Northstar Vale NSV CLAIM: we owe this to ourselves!

(Sorry for the late post!)

Shima had been nearby when she had heard the call. Somewhere in these mountains, was a sanctuary. One that others had deemed worthy of claiming for themselves. As a lone wolf, she had no place to stay. No pack to call her own. Tonight that would change, as others gathered at this meeting, where a new pack would rise up from the ashes. Tentatively, she began to slink forth, along the rim of the mountain, searching for the secret entryway into the valley below.

All she really had to do was let her nose guide her, taking in the fresh, yet unfamiliar assortment of scents found upon the earth and in the winter air. Paws crunched steadily against the solid ground, leaving a distinct pattern of tracks in their wake. As she grew closer, the scents grew stronger. She must be close now. Finally, just there, she spied a break in the rocky ledges, leading down into the heart of the valley. Coming to a stop, ears flicking back nervously on her head, she weighed her options. She could move on, or see what this new pack was all about. If it proved not to suit her tastes, then her search would continue.

Slinking down along the steep slope into the valley, she kept her body hunkered down low, just in case any unfriendly wolf were to attack her. Shima was an uninvited guest here tonight, and no one could say for sure how these wolves would react to her presence. Relief soon set in after she grew closer, a small crowd coming into view. Several of the wolves looked out of place, or at least slightly uncomfortable. Regaining some of her usual confidence, she slipped within the circle of the gathering, finding a place of her own to sit.

There was a dark, gangly looking black male, a tiny female and male boasting a pelt of white. He was the one speaking now, addressing the group. Perhaps, just perhaps, she had made it in time. It was to him, and the more intimidating male, that she bowed her head in a respectful dip. Apologetic that she was late, she hoped she would not be turned away. Shima soon learned that the thin little female was called Dawa, and the speaker himself Yasuo Tenzin. This pack, was to be named NorthStar Vale. A fitting name for a pack so close to the mountains. Tenzin seemed...placid...gentle. Attentively, she sat, listening to all the information he offered. The sooty male it seemed, was just as important a figure as Tenzin, by the way his leader addressed him. A pack of monks? Interesting. Very interesting. Before Shima was to speak, she politely would wait her turn, taking in what the other male had to say, along with letting some of the others speak first. After all, she did have a tendency to be shy around strangers...especially in a setting like this.