The Sentinels Your feet run wild

@Aria or @Osprey if you have time :)

The witch weaved around a huge fallen tree, a sequioa of monstrous proportions. A whispering brush of her paws against the ground and the soft sounds of her breath the only noises to be heard in the near silent evening. Distantly she could hear the coo of a dove, the sounds of crickets chirping. It was a peaceful place, one that drew the young dryad like a moth to a flame. 

The wind shifted, bringing with it the scent of other wolves. An established group, a pack not far off. Tansea felt her ears raise upwards in curiousity, picking up her pace slightly to trot to the border with a careful stop outside it. Outstretching a slender neck, the diminutive woman sniffed the border in intrigue. A woman led this pack, or so the scent marking told her. 

Caution entered her slate eyes, Tansea scanning the peaceful forest for any sign of others. The Goddess must have drawn you for a reason, you feel the pull. You only have to be brave enough to take a chance. Feeling a stab of sudden courage, Tansea tipped her head back and howled. Rather, she tried to howl. The sound was more along the lines of a strangled yowling noise.

Settling down to wait, Tansea felt her brow furrow in anxiety. Please keep me safe from harm, my fate is in your hands Lord and Lady. 

Since announcing her news to Aria the woman had spent her time near her den mostly in solitary meditation. She still was regularly attended by the dark druid, no doubt whispering to their children of the world and the way things would be. It was in this regard that Rowan was confident in her pregnancy, though in few other ways. She was getting stir crazy though, the cabin fever running through her and making her entire body itch. There was also the softest whisper of something else, something she couldn't name, and the woman had to pause to try and comprehend what she was hearing. 

It was just a soft sound on the breeze at first, a far off response to things she didn't understand. 

As she navigated the area she was caught by another peculiar sound, something she couldn't place for a whole other reason. It wasn't a howl, but it was strong enough, and Rowan cut through the lands to stand in front of the stranger who looked like she could have been her kin. The witch's head lifted proudly, grey eyes looking over the female. "May I help you?" 

The dryad inclined her head, discreetly glancing over the woman who appeared. They were not unlike with their slender forms and pale coats. Glancing away, towards the ground subserviently, Tansea took on a submissive stance. No matter who this wolf might be, they were above her on the hierarchy of packs.

May I help you? Tansea nodded in response, not certain from the female's scent that she was high enough to actually accept the witch but she was a pack member at least.

"I seek to join your lot, if I am considered acceptible," Tansea finally spoke. "I can heal, though I don't possess one of those trades you all have in this land. Nevertheless I would be willing to work to earn one. Besides that I can hunt as well, fighting isn't my strong suit but in dire situations I could be considered another set of teeth," Tansea smiled slightly, offering her skills to this woman.

Rowan felt a sensation in her, a twinge of some sort of question. The wolf was quick to get to the point and Rowan appreciated the fact that they weren't going to beat around the bush. There was time for that later - they could get to know each other better. With a bemused smile Rowan looked upon the woman as she listed herself as a healer. "Many more and the pack will have more attendants than patients." Rowan quipped. "Tell me, then, what your name is - and your experiences in healing."  

She would be curious if this wolf could help her, if she had anything to add to Rowan's own experiences. With the pregnancy she was going to want as much help as she could get. There was a lot to investigate, even if she would not be giving the final verdict. Still she would offer her opinions for the sake of the leaders. 

Tansea listened, feeling her face warm as she realized this pack had adequate healers already. Perhaps they could be in use of another one. At least the woman was smiling, that was an indecation of friendliness if she knew one. 

"I am Tansea. My friends call me Tansy. I learned from an elder and applied her teachings to my last pack," Tansea answered, not sure if she was supposed to have a specific type of healing. She had learned as much as she could, and considered herself well versed in healing.

My apologies, I didn't see the response on this!

Rowan wasn't upset in the slightest, in fact, it was a boon for her - another voice differing from her own might be able to be a strength she relied on as they pregnancy progressed. Without a mate, without much interaction with the pack, things would be difficult. How she longed for the druid's presence now - how she wished he had not left them all behind. 

The woman's words brought her from her reprieve, focusing instead on the here and now because she had to. "Tansea," She echoed with a small smile, committing herself with some hope that she might one day earn the option to call her Tansy. "I'm Rowan." She provided her own name, now that they had exchanged them. "Out of curiousity, Tansea, why did you leave your former pack?"

Tansea nodded, hoping to remember the name for she was horrid with them. "It is nice to meet you Rowan," she smiled slightly, finding she liked the white woman's name. It reminded her of the plant. 

Tansea felt her ears flatten involuntarily as she remembered her banishment as she was ostracized for her beliefs. "I was thrown out for my religion. They believed in something I did not and thus that labeled me a witch," Tansea explained easily, having nothing to hide from anyone for her practices.

To her words Rowan gave a little grin, the slightest laugh leaving her lips. "Well. The Witches run amuck among this forest." She said with a bemused smile. "With any luck, you'd find yourself more comfortable here." There were many among their ranks, blessed with different abilities though one of the young charges had left. Probably driven off by the sorrow over her father, and Rowan could understand that. Had she not been given such a gift by the druid she might have taken flight as well. 

