Porcupine Ridge Joining

Novak had finally reached the borders of the pack he had been hoping to join, it felt like he had achieved something. He was done running away, and had been searching for the home of his cousin, @Anwyl, the only family he knew he could trust. His last attempt at being apart of a normal life. Of course, he wouldn't jump at the border and chase his cousin down. He'd have to be patient, which wasn't much of a problem for him, but he hoped another wolf would be patrolling the grounds.

Although he felt like all his worries were over, and he could finally settle into something, he knew he had to be accepted first. Which, honestly, he was afraid he wouldn't be good enough for the pack. But if he were to join the pack, he'd do his best to provide as much as possible for it. This would be what saves his life, in all senses of the form.

Diane was not a learned patroller. The guardians of the Cove had largely been male, and she had neither the physique or mentality to be any sort of great defender. She was a pacifist at heart, and that was unlikely to change. Still, Tagg had encouraged her to travel the borders, leave her scent, and otherwise look for anything unusual—and so far she hadn't come across anything of interest. Though this wasn't saying much, since she had yet to travel the entirety of the Ridge's broad girth and couldn't accurately say that there was nothing to be found.

Her arrival at this particular stretch of border was coincidental at best. She was far from her den and slightly uncomfortable on her own, but she couldn't ignore the foreign scent of a loner, so she followed it with an anxious twitch set in her tail.

What if who she met was violent? Or sick? What if there was an ambush waiting? What is they were from the sea? She couldn't smell any salt on the air, so this quelled at least one of her fears, but it hung in the back of her mind like the thin, snow clouds loomed overhead. She trotted forward still, swallowing her anxiousness like bile as she came to greet the border-walker.

He was a strapping male; all cream and waning silver, with eyes bluer than shining blue waters from the Cove. Steeling herself, and careful to keep from stumbling over her words, she paused a few yards inland of the wolf and waved her tail stiffly. "Hello. Is there anything I can help.. you... with?" That didn't sound right. How were you supposed to greet wolves so close to the Ridge's borders? The Theta couldn't be sure...

! Hope it's okay for Jhala to pop in. (:

The newly promoted Beta was doing the same as the newly joined Theta- patrolling. It came far more naturally to the black and white girl, but they did the same thing regardless. She came across the scents further along her patrol, she'd been at it for a while now and this was the first interesting thing to occur. Like the newest member, she sought out the scent of the new wolf right away.

Jhala had not yet met the new girl, but she noted that she must've been part of the pack because she was inside the borders, and appeared to be greeting the wolf just outside of them. She cupped her ears forward and made her way over, making sure to hold herself higher than both. She was not fully used to having to make sure she appeared the most dominate wolf in the area, but she knew that soon she'd be more used to it. She wondered what Anwyl would say to her- would she have to be so serious around him? She wasn't sure.

She stood beside the newest wolf and dipped her head in greeting, expecting a submissive response from her. In return to looked to the wolf just outside the border, waiting to hear his response to whatever the Porcupine wolf had said to him. She wouldn't intervene just yet... no. For now she would listen and see what both wolves had to say.

Upon seeing the first female to approach, he instantly lowered his body from hers, and tilted his head to the side in attempt to show respect, and also be a gentleman which was a bit difficult with him being so large. He felt his body grow warm, and more relief shooting through. One step closer to safety. Novak immediately noticed the female earth-like pelt, which he took admiration too, especially the golden like color contrasting with all the others, he found it stunning. He tried his best not to seem too intimidating around this small wolf, but he had to keep his demeanor, unaware if the wolf had aggressive intentions. Which seemed unlikely with this female, but he had learned to always have his guard up.  

Her question seemed broken, but he understood the message. He nodded slowly, containing all his excitement with a straight face. His eyes sparkled with interest in the small wolf, but before he could answer another pack member approached. It was clear the new one had more authority and higher rank, she looked like a good leader. He nodded towards the larger female, and took notice in her beautifully dark pelt, resulting in him seeing a scar across her neck. Then refocused himself of the smaller wolf. "I had hoped to be accepted into your pack." His voice was low, and calm. He subconsciously lowered himself a bit more in the Beta's presence, in attempt to show more respect.

The wolf was a show of impressive brawn and stature, grey and intimidating by all standards. She might've been afraid if it weren't for the fact that Diane had long ago learned how fast she was. And given that there was nothing wrong with her legs, she could only be wary of him but not afraid. Even further, the mountainous creature bowed to her presence, awkward with his large frame, and she was too astounded by this to ask a proper question anyway.

