Shadewood We Begin Anew

Open to anyone in Shadewood. Come meet Chai! Backdated to March 15th.

Chai had allowed herself plenty of time to acclimate to her new home. She quickly discovered that the forest was vast. Much of it was cloaked in shadow, but by no means did it cast a foreboding air. The widely spaced, tall trees and minimal sunlight gave the newest resident a feeling of comfort. Security. It was not completely dark; in spots some rays of sunlight did manage to break through. Though, Chai still had yet to discover the whole of Shadewood Keeps territory.

Just was the case of meeting any other wolves. Besides Cry, Atticus, Morgan and Laroche, she knew no one. She knew with time, that that would change. In the meantime, she busied herself. She scoped out several potential den sites, but had not yet settled on any of them. Aware that several of the females in the pack were carrying full bellies, she played her part in filling the caches. Today, she had ventured out on a quick trip to Grouse Thicket and after several hours of patient stalking, nabbed herself a plump Spruce grouse. With a merry little skip in her step, obviously proud of her days efforts, she strode through the shadow cloaked forest. Her glacial eyes were bright and alert, ears pricked as she debated with herself whether to go to where more of the action was, or find someplace more secluded.

For Amaya life on Sherwood was quiet and she found that she was settling in quite well. Mostly she was glad to not be on her own any longer. She'd gotten to meet a few of her packmates and now didn't have to feel so alone in the world like she had before. It was a different feeling for the gray woman to be sure but she was finding herself content in the decision that she had made and the life she was making for herself.

Just as she needed some time to get used to jot being alone she also needed to get used to the fact that she wasn't just looking out for herself. Before she would wake up and get drink before moving on through the lands. She'd hunt and eat along the way. Now she had duties to the pack that needed fulfilled each day. It was on her way to the patrol that she usually did about that time each day that she came across a face she'd yet to meet. This brought a smile to her maw as she moved towards the other female. “Hello, I don't believe we've had the pleasure,” she said to announce herself to the other woman.

Up ahead, a gray figure emerged and got her attention. One pale paw at a time, Chai slowly came to a halt. Mouth still stuffed full of her feathered catch, she observed with wide, soft eyes as the wolf approached. She felt no sense of alarm - the other offered a greeting and a smile. Examining her features and coat pattern, Chai knew that not formally met this one before.

Never one to turn down a fresh opportunity to socialize, she dropped her catch closed the gap between them. She stopped a few body lengths away, tail cutting through the air in friendly strokes. "No I don't believe we have! I'm...well...pretty new." She could worry about deciding what to do with her prize, and where, later. Smiling, she introduced herself. "My names Chai."

It was a hard thing being new to a place, staying still, getting used to her surroundings. Amaya was making it though with each new wolf that she met. Slowly she was learning that it wasn't just herself that she needed to look out for. She had a pack, a family, that she needed to use her skills to support. When the timber female came into view Amaya didn't know if she was a longstanding member of the keep that she just hadn't met yet or new to the pack just like herself. Either way she was a member as was clear by the scents carried on her coat.

This was a wolf she needed to meet so she approached in a friendly manner wanting to start off on the right paw. She was received as she had hoped she would be. The gray woman watched as the other dropped what she'd been carrying before closing some of the distance between the. As she spoke Amaya learned it was the latter, “I'm kind of new here too,” she explained, “It's nice to meet you Chai, I'm Amaya.” Once the greetings and introductions were over it left the chance to ask more questions starting with, “Is the Keep your first pack?” Was this woman more like her than she thought?

Had she known of what Amaya was going through; the very same thing as herself, Chai would happily relate. But she didn't. She had never met this woman before. Only knew of her by scent in passing. And now by looks and name, when they at last met. 

So far their exchange seemed to be going well. Chai had taken the initiative by coming off as friendly, first. In turn, Amaya seemed to extend the same. Which made the newest member of the Keep feel at ease. "A pleasure, Amaya. I've been meaning to get to know everyone." She nodded. "Aside from my birth pack, it is. I heard of it from my friend, Atticus. And well...we traveled here together." She offered with a somewhat sheepish little smile.

It was sort of a comfort to know that she wasn't the only one that was new to the pack. That there was another who also had the task of learning their new surroundings and meeting the rest of the members. Admittedly there were times that Amaya did feel alone but only because she hadn't had the chance to meet everyone. Perhaps in time maybe she and Chai could become good friends, time would tell.

They certainly seemed to get on well enough Amaya was glad for that. The gray woman hoped that she would be able to get along well with all of her packmates. She smiled as Chai spoke of her intentions to get to know everyone, “I am hoping to do the same.” It was a nice thing to know that she wasn't the only one with that goal. Chai explained of how she had come to be in the Keep. “Is your friend Atticus still here?” She asked and then since she didn't know much about Birth packs she was a little curious, “Why did you leave your Birth pack? If you don't mind my asking of course.”

She shook her head, smiling slightly. "I am sure he is around, somewhere close by." The pair had done enough travelling together. While she didn't mind his company, it was good for them to branch out on their own for short bursts of time. They would carve their own agendas and meet back up on their own terms. Atticus was probably off getting to know another member of the pack at this very moment, she thought.

Then came a question that she should have been expecting, once she mentioned her natal pack. The muscles hidden beneath the lush fur around her shoulder blades bunched together slightly, and Chai looked away. It wasn't what Amaya had said. It was the answer...the memories of why she had left. "Personal reasons..." She uttered softly, her voice unoffended. Let's just say...I was the odd one out."

Since Amaya was still learning about the pack and meeting its members she didn't know if she would have the chance to meet Atticus. Maybe he'd seen what the pack was like and that Chai was safe and left. Amaya found out when the other woman spoke that he was in fact still in the pack. "In that case maybe I'll get the chance to meet him sometime." As with the rest of the members she really hoped that she would get the chance.

From all the things she had heard about packs Amaya thought that being in one was ideal. For other wolves anyway. Until she came to the keep she had preferred being on her own. So she had a hard time understanding why someone would leave especially a pack that they were born into. As Chai explained she did find herself nodding in understanding. "Being the odd one out sort of makes being in a pack kind of pointless," she stated since she thought the point of being in a pack was that you never felt that way. "I hope you won't feel that way here in the keep." Amaya liked Chai and hoped she'd stick around.