Sunbeam Lair Little Ember

Sorrel wandered into the territory of Ryujin without a clue, for her nose was a blind as the bats in her family cave. Her flaming red fur sparkled just a tad bit in the setting sunlight. She wore a smile on her maw as she traveled, looking over all of the trees and trying to identify them. She took in a deep breath, loving the cool air as it touched her tongue, but automatically became disappointed to find no scent. Bitter thoughts filled her head as she remembered how her mother would scoff about the fact that her puppy couldn't smell. She shook her fur, trying to rid herself of the thoughts. She flicked her ears as she heard the birds who were just arriving from their great travel singing. She smiled a bit larger, for she loved the  earth. Everything was so interesting. She was a bit nervous that she would encounter another wolf though. If she did, she hoped it wouldn't take a part of her like the last one. She growled at the thought of her short furry stump of a tail.Her ears flicked at the sound of small prey, but she was't hungry, she had eaten a hare earlier.Her minty blue eyes scanned the area around her, searching for any movement among the trees. No more shadowy loners did she want to encounter.

Wandering all throughout the territory had become a normal part of her day, exploring the various locations of interest within and keeping a watchful eye on the flora. There were few plants ready to begin showing their faces, but the few that had already brought her a great burst of joy and wonder. It would not be long, now, before she could begin cultivating her own little garden of herbs, though the location in which she would start had yet to be decided upon. There were many plants she would need only to take note of their whereabouts, for they would be easily accessible from within the lair itself. For those that had to be brought in from outside sources, however... well, those would need some extra care, just to remain on the safe side of things.

The current trek around the woodland had introduced her to something new, though, a scent that she did not recognized. It was a wolf, that much was clear, but the face it belonged to could not be drawn forth from within her mind. They were a stranger to her, an unknown entity with intentions she could not determine. It caused the fur along her dorsal to bristle, standing on edge as she inspected further to try and pick from it a pack's fragrance. Her concern was that they'd been found by their old neighbours, that the wolves of the ridge just weren't satisfied by a move. When she'd taken note of the singularity of the smell, however, her fur had flattened slightly, but not entirely. She knew her markings to be strong, she often refreshed them herself just to be sure of it, which begged the question of why someone had chosen to cross over them.

Asterr's steps had become brisk as she'd tracked down the intruder, displaying dominance for once as her tail arched over her back. She had spotted the walking ember from the side first, and had then proceeded to loop around and block her path. Her ears were pushed forward and tail stiff, the only thought running through her head being the promise she'd given to ensure the safety of her tribe members. "I do suggest that you cease your movements right where you stand," the yearling stated, her own body stilled as her silver gaze worked the other female over. "Tell me, why is it that you have decided to cross into my tribe's land?" Never had she stopped to consider the possibility that the other could not smell anything, for the likelihood of that happening was far too slim to be the first thought in one's mind.

The young girl froze with fear, despite the fact that she was much taller than the female in front of her. "I-I am so sorry! Please don't hurt me! I-" She shook her head, trying to clear the fear so that she could speak. She took a deep breath and looked back to the female. "I can't smell." She squeaked. Her silver ears flattened against her skull with fear. Her instinct was to tuck her tail underneath her legs, of course she had only a puff of fur to tilt a bit. Her minty eyes looked down a bit, not wanting to challenge the female before her. "I-I'm looking for my aunt. I can't find her." She held still, waiting for the female's words. Would she summon her pack? Would the young one have to fight off others? She trembled slightly, remebering the male she had encountered on her travels. The searing pain of his claws digging into her snout still haunted he. Why did she have to be so nose-blind?

The demand for stillness had been met, followed up on then by the intruder's stuttering voice. Due to her small stature, she was slightly reassured by the other female's reaction to her—not that her mission in life was to strike fear into anyone, of course. To her, it simply meant the chances of her being forced to engage in battle were decreased, giving her ample room to readjust herself. The time for such had yet to come, however, for Asterr was not yet convinced that they were both in the clear. "Why are you unable to smell?" Whether the answer was a personal one or not, the dragoness could not bring herself to care. Actually, it was more like she'd had to swallow the feeling down beforehand. The safety of her tribe took precedence over all else; a repeated line that drew forth in her the willpower to keep herself from coddling the stranger.

A reason for her presence was given, causing the chieftess' muzzle to twitch ever so slightly. It was neither a frown nor a smile that had attempted to break through, merely a faint jolt that had managed to reach the surface of her features. "If you cannot smell, how is it that you expect to locate your aunt?" the dragoness questioned. "Surely you do not expect to find her with sight alone?" A wolf's nose was definitely one of their most prized possessions, for the power they radiated was far beyond magnificent. It was a sense that was often heavily relied upon, the true source of life for nearly every predator of the land.