"I will call our leaders for you." She murmured, though there was a slight hesitation to reaching out to @Aria. In turn, Rowan lifted her head and simply relayed the message: a hopeful soul along their borders. Now it was just time to wait to see if Aria or @Osprey appeared. 

Aria was a decent ways away when the original call sounded, but she was closer when she heard Rowan's call. She arrives soon after the second call, greeting Rowan with a cold dip of her head and a flick of her tail. Her gaze is warm as she looks to their visitor, but turns rigid as it glances back to Rowan. "Welcome," she says to the stranger, her gaze flitting between the two. It rests back on her own packmate, and she waits somewhat impatiently for the woman to give her a rundown on the situation.

Tansea could sense the tension between the two as yet another pale pelted woman arrived, though she was greeted warmly. It was odd to the dryad, that she as a stranger and quite possibly a threat would be greeted kinder than a packmate. Tansea was not one to question and only smiled politely, taking on a respectful manner.

The woman was staring at Rowan and so Tansea kept silent and watched the two with cautious eyes.

Of course it was Aria who had come to her call. Why couldn't it have been Osprey, who might have not hated her for something beyond her control? But the woman did not cower beneath the gaze of her Alpha, instead, looking back towards Tansea and providing a small nod. "Tansea, here, is looking to join Donnelaith." Rowan said without much preamble. 

Tansea had been polite to her, and had been forthcoming with information, and these were details that Rowan found to be worth sharing. However, she expected Aria wouldn't be pleased with anything she had to say, and there was a fear in the witch that perhaps having her find Tansea might have meant the odds might be stacked against the woman. "She was a healer in her former pack." She offered stiffly, grey eyes not meeting the Alpha's.

Without another word to Rowan, Aria turns to the so-called Tansea, her ears perked. Luckily for both wolves, although great at holding grudges, the icy girl was usually good at using better judgement. She smiles to the pale woman, dipping her head. "Healers are welcome among our ranks, they will forever be useful," she says simply, her tail wagging. "My name is Aria January, I am the alpha of Donnelaith," she adds, unsure if Rowan had properly introduced either-- but it would probably be good to hear from herself anyawy.

Tansea had watched the two warily, eyes flicking between the two females unsurely. Rowan didn't seem so happy to see this woman, Aria, for whatever reason and there seemed to be a grudge held against Rowan against Aria. 

"A pleasure," she replied, not able to say much else given they both knew her name and skills.

Aria was about to welcome her into her ranks, but paused as the conversation she held with Constantine entered her mind. "Are you willing to learn to fight?" she asked suddenly, her tail flicking once behind her. "Our pack is composed mostly of healers, and while they are important to the survival of the pack, it would be nice to have a few more wolves with mercenary skills in our rank."

Without a need for her direct input, Rowan is still and she is silent. She's vaguely aware and remorseful for the tension in the air - how inappropriate it must have seemed to Tansea. What a sour first impression of her would be pack. Rowan refuses to feel guilt though - she isn't the only one involved in this struggle. The witch watches Tansea, considering what she had admitted before. She wasn't the strongest fighter, but, in Rowan's opinion she was willing to learn. That alone makes her feel like the woman earned a chance to grow and try to prove her worth. Rowan doesn't consider Aria's willing to take her advice or want her opinion, so, she is quiet until spoken to again. It seems safer to her that way. 

Tansea had never been one for violence but she could understand it at least. There was always a need to protect what was your own, sometimes that need led one to use physical action to protect your claim. She didn't like it, but she would do it.

"I'll admit, I'm not very good at fighting. I would be willing to learn though," Tansea assured, honest in her words. The witch would learn if that was what was required of her.

Aria dips her head. "That's all I ask, Tansea," she says, and then smiles. "Congratulations, you are welcomed into Donnelaith as our Lambda." The girl steps forward to press her nose to the witches shoulder, ready to exchange scents. When she backs away, she looks to Rowan. "Rowan, would you mind showing Tansea around?" she asks, but it's clear it's more of a command.

Rowan let's out a breath of relief when it's all said and done and Tansea is accepted into Donnelaith. She's never been worried before over her status with the pack until now and she worried over what it meant for the woman next to them. Tansea is marked and claimed for Donnelaith and Rowan nods once Aria asks her to show Tansea around. "Of course," She hummed out, sounding pleasant enough although - but not the warmth she had shown the newest member of the pack.

Once they were dismissed, Rowan gave her a kind smile and inviting her to come and have a sweep or the grounds. 

Tansea sighed softly in relief, a smile pulling up the corners of her mouth. She would not be rejected for her lack of combat training. Aria steps forward, pressing her nose to Tansea's shoulder and the witch does the same. 

She senses the underlying command in the Alpha's words and glances to Rowan, wondering what could have happened between the two to make things so tense. Tansea doesn't ask, knowing it would be rude to pry, and simply follows after Rowan with a small smile.