Redhawk Caldera we climbed up to the top in worn out shoes

It had been long since Sasha's departure with her good friend, Mordur. The two had went their own ways, leaving Sasha alone to her choices. She could either remain a lone wolf, or be accomapanied by others. The latter was much more appealing, so the viking decided to find a far away place to reside. She had walked for quite some time and was ready to rest. 

However, a strong scent caught the she-wolf's attention, and she decided to follow it. Sasha neared what she assumed to be the border, the pungent scent almost overwhelming now. The wooly female decided waiting was best and sent out a howl of her presence. Sasha had the intention to join whatever pack was here, though she knew nothing of them.

He already missed Wildfire, who had gone back home, but the four pups kept him pretty busy. He couldn't help but wonder if any of them would stay here in the caldera or if they would follow in the earlier Firebirds' footsteps. Peregrine would love to one day step down and hand the reigns of the pack to an heir, as he'd once planned to do with Nightjar, although if he was honest with himself, he didn't see any of his remaining sons as leader material at this point. They were young yet, though, and anything could happen. Hell, he could adopt the lost boy and pass it down to him someday.

Peregrine pondered all of this and more as he wound slowly around the borders. He was not expecting to find anything to disturb the peace and quiet of the early summer afternoon, though his jade gaze sharpened when he spotted a figure loitering near the periphery. Just seconds after noticing her, she howled. The Alpha's eyes narrowed and he began trotting briskly in her direction, head high and tail stiff.

"State your name and business," he said in a neutral voice when he came within earshot, stopping about six feet from her, tail now arched up and over his hips as he leered slightly.

Sasha stiffened as she saw a figure trotting in her direction. He stopped, leaving a small distance between them. This wolf carried the scent of what she had smelled eariler, as well as a formidable demeanor. He must be the Alpha. She wondered, thoughts confirmed when the male asked her to state her name and business. Sasha gulped--this wasn't her first language and didn't want to make a fool of herself.

"I am Sasha, I come here to join the pack," she said, with the hint of an icelandic accent. She knew enough to speak fluently, but it was still evident she wasn't from these parts. The she-wolf lowered her body, tail between her legs in the act of submission. She was not one to domineering, especially in front of a more powerful wolf.

The stranger showed a satisfactory level of submission and promptly answered his question. Peregrine gave her an approving look, then squinted slightly as he canted his head to the right. He wondered what made her want to join the caldera specifically. But he found he wasn't curious enough to ask. There were more important things to ask, like...

"What're your strengths? Your skills?"

Sasha took note of the Alpha's approving look, but did not allow herself to be at ease. Her eyes shifted as he asked the question that was most likely the deciding factor of admittance. What were her strengths? She had never thought much about it. Sasha considered herself a caring soul, but how would she put that quality to use? Would she simply say to the wolf before her "I am nice"? No, that sounded ridiculous. However, she didn't want to keep the Alpha waiting as she dealed with her own inner turmoil.

"I help others..." Sasha racked her brain for better words. "I would offer my services of counseling," there it was, the word she was looking for. Sasha had always wanted to help others back at home, and wanted to do no less for her potential pack. 

"I can fight, I am...OK at it," She added, admitting that though she was able to defend herself, she wasn't the most skilled and needed some work. She had trained when living in the north, but it had been a while. Sasha decided she had said enough,pausing to indicate she was finished.

Perhaps another leader might have seen value in counseling but it certainly wasn't at the top of Peregrine's list of favored skills. He opened his mouth to say so, then clapped it shut. Not only had Sasha mentioned fighting skills (albeit mediocre ones), he suddenly thought of Eljay. Maybe he could use a counselor to help him cope with Peter's death. And maybe the Firebirds could benefit from some guidance too. The adults were doing their best to help the kids, yet perhaps they could use some outside assistance.

"We've had a death in the family recently. Are you any good at helping with that? Grief counseling...?" he wondered, ignoring her mention of fighting for now.

Sasha heard Peregrine's request, surprised that he had an occasion already to match her skills. If she were to be accepted, her worth would be tested almost immediately.