Jhala appeared at her side, and Diane lowered her head to the Beta female appropriately, wagging the tip of her tail as it drooped between her legs. Despite the position she was in now, the male looked directly at her when he spoke again, and the small wolf's eyes widened uncertainly. Glancing at Jhala, she swallowed, focusing on the stranger again. "Well, uh... I'm not really qualified to allow entry or not..." she drew off awkwardly, feeling a burn in her cheeks as the wings of her metaphorical plane caught fire and she began to do a nosedive.

She thought quickly. Pull up, Diane! Pull up! "But, you can tell me who you are, and er.. what you can.. do for Porcupine Ridge?"

As an aside, Mags, Jhala seems to not know Diane in both threads you joined with me, but since the other one occurred first chronologically, I pretended that they already met by the time this thread occurs.

Of course! I joined that thread after I did this one, I'll write the next posts accordingly. (:

When Diane mentioned to the male that she really had no authority to allow entry, Jhala let out a slight hum to show the male that it was her who did have some say in it. Of course, in the end, Taggarik and Cappricio had the true decision, but as the second of the right hand she did indeed have some authority. For now though, she listened, assuming the tawny female had some sort of handle on the situation.

And she kind of did, a bit shaky but she at least asked the right questions. Jhala nudged Diane quietly before putting in her own words. 

"And why do you believe that any of your skills make you qualified?" she tailed on, her tail flicking slightly as she stood before the male who requested entry. She was slow, unlike Diane, but she was a skilled fighter, and would by no means take any crap this male felt like giving her.

Nursing her own feelings, Capri had perhaps allowed herself to became rather lax in her duties -- something that would surely be noticed by her comrades.. and not exactly instill confidence toward her rank by them. So, despite her desire t do nothing more than curl up in a den and hide away for at least another day, the silver she-wolf instead strode around the borders, her features solemn in comparison to the normal jovial attitude she held.
 
A small group gained her interest, and it was with this that her pace quickened. The regal pulled closer, noting Jhala to be there -- the newly positioned Beta. In honesty, Capri was satisfied the dark girl held the rank now, given Kesan had barely been noted about the territory.
 
The other wolf was unknown to her -- a female, and yet she held Taggarik's scent upon her. O)f course he had accepted another female in to the pack. The ebony man was seemingly building his harem, one girl at a time.
 
So, naturally, as Capri's pale eyes drifted over the male, who was seeking acceptance, a surge of satisfaction coursed through her. Even better -- he was of breeding age, and rather handsome. How interesting. She spoke nothing as she sidled up alongside Jhala, though her form emitted nothing more than her rank. Instead, she awaited to hear the conversation before she determined to interrupt it fully.

Novak's ears lifted when seeing the new female joining their small group. His head cocked to the side with interest in them all, but for the moment he became focused on the Alpha's remarkably stunning blue eyes. He had noticed significant qualities in all three of the she-wolves. It seemed as though each, except the newest wolf, was being supervised, in some form or the other. The male nodded towards her, and gave the faintest smile. He focused on the smallest wolf's question first. "I'm Novak Cas," He said, his voice was low, and soft spoken, but loud at the same time. He found it difficult not knowing any of the females names, and wanted to be as polite as possible. "I was once a highly ranked warrior in my last pack, and before that was a Warden, I would hope to do the same trades here," He changed his focus on the second wolf to approach him, "and I believe a strong army, if you could call it that, is important to a packs strength and defense."

He felt ill-mannered and rude, not asking , not knowing any of the girls names. "I apologize for changing the subject, but would you three tell me your names? I feel arrogant for not knowing." He didn't mean to interrupt the main goal, but even if he wasn't accepted, not knowing their names still itched his mind. Novak looked at the three of them separately, curious as to who would answer first.

Diane didn't react to Jhala's touch as she had to being touched previously. She had been unprepared for it the last time, and the flashback had definitely not tempered her reaction, but the she-wolf expected such physicality now. Even expecting it, the light nudge stilled her slightly before it served its purpose by filling her with warm reassurance. Her gaze swiveled back to the male, ears perking to her companion's additional query. But before he could answer, they were graced sidelong by the presence of Capriccio.

She only knew who this was because Tagg had described his leading counterpart to her on the initial journey to Porcupine Ridge. Still, Diane was stunned by her remarkable appearance, and merely knowing who she was had drawn her limbs into tucking mode before the assertion of body language could make her. Shy eyes took to Novak as he introduced himself and expressed his values. She was least positioned to judge him at the moment, so she was silent thereafter.

