Blacktail Deer Plateau the end of the road

Coq has come and gone from one place to the next with nothing but restlessness in his bones. He’d attempted the pack life once since arriving in the teekon but the notion had been shortlived, though the claim hadn’t been too strong to be begin with. As he comes across another, a plateau that is only vaguely familiar, he halts before he gets too far. Having long since grown tired in his travel, he knows he can’t go forever like this. No pack is going to give him the same familial connection as the river once had but he’ll have to settle for the next best thing.
 
With a slow breath to fill his lungs, the ragged grey male lifts his nose and lets loose a call for someone that might be able to help him.

The week was proving to be filled with new life as another unfamiliar voice echoed over the plateau. Pema was beginning to like encountering new individuals and speaking on the behalf of that pack. It gave her a feeling of greater purpose within the pack and seemed to prove her worthfulness within the pack. 

She walked down to the river, the calming sound of the river greeting her along with the face of a light gray colored individual. A male this time that seemed to posses a level of courtesy as the female Starbelly had a few days prior. Pena looked at the male with a smile saying simply. "Hello there."

It is not long he has to wait before another approaches. Before they get too close, his ears fall back and his head lowers, as well as he hinders the rest of his form. He has gotten scrawny and tired looking—he likely wouldn’t be able to fend off another in a scuffle—but he hopes to be met with friendliness if he offers at least something similar to resemble it. As she gets closer, noting the strength in her pack scent, he offers a chuff just before she speaks and his tail wags eagerly.
 
“Hello,” he greets her, uncertain how much he needs to offer. “I am Coquihalla, but you can call me Coq if you’d like.”

She is determined to answer this call. She hobbles along, gaining momentum as she learns to balance herself on three limbs, breath not the shallow thing it has been but deeper, faster, as she struggles along. The pain is manageable, but what she doesn't know if that the girl is preventing infection merely by breathing deeply, and her stubborn scurry towards the border might help prevent worst illness down the road. She picks up the last few words the male says, and in her hurry puts too much wait on her forepaw, hissing sharply when pain blossoms up her forelimb. Dawn pulls up alongside Pema, greeting her shortly and the other with a nod, breath coming a little fast, a few lacerations weeping blood. She hardly cares, though; she's done something, for the first time in days ages. "Coquihalla" she says, testing out the name on her tongue. She observes him, attempting to ignore her obvious shortcomings and injuries and hoping the other two would do the same. They share a similar coat, she realizes, and asks a moment later. "Are you looking for someone, or a home, or charity?" she asks quickly, not unkindly, yet bluntly. She hardly feels like wasting words at the moment.

When she began to hear the off beat steps of Dawn, Pema looked over her shoulder and wanted her limp to her side. She didn't say anything but the expression on her face read you know you should be resting. Looking at the blood flowing from some of her cuts Pema gave her a double take with the same facial expression. She could talk to her about it later, but she wasn't going to say anything now especially when there was another wolf at their borders. She didn't want to make Dawn look bad or the pack itself for that matter.

The foreigner introduced themselves and gave thier nickname Coq. They seemed friendly enough, but Dawn seemed to want to get to the point and skip over any small talk that may have gone on. Pema didn't say anything else, just smiled at Coq wanting to know the same answers, but appearing more friendly and less straight forward.

As he finishes speaking, another pops almost out of nowhere. So focused on the wolf in front of him, he hadn’t noticed the approach. It is staggering and he gives a flighty glance between the two, uncertain the injured female should be at the borders. With the way she speaks to him, he assumes she has to be someone important despite the youthful light to her features. It takes him a moment to sort through the change of scene, switching whom he addresses to the younger of the pair. “A home. We were forced out of our homes many moons ago and it is time I found a new one. I don’t look like much right now but I’m a real good hunter and fighter.”

