Looking for Acceptance

The sun shined down beaming on the light gray fur of Acacia's back. She was famished and dehydrated, but she was determined to find the pack. "You can do this." she thought to herself, quietly snaking through the trees. Her legs were sore and she was exhausted however, she was strong. She had begun her journey that morning, trying to find or hear at least a distant howl. She was beginning to wonder if she should just return from where she had originated.
But then she remembered.
Home had been lost long, long ago.
She shivered as a soft wind blew, tousling her thin strands. Her ears twitched at every sound hoping to pick up something, anything.

assuming nobody else is preparing to jump on this, here's a post! :P
(EDIT: also, Zyn would like to say that Xi'nuata is going to be watching from behind, so feel free to mention her)

Since the intrusion of the Creek wolves, Raheerah had been keen on keeping a tighter patrol of the borders. With Xi'nuata at his side, the pair of them secured the outer edges of the Vale with such agile paws and attentive eyes and ears and noses, nothing could cross those borders without the beast being aware - nothing could enter, and in the same vein, he let nothing leave without first his permission. The beast had grown weary of their neighbors, especially as their show of numbers during the diplomatic trip to the Creek's territory had done nothing to convince them to keep away. Though, he was almost convinced that it was not through fault of the Creek itself - more, the foolishness of the white female. If that was the case, then finding her and annihilating her would simply solve his problem.

His worry stemmed from the well being of Lham. He feared she was slipping away, knowing that her grasp on the position of leader was faltering. There were strong, loyal members within the Vale, enough to protect them, but what would become of Lham? He could not risk intruders who would so hungrily bay at her heels and devour her if given the chance. And so, when he took note of a new scent at the borders, Raheerah wasted no time in reaching it. It was with curled lips, a snarl that the oily beast emerged from the trees to see a thin creature wallowing on their borders, but Raheerah held no mercy for such an unfortunate soul.

The dragon approached without hesitation, the fur on his shoulders and nape standing on end - his tail snaked behind him, eager. The beast said nothing, only displaying the yellow teeth set in his gums and watching with a single, molten eye. He would give her time to explain herself, but if what she spoke failed to appease the beast, she would be among the first warnings he would leave at the borders of the Creek.

Acacia held back a snarl in return, and instead fell onto her back in a submissive position. "This must be it", she thought. What it was, exactly, she was unsure of. But this was something, for sure. "I come from starvation and death. Poverty and singularity. But I want, I need to be a part of something again. Please, bless me with your kindness" Her eyes widened with anxiety and angst as she waited for the new creature's response.
She wasn't sure how he would respond exactly, whether he would offer shelter or shoo her away from his territory, but she had to be optimistic; something she had never been to well at before.

Almost immediately the woman before him crumpled. As if the delicate bones that held her aloft shattered, she sunk down into the earth and exposed the precious section of her torso that held organs, life and blood. The beast remained where he was and uttered a loud, airy snort in response. But it was a step in the right direction. At least she had the mind to submit where submission was due, and for that, the beast allowed his lips to resume their natural state, and hostility edged from his expression. Behind him, he could hear shifting of dry vegetation. Raheerah need only twist an ear in her direction to recognize the sounds as belonging to his companion, Xi'nuata.

But he allowed her to continue to linger in the background. His attention was returned in full to the stranger as she made her plea. Raheerah's jaw hung open a sliver, like a hungry animal, and he stared at her for a moment's thought. What use could she be to the Vale, so thin and incapable? But, that judgment was not his to cast on newcomers. It was the word of his Lham that those in need be accepted into their ranks. He could only obey her.

The oily creature took a step closer, but his body wound around to the side, and his head cocked down to analyze the stranger. Finally, words rumbled from the pits of his chest. "Whhaaat isss yoour naaame." He hissed deeply, the crimson eye fixated on only her. He paced around her, breathing in the stench she carried with her, as though it were a test - did she harbor disease, was she some spy sent from their neighbors? But Raheerah soon deemed her safe and continued to slowly edge an arc around the loner, watching.

"Acacia", she said proudly, though being careful to not sound unintentionally threatening. She saw the neutral expression fall over the new face and eased herself. The soft rustles from foliage beside the pair caught Acacia's attention and she turned her head to see where it was coming from, though she was unable to see anything.
Her attention turned back to the new creature as she silently sat, listening to heaving breaths and her own pounding heartbeat.

