Two Rivers Isle But you can't blame me for trying

@Ulrich @Adylaide

It was a curious thing, the way the rivers split the land on both sides. From a distance Ven circled for the better part of an hour, simply surveying the land. A pack here; small, but perhaps in time she would come to prefer it. She decided then and there that she would try. It was not the first pack she'd encountered, but it would be the first she would call upon.

So Ven took herself as far as was courteous to wolf packs and let out a call. It was not a wolf's song; they would know her for what she was immediately. She would have to be prepared to run. Never in her life had she encountered a wolf who hated her kind, but she knew of them. Of course she knew of them. So she waited with bated breath and a formalness to her stance, feeling the pressure now to make a good impression.

Ulrich heard the call, a strange yapping howl unlike any wolf he'd ever heard. It was a coyote. A coyote purposefully making itself known to this pack. Strange. Did it have a death wish? Still, it was calling, and Ulrich heeded it. Adylaide was not with him in that moment, but he could hear her in his head, telling him to be nice to newcomers, coyote or not.

It stood on the other side of the river, which was still sluggish with ice and so not as loud. He looked at it for a moment, noting its coloration, its blue-grey-green eyes that shifted every time it moved. Speak, he wanted to say, a short command. Instead, he took a breath, and said, Hello there, in his deep, gravelly voice, trying to seem friendly. He'd had dealings with coyotes before, in his last pack, and always they were thieves stealing food. Nothing more.

She waited, and a wolf appeared; a man, dark of fur and perhaps not large for a wolf but far larger than herself. Ven braced herself, but he did not seek to give chase. He seemed reserved, though. She ducked her head deferentially but lost none of her own cool composure.

Hello. My name is Venaya. I usually go by Ven, She began, and thought that she might end a thousand different ways. She settled for simplicity. I'm looking to join a pack, and I was hoping to hear about yours. And whether or not his answer was what she wanted to hear would be a decision she'd make when she came to it. Ven had thought about it, of course, but hadn't reached any solid conclusions. The whole world was before her, and she didn't yet know which part of it she wanted.

Ulrich relaxed a little when she ducked her head in respect of him. So she wasn't here to steal food or bother anyone, unless she was being tricky about it. But he had not yet met anyone who had come to the borders in the hopes of hurting himself or anyone else on the Isle, and he had no real reason to mistrust her. Adylaide would probably tell him he was being prejudice or something. He supposed he was.

Still, he blinked in surprise at her request. A coyote wanted to join a wolf pack? Well... This was a first. He blinked a few times in quick succession, a sign of surprise, and sat down. Well... he said, thinking. There was no reason not to let her join as long as she was willing to work. And wasn't the Isle a home for misfits? It seemed so, anyway. Perhaps she'd fit right in.

He tried to remember his speech about this place, and all the things she needed to know. My name is Ulrich. My wife is Adylaide, and we run the pack together. However, the Isle is a democracy. Any big decisions are made with a majority vote, and Adylaide or I would only have final say if there was a tie. Everyone will be expected to hunt, and to fight in defense of the Isle and its members if necessary, but other than that, every member is free to do whatever they like, provided they have some kind of job within the pack. He paused, thinking. We do not tolerate in-fighting, harming each other, lying, stealing, or any other such things. Doing these will get you in trouble, but you will have the chance to work your way back into the good graces of the Isle. Those who continue to break the rules will be exiled. Another pause. And, mainly, we stick to ourselves.

Will that do? he asked, and smiled at her for the first time.

His surprise was expected, but Ven didn't want to linger on it. It didn't have to be weird. So she only cocked her head slightly and listened attentively to Ulrich's explanation. A simple pack, then. Nothing fancy, no religion or customs to abide, just wolves banding together under a contract of loyalty. She was not one of them, but she knew she could do this as well as any wolf.

Yes, thank you, Ven smiled back and felt more at ease. I can hunt and fight well enough, but I was trained as a therapist. I help people solve problems that we're usually left to deal with ourselves. If you consider that an acceptable job within your pack, I can meet your requirements. Some wolves had never heard of therapy; others scorned it. And while she hoped Ulrich fell into neither of these categories, she knew not to count on it.

A therapist, Ulrich repeated, cocking his head. He knew the term, but had never spoken to one himself. In his previous pack, going to a therapist was considered a weakness, especially for one such as himself, a soldier from birth. But nothing about his old pack was good or fair. Though he did not really know the first thing about therapy, he assumed automatically that it must be good if his old pack had scorned it. Helping others through their difficulties is what the Isle is all about, he said, and smiled again. Your talents will be welcome here. We seem to have become something of a sanctuary, taking in all kinds, so perhaps a therapist will fit in well, to help any newcomers who bring... old trauma with them.

Suddenly, he realized something, and thought it important to mention. There is one among us, Makan, who is mute. An injury to his throat rendered him unable to speak, but he gets by well enough through body language. I just thought I'd tell you ahead of time for whenever you run across him. Ulrich stood up. Come, he said. I will show you the safest place to cross the river. And he trotted along, parallel to the water, glancing at Venaya to make sure she was following.

Welcome! Feel free to fade here?

So her practice would be welcome here, and there were even potential patients already. Or so Ven assumed. She only nodded as Ulrich offered his explanations, silently taking in the information and thinking on how best to offer her services to one who could not speak.