Ankyra Sound burn that bridge when you come to it

ooc; am about to double dip in rusalka's ballsy waters

Diaspora had been a disappointment. now, as the woman spread herself to the coast, she would pick up many scents. one in particular, unknown to her knowledge, stood out the most. it seemed much more... active? was that the word? compared to the other coastal communities. Huntington strolled forward, her exchange with the woman in Diaspora far from her mind now. she was not worth troubling herself with. again, she would do a pause before the border.

she lacked the muscle to waltz in and take what she desired. frankly, she did not know what she expected out of this. only that perhaps the people here were far more acceptable, without their noses up their own asses. that the meaning of 'freedom' meant you were your own person. not claimed by title and pack. scorned to do grunt-work to your 'betters'.  Huntington reclined. it was mid-day by the time she reached the coast, having rested at the previous night in the wilds. 

she still did not speak. she sat like a statue upon the earth, a being of smoke and charcoal. she waited for another to come along. to speak with.

following her incursion with vercingetorix, caiaphas had been lying low. the wound on her neck had closed over once more, but still throbbed -- she was hardly hale enough for more than simple border patrol.

luckily, patrolling was routine to the siren, and by now the perimeter of rusalka boasted a well-defined and frequented path, which visibly delineated the end of their reach and the start of the hinterlands. it was here caiaphas paused, finding a scent on the breeze -- not dragedan, but not welcome, either.

she inspected further, finding at length a woman supine on the forest floor -- a most curious mosaic of markings across her face. the shrew straightened her posture and regarded huntington coldly, wondering if she was here to start trouble by the way it appeared she was simply waiting.

she oft wondered if there was something on her face that made others assume the worst of her. though it showed some form of intelligence that they were wary. she was not a 'nice' person by any means. merely unknown to the Teekons, her ambition and also her skills... well, they were not known to the natives. a woman would approach, looking none too pleased to see her. perhaps they had a little line with Diaspora... she had basically told one of their members to 'go fuck themselves' after all.

though the memory brought a smile to her insides over a mirthless sneer. outwardly, her expression was still nothing. "greetings" she would remain respectful of the pack's border. her tone soft and void. "does this community have room for one more?" she was not done yet, however. "I am a" scientist "healer." these heathens did not know the meaning of scientific methods. if she was to meet one among the Teekons who did, well... she would show some surprise against her dull face.

He is not nearly qualified to assess those seeking admission into Rusalkan ranks, but he surges forth to meet the presence at the border, nonetheless. Though as he draws forth, it strikes him odd that the woman simply sits, awaiting someone to find her instead of calling an audience. Did she not wish to join? Those who waited around for what they wanted to fall into their lap irked him, finding it to be a lazy practice for equally incompetent individuals. Vaati disregards the judgement as he stands before the stranger, steely gaze veering down upon her as his nose leans forth to pick up her scent. It does not reek of Drageda odour, and so he does not run her from the territory.

Leaning back to rest his head square on his shoulders with the simple inquisition, he takes a place beside the two-toned woman who seemed to have already greeted the other.

If the stranger wished to live without the threat of neighbouring hostility, she would need to be directed elsewhere. Though the tides seemed to settle between the two factions, Drageda was still only mere yards away. Until the day they packed up and left or their last few habitants were slaughtered, there remained the ever-impending risk of war. "A healer?" His curiosity speaks up, casting a glance to Caiaphas who sported her own healing wounds. This woman would be useful. "How good of one?"

for once, this wolf is direct with her ambitions. caiaphas glanced to her approvingly, before turning her gaze to the titan that had come to stand besides her. this was not the first time vaati had been so prompt intercepting potential outsiders, and for that, caiaphas was grateful for his constant vigilance.

the she-wolf at their borders was unorthodox at best, surmised caiaphas -- and not because of the ornate markings that spanned her face. rather, she had chosen to wait to be addressed, a peculiar trait among wolves as it often came with significant risk: most wolves killed, and asked questions later.

caiaphas, having always been direct herself, studied the female's condition: healthy, not too worn from the life of a lone wolf. "why did you not call?" she added after vaati spoke, her gaze somber and fringed with distrust.

questions would always come, and she was quite prepared to deal with them. her voice was always keen to avoid stupidity, yet the people did pose decent enough ones. so perhaps not as foolish as she assumed they would be. pale gaze shifted to the large man as he approached, questioning her skills as a healer. "I have extensive knowledge of plant-life" perhaps being direct had given her time. "and other such medical practices. how to set the bone, treating infection, amputation if need be."

gaze traveled next to the salt-glazed woman. "or if you have a mind" she would pause, a rare chuckle breaking through "I may poison your foes" she allowed that to hang in the air for a few seconds before addressing the second question. "I merely wanted to see if this was an active community. if patrols did not come by, I would seek an audience in another place. there is no point in joining a pack when they fail to address outsiders when one sees them." perhaps the others saw the sense in this. perhaps not. Huntington did not feel like raising her voice to call to anyone. she gave that half-excuse instead.

