Stone Circle numbers, letters, learn to spell

She paused finally when the borders came into sight, energy thoroughly drained. With a huff, she turned back to @Casimir, gesturing to the territory with a swing of her muzzle. She'd almost led him straight into the packlands, but, luckily, she'd recalled her meeting with Murdock and the way he'd stopped and called. She didn't do the latter, since he hadn't explicitly asked to join, and instead plopped onto her rear and immediately regretted it when the cold of the snow sunk into her rump. Shifting a bit, she peered back at him, half-grin on her muzzle. "this is it." 

Casimir gave a large puff of breath, panting heavily alongside the dog. They had finally arrived at their destination, and joy overwhelmed the boy. Well, joy along with fear, anticipation, and worry. Were these wolves really as friendly as Poppy suggested? Cas hoped so, dearly.
     Awe shined in the boys eyes as he gazed at the territory, wondering of all the possibilities that could be. This was amazing... Snapping back to the moment, Casimir began to speak once again. “Do you know anyone you could introduce me to?” The boy wasn’t really sure how this pack stuff went.

The collie nodded shortly, dipping back her muzzle and calling for @Valette. It was an odd call, reminiscent of a wolf's and yet lacking the musical clarity of one's. Rather, it was simple and to the point, and Poppy turned to the boy with a small smile. She rather hoped that he turned out to be a good addition to the pack, or at least as friendly to Valette as he had been to her - she was rather nervous over the whole ordeal, having never brought another to a packs borders and worried she was overstepping, somehow.

      Casimir waited anxiously as Poppy called out with her strange, dof-dog- voice. It wasn't a bad sound, it was just...different, that was all. Casimir began to tap his tailtip oh-so-softly on the snow as he sat, attempting to comfort himself with rhytmns, much like his mother did. He could exactly mimic her heartbeat, it's rhythmn. It was one of the few things that kept him stable these days. After getting lost from Xahi in that storm, everything had become so much harder. He had been alone, and, to keep himself above water, his mother's heartbeat had been his song, his guidance.
   
  That was what he needed now, in this moment, waiting for a new beginning to come. The boy knew very well that this could go two ways: He could be shooed from this land, once again thrown out on his ass to wander the wilds until he came across a new pack, or could find his family. Or, Casimir could be accepted into this pack, with another family, a tight-bound collection of souls on a territory challenging themselves to survive amongst one another...to live amongst one another.

Both thoughts were fucking terrifying.

Valette instantly recognized Poppy's howl. It was quite different than from a wolf. Valette wondered why the dog needed her. Though now she did remember that she would show her aspects of watching deer herds. They hadn't done that yet. But the howl seemed to come from the border. Valette trotted towards her. Once she saw her the alpha female realized that she wasn't alone.

Valette carried herself with a high head and tail. It was quite natural for her now after a year of leadership. Valette dipped her head at Poppy but didn't go as far as to greet her fully. Her eyes fell on the stranger. This was a wolf. She didn't need more dogs in her pack. "Hello, I'm Valette. I lead this pack," she introduced, then she expected Poppy to explain what he did here on their borders.

Valette did not take long to arrive, and Poppy shifted once before greeting her in the same manner, echoing the head dip carefully. She looked once to the boy beside her, and then she spoke, somewhat more confidently than she'd expected. "this is Casimir - he wanted to meet you. to learn more about Easthollow."  Poppy offered a grin to both wolves, though her gaze settled on Casimir as she waited for him to speak in turn.

Casimir watched in awe as a graceful, dark figure approached him. She moved forwards with a confidence that Cas could only assume meant she was of a high rank, or possibly top dog. The young boy saw the dips that each wol greeted each other with and emulated the movement as Poppy had. In his old home, shoulder touches were the way the family greeted each other, but perhaps it did not work that way here. 

Casimir gave a brief smile to the woman (who was indeed the alpha), Valette, as the dog spoke. When she was done, Casimir hopped into the conversation, using his most eloquent speech and poising himself. This was the way the young one functioned, possesing himself in a charming manner. It was the part of Casimir that hadn't seen the sun in much too long. Lately he had been uneasy with himself, but now he hoped he would able to ressurect that alluring elegance that he held himself to.

"Hello, a pleasure to meet you. As Poppy said, my name is Casimir, I'm a traveller, for now," the boy gave a soft laugh as he spoke those last words, hoping it would help to break the ice. "My mother actually used to live amongst one of the packs here, in these wilds, so I traveled to learn more about where and how these packs lived. Poppy here," Cas motioned to the sweet-hearted dog,"Told me you are called Easthollow? I-I was wondering if you are accepting new members into your pack these days?" The young boy flicked his ears and tail, smiling nervously at Valette. Hopefully this would go well for the little yearling.

Poppy explained more about the male. Valette nodded to her. So it was a new recruit then. The female had some space for new wolves. Valette listened with interest to the young wolf before him. "What is your mother's name? I might know her," Valette offered. If this was a child of someone she knew it was easy for her to accept him in her ranks.

