The Fool (joining)

It was quiet.  The sound of the wind passing through the grass of the Meadowlark Prairie was her only traveling companion. The rustle of the grass was subtle, like a whisper, but while most were deafened to the quiet details of the world, Darrah could hear. The finite details, they practically screamed in her windswept face: the echoes of the wind, the sudden drop in temperature, the churning overcast sky— they pointed towards death.

Winter approached.

She pointed her hazy, green eyes toward the sky and sighed. She squinted, but the clouds never came fully into focus.  It was only a matter of time before her senses began to betray her.  Another betrayal to add to the list, only this time, it was inevitable. Nature was a powerful force indeed.  The odds mounted against her favor.  The exile would soon be lost for the last time.  

Her days of self-sufficiency were drawing to a close, and Darrah resented herself for that.  No longer could she lead like days of old.  Eight long years of life had taken their toll, and Darrah's brittle legs had carried her as far as they could go. Finding a pack was her only chance of survival.  Luckily, her tired journey was drawing to a close.  Scent markers.  Summoning all the strength that she had, she called out with a howl to whoever would listen.

The sound of a stranger's howl was a welcome distraction for the Beta. Since Finley hadn't come back and hadn't been found, he could only assume that something terrible had happened to her. Either that, or she had abandoned her family -- and he wasn't sure which scenario was worse. With a sigh, he turned his paws towards the borders, wishing that it was Finley's face that he would see when he arrived there.

The wolf waiting for him was grey, but her coat was lackluster. Her age was evident in the sharpness of her bones beneath her fur, yet there was still something regal about her. Elwood was intrigued; what was an older, distinguished wolf doing at the edge of their territory? He frowned, coming to a halt a few feet from her with head and tail held at a level that spoke of his rank but also revealed the exhaustion of a single father.

"Hello," he said, canting his head to one side. "Can I help you?" It was obvious that there was no need for aggression; the she-wolf was little threat, but his tone was not overly welcoming.

Upon finishing her howl, Darrah allowed herself to settle into a comfortable position in the loam.  Her head rested gently atop her crossed paws as she waited for the calvary to arrive— and alas, she wasn't kept waiting for too long. The blurry, grey form of another wolf eventually made it's way into Darrah's frame of vision. Timeliness was an important virtue, one that Darrah respected.  Compounded with her impatient nature, she was quite pleased to have not been kept waiting.

Despite her failing vision, Darrah noticed the telltale posturing of dominance.  It was a familiar game— one she had played not so long ago, before her claim had been stripped out from under her paws. However, In spite of his posturing, Darrah noticed the signs of something else along with it.  He carried a burden with him. She could see it in the way he walked— the blurry bags under his eyes.  He spoke and Darrah immediately dropped into a submissive stance, as any mannered wolf would do.  

"Yes," she mused before taking a contemplative pause.  "In fact, you can.  However, it seems you may need more help than I." Her delivery was deadpan and lacking in any notable inflection.  Matter of fact. "I am Darrah," she introduced, "and you are?"

The she-wolf adjusted her posture accordingly, and then responded to Elwood's greeting. Her intuitive words caught him off guard, and he started visibly, brows raising for a moment before he composed himself. There was something about her that made him want to share his troubles, but he bit his tongue, instead refocusing as she introduced herself. She was polite and her tone spoke of experience; if he had to guess, he would assume that she had once been a leader herself.

"My name is Elwood. I'm the Beta of Redhawk Caldera," he replied, gesturing over his shoulder at the squat peak behind him. The only Beta, he thought with a twinge of bitterness. "What can I help you with?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over her frame in a manner of assessment. She appeared to be healthy enough, save for the mark of time on her body -- and a haziness in her eyes that he hadn't noticed at first.

Her stated observation had it's intended effect.  While she could not see the confusion in his eyes, Darrah could discern it's result from the pause that ensued and slight rise and fall in Elwood's voice. Her assumption had been correct.  Even though she had reached her paw though the proverbial door into Elwood's personal life, Darrah decided not to press the point any further.  She would learn in time— about all of them.  Instead, she focused on the situation at hand.