Her answer seemed sufficient enough for him. Medicine was not something he was proficient in, nor something anyone else in Rusalka thoroughly understood (to his knowledge). Caiaphas's own bizarre surgery not many moons ago had been a wild and bloody feat, which may have been calmed if any of them performing the operation truly knew what they were doing. Perhaps it was wise to acquire someone who could set the bones that were sure to break if their altercations with Drageda -- or any other forces for that matter -- were to increase. 

To the matter of her lack of summoning, Vaati did see the sense in it. Packs who did not actively guard their borders were either on the brink of extinction or downright incompetent, so he supposes he can see the purpose behind her experiment. "What an interesting risk to take." He remarks as his analytical eyes linger on her with a suspicious curiosity before looking to Caiaphas for her assessment. It was likely the woman would see the details he could not, and so he leaves it to her to question the individual further.

the masked she-wolf was quick to supply some sort of logic for her lingering. it was not a strong enough argument to cease caiaphas’ initial suspicion, but for the time being it was accepted with a dip of her head. vaati’s quip was not wrong — loitering near an unknown pack was not without repercussions.

to caiaphas, it spoke of the woman’s attitude towards risks and rewards. she was not a beast that risked her pelt blindly, and wondered if it was ever worth it to find out the hard way a pack was armed to the teeth.

a risk not without its flaws. came her follow up, though she now held vaati in her sights. what do you think? a healer could be useful.. but a rash or dead one, less so. turning back to Huntington, one could see a wry gleam in the shrew’s gaze. you should know you approach us in times of war. is that something you willingly enlist for?

"risky, yes" Huntington would agree quietly, though her pale eyes had a spark of amusement and glee "brash, perhaps" her encounter at Diaspora was still fresh on the mind. it was an odd mix of entertainment and disappointment. though she was easily disappointed all the time "I had gone to another pack previously. words exchanged between myself and another. perhaps I still ride the 'high' that came with telling another being to go pleasure themselves" she would gift a rare chuckle, dark and low. "I do not shy from conflict, though I am no warrior."

perhaps it was best to be upfront about such a thing. "I will be your medic. I will fix you should your enemies scratch deep enough. I will defend myself if they assault me, yet I will not ride on the frontlines to a blown horn" the woman felt she had spoken more these past days than any other life she had lived. though it was, again, important to clarify. she was not a warrior. she was not for battle. yet she did not turn her head at war. she merely reveled in it. "I understand if that is not what you desire from me, however."

she had no problem taking her business someplace else if they rejected her.

He echoes Caiaphas’s thoughts with an agreeable nod, for he understood how rash actions quickly led to turmoil. Vaati’s own abrasive actions had brought to him more trouble than it was worth, and in the end, the consequence had outweighed how undeniably amusing it had been. However, the topic switches to the tone of subservience, specifically in the time of bloodshed and the titan looks to the stranger with an expectant glare.

“Not everyone is built for war. However, cowardice is not something tolerated here.” With a pointed look he does not accuse her of being so, nor does his tone suggest that is the case. It is simply a warning, that should she be admitted within the ranks, to find the distinction between the two. There was nothing inherently wrong with playing defence when the situation called for it, but should an able body be required to sacrifice the most on the front lines, it would be expected that she answer the call. Such was the expectation when one joined a pack. 

“As long as your medicinal contributions to our pack and its cause does not falter, perhaps you may find a home in Rusalka.”

the siren listened to the masked sylph's words, a long ear canted back. whether she believed huntington's schem impulsive or clever, she could not say. glancing to rusalka's eminent gamma, caiaphas came to a decision.

"okay. welcome to rusalka."

an anticlimactic welcome. having never been a wolf of garrulous nature, caiaphas turned on her long heels and motioned for the she-wolf to follow: there were dwindling wares in rusalka's keep, but they were wares huntington would likely be familiar with. she planned to deposit the newcomer in the grotto's stores, so that she might become accustomed to what little the keep held.

ooc; thanks so much guys! <3 that's a wrap!

"as it never should be" Huntington would utter neutrally, though whether they would view her acts as 'cowardice' or 'caution' remained to be seen. she was not going to stick her neck out for people she did not know, after all. a border skirmish was practice for her skills, a challenge for leadership fuel for her personal fire. such things were what pack wolves did. yet was she going to jump into the fray because they were 'comrades' now? a fat chance of that. the worst they could do was kill her, yet even she thought that was a bit extreme.

then again you never knew these days.

the first woman gave not her name nor her title. the man never did either. she assumed they had the right to accept her, else there was going to be problems down the line. her own words were brief compared to the length she had given them previously. there was no point in speaking, as the salt washed woman departed after accepting her. Huntington gave the large man an expressionlessly look before she took after the other, having no outward joy in exploring the new land. it was done. she was added to their ranking and luckily for them, she saw no reason to expand her title beyond what she had been given.

now to find a den and a suitable workshop. she left without another word.