"We are called Easthollow. We are a family based pack and care for one another. The longer you are in the pack the more you become part of the family," she explained. "We do have some space left. Are you interested in joining Easthollow then?," she asked. Valette sounded friendly, far friendlier than she had when meeting poppy that was for sure. Though eventually, she warmed to the female. "What kind of trades do you see yourself doing if you would be accepted within Easthollow?"

Permission to skip Poppy

Casimir blinked, wondering if perhaps the woman would know his mother. "Her name was Ezimette, she followed a woman named Asterr in Ryujin, as she told me." His whole body grew warm just thinking back to all of his mother's tales. The boy's mother had never mentioned a woman named Valette, but anything was possible; maybe she did know her?

Casimir's heart glowed as Valette spoke of family. Family is what Casimir lived for, in reality, so being part of a pack that valued it would be great for him. "Oh yes, very interested indeed. I came here to find a pack of my own." As for trades, Casimir believed Ezimette had mentioned something of them once. "Well, I do not know exactly the names of what you speak of, but I have an idea of what you mean, I think. My mother began to teach me some basics in healing, if that would be helpful? Oh, and I hunt. Well, I mean, I pride myself on my skill in hunting." The young one hoped that his skills would give him some footing when it came to recruitment, as he was unsure exactly what the pack was in need of.

Valette thought about the name of the woman and if she ever heard it. The female then shook her head gently. "I do not know your mother," she then spoke. She couldn't remember an Ezimette nor a female named Asterr. However, she did know Ryujin. It was a mountain pack, though she didn't think they still existed. She didn't know for certain hence why she didn't tell the male.

"We do need a healer. So that is a welcome trade," she admitted. "How much do you know about healing so far?," Valette wondered. She knew some packmates tried to get the trade but she wasn't sure if they were progressing. "And what prey do you hunt the most, or are you most skilled in, to hunt?," she wondered.

She fell silent as the two began to speak, tail moving softly behind her as she followed the words of the two. She was surprised by the friendliness that Valette offered the male, having full expected him to face the same side of Valette that she had, upon her joining months prior. This, however, seemed not the case, and while she was glad that the meeting appeared to be going well, she could not quell some odd unsettled feeling.

Casimir's heart felt the slightest bit pricked with disappointment over the fact that the woman was not acquainted with his mother. Alas, he was not living in a fairytale, and so it should not have surprised him in the slightest. Before he could drift, the boy's attention was caught by the dark woman inquiring more of him.

"I'm quite new to it. Just after my mother  began to teach me the basics, tending to minor wounds and such, well...she died. However, her passion for helping others really motivates me to learn more when I have the chance. My life has been quite volatile lately,"the boy said with a soft laugh,"so I have not had a lot of time to continue my studies. My hope is that when I have the stability of a pack I will be able to continue researching in healing. As for prey, I'm quite good with deer. I'm fast, which aids me great in hunting them. I could use some work in honing this, though" The boy wondered silently to himself what type of prey roamed around these parts.

Valette nodded at the other when they started to explain that they just had the very basics of being a healer. Still it was more than she could. She would just lick wounds while that might not even be the smartest thing to do. "It is always more than what I can do," she spoke. She decided that they could use this wolf, especially if it was also skilled in hunting deer. Valette liked that more wolves would be able to help her during a bigger game hunt.

"How did you know Poppy?," she then asked him curiously. Perhaps Poppy went outside of the border. She was not sure how Murdock would think about that seeing that he was protective of the female and that they were mates, right. Valette also glanced curiously at Poppy. Perhaps they could both answer that question for her.

Valette addressed her then, (well, sort of) and Poppy shook herself from the curious feeling and replied quickly. "we met just a little while ago - I was exploring."  she offered this by means of an explanation, not sure how to explain that her trip had been largely motivated by the rush of energy she'd felt, the same kind of energy that she'd only felt in her youth. it was something that propelled her to explore and move and feel, and though it had faded quickly after she'd exhausted it, it was something rather novel to experience.

      "Yes," The young boy began,"I'd been navigating for quite some time and Poppy was kind enough to lead me here, she told me that she lives here with you wolves." Casimir gave a curious glance back at the dog, wondering just what the story behind that was. Was it culturally common for wolves to adopt these dog creatures into their packs? Ezimette had never mentioned a dog...Oh! She had mentioned a little bobtailed red outcast wihtout a sense of smell! Perhaps customs were to adopt outcasts, creatures who couldn't care for themselves. Casimir would definitely have to ask more about this in the future.

Valette dipped her head at the story the two told. They needed a healer but this young male did seem to fit their values. The female then smiled. "Well, Casimir, welcome to Easthollow," she hummed. "Though I would like you to get your medical trade as soon as possible," she added then. "You can look at my son's Nikai's leg and my own Daughter Steph. She has a thing around her neck. I will bring my daughter to you," she spoke then. "Poppy would you mind showing Casimir around the territory?"

she waited as valette finished, smiling as her new friend was accepted into the pack without a hitch. she agreed quickly to the woman's request, and with a motion at Casimir, began her prancing foray into the territory, determined to offer him the best tour of the packlands she could give.