Horizon Ridge anathema [j]

Akhlut frowned when even his acceptance into the pack did naught to improve the girl's posture from crouching fearfully to at least acting like she belonged there, since she did, now. "We do not bully newcomers or lower-ranked wolves here," he pointed out as he began to lead her away from this spot and further along the border lines that encircled the territory. He paused now and then to lift his leg on a tree or kick leaves out behind him, marking them with his pheromones. "If anyone makes you feel out of place, they can take it up with me. Rank is important, of course, and you should show superiors respect, but mostly it's determined by jostling, sparring, those sorts of thing."

"You should never feel threatened or afraid of injury, or they're crossing the line." He hoped the reassurance would encourage the girl to straighten up a bit and move with more confidence. There were sometimes exceptions to the rules he was laying out for her, such as a partiularly nasty rank challenge back home at Echo Cove where two males had been fighting over rank, a mate, and hurt feelings all in one. It had gotten bloody, and his mothers had been forced to discipline both men. Still, Akhlut wasn't going to trouble the female's mind with those kinds of exceptions; he suspected that being treated decently was a novel enough concept for her.

"So, to the southeast," he jerked his head to the left, the moonlight showing off a sheen in his fur like that of a raven's plumage, "we have a forest and river, then the claimed lands of Blacktail Deer Plateau. They're hard to miss, being a large rock formation and all. Further abroad I hear talk of other packs, but I know none of their names, and our other nearest neighbors, Neverwinter Forest, seem to have fallen very quiet lately. I'm not sure the cause." Akhlut did not yet know that the pack was no more, but soon enough, one of their own bearing the fading scent of the great trees would land upon his doorstep much as Inkenoah had. "Within the pack, we have many good wolves, but one you might wish to seek out is Pied. She's been recuperating from an injury and I'm sure she'd enjoy some company," not to mention, she'd surely be gentle with the newcomer.

"If you are fast," he added, leaping over a fallen log, "perhaps you'd make a fine Outrider. They scout out the lands, take trips to other packs to establish relations, and relay messages both within the pack and between our pack and others." He flashed her an encouraging smile over his shoulder, though he knew that she'd need to gain some public speaking and negotiating ability before the co-rank was really a possibility.