Porcupine Ridge Life goes on

Despite his aggressive and dangerous display, the lone wolf did... nothing. He didn't lower his ears or tuck his tail to show any respect to the pack wolf before him, he didn't even return a display of his own. He was completely impassive. Even though Farstep's posture was one of threat rather than one of dominance, his expectation had been that Keiran would react somehow. After all, that's what wolves did. His lack of reaction told Farstep one of three things: Keiran was some kind of arrogant and believed that the rules didn't apply to him, Keiran was undecided whether to return the growl or submit, or Keiran had no idea how to act appropriately on the borders of a pack. Coupled with the scent of smoke and the possibility that he was fire incarnate somehow, the former and latter options made him immediately unattractive as a potential pack member. With odds of two to three that the wolf didn't know how to properly behave, if Farstep had carried any authority as a leader, he would've run the ashen male off instantly.

But he didn't carry any authority as of yet and Keiran wasn't really trespassing, so he remained where he was, with his growl a constant sound piercing the relative silence of the ridge, until Taggarik arrived. Even the Alpha's presence did little to quell the Gamma's fear and unease. The burnt scent was the only thing he could really focus on, and so while his ears drifted partway to his skull as Taggarik passed, his growling didn't relent. His tail attempted a greeting wave, but it was more of a side-to-side snapping than anything else.

Taggarik did approach the lone wolf, and he did do so with absolute authority in his stance and step. Even though it wasn't directed at him, Farstep's form shrunk a little in the wake of the Alpha's dominance display, though he still remained in the background, hackles up and teeth bared, with nothing but fear in his eyes.