you're gonna hear me roar

*Dublin Redwood* · January 15, 2014, 11:09 PM

All welcome. Long and choppy, 'cause intro. Assuming @Akhlut accepted her already. If there's anything wrong with that part of the post, Sophie, let me know!

Her brothers had been determined to keep her safe and sound beneath the tall giants that gave Watchtower Coast its name. You don't really want to leave, London had tried to convince her, You're happy here. With us. It was true that life was blissful, and that she wanted for nothing—but the pack was large, and it was near impossible to hold a place among the respected. She did her part as healer, but Dublin was dissatisfied to be a mere underling for the rest of her life... with no chance at creating a family of her own. With her fourth birthday approaching rapidly, the clock seemed to tick loudly in her ears... the sound falling like lead onto her heart.

I can't believe you don't want more for yourselves, she responded, incredulous. Most real men would have left to spread their seed far and wide a long time ago.

They had shifted uncomfortably at that. Dublin had laughed.

That night, she left.

She was fighting a mental meltdown, really, and had already been approaching hysterical levels of stress when she had discovered the pack borders. It would only be a few moments before someone found her, so Dublin did her best to straighten her untamed coat in the time she had. Still, when Akhlut approached, it took all her self control to act as though she wasn't a millisecond away from having a full-blown panic attack. In fact, she almost died when he introduced himself as Alpha; filthy was not the first impression she wished to give him.

But to be fair, she was a hell of a lot cleaner than most wolves, regardless of her status as wayfarer.

Dublin told him all the right things, it seemed, and assured him that she would make herself useful as healer. I can make myself useful in other ways, too, Dublin added with a flutter of her lashes. If he picked up on her not-so-subtle ploy, he said nothing. And—either way—she soon found herself a member of Horizon Ridge. She was still a Sigma, but at least there appeared to be room for growth.

Here, she would become someone to be respected and revered. Dublin was determined.

Dublin was attempting to acquaint herself with the ridge. In particular, she was looking for a place to finally bathe. A shore was nearby, but the salt ruined the downy-softness of her fur and made it all wild. She shuddered at the thought, for it was impossible to live so near the sea and not occasionally get one's coat texturized by the salt water. Blu-aach. But wolves could not drink of the sea, so Dublin was certain there was a source of fresh water somewhere.

But as time continued to pass without much luck, she could feel the panic once again rising in her shoulders.