He insisted finally that he felt cavalier not knowing who they were, but Diane considered for a moment that the only one who should be feeling superior in this situation was the Alpha female and her present cohorts. Her short, thick tail waved stiffly. "I'm Diane."

A third arrived, and Jhala gave the woman a curious gaze. She dipped her head respectfully, lowering her tail. His responses were clear and honest. Her gaze fell upon Novak. He didn't seem to have anything up his sleeves and the dark women liked that about him- he could be an asset she was sure of it. She also heavily agreed with his view on pack army, and would love to get some of that battle stuff. She gave a chuff of approval, glancing to Capriccio before returning her attention to the male. 

"Jhala," she replied bluntly.

"Are you from a military pack?" she asked, not sounding rude or judgemental at all. It was where she had come from as well, and she was curious to see if she'd have something in common with him. Plus, it was nice to know where they were coming from. The girl was not as formal as her alphas had been when she was accepted, but it was almost expected. She was young and a bit immature, but she understood the ways of the job and exercised them- regardless of how she did it.

Jhala cast her a glance, lowering her tail – Capriccio wasn’t certain what her Beta’s eyes spoke of, and instead cast her gaze upon the newer subordinate female and the male at their borders. Diane offered her name – something which Capri logged away for her own use, and she chose to remain silent for the moment, given Jhala introduced herself and then chose to keep talking.

She mentioned a ‘military’ pack – and the silver-tipped regal kept her silence for now, given she hadn’t a chance to speak just yet. The pale wolf before them was an addition to their ranks, should they choose to accept him, and in turn, kept him from seeking out the next borders of their neighbors. That thought alone was tempting enough for the dark woman to accept him, aside from his gender alone as a jab to Taggarik.

But he would find no footing within the border if he did not begin to show submission, and pointedly, the Alpha prowled closer to him, boasting her rank with one purpose alone – submission was expected at their borders, and if he proved to have none of it, he would be turned away. His form might have been lowered a bit in respect, but he was a wolf upon their doorstep seeking acceptance – and Capri had seen others completely show their bellies in trust to the Ridge wolves.

Novak stored the two wolves names, remembering that Diane meant heavenly and divine, he was curious to find out if she fit those descriptions at all. The male had no history of the name Jhala, but found it interesting. The newest wolf had yet to speak at all, even when he asked for all their names, but he paid no mind. Although the wolf was intelligent, he had forgotten to not only show respect, but submission. Which was uncommon for him, since he rarely came across wolves who searched for dominance over his intimidating features, and he was a Gamma in his past pack, him only lowering to Beta's and Alpha's. Upon realizing his stance, the wolf felt his body heat in embarrassment, for a moment he kept his glance away from any of the members of Porcupine Ridge and adjusted his stance to a submissive state.

He hid his awkwardness by a strong facial expression, with a calm tint in it. Even though on the inside he was shaking his imaginary head at himself, but those thoughts were recovered by the main reason for the situation. "Thank you, Diane and Jhala." 

Jhala's question was reasonable and correct, he gave an approving look at the female. "I am, actually. Are you familiar with them?" It was unusual for another wolf to assume something like that, without being in one them self, or had a strong sense of character.

As the Alpha female prowled forward, Diane instinctively shrunk back on the other side of Jhala. There was no reason for any attention at all to be paid to the Theta, but she did offer him a quiet, sympathetic whine as the large wolf appeared thoroughly embarrassed. That was an emotion she had become quite familiar with over the past week, and she identified with him briefly. It made her want him to be a part of the Ridge—someone newer than her!

It wouldn't make a difference, and from her delineated position, she tilted her head at the higher ranked females. Was a military wolf a good thing? She had heard the word before but wasn't keen on its precise meaning. Was he a good enough candidate here, at any rate? Surely, yes—if a fish out of water like her could get in... She didn't dwell on this too much, because the insecure side of her was cruel as to why Tagg had really let her stay.

Silently, Diane perked her ears, awaiting a verdict.

He was- that was pretty cool. Jhala had been a military wolf, and although she was young the scars on her chest and shoulders suggested she'd seen more than one battle. She tried not to seem interested however, instead giving him a firm "Hm," which really gave no indication if she had or not; that was something he could decide for himself. They were not here to chat, perhaps later.