She let out a tired sigh.  "I am weary," she yawned, "and I've traveled far longer than an old woman should."  This place was her last chance.  Any more traveling would do her brittle form in. "I wish to stop. To live the rest of my days in peace.  Can you provide that?" A short pause ensued.  "But don't you dare make this a charity case,"  she added with a hint of bitter intonation before he could make any assumptions.  "Don't  give me your pity.  I do not want it.  I can make myself useful."  She cupped her ears forward as she waited for his response.

Elwood listened patiently as Darrah spoke. He was sympathetic, but at the same time he was uncertain. Would Fox and Peregrine see the benefit in allowing an older wolf to join their ranks? He feared that she would be a drain on their resources without providing anything in turn. The Beta male started to shake his head slowly, but Darrah's demeanor suddenly changed. There was a new sharpness in her voice, and her eyes -- though faded -- held a glint of determination.

He couldn't stop the corner of his lips from turning up. There was still a good deal of fire and spirit in the elderly female's soul, and he realized that although it was likely she would live out her days with Redhawk Caldera, she wouldn't go down without a fight. "Okay, no pity for you then," he quipped with a good natured smile. He then lowered himself to his haunches, preparing to press Darrah a little further before giving her the green light.

"You seem to have a lot of life experience. Tell me more about yourself, and what you can do to benefit our pack," he said, his tone and expression indicating that she had his undivided attention.

Her stone-like features began to shift after Elwood spoke.  A terse smile formed at the edges of her maw, but it was subtle and hardly noticeable beneath her thick mask of pride.    Of course, she was thankful. However, Darrah was not the type to utter such words of gratitude.  Such a thing was only weakness.  Instead, she would show her thanks by answering his questions in full.

"Ask— and I will answer.  Tell me, what is it you would like to know?"  she asked.  Eight long years of history were hard to compress in a single blurb; Elwood would have to utilize a more specific line of questioning. "I've lived a very long life and I have neither the time or the patience to discuss it in detail.  Perhaps another time."

"But, what I expect you really want to hear has to do with the second part of your question," she continued, businesslike and regal at the same time. "I will tell you this, I am a healer and I watch the storms, but above all— I am a teacher.  And that is," she paused, "a very useful skill to have."

Although it took a moment for her to get to her point, Darrah soon shared the skills that Elwood wanted to hear. He was especially interested to find that she was a healer; the caldera seemed to have a hard time holding on to their medics. Ashton, Tiger, and Sebastian had all left them for various reasons, and only Raven was left with any helpful experience. In addition, Darrah seemed to have some knowledge as a naturalist, as well as with teaching.

He nodded his head, satisfied with her answer. And, to be honest, he would be curious to hear more about her life another time as she offered. Selfishly, he found himself thinking that Eljay would take to her grandmotherly personality and would enjoy learning from her. "You bring a lot to the table. We can certainly use a healer, and I know of at least one young pup that would surely benefit from your teachings," he said with a wave of his tail. "Welcome to the pack. You should probably try to introduce yourself to our Alphas as soon as possible. Their names are Peregrine and Fox."

He took a step back, allowing her to cross the threshold. "Is there anything specific you want to know about our pack?" he asked.

One more post from you and that should do it!

Quick, simple, and to the point: just the way Darrah hoped her acceptance would be. The corners of her mouth twisted into a slight smile, however, the sagging flesh of age made it appear as no more than an uncomfortable grimace.  She nodded to her acceptor, welling with pride with each affirmation with her prowess.  It was good to be wanted— even better to be needed, and Darrah was quite content with her situation.

He asked if there was more she wished to know, she shook her head with the universal sign for nah. The answers to her questions had already been answered. Peregrine— Fox, She would find them on her own time... but now, she needed rest.

"Well then," she said, "Lets go before I die of old age." Then, motioning for Elwood to lead her on into the territory, she put her fate in the paws of another for the first, and possibly last, time.

Perfect, welcome to the pack! :)

Darrah spared no further questions for the Beta, instead indicating for him to lead the way. He obliged her with a smile, turning to face the squat peak and moving towards it. There wasn't much else to be said -- it was evident that the older wolf was tired and wanted to find a place to rest, first and foremost -- so Elwood decided to save the tour for another time. In all likelihood, she would want to explore the territory on her own, without a guide.

His parting words were for her to howl for him if she needed anything, and then he returned to the borders. The rest of the afternoon was spent patrolling in an attempt to keep his mind off of Finley; as soon as he was no longer in Darrah's company, his worries came swirling back.