Bearclaw Valley round 'em up

@Ameline @Ancelin @Vanja -- joiner!

be on your best behavior, kid.

tvar chuckled low in his throat, turning his gaze back toward the trees ahead. they’ll like you, he said, as well as signed, his motions more fluid now after weeks of practice. the reassurance in his tone was subtle, but it was there.

the scent of the rex and regina was strong in the air, but it was a 50/50 which one of them they found. if they were lucky, they'd find the couple together. as they push through the trees, he is sure to rub up against the bark, spreading his scent, before calling out into the crisp morning. calling for either of them.

twitch shot tvar a wary glance at his chuckle, her brows knitting tightly together. her ears twitched, catching the subtle reassurance woven into his words, but it didn’t stop the way her chest tightened. she wasn’t convinced anyone would like her, let alone the alphas of this pack. 

she followed close behind, though her nerves betrayed her at the first anxious twitch of her tail. something made her stomach churn, body heating uncomfortably quick the closer they walked into the heart of the territory. 

as tvar rubbed against the bark, she hovered awkwardly a few steps away. “no pressure, you'll be fine.” she murmured to herself, though it did little to help her heartrate.

Etienne and his assistant would see to Winslet and Cole- there was little more that Ameline could do for them in terms of medicinal care. She rested nearby, recovering from the mad dash to Swiftcurrent Creek that left her exhausted and nauseated. All involved were fortunate that this incident had occurred when it had- soon, she would not be able to cover such distances, certainly not at a bold clip.

Tvar called nearby and the Regina rose to answer. Her legs were wobbly when she stood and ambled a few paces, but with a few deep breaths she steadied herself. She closed her eyes.

This is worth it. It’s all worth it. She convinced herself. 
Calories and a nap. Calories and a nap. 
That mantra was more appealing. She would feast once she had met with Tvar, and then she would snore like a bulldozer. She opened her eyes and pressed forward; aside from looking a bit windswept, she was otherwise quite herself.

She had to wonder if Tvar and Cole had a wager going. Light amusement sparkled in her eyes to see yet another pretty woman brought to the borders by one of the two outstanding recruiters. Darkly, she hoped this one could fight off coyotes, since they seemed to be a problem; by the look of the timid thing, perhaps not. But perhaps she had other skills.

They were in need of a medic, for sure. 

Keeping up with Cole, I thee, She chimed. You’ve found one of our two top recruiterth; I trutht he’th made our home thound like a little thlithe of heaven, hmm? She asked the woman, lightly curious to know just how much sweet-talking each man did. She glanced to Tvar, her mood brightening with each syllable as she considered the benefits of having another member in their pack. I’m Ameline, the Regina. You are?

twitch stiffened the moment the tall, windswept woman emerged from the trees, her stature alone enough to make her wilt a fraction. her gaze flicked between the pair, as though she might find some anchor to ground herself in their faces, but instead, all she found was a pointed need to speak.

the regina's tone was kind enough, her lisp softening the sharp edges of her words. she swallowed thickly, realizing after an awkward pause that she'd been asked a question.

"i—" her voice cracked, rough with disuse, and she cursed herself for it. clearing her throat, she tried again, though her words came quickly, like a river over rocks. "twitch is fine."

her gaze darted to tvar briefly, searching for some reassurance before she forced herself to look back at ameline. "i didn’t need much sweet-talking anyways," a wry, almost self-deprecating twist pulled at her lips, as if she found herself funny in some distant, uncomfortable way.

she shifted her weight uneasily, claws scuffing the ground. "i'm... not much, but I don't take up space for free. I can work." even if she wasn’t sure how to sell herself, she would do whatever was needed to pull her weight. that was what mattered.

his ears flicked forward as the regina spoke, her playful remark about his recruitment efforts drawing a faint smirk. he dipped his head respectfully but quickly shifted his focus to twitch as she stiffened under ameline’s gaze.

as twitch introduced herself, tvar’s sharp blue eyes lingered on her, silently encouraging her to continue. when she finished, he gave a subtle nod of approval before turning his attention back to ameline.

we need all the help we can get, he trails off, eyes seeming to shift behind ameline and into the wooded area surrounding the depths of the valley, i was telling her about the coyotes... but i don't know how well i got across the severity.

a dry chuckle then. but if she'll work, we can use her. he nods then, passing gaze from ameline to twitch at his side. what can you do, anyway?

For a moment, the woman disappeared somewhere within herself, though the Regina did little to soften her posture. A moment later, she resurfaced and introduced herself, albeit a bit quickly. She nodded gently; Twitch. Interesting name, she thought. 

