Moonspear Joining a Pack

Scorp had been looking for a pack for days now, traversing over rough territory, and he was tired and hungry, and the pads on his feet were in pain. He looked up as he smelled the boundary change to Moonspear pack. Maybe their leader would accept him. He let out a howl, letting the pack leader know that he meant no harm, and that he wanted to join the pack. He paced back and forth nervously, even though doing so hurt his paws.

What if they don't accept me? he thought. Many packs have turned me down. But he had no choice but to wait. Scorp could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Wait, was that a noise? Scorp thought his ears were playing tricks on him. After all, he was pretty tired. He sat down, feeling even more nervous.

Hello! Hope you're ok with my super territorial jerk. I'll have him call for someone in leadership if they don't hop in themselves.

Of all the beasts to encounter, Lazarus was perhaps the least forgiving.

In the wake of the locust's devastation he had become all the more paranoid, and took to his duties with increased vigor. He slept in short bursts, startled awake by even the smallest sound. While he wasn't afraid of the creatures that had recently invaded and consumed the mountainside, he was leery of their return, and thus was made vigilant.

When the call of a stranger pierced the sky, Lazarus became like a steam engine; he barrelled down the mountainside with great strides, weaving between what remained of trees, following each familiar ridge until he was nearer to the source. He did not slow his thunderous approach when he spotted the stranger either — intent to catch this foreigner off-guard and throw him off his mountain. To him, this stranger was not seeking sanctuary; he was a new mouth to feed, or a potential threat to Lazarus himself, and in his current frame of mind he was unwelcoming.

When he did stop, it was only because the stranger was already seated and did not appear threatening. The beast leveled an agitated glare towards the stranger and rumbled hastily, Why are you here? Although if the newcomer wanted to be given free reign of the mountainside, Lazarus was perhaps the last person they'd need to talk to.

Yeah, that's fine. It's good to work with other personalities. I might have to go soon though, so my posts might be short

As he watched the pack wolf barrel down the mountain, Scorp was impressed. He would have fallen on his face if he atttempted that. Scorp was a bit taken aback with how rude this wolf was when he spoke. "I am Scorp, and I am here to join Moonspear pack. I hunt well with a group, and, if necessary, will start my way at the lowest rank." Scorp said with respect. This was how he had asked to join packs previously. It hadn't worked before, but hopefully it would work now. 

Scorp sensed that the pack wolf didn't trust him, and he understood that. With the locusts, no one wanted a new pack member that was one more mouth to feed, especially one like Scorp. He looked at the other wolf, his stance friendly. If the other wolf turned him down, well... that was one more pack Scorp could cross off his list.

Anyway, it wasn't like he was completely helpless. If he was turned down, he could always find some food to eat. But he knew that, because of the locusts, there would be a lot less eating, and a lot more stomachs growling.

The stranger seemed to be young and fit, and would make a good addition to any pack. Being met at the edge of the lands by Lazarus was perhaps the only downfall of the situation. He was curteous though; the stranger seemed to know his place and held himself with respect and submission before Lazarus. The self-titled Beta of Moonspear was still not swayed beyond his evident hostility, and paced before the boy.

You would start at the bottom, as all must, Lazarus explained impatiently. A secondary line of thought brought the following question to his lips, and as it rumbled out of him, Lazarus' spine prickled: How do you know of the Moonspear? It was quite suspicious to the pale man. Had knowledge of the pack spread somehow? Or had this foreigner been watching them? Waiting? Lazarus silently concluded that he did not trust this Scorp, not one bit.

Yet he did not make a decision. Instead, the beast stopped his pacing and turned abruptly to the mountain slopes, bellowing with his call for @Amekaze, as she was the only being he trusted with such decisions — not to mention it was truly her mountain. Lazarus turned back to the stranger afterward, watchful, and listened for answers.

She made her way to them silently, weaving and winding as the stripped mountain dictated she must. This was the first call since the locusts had swarmed, so she was going into this with mixed feelings and a certain bit of suspiscion. In all, it wouldn't surprise her to know a loner sought refuge in numbers -- not when prey was declining rapidly as it was, and in the height springtime no less.

Her tail waved proudly and she honed her ache over recent events into a stony watchfulness. It seemed Lazarus had engaged the stranger already, and while he was not the most warm of beasts to meet here, he was effective. While she arrived, she noticed he did not seem overly perturbed by the company from first glance. She was curious to find out how far their encounter had advanced and what the loner may have to say. Amekaze looked him over herself, contemplative as she paused near Lazarus and expected the details promptly.

