Phoenix Maplewood Hidden in the Shadows (Joining)

The young wolf opened her eyes and looked around for the familiar sight that would be her mother. Yet she wasn't there. The females eyes widened. "Mum..?" the wolf said concern in her tone. She rose from where she lay and padded out the entrance of the cave. "Dad? Kiera? Phoenix?.." 

Ash woke with a start. Another nightmare waking her from her already restless sleep. It had been months and she still couldn't seem to rid herself of the constant nightmares and relentless flashbacks that seemed to follow her everywhere she went. She rose and lifted her muzzle to the sky. It was still dark but sunrise didn't seem to be far off as she could see a hint of red on the horizon. Well at least its not too early this time. She thought remembering how just a few nights ago her nightmares had woken her at a completely unreasonable hour. 

The red furred female stretched then continued her somewhat endless journey through land now unknow to her. She trailed across the damp grounds heading for a forest on the other side of the wetlands. Perhaps there she could see shelter and find some reasonable food for once. Perhaps even she would get lucky and find a wolf that could tell her where she even was. 

As Ashka approached the edge of the woods she caught a strong scent of pack borders. Great. She sat for a moment thinking. She had spent months deciding if she would ever join a pack again. Weighing the pros and the cons of living as a lone. Pros nothing bad could happen to her unless at fault none other that her own. Cons lack of food and place to permanently call home. Lack of a family. Family. Who am I kidding. If I knew what family was I wouldn't be on my own right now. 

She lay down and began to daydream about what it would be like to be part of a family. It wasn't long before she found herself slowly drifting back to sleep.

[ooc] Heh. Sorry if the ending is crap. I'm just getting my rhythm back. haha. [ooc]

Fire trotted through the Maplewood territory,trying to adjust to her new home.She couldn't help noting how much it was different from FireFang's territory,which was near a beach.As she daydreamed and walked,a new smell came to Fire'e nose.A strange wolf?Fire cautiously followed the scent to a sleeping female.The wolf's red pelt immediately made her think of FlameRose,her delta back in FireFang,but there was no time for that.Fire stood over the woman,looking down at her aggressively."Who are you?" She barked sternly.

Ashka's eyes flashed open at the bark of another wolf. Not a friendly one either. "Would it kill to let me sleep for once. Honestly," she growled blinking a few times. It took a moment before she came to her senses and then clambered to her feet. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced at the wolf standing before her. She smelled the same as the markings on the borders and yet not the alpha. Her posture gave that one away. 

Ash wasn't one who enjoyed being woken from a surprisingly nightmareless sleep. "Better question is who are you?" she snapped before immediately reconsidering her approach. This was a pack wolf she was talking to. There were more of her. It would not be a good idea to piss her off. Ash pondered for a moment. Why was it that the times she needed her common sense most she could only think of rude ways to answer this wolfs approach. "I'm Ashka." She also neglected to apologize for her previous remarks as this wolf had just woken her up.

"Sorry for waking you."Fire said,calming herself."I'm just really protective.I'm Fire by the way." She said,sniffing the wolf"Your coat is a really pretty.Are you a loner?"She looked Ashka up and down."She looks quite muscular and strong"She noted to herself"The alphas would appreciate another strong wolf"

The wolfs demeanor changed in what appeared to be a matter of moments. This wolf no longer looked like she wished to murder Ash for intruding on pack land or at least being close to it. The wolf introduced herself as Fire. Odd name. "Uh, Nice to uh meet you," she said apprehensively. Any other wolf would have probably said that without second thoughts but since Ash didn't trust easily she was bound to be apprehensive. "Thanks...I guess," she replied to the compliment. That was something that hadn't happened in a while. It felt oddly okay. 

"So, do you by any chance know where I am? I've been uh "travelling" for a while and this place is unfamiliar to me," she asked glancing at the wolf. Still unsure of what to make of the fae. 

It has only just occured to me i probably should have tagged @Saena or @Reek in my first post XD

"Nice to meet you too." Fire said." You are in Pheonix Maplewood territory.The alphas are Saena and Reek,but I don't know where they are right now."Fire could tell that this wolf was not the kind to give unearned trust,so she stroked back in order to give her space"Don't worry,I won't bite unless you really need it." She said jokingly.

