Blacktail Deer Plateau a simpe hello could lead to a million things {J}

the sullen spectre of a wolf climbed the ridge, as the water rushed past and with the gaze of one who saw far into the distance, she watched the wind whip the water into soft peaks. she had happened upon hard times these past few weeks, spring rushing on about her and still she was stuck in the vancouver winter that sang in her blood, a merry tune that shouted in the spring- that winter would come again. food hadn't been too plentiful, the darkness of the north had yet to settle from her bones and the soft scent of fish upon the wind was driving her stomach into knots.

as a pup, she'd always taken both food and pack for granted. and it showed now, how much she relied upon them to support her. even as she sat on the border of a packland, the last vestigial notes of her howl fading into the early morning, the strange shame of having to join a pack for security and protection grated on her nerves.

@Dante

The alpha of the plateau always did attempt to be timely when responding to summons, even those made by strangers requesting an audience. His humor was high, the newfound peace with his place here resting upon him and bringing with it a spark that hadn't been present for a long while. In fact, he wondered if he had ever before felt quite this content.

It was quickly clear as he approached that the woman before him shared none of that happiness, and as he took in her state, he noted that she wasn't particularly well. It was not an immediate cause for dismissal, though he knew it was likely she was there to join. Though it did not bode well for her contributions to the pack, Dante was not a harsh man, and the life of a loner was a hard one to live. He would be reading her carefully, though. The presence of pups meant that only those deemed trustworthy would be allowed to dwell in their midst. Any funny feelings and he'd refuse.

That was, if she was even trying to join. "Hello. What brings you to our borders?"

the alpha male of the pack had arrived swiftly, she'd hardly heard him over the rushing sound of her thoughts and as he came into view, she rose to feet with a bowed head and lowered tail, though her gaze flickered up for mere moments to assess him before flicking downwards. he seemed to be... not friendly, that would be foolish to assume but content at least, not excessively aggressive as some alpha were wont to be.

it was a welcome change, to the general behaviour she'd seen before and it was like cool rain in a burn. his gaze was intense, dragging over her and seeing a lot deeper than she felt truly comfortable with. his words drifted between them and she smiled softly, eyes darting up to assess the other's demeanour.

"I'm looking for a pack to join. I've encountered a few before yours but they denied me, just for the lack of space. I'd.. like to find a pack, especially since I was chased out of mine."

She was quick to lower herself and even quicker to explain what she was doing there. He appreciated her brevity, and her honesty, though part of her answer troubled him. She freely admitted that she had been cast out before, not generally a favorable sign, but that she admitted it openly made him wonder if perhaps it wasn't her own doing that made it occur. After all, if a wolf was kicked out for legitimate reasons, they wouldn't usually bring that up right off in their next attempt to join. Right?

"Can I ask why your previous pack did so?" He put towards her, shifting but not relaxing so far as to sit down. She obviously posed no threat. "I'm not saying yes quite yet, but we aren't opposed to taking new members." The tenor behind this statement was likely clear... He would accept her if she was able to function within a pack. If not, and the reason behind her expulsion fair, then it was likely he'd have her move on. It wasn't personal, but he had little ones to look out for and a family to guard.

the alpha has scoped out her position, her quick acquiescence to his presence and it seemed to get that it was... not quite pleasing to him but appreciated in any case. he had shifted slightly, not relaxed in posture but not quite as defensive as he had been moments earlier, before she had made her intentions clear as the sun through a cloudless sky.

"aye, that's a fair question and you'd be right to ask it of me. to avoid the grisly details, if you don't mind overly much, my mother wasn't the easiest of fae to get along with. she saw my position as her elder pup to be a threat to her position as alpha and she didn't want that. so, when I asked for the freedoms being a yearling could give- she used it as an excuse to chase me out, removing what she thought was a threat to her rule. I stayed away after that, looking to forge my own way in the world. Didn't do me any favours, that's for sure."

It made sense, and wasn't an unbelievable answer. He accepted it at face value, her reasonable way of explaining and friendly manner also contributing a lot to that fact. "Sounds like it," he responded, shaking his head but smiling. Perhaps bad fortune had sent her their way, but it had yet to be determined whether or not this would be luck for them.

"My name's Dante. You seem a decent sort, and honestly we could use you. But if I agree to allow you into our home, it will become your home too. And that comes with a few responsibilities. You up for it?" He realized then that he had no idea how to adress her, as she'd been so to the point with her reasons that she hadn't gotten around to giving a name. Not something he minded at all. "The first of those being, I could use something to call you." A bit of a joke, but he'd decided things were going to be different from now on. No more recruiting only to have wolves vanish without even having met him. He would get to know every one to the best of his abilities from now on, and slowly perhaps he'd get better at the whole thing.

Nuala coughed sheepishly, tucking her head down in embarrassment a little further and grinning.

"aye, a name'd do both of us well I guess. the name's Nuala, I don't go by my last name since no-one I've ever met could say it properly in any case. and I'm always up for a good set of changes lad, no matter what they throw my way. these paws have seen better days and I'll glad thank anyone with a heart great enough to let a stranger in. So, I'd suppose you'd probably like to know what I can do for ye?"

"Alright Nuala, tell me what you've got."  She had indeed anticipated his next question, and he awaited her response with great interest.  There were in reality few skills the plateau lacked right now, for they were a varied bunch when it came to interests, but they could always use more of any role. Her eagerness to tel him showed that she knew the importance of giving as well as taking, something some lacked understanding of when joining a pack. This was good.

So far he was happy with the impression he'd recieved, and it showed within his easy smile. Her chances were pretty darn good right now.

Nuala grinned in reply to the easy smile on the alpha's face and felt her heart warm a little. From his demeanour and outward friendliness, he seemed like he had already decided in her favour and it gave her a little confidence in her words. "I'm only young, so I truly don't have many skills beyond what I've picked up from my pack and from what I've learnt from the strength of my own paws. I know basic healing, enough to patch up wounds and cure simple things. Anyt'ing too deep or beyond my skill... I can't help with those to be fair."

She shifted on her feet, letting her balance shift as she did and she continued to think of what she could truly offer this pack. "Aside from an extra set of paws to help feed the pack, there's not much I can do for you. I'm good with younglings, that's about it really. Not much too me."

fade this out here? :)

She was honest and didn't try to oversell herself, a thing Dante ha found others lacking.  It was no good to tell others there was skill where there was none, for soon you would be proven false.

"An extra set of paws that does their best for the pack is really all we could hope for! Welcome." He had few doubts she would make a wonderful addition.  "If you would like to learn more of the healing arts, our Beta female is an accomplished healer. I'm sure she would love whatever help you could give, and could teach you much. Otherwise there are many skills here to learn, and many willing to teach." He stood, indicating she could follow if she wished. "I can show you around if you like? If not, feel free to grab some food and look around as you wish."

He waited for a response before heading further into the territory, either with her in tow or to hunt down a little something.