Nature would rebuild soon, so it was no time to have the pack falter.

Scorp could understand the pack wolf's mistrust "I have been searching for a pack for many days" he said, his face looking down, so that the pack wolf understood his respect. "Word of your pack has traveled around." Although this was the truth, Scorp thought that the pack wolf might not believe him, which showed to Scorp that this wolf was very loyal to his pack. 

When the pack wolf bellowed for his leader, Scorp thought 'Either this is going well, or this is going awful' But he didn't want to dwell on this thought. When the leader showed up, Scorp kept his head bowed, once again showing submission and respect. He did not speak, for fear that he would say something wrong.

Their answer would have to do, because Amekaze was upon them swiftly. Her dark form lurked just out of reach of Lazarus at first; he wanted to take aim at the stranger and prove his worth to the Alpha by driving them off, but they had not provoked him in any manner. So instead he controlled himself to the best of his ability. Lazarus rumbled a low sound to imply his acceptance of Scorp's answer, and then pulled away from him, drifting closer to the dark woman. His words are quiet then, reserved for her, as he makes his suggestions: His name is Scorp. He seems... Lazarus' voice dissolves and he shrugs, showing Amekaze he is not impressed, but he is hard to impress to begin with. It is your decision. He murmurs, to her, and then sidelines himself. If she needed him, he would happily oblige and chase the boy away — but now was the time for vetting, and Amekaze's opinion mattered far more than his own.

The stranger says nothing meant for her and Lazarus has her ears instead. She believed his judgement is likely sound enough, so she does want to know what he thinks. But, as he said, the decision was hers in the end and there was more she wanted to find out first.

With his name in mind, she looked upon the gray loner pointedly. She does not want to see him cower meekly before her but heed her mindfully. While she commands her respect, she wishes more to inspire her prospect packmates.. not stifle them and he is appropriately respectful. That, at the very least, is good for her. "What is your greatest strength?" she asked already because she doesn't feel like tiptoeing around the matter here. It was obvious they had no room for freeloaders, not when large prey had nothing to eat and therefore, the wolves had nothing large to hunt. That, and she already felt the growing uneasiness for all the packs in the general region. It hadn't been an issue when times were plentiful, and that could very well change soon if the naturalists gut feeling about this all proved true. "And where do you come from before here?" she asked, sniffing subtly. He smelled simply of lonerhood and vague other places, meaning very little to her.

Scorp listens, then says "I believe my greatest strength to be hunting." When the leader asks where he comes from he pauses. "Before here, there was a mountainous territory. It, too became overwhelmed with the bugs. I left my life as a loner there to join a pack here." 

Scorp didn't know if the leader asking him questions was good or bad. He knew that the leader probably didn't need one more mouth to feed, but he also knew that he could prove himself. The territory was slightly similar to his old home, which would be nice in that he knew how to hunt in mountains.

He paced through the periphery, keeping to Amekaze's heel while his eyes were trained upon the new arrival. If what he spoke was fitting to the leader, Lazarus would step aside and let him pass. He spoke of the bugs and of abandoning his previous home, which irked Lazarus somewhat - but that was nothing special. Everything and everyone bothered him here, except the shadow woman. The beast turned his attention to Amekaze then, wondering what her reaction would be; he waited eagerly for her to give the order to chase, for he would drive this fool out in a hearbeat if she desired it.

Her scrutiny was worn plainly and she listened, nodding as a show of her vague approval. He did align into what she wanted after all, and while the surface was just being scratched, he seemed to have a sound enough head on his shoulders with enough respect to keep him mindful. All riled by the notion of her mountain stripped clean of any and all greenery, she wanted to be harshly selective of who she granted access. But.. they still reeled from the losses of the early springtime and even winter, and the pack could potentially thrive on new blood in a time of struggle.

This was not an unfamiliar thought for her. A miscellaneous handful of the newer recruits had faded already, though, leaving her generosities threadbare and her reception chillier than before. 

But for coming from a place also ravaged by the bugs, he seemed to be in good health all things considered. Ame also appreciated he came from a mountain before, even if the nature of his leaving it was not the ideal. She glanced aside to the looming Lazarus, strangely content to know he'd likely act the second she asked it. There was a fleeting disappointment in the notion that it may not need to come to that, though. "Lend Moonspear and I your strength and respect, and you may have a home here. Proving your worth will keep it," she nodded, and her stern expression matched with the no-nonsense attitude of Lazarus would make it easy to see they'd mean to hold him to it if he could accept these terms. "We have need of hunters," she added a bit lighter even if it went without saying. Not that there was even much to hunt.

