the cat dragged in

The storm came.

To no benefit of her. She had hoped this storm would bring in her utmost desires—

She had lost it all. All but her power. But what was that power without her sibling? Darling sister? Ah, and they were made for this place. So she knew where to find her...

Except upon nearing the borders, that scent was scant, near-gone. Untraceable. Others were missing, too. Lusa. Her mate. Those babies. Stale. Perhaps her sister had succeeded in taking one?

Shego sang to the lead. Time to come home, and that was here. After trudging through the wilds, she returned. A bit worse for wear, but every single step she had made was simply to come back to this place.

Akela was paroling the borders.  He had not noticed anything particular until he smelled an intruder.  Well that was rare.  Growling, he hoped and ran after it, until he saw a black figure.  While Burke wished that it was no questions asked and just kill it, he stopped the wolf's way , to stop her from getting anyway further. "Here you stop laddie. " he growled and looked at her.  He knew some where still missing from the pack, and all he had was names. He was going to give her one shot.   " State your name " he demanded. Was she not on his list, would she end up with the rest of the trespassers tracing the border of the pack.

Weird, I put the prefix as the borders and that's gone now... Anyway, she's not trespassing at this point! Hanging 'round the borders.

A large fellow greeted her. He was not one she recognized, and she threw a look of scrutiny his way, less than pleased with her own position. Once she could have been empathetic. How she hated outsiders. But she was not a wolf of the outside. It was not so long ago she roamed these hallowed forests, and she yearned to do the same once more.

His question was met with her name: "Shego." Her bright eyes flashed as she sought recognition. "The storm took me. I return." And though she was quite mentally unhinged, she lowered her head to recognize that at present, in this situation, he held station above her. She was manic enough for her mind to flip on a dime should he chase her from the place she would protect 'til the last, but for now, she resigned herself to this.

"Shego. "  Akela took a step back and observed the girl.  She looked like nothing. He took a step back to allow her personal space. "You were presumed dead. " he informed the other and tilted his head to the side.  " I am not sure you will be granted that wish.  " he spoke in all honesty.  "I'm Akela, Beta of this pack. " he introduced himself. He had no particular notices from Burke concerning her. In fact, the alpha had not said much about her at all apart that she and Lakhesis were sisters. He howled for  @Burke. This was not a member he could accept or not on his own.

While they waited, he was going to question her.  "Where has the storm pushed you to , you look weak. " he commented.  " I suppose you'll be happy to know that your sister is alive, she did not wish to return, but she is. "

What wish? She blinked at him, confounded. She was exhausted; the witch did not try to translate as she normally might, to look for other meanings, or even to presume he meant her own death. That she vainly could not believe. Not when she had survived so much.

Where had the storm pushed her to? "Toward the ocean," she huffed. Her furs looked seaswept, and the whole of her was. The ocean did not suit her as the forest did... but she recalled the amount of dead it swept on its shores. The place was survivable. And she had kept along the shoreline until at last she discovered her proximity to this place, her would-be home—

Her sister was alive? Burning eyes blinked again. "What?" Had her sister been stolen by the storm? The thought did not occur to her. But why would she not wish to return...?

"I met north of here. She showed little to not interest in this pack anymore. She did not fall victim to the storm, she used it to leave this pack. " he retold his encounter with the coywolf. She had been anything but cooperative or social. Protecting her meal .  He eyed the girl again. If Burke allowed her to return, he'd have to take care of her, get her something to eat and something to regain some strength before winter. He was no caretaker or healer, but first needs had to be met , then he would leave her in the care of one of the pack members. If her spirits matched what they wanted this pack to be.

Burke disliked to be taken away from the den, but since Akela howled for him it must have been serious. The large male made sure to put some speed in his step so he was quickly at the borders. Normally he would take his time but now he had other matters to deal with. His steps were heard from afar since he wasn't bothered with keeping quiet. 

As he arrived he instantly spotted Shego. The blood witch. She was one crazy female as he remembered. He disliked that she had been gone for so long. His pale eyes looked displeased. "So you are alive after all," Burke spoke. The storm had been months ago, so it was pretty strange that the female had been away for so long. Burke questioned her loyalty. He hadn't caught the part about her sister. But he left the conversation open for her to state what she wanted or let Akela brief him.