Saena had hoped by now that her injuries would've begun to cooperate, but she couldn't have been further from the truth. She desperately wanted to be able to run again, but every attempt only made her scabs pull and tug painfully. She'd already ripped the edge of her leg wound open that morning and she wasn't keen on repeating the experience with her nonexistent tail, so she took it slow. Painfully slow, especially for a patrol. And she cursed her inability to heal more quickly. Citali had done all she could for the wound, though, and now it was up to the alpha's system.

At least the itching had stopped. A long day of drowning herself in the muddy remains of Feller's Pond had been a sufficient cure for her fleas. That was a plus. The taiga outside the forest was predictably quiet—it always was—but before she could consider abandoning her post for a while, the alpha's sharp ears twitched toward the faint sound of voices. Her heart surged with panic, as if oft did when she discovered others lurking near her territory, and she hobbled as quickly as she could in that direction, determined to face whoever it was head-on.

Thankfully, it was no one threatening. An auburn female and Fire Wolf, the newest member of the pack. Saena could hardly relax because of that. The new subordinate had done nothing to lose the alpha female's trust, but she'd done nothing yet to earn it, either. Stopping a potential trespasser on the border was a good way to start, and she made a mental note of it, but she wasn't ready to trust the pack's protection to Fire just yet, so she drew up alongside the female and lifted her ears. Her snout canted slightly upward, as though to make up for having no tail to curl skyward.

"Hello," she greeted smoothly, her eyes sliding sidelong to Fire Wolf. She assumed the woman had been busy conducting an interview, and she didn't want to intrude. She would make the final judgment call, of course, but she was curious to see how an alleged warrior handled the situation.

Ashka  made herself seem taller as the wolf backed away from her saying she wouldnt bite unless provoked. Almost as if to say that Ash might have been scared of this wolf. "I'm not scared of you," she added with a nod as if to prove her point more. "Thanks for telling me where I am though. At least now I'm a little less lost," she stated in an emotionless tone.

 She began to wonder what on earth the alphas were doing to not have noticed her standing at their borders. As if to answer her question a white female trotted up along side Fire. It took Ash a moment to contain her thoughts as she realized this wolf had no tail.

"You must be the Alphess I presume, " Ash said lowering herself to the ground proving she was no threat. Something she probably should have done with Fire as well come to think of it. She glanced cautiously between the two wolves unsure of what to do next. At least she had made the decision she wouldn't mind joining a pack. "I Uh haven't been here long.. I must have dozed off near the borders because that's when Fire found me and woke me up asking who I was," Ashka stated. 

"I am actually looking for a place to stay.. I've been wandering quite a while on my own. I make a good hunter and I'm working on becoming a warrior as well," she stated.  She wasnt quite sure that this was the right thing to be saying and she ignored the nagging voice in the back of her mind telling her this was a bad idea. Perhaps joining these wolves would put an end to all her nightmares. Maybe, just maybe. 

I'm still ironing out the details of her past and expanding on her personality.

"I didn't think you afraid of me,but I can tell that you're apprehensive."Fire said to Ashka.When Saena walked up,Fire bowed her head respectfully and stepped aside.Since she was only copying what her pack used to do when she arrived,she looked up for a sign of approval or disapproval.Learning to be below an alpha would be a hard lesson.
She turned back to Ashka."This is Saena.If you want to join,talk to her."When the fae said she was a hunter,Fire nodded."That explains how she looks so well-fed." She noted to herself."If I am not mistaken,we still need one or two more warriors,and with Saena's permission I will happily test your skills."

The unfamiliar female lowered herself and Saena took the opportunity to step forward and sniff at the scent aura she possessed. No signs of affiliation with another pack. "That's me," she answered when the auburn wolf identified her as the alpha. She was petite and weakened by her current tailless state, but Saena thought she had enough personality to come off as the one in charge regardless of the circumstance. Aside from Reek, Citali was perhaps the only one who could, if she wanted, overpower the yearling's saucier attitude (in the leadership department), and Citali was probably the only female she wouldn't mind deferring to, if only temporarily.