Truthfully, she saw no reason not to accept him. He submitted a bit further, and perhaps it was Capri who reminded him that he was not the dominant wolf in this situation... not that Jhala really thought he thought he was to begin with. To her alphess she gave a gentle head dip, aiming a lick at her shoulder once or twice- therefore handing the final decision to the Porcupine Queen.

The male positioned himself to a lower posture of submission – Capri allowed a satisfied growl to seep past her lips as she strode past him then, allowing him space once more. She skirted back to Jhala, who seemed pleased by their potential member. Capri gave the Beta an affectionate nibble to her ear, her tail giving a casual swing of content.
 
Diane – a wolf she was not yet acquainted with, remained silent, but Capri allowed her eyes to study the shyer female briefly before flicking back to Novak. “Jhala seems to approve of you, and as far as I’m concerned, her word is gold,” she offered then, finally allowing her soft voice to break the silence. “I’m Capri, the Alpha female of Porcupine Ridge. Welcome to the pack, Novak,” she determined then, giving a nod to the gathered wolves. “Perhaps you’d both like to offer him a tour of his new home?” She held no doubt that Jhala was perhaps keen on questioning the male of his warring techniques.

He felt a tingling sensation cover his body when he was informed of passing the evaluation to join the ridge. The Alpha spoke her name, and he stored it in his mind. "Thank you, Capri." Novak nodded towards her, than looked at the two other wolves. "Thank the two of you as well, would either one of you show me around?" The large wolf wanted to spend with both of them, maybe not always together, but he found large interest in both of the faes. Along with the Alpha as well, he'd make sure to get time with her as well, she seemed to have a story. Maybe not one she'd share the most willingly, but a story all the same.

The male was curious to hear more about Jhala's experience in military packs, and Diane didn't say much about herself. Indicating to Novak she was shy, which he wanted to crack open.

At last the proud Alpha female spoke, and offered Novak a place among the ranks of Porcupine Ridge. Diane smiled, wagging her tail and glancing from wolf to wolf in the accumulated party. "Welcome, Novak," she inclined her muzzle politely, echoing the already given sentiments of their superior. The pitch and silver she-wolf looked to her counterparts then, and gave them the option of touring the newcomer around their claim. Diane, quite unfamiliar with the territory herself, might've taken the time to tag along, but her desires were divided.

She looked to Jhala, who was almost certainly up the task—perhaps wanting to know more about Novak's "military" past. "I, um... Actually, I was hoping to speak with.. with you, Lady Capri..." she swallowed nervously, keeping her gaze respectfully somewhere around Alpha's mouth. "If you have the time," she added hastily. Depending on how the she-wolf responded, Diane prepared for a one-on-one, or a dismal walk home alone.

Last post from me! @Capriccio feel free to decline her request -- if not, I will start us a separate thread ASAP :)

"Can do, Ma'am," Jhala replied obediently, dipping her head to the older woman. She turned to Novak with a gentle tail wag, her amber eyes still looking him over. "I'm the packs Beta," she informed him, not letting out that she was also one of the youngest. Capriccio had stated her rank, and so the yearling thought it was appropriate to state her own- not really trying to challenge her or anything- just learning. 

"Wanna check out some of the mountains? I can show you some safer passages- you could tell me about your pack?" she offered, and without waiting for a response set off, assuming he was following.

Sounds good to me, @Diane

The pale tawny male was accepted, and her eyes drifted from him to both girls expectantly – but Diane had requested presence with her, and the silver-tipped she-wolf softened noticeably. “Of course,” she noted then, and with a lingering glance to Jhala and a nod to the Beta, the Alpha loped toward the newer female subordinate, taking the opportunity to get to know her better.
 
Winding past the golden she-wolf, Capri’s slender muzzle gave a nod in a direction the two could walk in, and together they would leave Jhala to acquaint the newcomer to his new home.

Diane decided to speak with Cappri instead of giving him a tour, which the male didn't mind at all. He found it completely understandable since he, too, wanted to spend more time with his now Alpha. That was for another time, this was his chance to enlighten himself with Jhala's past in military packs and her personality. It was likely she knew Anwyl, who was his younger cousin. He'd make sure to ask about him and see how he was. She mentioned showing him the mountains and safer passages around the pack grounds. Also suggested speaking about his old pack, giving him a chance to discover more of her own experiences.

Tilting his head to the side and giving a faint smile he nodded. "I'd love that," he exclaimed while walking up to her as she already began walking the direction of their route.