodded briefly at the assertion that Pied and Jinx would be discreet about their differences. That was as it should be; the past was in the past, and whether Jinx had been Pied's Alpha in the past was none of his concern now. Ranks shifted all the time in the lives of wolves, and the top dog today might be too weak to fulfill his position tomorrow. It was a sobering thought for Akhlut, newly crowned and his mettle not yet tested by outside foe or inside challenger, but it reminded the male of his resolve to hang onto the mantle of leadership at any cost. Even the wish of Pied and Kisu to be mated was a sort of threat, wasn't it, for Akhlut himself had no mate to share his public or private lives with, and he was not in a position to bear pups to carry on his line within the pack.

A soft rumble in the back of Akhlut's throat expressed his unease with these truths, but he returned his thoughts to the present, where Pied gushed happily and apparently quite innocently about having a mateship ritual. She, at least, seemed to have no eyes for his throne, and Akhlut was momentarily relieved. A smile came to his lips as he said, "I doubt you came all this way to stand on the borders with me, Pied. Go and find Kisu, and when the time comes for the pack to meet, if you still wish to be mates, it will be done then." This was dismissal, for nothing else that Pied said would convince Akhlut of her devotion to the pack; only in her actions would such a thing be determined, and so he would watch and see what unfolded in the intervening weeks between now and the joining ritual that he really had very little intention of denying the pair.

If something seemed amiss with Akhlut at this point, Pied did not notice, as she was caught up in her thoughts about the ritual. She wondered what exactly it would entail. An image of Akhlut bestowing them each with collar made of fresh flowers flitted through her mind, causing her to chuff quietly. Where would he get flowers at this time of year? Still, she enjoyed the image, even if it was silly.

"Okay," she responded agreeably when the Alpha next spoke, "though I wouldn't mind standing around and getting to know you. I'm sure we can do that some other time...?" she asked humbly, tail waving. Though she truly wanted to get to know her leader better, he was right in that she did want to dash off and let Kisu know of the happy news: they were pack mates!

After getting his reassurance that they'd meet up again in the near future, Pied nudged her new Alpha underneath his chin, demonstrating her respect and submission. The new Omicron then pranced past him, breaking into a lope and calling out to Kisu even as she rant to meet him.