The alpha's gaze slid sidelong to Fire Wolf as she was introduced, and she nodded gratefully. The woman's language was perhaps a tad hard, a little uncouth, but not unappreciated. The need for good warriors was always high in any pack, and Phoenix Maplewood was no exception, especially with its pair of gamekeepers both injured. "How long have you been training to be a warrior?" wondered Saena as she stepped back, giving Ashka room to lift herself back to neutrality if she wished. The alpha's ears remained rigid and forward, but other than that, there was nothing overbearingly dominant about her stance. That could change in an instant if she sensed her authority was being undermined, but Ashka gave her no reason to suspect that.

"I myself am a hunter," she said approvingly, "and a comrade in that field is always welcome. It's mainly good fighters we have need of here, though." Soon enough, Nochtli would need to leave on private business, currently unbeknownst to her alpha, and the usefulness of two potential gamekeepers in Ashka and Fire Wolf would not be overlooked when that time came.

Ashka remained on the ground. Things seemed to be going fairly well and she would rather avoid instigating any fights or arguements. Her ears twitched as the white alphess spoke. She felt it wouldn't be good to dissapoint the alphess by telling her she hadnt had much training as she never really had a sparring partner. She was too young before... 

She shook her head briefly to shake the thought and then decided against lying and being found out once the wolf named Fire kicked her rear end in a spar. Her ears drooped slightly. "Not long enough to win a fight, I have some basic skills after sparring with a few of my littermates..." she paused for a moment before continuing. "I would need a teacher or a sparring partner to learn, but I can assure you I learn quickly and will be a great asset to the pack. Practice makes perfect right?" she stated. A hint of worry showed in her eye but it was quickly hidden. She would rather not come across as desperate.

The white wolf spoke again announcing she too was a hunter and that company was appreciated. A small but unsure smile came across her maw. "I would be honoured to accompany you on a hunt sometime," she said ears returning to their upright position. 

The idea of joining this pack of wolves was growing on her however her trust was not easily earned. It would take her a while to accept these wolves into her life as "family". Not to say she would not defend them at all costs. Her loyalty was not to be questioned.

Sorry it took so long. Busy week. Am i allowed to start threads with pack wolves before this one is finished or would you rather me wait?

@Fire Wolf Feel free to reply when you have a chance, I just want to keep this one moving because it is a joining thread and is a priority of mine. :) Ashka - feel free to reference Arion in your threads! He's an NPC and he is a warrior so you could use that to say that Ashka has been training behind-the-scenes with him if you'd like!

While Saena certainly would've preferred a wolf who was well-versed in fighting, like Fire Wolf herself, the female could appreciate one who was willing to learn the trade. That was worth a lot. The young alpha also tended to appeal to the younger, less experienced members of her species, and so she was more likely to ask a wolf who admitted experience and skill to prove themselves than she was a wolf who admitted they were untested but willing to learn.

"I'm not a warrior," she said, "but I am skilled in fighting defensively. My mate, Reek, is also a skilled defensive fighter." They had to be, as wardens. Often they were holding their ground rather than doing outright damage, though it was equal to being a warrior in some respects. "Fire Wolf here is a warrior proving herself, and we have Arion, a very experienced warrior. Any of us would be willing to give you tips and help you learn." Saena was more untested than the other three by virtue of her age, but liked to think she had enough to get by.

"I want to see what you've learned in a month's time," the alpha female declared, then smiled openly and said, "welcome to Phoenix Maplewood," before padding forward and reaching out with the aim of rubbing her muzzle and cheek against the newcomer to spread her scent.

Ashka was pleased as the white Alphess explained that there were wolves here who would be able to teach her the trade. Ashka made note of the names and made sure that once she had met these wolves she would ask if they would help her learn. She looked forward to it.

She smiled and gave the wolf a polite nod as she said that she would like to see how much she had learned in a months time. "Sounds fair," she stated accepting the Alpha's welcoming nudge. She was a part of this pack now and she would prove herself to be very loyal to these wolves. She dare not prove this wolf wrong in her trust for the aber fae. For she was sure that would mean the end for her.

Eep sorry its short and that it took me so long to reply. We could fade out here or you could add one last post. Up to you. Something tells me @Firewolf may not reply again here.. Idk.