Pema offers her a look, and she feels almost guilty. She likes the healer, and when the girl gives her another look, obviously noting the sorry state of her formerly-healing injuries, Dawn offers and apologetic look in return. The startled look of Coq has her believe that she might have been a tad too blunt, and her features soften, stance slackening. She wonders who he means by "we", but doesn't ask, focused on being friendly then she initially was. "We can always use hunters - especially good ones." She offers with a small smile to make up for her earlier words. "And while Morningside doesn't exactly have any enemies, a fighter could be useful, too." She adds thoughtfully, glancing at Pema. She doesn't see why they shouldn't accept Coq. He is polite, and if he proves he is able to bear his own weight, he will help in feeding her siblings. "Our leader is Grayday, and we have a few pups to provide for. If you pull your own weight, I don't see any reason to turn you away." She says, glancing to Pema to affirm that he ought to be welcome.

He spoke of being forced from his home and Pema felt bad for him. It was one thing to leave your family and or pack, but to be forced usually meant that you would have prefered to stay there. Morningside had become a perfect home for Pema and she hoped that it would for those coming to join the pack, assuming they made a good fit. It definatly helped that he said he was a hunter.

Pema nodded along with what Dawn was saying adding along the way, "Especially with winter comming we could use all the able bodies willing to pull their weight and help those who at times can't." she refered to the pups and even Dawn at the moment, who was still too injured to hunt for herself. With the absence of Howl they could use another able body willing to fight off any possible harm comming to the pack, like that other lone wolf that had wondered into the territory uninvited. "There's also many other trades that could use filling if you have any other interests. I think as long as your willing to work hard we could definatly find a place for you within our borders." she nodded agreeing with Dawn's previous statement.

The injured wolf speaks up and, in a way, approves the skills he has to offer. They are but words and thankfully they take them for face value, regardless of whether or not they are true. In the coming days and weeks, he will prove himself and he supposes if they do not like what he has to offer they will move him along. He’s been on the other end his share of times and he can only imagine that’s going through their mind. Coq glances to the other wolf for a moment as she speaks, adding on to what the girl has to say but he doesn’t know what else to offer but a smile, letting them sort out their workings quietly.

Her gaze turned back to Coq after confirmation from Pema, and Dawn's stance relaxed as she offered the newest member a grin. "Welcome to Morningside, then. You'll have to seek out Grayday soon, and tell him that Pema and I - Dawn - vouched for you. Be wary around the pups; my father might not like you around them until you've proved you are trustworthy, and not liable to steal them away."  She stated, mirth in her gaze as she stepped back, allowing him entry onto their lands. She realized with a slight thrill that this was the first time she had formally accepted a packmate, and dearly hoped that it wouldn't go array. But she had faith in Coq, he seemed a reliable wolf, and she trusted he wouldn't turn out to be a creep. Ruefully, she added "I would offer you a tour, but perhaps it would be better if someone more able-bodied took charge of that." she admitted, glancing briefly to Pema and wondering if she might have the time to offer the male a tour of their territory.

Pema and Dawn went back and forth talking about the slim requirements the pack had to joining the pack. Even though it was a short list, everything on it was very important and shouldn't be taken lightly. They let Coq know what was on the list, but he didn't respond. Not fully asking if he could join their pack. Yes he said he was looking for a home, but she would have like it if he would have made the final comfirmation that he indeed wanted to become a member of the pack.

She didn't want him to feel forced into the pack, but he also didn't stop to interrupt the girls as they spoke, which gave Pema the impression that they were on the same page.  So everything became offical. Pema and Dawn had accepted a new member into the pack, another able body for the pack, her tail wagged with excitement. 

"I can show you around if you like. I can introduce you to Grayday along the way if we see him." she volunteered herself when talk of a tour was brought up. When she had first joined the pack, she knew she would have liked and escort through the pack so that others had know she wasn't an inturder. She waited to see if he would take her up on his offer before heading into further into the territory, Coq close behind if he accepted.

Let me know if you would like a Coq, Pema tour thread.

It was strange to him that he doesn’t get to meet the leader now and pass some other kind of scrutiny. Perhaps one of these two are a leader in their own right but their exchange only leaves him with questions. Coq narrows his eyes but he does not object. Instead, he’s given a little instruction he’d expect of any newcomer to a pack with children. He hadn’t liked the newer wolves near his own children but they’ve long since grown and moved on. After a deep breath, he looks to Pema who is offering the tour, and nods. His questions he’ll save for later but he awkwardly moves closer to the able wolf and follows her around while she gives him a tour of the plateau.