Date; 4.2.2014
Time; Early afternoon
Status; IC Joining
ooc
It had been far too long since she’d had social interaction with others, and even longer since she had been a part of a pack, any pack. It wasn’t like she had been in several others, though. She’d been born into that of her parents’ pack that they led and was held in high esteem, but purely because of whom her parents were. She didn’t want that. She wanted to be liked and respected for her and not for who her parents were. The girl had been just barely over a year of age when she had made the decision to leave. Her parents had tried to talk her out of it, but she had made up her mind and would not be talked out of it. When she left, she’d done so without looking back. Not even once.
It had been ten months since she had left the land she’d been born in. At first, she had missed her family but stubbornness had prevented her from returning. She knew that her mother, the bitch that she could be, would purely say ‘I told you so’ if she had returned home. Sabriyah would not give her mother that satisfaction. Opting to not join any packs that were even remotely near the pack she had been born into, the young female had kept right on traveling. She socialized every so often, but even that was few and far between. As it was, it had been a couple of months since she had willingly interacted with any others.
It was time, though. Time to find somewhere to settle. With that in mind, the young female wandered, smelling out different packs. Yet, she opted to not approach any of the ones she had sniffed out. Until now. Now, she followed her nose, smelling out a pack on the plateau. There was something that smelled different, that drew her in, that the other packs she’d sniffed out didn’t. Sabriyah couldn’t put her paw on it, but opted to not question it either. Following her nose, she moved along the base of a mountain pass and made her way toward where she scented the pack borders.
Stopping at a respectful distance, the young female tilted her head back and let forth her song, seeking the company of someone in charge. If she was going to do this, finally join a pack after almost a year of being on her own, she didn’t want to make small talk with anyone lower than the leaders. Once her song died down, she lowered her head and prepared herself to show submission once a leader arrived. It was now a waiting game.
"Duty calls," he murmured, touching his muzzle to Hawkeye's temple and giving her a light kiss. "I'll be back." After a last, lingering glance at his family, the Alpha male turned and swept from the den, hating that some stranger's howl was pulling him away from his family. But Hawkeye needn't worry about border patrol with two-day-old puppies at her breast, nor was there another Warden to answer such summons.
He arrived at the crest of the plateau, paused long enough to eyeball the caller, then trotted down the slope. When he reached her, Peregrine lifted his head and tail, then pricked his ears. His dusky eyes were steely as they fastened on the stranger's face. She might be a pretty young female but he didn't particularly notice. He already had four women in his life (his wife, his daughters and his sister), all of them beauties, and he didn't have the time of day for any other she-wolf.
A bit impatiently, the swarthy male said, "I'm Peregrine, the plateau's Alpha male. You've taken me from my young family. Tell me your name and why you're here. And keep it short." His tail gave a rigid twitch and he stood there stoically, awaiting the female's reply.
ooc
Unsure of how long she was going to have to wait, Sabriyah lowered her rump to the ground, curling her tail around her forepaws to keep them warm. Lavender eyes scanned the horizon, watching for the approach of someone, anyone. As soon as she saw movement coming toward her, she rose to her paws and lowered her head toward the ground with her tail lying limply against her hind legs. She did not feel the need, at the moment, to go full out to show submission and hoped that this would be good enough, at least for the moment.
She cringed, inwardly, at learning she’d disturbed the male but kept her expression neutral, almost soft. ”Sabriyah, sir,” she responded with her name. ”And I come seeking a place to call home. I have been on my own for nearly a year, but have been longing to find a place to settle for the last two months.” Her ears twitched atop her head as she thought of what else to include in her introduction and request. She’d never been allowed to tag along with either of her parents when they had accepted strangers at their borders, so was unsure of what more to add.
Then another question struck him, one he always liked to ask, even if the answer was usually pretty meaningless. "And why the plateau? What made you choose this pack specifically?" Although not in a very patient mood, he enjoyed the fact that young, healthy wolves sought to join the plateau's ranks. But he always wondered why they came here and didn't choose one of the other local packs. What was it that drew them, he wondered as he continued staring at Sabriyah's face.
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Inwardly she scolded herself for having not thought to offer what her strengths and skills were from the get go. Outwardly, she dipped her head down just a tad further, making sure to keep her gaze lowered, staring at the toes of his front paws. ”Having been on my own for nearly a year, I am swift on my paws and I am an experienced hunter,” she promptly responded. ”I can hold my own, while helping to do for others. I would willingly put myself in the way of danger to keep it from reaching pack members, including your young family, sir.” Sabriyah was fiercely loyal, except to her birth family.
Ah yes. That question did not surprise her, though she was unsure of how to answer without sounding like some sort of creepy freak. Alas, there was no way to explain it without ending up sounding like that anyway. ”Scent,” she began to answer. ”The last couple of months, I have been trying to find a place to call home, but it has always been the scent, the smells of the packs I came across, that drove me away from even considering them. This place, this pack, your pack, carries a different scent. A more welcoming scent. I… don’t know how to fully explain it, sir.”
