King Elk Forest tiny cities

Saena's pale eyes lingered on Laika a moment as she drew strength and security from her pack mate. Being a leader of a pack meant she needed to have her own brand of confidence, but Saena was most bold with her comrades at her side or back, for good reason. She'd seen too many conflicts to feel wholly comfortable confronting anyone on her own. Laika was among her most trusted, even though they were not well acquainted personally, and she felt wholly secure with her around.

The red-furred woman responded kindly, earning a forgiving nod from the lead wolf. King Elk Forest belonged to Silver Creek as an extension of its hunting grounds only because she willed it and spent a lot of time in it removing loners from the vicinity, but Saena's word was law in her mind, and the red-haired lone wolf was humble enough to not question it. She introduced herself as Sansa, and Saena rolled the name around in her head. To her ear it was completely different from hers and yet held a similar exotic ring to it that she inexplicably found familiar. For a moment she studied the woman as she attempted to separate her face from the familiarity she felt, for she had never once met this wolf, but the ring of the name, somewhat like her own, was convincing. She almost glanced at Laika to gauge her Gamma's reaction, but paused.

Her attention was quite quickly stolen away by Althaia. Saena's brief scrutiny of Sansa had hidden the shifting of Althaia's hackles from her view, probably for the better of them all, but the lead female turned no less chilly when the drab loner spoke. There were a great many things that offended Saena but none quite so badly as questioning and challenging her claim. As expected, thought Saena, who had been on this horse about a dozen times before. Were she a year younger, the woman would've flown into an enraged tirade about how she was a queen and demand respect, but Saena was a grown wolf now, mature in all physical ways, and she needed to at least act the part of adult. With an unwavering, pointed stare at the grey-haired vagabond, the alpha female scraped her paws and the adjoining scent glands against the dry loam, depositing her mark and openly challenging the lone wolf's claim in so doing.

After all, with the strength of a pack at her back and Laika currently alongside her, Saena could say and do whatever she pleased. She claimed the forest in name only whilst the famine deprived them of food, having not the energy nor reserves nor desire to truly mark it as her territory, yet if the alpha said it belonged to her and she guarded it, then it belonged to her. She would dare any loner to challenge the word of a whole pack.

She tilted her head back toward Sansa then, collecting herself, though there was a coolness to her expression that hadn't been there before. It wasn't aimed at Sansa but Saena was simply unable to wipe her expression blank, and her eyes had ever been windows into her soul. She quirked a lip, however, into a smile that she hoped was enticing. "If you would join your strength to ours and give your services to my pack at the creek, we will hunt with you and help provide. Three wolves are better than one, and you would further have shelter and safety. I'm Saena, and this is Laika," she introduced with a smile toward the Gamma. It was unlike her to attempt to recruit so openly without first learning of the wolf she sought to recruit, but it likely had something to do with that odd deja vu-esque familiarity, not to mention Sansa's response to her. To Althaia, a wolf who was not so humble and could never serve a leader such as Saena who expected loyalty and obedience, albeit not so harshly or openly as to outright demand it from those she trusted, she merely leveled a dismissive gaze.

You have no idea how many times I typed "Saena" instead of "Sansa" and vice versa lmao.