The Sentinels the lost dreams

Thanks for starting a thread for us!  I was planning to ask you if you wanted one.  :)  If my posts seem excessively rambly, bear with me!  I'm taking three writing classes right now so I pretty much stay in "LET'S FLUFF THIS UP WITH AS MUCH BS AS POSSIBLE" mode, hehe.  @__@

Since her acceptance into the ranks of Donnelaith, things felt...kind of surreal.  She had a hard time identifying herself as a wolf of any other pack but Redhawk, and the idea that she now belonged to an alpha who wasn't her father was so bizarre.  The lands were strange and unfamiliar -- which, while exciting, was somewhat disconcerting as well -- and, perhaps worst of all, she didn't know a single wolf in this place.

She certainly hadn't been Miss Social Butterfly at home, but at least she knew everybody.  Later, she would come to appreciate the "clean slate" she had here, but for now, she wasn't sure how much she liked being a stranger to all these people.  The only one with whom she'd felt a small connection thus far was Eilidh.  The girl had truly made Raven feel like she mattered in some way.  Given her upbringing in the somewhat more guarded Caldera, where strangers were typically driven away with harsh growls and flashing teeth, the compassionate reception with which she'd been met still boggled her mind.

Ever since Lasher had welcomed her into his pack, she had busied herself exploring the territory and getting to know the secrets of her new home.  It was so different here, but she found herself enjoying immensely the secretive, mysterious atmosphere of the Sentinels.  Snow lay in crunchy, semi-frozen patches beneath the shady canopy offered by the tall, stately evergreens.  She hadn't had much luck finding medicinal plants that she could work with, but that wasn't surprising given that it was the middle of winter.  Still, she wasn't happy about starting her plant collection over from scratch again, and she found herself sorely missing her little badger den where she had kept her small, but useful stash.  

As she wended her way around vast and ageless trunks, she saw from the corner of her eye a bright spot moving toward her.  A tiny, fleeting little arrow of anxiety ran through her, embedding itself firmly somewhere between her heart and her throat, but she forced herself to remain calm.  She had to keep reminding herself that she was one of these wolves now, and they wouldn't attack her on sight with Lasher's scent fresh on her coat.  A quick glance revealed the visitor to be none other than Eilidh, and for the first time in quite some while, Raven felt a genuine smile warm up her normally stoic face.  "Hi," she ventured softly as the higher-ranked female approached, keeping her body language relaxed and unassertive.