Her response didn't satisfy him; he had yet to receive an answer that satisfactorily explained any newcomer's choice. It was especially dissatisfying to him that she'd held out for nearly a year, only to choose a pack based on its smell. He dismissed it with a slight sideways flick of his dark muzzle, then concentrated on Sabriyah's supposed strengths. His eyes bored into her, scrutinizing her build and her body language. If she really had been alone for the better part of a year, she was either an incredible hunter or a masterful scavenger, perhaps a bit of both.
"Normally, I'd have you hunt for me to prove yourself," he told her, "but I don't have the time or patience for that right now. I'm going to accept you, Sabriyah, but if you don't prove yourself right away, I will chase you away from my lands." Peregrine paused, then decided to give her a specific task. "In order to formalize your probationary membership, I want you to hunt no less than three small animals, which you will add to the cache near the den I share with my mate. But do not disturb my family. The pups are not even three days old." This would give her the opportunity to prove her hunting capabilities, as well as feed the Alpha pair's family, showing her loyalty.
After giving her a moment to digest this, Peregrine said, "Welcome to Blacktail Deer Plateau. You will be the Pi." He paused, wondering why he hadn't ever thought to give that rank to Pied, if only for fun. He then continued, asking, "Do you have any questions, Sabriyah?"
ooc; works for me! <3
The young female was truly unable to really explain why she chose this place, this pack, to join based on scent. There was just something alluring about it, enticing almost, that had drawn her here. Yet it had been scent that had kept her from seeing a home in other packs. The smells had been wrong with the other packs, other places she had passed by. Something about them just hadn’t sat right with her. It was something she was unable to really explain, unfortunately.
Sabriyah pushed her ears partially forward to take in every word he spoke to her. The young female gave a slight wag of her tail upon being told she was being accepted. A nod of her head was given to show that she was listening, that she heard what he was telling her that she needed to do. ”Yes, sir,” she responded without hesitation. She would hunt for him, for his young family, to prove herself so that she could remain within his ranks. It would not take her long to prove to him that he was not making a mistake by accepting her into his pack.
Questions… did she have any? ”Yes, sir,” she responded, giving a slight nod. ”Even though it’s been a while since I was within a pack, I do remember that my parents’ pack had co-ranks, jobs really. Do you have that within your ranks?” Sabriyah would eagerly pursue a job if they were, indeed, had within his ranks. It would give her something to strive for, something further to show her worth and loyalty.
"Yes, there are several. It sounds to me like you'll be most suited to the role of Gamekeeper. I'm actually a Gamekeeper myself and, when I have the time, I would be happy to train with you. There are others, including Warriors and Wardens, which might also be up your alley," he added, since she'd mentioned being happy to put herself in the way of danger to defend her pack.
And though she hadn't asked, he thought of something else he ought to include. "My mate—and your new Alpha female—is called Hawkeye, by the way. She's black with green eyes. She's not up and around much yet, since she just gave birth. But she'll be on her feet and back to her duties soon enough, so I'm sure you'll see her around."
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She figured he was probably eager to return to his family, but she also wanted to be able to strive for something that would prove to be useful, as well as prove herself more than just supplying his family with a few things to eat. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to keep him from returning to his family any longer than necessary.
Eagerly, she listened as he answered her question. Gamekeeper, check. Warrior and Warden, check. It sounded like it was just a matter of figuring out where she would best fit. She was a hunter and a defender, so she just needed to decide which role she would be able to better fit into, though she had no doubt that she would eagerly assume any role that was to be expected of her, be it hunting for or with the pack, or defending and fighting for her new home.
”Thank you, I would like that,” she responded, rolling around the idea of hunt training with another. It had been a long time since she had hunted alongside of anyone else, but she also figured it would probably be a while still before he was able and willing to pull himself away from his young family. When the time came, she would take him up on his offer. Sabriyah took in the description, and name, of his mate, the Alpha female, giving a nod. ”I will remember that.” Sabriyah truly didn’t want to keep him any longer than she already had.
In mere minutes, he arrived at the den to find both mother and babies wide awake. He could tell because they were wiggling furiously as they suckled. Peregrine laughed lightly and dropped to his haunches next to Hawkeye, remarking absently, "We have a new pack mate. Her name's Sabriyah and she'll be bringing us food shortly."
With a grunt, the Alpha male reclined beside her, happy as ever to just stare at his daughters for hours, love and wonder written all over his dark features.
ooc; cheers!
”Thank you,” she murmured, dipping her head down a little further, as he spoke his parting words. The young female held this position until he was no longer within range of her hearing. Lifting her head, she gazed forward. A small smile played upon her muzzle and her tail gave a gentle sway behind her. After nearly a year of being entirely on her own, she once again had a place to call home. This was a good thing, or so she truly hoped.
Dropping into a play bow, to obviously no one but herself, a soft yip escaped from her and she bolted forward, crossing the scented border that had prevented her from going forward until now. Sabriyah was actually looking forward to proving herself to her new leader. It was now just a matter of figuring out where to start, as well as working on meeting others within the pack. She would do whatever she could to truly belong.