The young girl was glad that the female had not attacked, but was still not a threat. The question came and she answered back softly, " I was just born that way..." she adverted her eyes. Why did she have to run into another wolf? Why? As the yearlings next words came, the little ember became still. She felt blank. The wolf was right. She could never find her aunt just relying on sight. Her shoulders sagged and her tail expression grew blank. Her aunt was gone. Just gone. "I..." She struggled to speak. The realization stung more than the rogue's teeth had when he ripped off her tail. "I can't." She said without any expression at all, every spark gone. She felt like a simple ash, no longer the little fire she had been a moment ago. She looked back to the female with a heavy heart. "I'm sorry. I'll leave." She said blankly. She waited for the female's permission to move. Her disability left her without her loved ones, and she hated it more than ever. How could she have been born eith this. She thought over her bloodline.No wolves had been born nose-blind in her line,so why had she been given this genetic code? Her mind wandered a bit, forgetting about the situation she was facing quickly.

A birth defect. It was the first time she'd ever met someone born with the inability to smell, making her quite agog. Had the other been given help throughout her life? Assistance and lessons that might have permitted her to live for so long already? It was a strange occurrence, really. Perhaps it had been the aunt she'd sought to find that had given her the ability to carry on through life, or maybe it was the result of willpower alone. Asterr knew not what the true answer was, but in the process of her mind's wandering, she'd realized one thing: there was no possible way for the other girl to survive on her own. The separation of her and her caretaker had, in a sense, condemned her to death. Knowing this, the yearling was also reminded of the fact that she could not allow for someone to die when she was fully capable of preventing it.

It was with a short sigh that her body language had reverted back to it's regular, neutral demeanor, eyes never leaving the stranger. "What is your name?" Rather than dismissing the other and personally escorting her out of the territory, the girl's nature forced her to do something else entirely.

The little girl snapped backed to life when she heard the female speak. "My name is Sorrel Skylark." She said quietly, still taking in the great heap of information. She was surprised that she hadn't been killed or escorted yet. Why was this yearling remaining calm? Wouldn't she have attacked the young girl yet? Apparently not. She shook her scar-crossed maw a little bit and tried to keep her mind from taking off again. She focused her full attention on the female in front of her and waited for a  reply, what was in store for her she didn't know, but was nervous to find out.

The girl's name was not recognized, neither the given nor the family. She had wondered if she might have crossed paths with the other's aunt once upon a time, but the thought was laid to rest as quickly as it'd swept in. "Have you any clue as to where your aunt might be?" she'd asked, her intentions being to cover all bases before any major decisions were made. Of course, the chieftess could have offered Sorrel a place within her tribe right away, and yet she'd decided to put it off. As always, her focus was on what might be best, and presently that was the notion of a potential family reunion. It would be far more satisfying to bring a niece back to her aunt, though how likely it was that that might happen eluded her.

"If you have any memories of locations your aunt might have fancied, then perhaps we might be able to find her for you." It was not a concrete offer, of course, nor was it a promise. Asterr had no business making such deals, especially when she knew not if she could even pull through on her end.

"I...um...no." She stammered. "I guess she used to go hunting and could take a week, but never three, she would have returned if she couldn't find food." She shuffled her paws and lowered her head a bit. She was worried that she was getting in the way of the female's duties,l from the way she acted, it seemed she was an alpha. She probably had things to do. "I-I'm sorry." She whimpered. She felt so alone and confused, despite the fact that there was a wolf right in front of her. Her ears flicked again as she tried to concentrate on the female's face, attempting to read her emotions, but her face was as readable as the ancient tongue. She shook her pelt and waited for a reply, which she hoped would arrive soon. It felt weird to her to just stand their, looking down at the female.

Anything would have worked, any little piece of information. Going from nothing to something would have bettered the situation, and yet they'd managed only to remain at that which they'd started with. The fiery girl knew nothing in regards to where her aunt might be, which limited their options drastically. Given the assumed amount of time that the elder woman had been missing, Asterr couldn't help but consider the worst. Of course, she did not voice her internal worries, deciding it better to leave her with an ember of hope. Who knew, anyways, the true fate of the girl's aunt? Certainly not the dragoness, thereby giving her little evidence to support her thoughts. It'd be heartless to take away Sorrel's belief that she would find her guardian, and so the yearling did not comment any further on it.