Was Twitch shy? She had some semblance of a sense of humour, though it seemed to fall into self-deprecation. A bit of modesty might be nice, considering that the Valley had no shortage of courage. She got the impression that Twitch was keen to join the first pack she found- if it truly hadn't taken much convincing, she'd willingly followed a stranger to his home. It also seemed as though Tvar had not interrogated her much before bringing her to the Valley- only now did he ask where her skills lay. 

An oversight on his behalf, she thought. Suppose now she admitted that she was a terrible hunter, and too much of a coward to defend the borders- there was a chance that Tvar could have brought a wolf that Ameline might see fit to turn away- and considering the night she'd just had, running to Swiftcurrent Creek and back, this could end up being a colossal waste of her time and energy. 

She chose not to educate Tvar in front of the stranger, lest it impact the pack's reputation. 

We do theem to have a coyote problem, but it will be remedied. She vowed. Ath for you; if yuh not a fighter, we can thtill find thomewhere that you fit. We need medicth, if you have any ekthperienthe healing. We will alwayth need hunterth, an' thoon we will need childcare. A trade can be found in thtory-telling, counthelling, thcouting...Any of thothe appeal to you at all? She asked.

twitch hesitated, eyes darting between tvar and ameline for a second time, as though she expected them to judge her answer before she’d even spoken. if only.

her voice wavered, but she pushed on, “not the best with kids. not much of a fighter, either.” the words felt flimsy as they left her mouth, but they were honest, even if she immediately regretted mentioning it. she wasn’t a warrior, not in the sense of teeth and claws, but she wasn’t useless either.

she exhaled sharply, almost laughing at herself. something to soothe her nerves. “i can hunt. know my way around a few herbs to mend,”

her gaze flickered to tvar, looking for some unspoken reassurance, but his expression remained neutral, watchful. she turned back to Ameline, straightening slightly. "whatever you need more, i'll do." what she didn't know how to do, she would learn.

if you can't fight, you can learn. he pipes in, narrowed eyes sweeping over her frame. lean, agile. she would make for a hell of an endurance fighter. his gaze flicked to the regina briefly before settling back on the younger woman, offering no judgment but also no reassurance. i'll make sure of it. everyone needs to be able to defend themselves, especially right now.

hunting and mending are useful, he says with a huff, then quickly adds: you’ll learn the rest as you go. everyone does.

his eyes moved back to ameline, silently deferring to her judgment. he was confident the regina would find a place for twitch if she deemed her worth the effort. but tvar wasn’t about to vouch too strongly—if twitch was going to make it here, she needed to prove herself under ameline’s scrutiny, not just his. still, there was a faint flicker of approval in his gaze as he watched her try to hold her own.

she’ll do fine, he speaks again, and habitually signs, this time for ameline.

Ameline had not expected Tvar to speak up so much; rather than allowing the Regina to perform the interview, he continued, insisting that all wolves learn to fight. He huffed, before mentioning other trades, causing Ameline to blink.

Did he believe all wolves must fight? And did he value other specialties so little? There was more to be learned of Tvar, it seemed. She could only hope that he had a gentler side.

We can teach you thelf defenthe. Not everyone needth to be a fighter, but they do need to be able to thave their own life if nethethary. Tvar had offered none, but Ameline offered reassurance now. She did not want Tvar to believe that every wolf in Bearclaw Valley must be able or willing to shed blood.

You’ll have thome time to thettle in, get to know your packmateth…Let me show you around. She looked to Tvar, giving him a smile. I’ll take here from here, thankth Tvar; we may need you to thtep in ath thentry….Winthlet an’ Cole had a mean fight with a few coyotes latht night. Cole might need the support.

twitch shifted awkwardly as the pair spoke. the way tvar's gaze swept over her frame made her feel like she was being sized up for a battle she wasn’t sure she’d survive. probably not. his words carried weight, and though his tone wasn’t harsh, it was clear he expected her to pull her weight. she could do that. she wasn't completely talentless.

ameline’s voice cut through the tension easily, her words softer but no less firm. twitch glanced her way, and for the first time, she felt a faint thread of reassurance tug at her nerves. the woman's composure was comforting, warm. “thank you,” she said quietly, her tail giving the faintest wag. the promise of having time eased some of the pressure building in her chest.

as ameline addressed tvar, Twitch couldn’t help but notice the subtle interplay between them. the man was steady, perhaps invasive, but there was an unspoken trust there, a rhythm to their exchange. tvar deferred to ameline without question, but twitch got the sense that he was as much at test as she was.

when ameline mentioned showing her around, twitch perked up slightly, grateful for the chance to move forward—both figuratively and literally. turning to follow ameline, she glanced back one last time at tvar to offer a silent thank you.

---

fade into something new?