Scorp nodded his head "I will try my hardest to make sure everyone is fed" he says solemnly. He is glad that he has been accepted. Although he could see that the first wolf didn't like him, he was pleased that the leader at least tolerated him, unlike other leaders in his past. He was slightly concerned when her expression was stern, and knew he would be held to his promise.
He did not cross the border though, his mind still slightly reeling with the fact that a wolf might actually accept him. He could see the mountain, and it made him feel good.

She nodded, although there hung a certain doubt in the back of her mind. In the wake of the locust swarm, she could not tell what the weeks to follow would have in store. None of it sat well with her and something seemed inherently wrong about having to worry so extensively about feeding her pack in springtime, when everything should be fresh and plentiful..

But, such was exactly the reason why she would value dedicated hunters, even if he was difficult to get a good read on otherwise. Maybe time would change that. He had done nothing to disagree with her in an way, shape, or form so she mustered a small sway of her tail. "Good. Learn the mountain with time," she said. And prove yourself. "I am Amekaze. Any questions?" she offered before wrapping this up.

Lazarus is exiting here~

With the intruder dealt with there was no reason for Lazarus to linger. He turned swiftly from the pair of them (though his attention remained focused on Amekaze even as he stumbled up the mountainside), and before long he was a grayed silhouette among the shadows. Perhaps he would watch this newcomer and bare witness to his follies, perhaps drive him out in secret? But he had yet to raise the burly  man's rage, and did not seem interested in contesting whatever mental claim he held over the Alpha woman; so for now he would just watch and wait, lurking upon and guarding the mountain.

Scorp actually had a few questions, which he guessed Amekaze would be expecting. "I would like to know what position I am, who I should bring any food to, and the hunting rules." He had a few more, but they weren't burning questions like those ones. He had stepped over the border into Moonspear territory, and was a few feet away from Amekaze.
He was very anxious to meet his new pack, and he briefly wondered if they would accept him. He knew that the wolf who had just left, who Scorp hadn't caught the name of, didn't like Scorp, but he didn't know how others would react. He remembered not mentioning his limp, and wondering if it was important.

He was concise in his questions. Amekaze appreciated it with a slow nod. "The bottom, for now. Ranks are relative here and can shift with your worth," she explained. He seemed even-tempered, mindful.. even, so she had to wonder how he would match up among her others once he was able to establish himself among them. For now, their ranks were small and she had need of able-bodies, so for the willing, she did not imagine it to be a difficult place to rise with enough determination. "As for bringing food to anyone, I would honestly say caching all you can is the best approach right now -- prey is only going to get more scarce, I suspect," she said with a squint to the bare treelines, her frustration for the condition evident. "We do not have any injured, elderly, or very young here at the moment, so no one is in pressing need of their meals delivered. But I want our stocks to maintain even if this gets worse."

Lazarus fell from the immediacy of her focus and she began to step aside, preparing to head down a path of her own soon. "As for hunting rules, anything on the mountainside goes so long as your skill permits," she smirked subtly. Some of their upper slopes were treacherous, he'd learn this if he ventured their way. "We also hunt in the nearby lowlands when necessary,  and may need to expand more depending on how things go with the herds.." This may translate to her being more mindful of the nearby neutral turf than ever before. Time would have to tell. She was wanting to prepare for the worst, though.

Scorp nodded his understanding of Amekaze's answers to his questions. He remembered vaguely the lowlands from his travels while trying to find a pack. He was also sure he could do well hunting on a mountain. He was pleased to find that he could most likely move up in the ranks.

He turned his head to the way Lazurus had gone. "Is that the way we follow to go home?" he asked, curiousity plain on his face. He wondered what the conditions of the place would be like. Probably similar to his old home. He stood up, unsure of what to do next.

"One of them," she answered with a nod. The mountain had a handful of viable paths depending on the location and desired destination. It did take time to learn them all, though. "It may take time, but you will learn the mountain's pathways soon just as you will the faces and scents here. I am intending to finish patrol, so you can follow if you want, or settle in on your own," she offered vaguely and swung her snout in the direction she would go. Her trail would stick closer to the base, as necessitated by making patrol rounds. She would understand if he'd rather settle in differently, of course.