"I will offer my services to comfort others whenever they feel the need," Sasha replied, gaze unparallel with the Alpha's. "Good or bad, I help." Though it wasn't the cheeriest of circumstances, she was willing to offer a comforting presence to whoever needed it. "As for the death, I am sorry for the loss," the viking added, dipping her head with respect.

She answered affirmatively and Peregrine weighed his options. He was not the type to go blathering about (inter)personal issues to perfect strangers, though he deliberated over whether to mention Peter's death and how it was affecting his pack mates, particularly his distraught nephew. He eyeballed Sasha as he contemplated, head tilted slightly to favor his good eye, teeth pressing gently into his tongue and leaving little indents in the pebbled pink flesh.

After a beat, he finally said, "All right, Sasha. I could actually use your skill set right now. But just know that if you don't measure up, I won't hesitate to toss you out. Everyone pulls their weight here." Peregrine paused, then added, "As your first task as a member of this pack, I want you to find our Beta female, Finley. She's a new mother, so don't go looking for her den. Just call for her. Tell her that you want to help her son, Eljay, deal with Peter's death, then ask if it's okay."

He drew in a long breath, then said, "If she says no, let me know. I may have other tasks for you." He thought of Ferret, Gannet and Whip, and how they were still struggling to accept and understand their little brother's absence. Then there was Jack, who could probably use some counseling after going through many huge life changes of his own. Really, if he thought about it, there were plenty of uses for a counselor around here.

"Do you have any questions for me? About your new home?" Peregrine queried.

The Alpha's silence felt like an eternity, making Sasha fidget with anticipation. When he gave his affirmative words, it felt almost as if the weight of the world had been taken off her shoulders. "I understand," she answered breathlessly, accompanied by a brief nod of her head. She already had her first assignment, which was a bit daunting. However, this was a pack she was joining, and she should expect no less. Sasha sat silently and drank in the instructions that Peregrine spoke to her, running them a few times over in her head. Finley, Eljay, Peter, She hoped memorizing these names would make it easier to remember what her task was. "I will help," she answered simply.

Sasha looked up as the Alpha spoke once more. Hopefully the she-wolf she was speaking to wouldn't give her trouble, but she could handle it if that did happen. Peregrine spoke again, and Sasha cocked her head. Did she really have questions? Her mind was so focused on her new job that she couldn't think of any thing else to ask.

"I am good for now. If I have any questions later, I can ask you?" Sasha wondered aloud.

She understood and would help, which was all that Peregrine expected and required of her. "Thanks," he said. Sasha didn't appear to have any other questions, so he paused to consider if he had anything else to add. "You'll occupy our highest available rank for now but if you work hard, you can always move up. Oh, and my name's Peregrine, by the way. I forget if I mentioned that? You're welcome to call me Perry." He paused again. "Well, I think that's it. Make yourself at home, show yourself around..."

The Alpha almost added something about steering clear of the rendezvous site but the pups had reached an age where it was no longer as necessary. Besides, they were starting to roam the entire territory more and more now, so it would be difficult for a new member to avoid them. He would just have to trust Sasha and the boys' ability to be smart about stranger danger. It was definitely difficult, since she was effectively a stranger and there was a lot of inherent risk, but such was the life of a pack that took recruits in this way.

His lips pursed for a moment, then Peregrine nodded. "See you around, Sasha." With those parting words, he turned and slowly meandered away to finish up his patrol.

sorry for the short post, I was typing up a long one and then the tab closed :")

Sasha followed along Peregrine's words, grinning at the nickname he presented for himself. Sasha was greatful for it in more ways than one -- it made things seem a bit friendlier, and Sasha couldn't imagine how she'd butcher a name like his. It sounded foreign, though most everything did. "Nice to meet you, Perry." She smiled, continuing to listen as he explained the ranking system.

She took a quick glance around the territory, taking in the view. It wasn't densly wooded, though there were thick groups of trees dotted around the area. What stood out to her the most were the sprawling grasslands. Sasha hadn't though about it too much, but she really enjoyed the openness. As Peregrine took his leave, Sasha dipped her head to the male and parted ways. A newfound vigor coursed through the she-wolf, for she had just been accepted into a pack.