She spoke her name without hesitation, and Raheerah slowly tilted his head. It was difficult to make any negative inferences about the female aside from what he could physically make out of her appearance. Despite what effects malnutrition may have on her body, she was still very large and could probably easily hold her own once she had some meat in her stomach. In fact, she reminded him much of Xi'nuata's own condition, who seemed to improve immediately upon joining the ranks of the Vale. Yes, Xi'nuata was some creature of the dragon's pride, but that was not something he would so easily admit. The oily beast let escape a rolling hiss and resumed his position on the inside of the borders.

"Riiiiise." His gravely voice sliced into the silence and the creature swung his tail with finality. "Speeeaak yoour meriiiit." Raheerah added, looking expectantly at her. If she passed this final test, then perhaps she would not see herself as a headless warning of the dragon's capabilities on the edges of the Creek territory. In fact, perhaps she would be among the few to help him leave those warnings instead.

OOC: Hi! Her shadow had been more effected by the intrusion than perhaps anyone realized, but she had seen the follow effects each day that passed. There were few moments when she was not at his side, his faithful and diligent light, and the moments she was, she did her best to bring his calm. But the incident was never far from his mind, eliciting his rage. The borders were taken underpaw with more vigil. The rounds to the caches and to each member became more routine if not regular. Together they ensured that the pack and land were kept whole even to the point that the woman feared her companion would drive himself into the ground. Though, she would not have known his strongest motivation was their soft-spoken Alpha. And even had she, she would have been none the less worried. In vain, she had hoped for a change in this pace, but it was not to be once they came across an unknown scent. Xi’nuata needn’t look to him to know that the behemoth’s body was wound tight, nor glance upon his muzzle to see the anger rising. She let him go ahead of her and stuck to the shadows herself, creeping quietly with newfound finesse to take another view. Again, what she found was a wolf at the borders in the night though her coat was brighter than the last making her more easily spotted in the waning light. She watched with care, slipping just adjacent to the female to keep both her and Raheerah within view. Her ears were forward, attentive, grasping not only the conversation but the whispers of the earth as well as it descended into deeper night. Her eyes drifted between the two, remaining cautious, and at times to glance beyond their borders for signs of any other life. Lupine or otherwise.

OOC: Assuming merit as in skill or main trade...

Acacia stood slowly keeping eye contact with the beast. Her legs shook beneath her, but she had enough control left to stand up straight. "I have a merit in the, erm", she said looking around for a small model to show her practice, "creative arts, if you will." She placed her sore paw over a small patch of grass and conjured nearly every bit of energy she had left.
Beneath her paw grew a small stem with a bud nearly ready to sprout. She smiled, but quickly regained herself as to not reveal any weaknesses to someone she was still unsure of as an accomplice.

(feel free to skip Xi'nuata for now!)

And just as easily as she had earned his favor, it ebbed away with a response that seemed less than preferential. Raheerah tilted his head slightly as he looked her over and tried to understand what she meant by "creative arts". Such a practice had never occurred back in Jokhang, and would likely never exist in the valley - they would have no use for a creature with talents such as that, whatever they may be. Raheerah took a step closer to her, singular gaze adrift up and down the female's form. "Thaaat iis aan unfaavoraable respoonnnse." He thundered, gravelly intones adopting a catatonic coldness.

The dragon felt his skin prickle again, and uttered a deep snort from flared nostrils. "Thhrreeee faactioonns exiissst withiinn the Vaaale. Thhe moonnks, the cleerriics, and miiine, the warrioorrs. Chooose oone, or seeek anoother hoomme." Raheerah's gaze narrowed to a slit and he fell silent again. He could feel Xi'nuata's presence behind him and minded himself to behave, if only to prevent turning his companion away from him. He feared that his consistent aggression would discourage Xi'nuata from his presence, but it was her own companionship that fed him, as oblivious as she may be to it.

OOC: OK, I understand what you're saying now. I didn't know what you met by merit

Acacia stood. She bowed lightly before the creature, then lifted her head to speak. "Where I am from, you must fight to survive. I have quite the expertise in battling, however I am doubting that my skills are good enough to be considered that of a warrior's. This is why I need a home; to better myself. I need to feel as though I have put pride to my name." She looked away and sat down on her haunches, trying to be as confident as she could manage.

(i'm not sure what her rank will be, but she's accepted!)

