Dragoncrest Cliffs Possum Kingdom

I ALWAYS FORGET TAGS ON JOINING THREADS... @Chacal @Mireille

By the time Raelle encountered the border of a pack sizable enough to consider, the hot surge of spiteful energy which had driven her here had dulled considerably. Her resolve held firm, but she no longer felt good about the decision. It was not hunger or loneliness which brought her to the pack's border, it wasn't any of the variety of logical reasons a lone wolf might wish for pack life. It was defiance; it was anger. Utter rejection of the life she'd planned to have with that bitch — !
Oh, but they were too young to make such plans; Raelle recalled that line of reasoning with a brief sneer. Maybe it was true, but it was no excuse. She took a breath and a few seconds to calm herself before she howled to alert the pack to her presence at the border. She was certain someone would come, either to speak to her or to chase her off. Regardless, they knew she was here now.

LOL I mean, I'd forgotten that was a thing until you pointed it out :')

Her pace was slower than usual, due to the swaying of her belly. Still, the movement felt right; when she gave in to the temptation to rest, her back ached, and the children became restless and agitated. Her pace rocked them gently, creating a lull in all of the squirming and kicking. They moved with her, then- and it felt less like they were desperately trying to find a way out. 

A call rang out, brief and bold. There was a tone to it that Chacal recognized as a trait of youth, and it brought a faint, yet tired smile to her lips. She could give her time to young women, especially those seeking refuge. 

The one who had come to the borders had striking looks- quite small, but wiry and tough. She had the look of a scrounger, lean and hungry. She looked upon the young wolf with curiosity, tinged with some mild approval; an appreciation for a life won by hard work. 

"You 'ave reached de borders of Sapphique;
what is it you 'ave come to seek?"

The woman who greeted her was very round, and marred by healing wounds which drew the girl's eye more so than the obvious signs of pregnancy. Golden eyes seemed to glimmer with a faint approval which Raelle was pleasantly surprised to find herself mirroring. Anyone who would fight in such a state must be a total badass, she reasoned. Definitely her kind of person.
So she put on a winning smile and ducked her head a little to acknowledge the woman's authority. There was a melodic quality to her voice, an accent that Raelle had never heard, but she understood what was asked so she didn't linger on it. A home, She answered easily, turning serious as she spoke. I can fight. With poisons, too. Name's Rae.

Chacal did not seek submission from the girl who eyed her with a gaze that was like a stormcloud lit by a flash of lightning. She was young, likely about the age of Chacal's children, but hardened. There was a stubbornness to her that the Tanzanite could recognize and idealize; being assertive was a good quality for women of the sea. If they were to live by something that was both unforgiving and nurturing, they must have those qualities themselves. 

She relented with a dip of her head- just enough to prove to Chacal that she would accept being governed, and part of a society that she did not lead. She'd nodded her head once at the look of the young woman, though her lips tightened as poisons were mentioned. It was too soon to hear of such things, but of course, Rae couldn't possibly know what it meant to Chacal. 

Part of her wished such cruel remedies had never been discovered. Part of her knew, though, that there was a chance more of her family would have died had it not been for her mother's sacrifice. 

One of the children gave a well-timed kick, causing her to focus on the earth-toned maiden again.

"I be Chacal, a leader of dis pack,
we be family wid each other- devotion must not be lacked.
If dis be a home you wish to find,
you may 'ave to leave some of your past behind.
To dis home, to dis family, we ask you to be true,
to be fierce, and to be loyal is what we ask of you.
A life spent by de sea be bot' ruthless an' kind-
if dis be what you want, den speak to me your mind."

The brief tightening of the woman's mouth did not go unnoticed, but the Blackwood-Mayfair chalked it up to distaste for poisons. Whatever; she would see the usefulness of it in time. Everyone did. So Raelle ignored it and listened to her words rather than her expression. Chacal, she was called, and as she spoke it became apparent that her voice was not just melodic; she was singing.
She wanted loyalty. Rae considered this, and discovered that she wanted the same. She hadn't known it until Chacal said it, but now she was certain. Yeah, Raelle answered immediately, her voice firm. I can do that. It wasn't like she had anything to leave behind, anything to lose at all; everything she tried to hold on to always slipped through her grasp. Maybe this time it would be different.

Rae considered her words for a moment, but confirmed Chacal's suspicions. Youth, impressionable as this one and perhaps scorned by their early-life ties, could be a valuable asset. Especially a young woman like this one- she might find glory and satisfaction in discovering a life in Sapphique. 

She nodded her slim muzzle, and gestured that they should walk along together. She would keep them handy to the borders in case she found somethin lacking in the young woman's etiquette, or if she decided that Sapphique might not be to her tastes. 

"If dis be what you want, den we can make it so,
but dere be a few t'ings you also must know.
You will be ranked low, until you prove yourself true.
When you earn our respect, den we will promote you.
We be at peace wid our neighbours, though there be a few
who 'ave lost our respect- an' it will not be renewed. 
In de recent past, we have lost trust for men;
if dey not be family, dey be distrusted then. 
Dis be a place for mot'ers, sisters an' deir kin,
it be not just any man we allow in."

It felt odd to relay such personal things to a stranger- but any newcomers had the right to be informed. Otherwise, they might not be so quick to rally when the women of Sapphique drew their arms against an unknown man on the borders. She watched Rae's expression, to see what she made of this.

Chacal wanted to walk with her. She followed without much hesitation, and listened as the gilded leader spoke of Sapphique. Rae had expected a low rank, so she wasn't surprised by that, but the part about men — that was... unexpected. She didn't dislike it, but she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Rae had no special affinity for men, but she didn't particularly dislike them either. Yet.
Understood, Rae confirmed, and she had little else to add. She was a wolf of few words even on her best days, as Chacal would soon learn. But she meant every word she spoke.

She had few doubts that many women would object to being given higher status and more trust than unrelated men. If Rae was fine with that, then she would likely fit in well, and they could perpetuate their beliefs within the ranks as it was. She would give the young woman more specifics later- for now, she thought the basics would do. 

"Good. I am glad to hear dat, an' I t'ink you will do well,
Sapphique de place for you- but time will tell.
You be ranked first in Borgoña, but wid a bit of time,
you will 'ave a ceremony- where freshwater becomes brine. 
You will be granted a pearl, somet'ing to revere,
as you truly begin to settle in here." 

She hoped that by giving Raelle something to look forward to, she might be given the motivation to succeed within their ranks. It would not take her long to have her  pearl ceremony, is she had the potential that Chacal saw in her.

Raelle cocked one ear as she listened, not quite understanding the purpose of all of this but intrigued nonetheless. A ceremony and a pearl; what would she do with that? But it wasn't about the pearl itself, she understood that. The pearl was just a symbol. Alright, She said, already working through ways to secure her place here. What does Sapphique need right now? You need me to hunt? Patrol?
Rae glanced at Chacal as she spoke, hoping to gauge her reaction and glean from it some hint of the current state of the pack. She'd mentioned something had happened, something to make them lose trust in men. The Mayfair couldn't imagine what that was, but it didn't sound good.

Raelle was keen, and Chacal was glad to see her volunteer immediately for duty. She saw a spark of potential in the young wolf, and given the pack’s recent hardships, she deemed Raelle a fit addition to their border patrol. She seemed like the type who could hold her own, and face up against danger.

”Come. I will take you on a patrol,
Show you de borders to keep under control.” She said.