She listened to Akela and her eyes flashed. This was an interesting development indeed.

But it had nothing to do with her.

It was then Burke emerged, and her sharp green eyes turned to him. He could not account for her experience, her disorient, and how frequently she was deceived by the sea. Against all odds, she had survived it, and returned to them. For them. It seemed there was a sliver of loyalty in her to the Blackfeather Woods wolves after all, else she would not have returned.

"I am glad to see you are perceptive as ever," comes her sly tongue whilst her head dips to submit to him. "The storm deposited me to the sea. I recovered with carrion and rotting things it brought. I went the wrong way, following the coastline. And I corrected my path." She had been lost for a long time, and that was obvious enough. She was narrower than ever. And while much weight had left her, her spirit evidently remained. Dark and dour, bitter and cruel. Self-serving, to be certain, but by extension, serving to them, should they let her in again.

Akela stepped back, showing that he was not going to make that decision today.  He listened to the girl talking. What he thought.  Not sure if she would make it on her own , but then again, she eventually came back, after months of errancy. That proved some loyalty to Akela. Others had not even bothered coming back. He titled his head a little.

He kept his questions to himself. Almost tempted to continue his round, since that was something Burke could handle on his own, but then again, he knew that once Burke would have made his decision, he would take over again and let him return to his young and the den.

Burke was in no mood for smart talk, so the female better keep herself in check. Burke had other things on his mind and it wasn't some wolf that wanted to rejoin. Surely she did show some loyalty coming back here, but after all these months Shego had just been a speck on Burke's radar really. It was more annoying that she was gone those months rather than that he was worried. Shego did showed some submission. "Your sister leeched from our pack. I do realize you show some 'loyalty' coming back here but what if you are just like your sister and try and patch yourself up again before leaving to rejoin your sister," he pointed out. 

Burke wasn't such a fan of leeches and he wasn't going to be tricked again. The whole of Blackfeather had a family to take care of, the spiderlings 2.0 were here and all their efforts would be in raising them. Not patching up some older member. He wanted to hear her reply first before he would give any promise of rejoining. He did not understand how the storm made her go to the sea. It was miles from here, and the storm wasn't that wild around black feather. Oh well.

Shego looked utterly birdlike at Burke's question, her head tilted. How offended she was! But then, in truth, how offended could she be? His questions were valid and sound ones, but they caused her head to ring. "I could rejoin her now and do all that anywhere," she stated, her too-high voice obnoxious even to her own ears. "But I do not wish to go 'anywhere'. It is why I am here. She has made her choice, and here I remain." Shego felt she had made herself clear to the leaders before her. Hopefully, it was enough. If not, she supposed she would have to find her sister... which she did not wish to do--

She wished to resume her blood-letting, her private self-worship, her witchcraft, and be among fellows who understood her way.

Akela cocked an eyebrow. "Winter is closing on us Burke, we could have her on a two weeks trial, see if she truly will stick up for what she  is so firmly affirming. " Akela spoke and turned again to Shego. "Now this however. Your sister did not only have a message for the Alpha, but also for you. She told me, the fates always returns, and that she is still searching. " he informed her, reminding himself just what Lakhesis had said. "I will not speak against or for you, for I do not know your skills or your past with this pack. It will be to Burke to make a decision on the matter. I will continue my patrol. Farewell. " he gave both a nod and went his way.  If Shego wanted some private time with Burke, she would so have the opportunity.

- Akela exist -

Burke listened to the both of them. Akela was his trusted Beta and advisor so he took his words close to heart. Burke nodded shortly towards the Beta in staying goodbye. Then he turned to the female. "You will get two weeks. Prove yourself and you will be allowed to stay for winter. If I don't see you regularly then you won't be welcome anymore," Burke spoke. It was because of the beta that Burke even considered the other. The large male stepped aside, allowing her to pass over the border and join Black Feather. 

"Follow me, I will show you what you can do for today," he spoke to the female. He walked into the dark forest, expecting the female to follow.

-Fade end- 

@Shego feel free to wrap it up and archive it!