He eyed her, though the bow she offered suggested that she was willing to make up for her small fumble. Raheerah listened and allowed her to explain. In that way, he supposed they were similar. Raheerah, too, had been forced to fight in order to survive and progress. But it was less so out of dire need than it was for desire. He was a machine at heart, a fighter, a killer who could follow orders and perform seamlessly. He had done it all his life, but realization of this fact had caused him to snap. And despite the change of his nature, Raheerah could not deny than truly, his very essence was still the very same. He would continue to fight and to obey until he died, though he performed now for different reason. The oily beast glanced back at Xi'nuata, only briefly before he focused on Acacia again. "Theenn yoou shaall enteerr ouur raanks uundeer myy faactionn." He spoke, and turned his body so that he faced the interior of the Vale, thought kept his gaze on Acacia. "Myy naame is Raaheeerah. Aand Ii shaall traaain yoou." The dragon added and stepped forward, expecting her to follow.

At the same time, he extended a silent invitation for Xi'nuata to join them and perhaps offer a warmer welcome than the beast.

OOC: That's my cue! As a being of light, she merged quite well with the darkness, going relatively unseen save by the one who knew her well. It had been with a provisional eye that she watched, more so for the sake of the girl than he companion. She knew him well, a beast that did not care for wasted time. And while she had seen him as soft in his own way, she was not ready to believe that others could with difficulty. She would not have thought that her presence was cause for his curbed tongue, but some change within himself as both inquisitor and welcomer of the new into their fold. When a last he passed his judgment, she emerged coming to stand beside him with certainty in her place. She was mindful of their difference in rank, doing well to keep both head and tail subtly lower than his own but lacked the submission of a full subordinate. Even when she spoke it was with an authority to mirror his own, but a softness too to convey a more lenient nature. “I am Xi’nuata,” she greeted, dipping her muzzle in warm regard. “I am under the warrior faction as well and will also see to your training.” And then, gently, the corners of her weathered maw lifted with a smile. “But perhaps now, it is best we find a place for you to rest. In the morning you will be guided and introduced to the rest…”

Acacia heaved a deep breath, relieved that her efforts had paid off. She stood and followed the pair keeping aware of her surroundings. This was new terrain, and she had not yet forgotten her survival skills. She knew that until she had reasoning, no one could be trusted, not even the two who had taken her in. Yet she his it and remained respectful. She was, of course, a lone wolf and these two had taken her in. She knew she would have a forever debt to pay.

With introductions out of the way, the female took lead of their departure, giving the paler female another glance before turning to guide her beyond the border. As she turned, she brushed a beige shoulder lightly into the side of her companion, implying that from there she would take their guest onward. However, knowing the beast, he would more than likely follow. And to this, she smiled, albeit secretly from under the cover of night. Audibly, she marked well known points of the territory to ease travel for their guest until they came upon an abandoned cache just large enough to make a small den. Stopping in front of it, she turned to Acacia and gestured with a tip of her muzzle. “You may rest here until you are comfortable to make a place for yourself. Please take care this evening and let us know if you are in need of anything. Good evening.” She lowered her muzzle politely as she dismissed herself. Again, she brushed her shoulder into the thick oily fur of her shadow, but more so leaned into him to imply her desire to rest. [Exit with Raheerah]

From the moment Xi'nuata had stepped forward, revealing herself from the mass of shadows that clung to her body, Raheerah had resolved to silence. He needn't speak any more now that she was here, and he needn't shed any more undue kindness. He remained loyally by her side and listened to her words, before the group of them turned away from the borders to prepare their trek into the heart of the Vale. He noted the closeness of the tan woman, making the effort to gently return the contact between their shoulders. Though as they walked, he fell behind the pair, watching them closely. Mostly, he observed Acacia, as if some paranoia fed him the belief that her behavior would morph to mimic their recent intruders. He wondered if this was some latent patriotism, an enthusiasm for his pack that had only just sprung up that prompted him to vigorously protect them. Or maybe he was just plain old paranoid.

As they reached the smaller den, Raheerah resumed his position by Xi'nuata's side. His companion offered some comfort and bid her farewell. Raheerah lingered, holding his gaze firmly upon Acacia before he too joined the woman. She was growing tired, and only then had Raheerah noticed how heavy his eyelids felt. Rest would come easily to him tonight.

exit Raheerah!
sooo, feel free to make some threads in NSV to get to know your packmates :D

@Tenzin this kind lady needs to get a rank!