"There is no need to apologize, it is not your fault," the yearling voiced, tone softer than it'd previously been. "Is there anywhere else you are able to go? Anyone else who might be able to look out for you? I can not simply send you off on your own with your... condition." She knew not else how to word it, uncertain whether it was a sensitive topic or not. No matter, she felt her meaning had been gotten across, and the cause of her apprehension understood.

The girl shook her head. "I guess I could look to settle in with a pack, but I'm guessing most packs don't have use  for a little one without a sense of smell." She said softly. "I-I'll find something?" She stated, but it was really a question for herself. What was she to do? Bother the nice yearling by sticking around like a bramble or set off and face....she didn't want to think about it. Her ears laid back against her head and she frowned sadly, uncertain of what to do. "I just want to go home..." She whispered tearfully,dropping onto her haunches. Her tongue swiped around here dry lips and she tried to think of anywhere she could go. She had lived in that cave so long, she didn't know where she had come from or what direction she had been going. "I don't know," she sighed and looked up into the yearlings eyes, confused and helpless.

The situation was a special one, in all honesty. The girl lacked the biggest tool to be used for survival, making her somewhat useless to many packs. Without a sense of smell, she could not hunt. She could not patrol borders or be left to head out on her own, her broken nose preventing many things from being safe for her. It bothered Asterr for a number of reasons. She wanted to help the girl and ensure she wasn't sentenced to death, but on the other hand, she had to think of her current tribe members. It would be unfair to them, making them work even harder each day to assist someone incapable of providing for themselves. That was the most prominent con to the situation, but the dragoness assured herself that it could easily be justified.

"If you can give to me a promise that you will try your best to succeed in spite of your condition, then I will allow you to stay here until your aunt comes to retrieve you," Asterr stated, fixing her in a serious gaze. It wasn't the greatest of offers, but it would settle for now. It would prevent the girl from indirectly causing another wolf's death, and perhaps even bring a family back together in the process.

The little one's eyes widened, she was in shock. "I-I promise! I swear....I guess I could contribute by, um...well, I want to learn more about herbal medicines. My aunt told me some of the basics, but I'm not completely educated. Thankyou miss...?" She stammered, her words spilling out. She asked the yearling's name, wanting to become acquainted to her temporary alpha, or so she thought that's what the yearling was. "I could find someone who could help me with the rest of my training, that would be, um, nice. I could help contribute to this pack with my skills then..." She was trying to speak seriously despite the fact that she was both nervous and hopeful. She hoped her aunt would come soon...She knew that her auntie wouldn't just leave her. She loved the little ember, no matter her disabilities. There was no way she would mess this up. Her auntie would come and find her at this place and they would live happily ever after. All f her thoughts were bright, not even taking consideration that her aunt may be dead. This was a young little one after all, and she couldn't imagine her auntie leaving to join the spirit grounds.

Wrap up soon?

Asterr's ears perked up, attentive, at the mention of herbal remedies. While a working nose was certainly helpful in locating specific plants, it was not at all necessary. Still, it came as a surprise that the younger was a herbalist—or, in the very least, the apprentice of one. Perhaps she would be able to make up for her lack of olfaction by contributing to the yearling's work as a medic, all the while improving her own skills in the process. It'd been quite some time since she'd last had the privilege of working alongside another, and so, inwardly, her excitement had increased tenfold. So much so, even, that she'd nearly missed the girl's stammering. Thankfully she'd caught it, however, for it'd served as a reminder to offer her own name. "Asterr Draconid," she'd said, finishing Sorrel's sentence.

"If it is a mentor you are in need of, then perhaps you will be able to shadow me," the chieftess suggested. "Of course, I will have to examine how far you currently are in your studies beforehand." Maybe she'd be able to find an injured outsider and lure them into the lair... a coyote could work, or a fox. "That can wait until later, though. For the time being, please, settle in and rest. I am sure your travels must have been tiring." The darkling moved forward after the last word had slipped from her tongue, touching her muzzle to the ember's shoulder, officially welcoming her into the tribe. The scent left behind would not be strong, but it would serve just as well as it'd done in the past until she'd been within the tribe long enough to become one with it.

She silently repeated the name, how pretty it was! Much prettier than...Sorrel. She was both surprised and extremely happy when the yearling said that she may be able to help with her medical skills. She smiled widely. When the yearling touched her shoulder, she returned it, burying her muzzle into her new Alpha's fur. She wanted to collapse with exhaustion, and a shoulder to lean on was much appreciated."Thank you." She said, but her words were a bit muffled by the female, Asterr's, fur. She followed Asterr with some pop in her step, excited to be part of this place. First thing in the morning, the little ember would go to meet the others. She sighed with relief. She finally had a home, for now.
-Done-