Hideaway Strath A Newcomer

The wolf raised her muzzle to the sky. The scent of many different wolves filled the air, mixing in with the natural scent of the land. She lowered her muzzle to look ahead. With each and every paw step, the smell got stronger. She knew that a pack must live here. That was was the only reasonable answer to this. Luckily, she had been wanting to join a pack for some time. It was hard being a lone wolf.  It was really hard to catch anything to eat and it often got lonely. A single, short sigh escaped her muzzle.
'This must be the border.'
Syrrith paced along it for a minute or two and after seeing no one, she sat down. The muzzle was raised to the sky once more. A long drawn out howl pierced the air. Syrrith asked for somebody to meet her at the border, preferably the leader, politely.

"Speech" 'Thoughts'

Of course, Hemlock was not a leader. This did not deter her from her duties though, and while she had heard no one's response she made her way to the borders quickly. If she was intercepted or beat by Arturo or Lotte, Hemlock certainly wouldn't have minded. Even one of the newer wolves would have been welcome - it would have impressed her to consider that they were eager to pull their weight. 

As it was, the auburn female happened upon the stranger before anyone else had, her head lifted and stance denoting her respected place in the rankings. On first impressions there was little to reveal, she hadn't noticed any obvious large injuries nor scented any illness on the other. An audience was provided just as it had been requested and now Hemlock was curious. "What business do you have here, stranger?" She asked, hoping that there would be no beating around the bush.

Syrrith lowered her head in respect as a wolf with a rather strange coat came into view. The other wolf head up their head as if they were in a high position. The dark-coated female did not know if this was the leader, but she wasn't going to risk it. The female gave a small bow before speaking.
"Hello. My name is Syrrith. I had been a lone wolf for quite some time and was thinking about joining a pack. Do you know if there are any more spots open?" The female asked, voice and posture calm aside from the lowered tail and head. Of course, she hoped that the other wolf didn't assume that she wanted to join without learning about the pack first. Syrrith had asked that first, as to not waste her time and their time if they were not open to new members.

 

Hemlock did not need to wait very long for the introduction to be made and the natural order of things revealed. Most wolves did not stumble upon their borders and request an audience without it being for the purpose of joining; most emissaries announced their allegiance and it was prevalent enough on their coats. "We are more than mere pack mates, here, we are Family. Everything that we do is a reflection of that, both good and bad." Hemlock offered smoothly. She would not stand to see Teaghlaigh tarnished again as it had been. 

"We are known as Teaghlaigh and this Strath and its nearby morass and ravine serve as our hunting grounds. I am Hemlock, it's primary healer - do you also have skills to claim, Syrrith?"  Hemlock asked curiously, though she could only hope for someone who could serve the pack better than the stragglers who had come and gone at random. Bitterness still filled her considering those who had come and gone - but with any luck, they would find those truly meant to be among them. 

 

Syrrith nodded.
The Teaghlaigh.What an interesting name for a pack. And the healer, or Hemlock as she had introduced herself as,  had said that within the pack they were Family, not packmates.
Another interesting concept to the female.
At the mention of skills, Syrrith couldn't help but look after for a second. She had nothing to bring, except trying to be a good member.
"Unfortunately I do not," A pause, "though it is in my interest to learn." That was the truth. Hemlock's words ran back through Syrrrith's head. The Healer never actually said if there were more spots or not but by the way she spoke, the female figured that there were.
"Do you mind telling me about the pack?"

The gangster hears the call the first time it rises into the air, cutting through the quietude of the Strath where he walks upon it’s opposite borders, refreshing the borders absent any children. Some handle border patrol better than other’s — Roarke in specific jumps to Arturo’s mind for the boy’s reluctance to border patrol rivals Arturo’s own (except unlike his son he can just shuck his duty) — but the Lotturos have other lessons they must attend and he lets Lotte and/or Chusi take over their lessons for the day. He little more than half way when her second howl penetrates the air and when he arrives upon the scene Ceannasach is not surprised to see Hemlock is already there and the conversation already started. He comes in as the stranger answers what he presumes was the question Hemlock presented: that she has no skills to offer Teaghlaigh but is willing to learn. The coywolf wonders if any has the time to teach her when already their plates are full with the Family’s five children whom need the lessons much more pressingly than an adult who should already have at least one skill.

He moves to join Hemlock’s side when the woman asks her — them, rather — to divulge in information about the pack. Arturo assumes that Hemlock has already told her what she is going to know without becoming apart of the Family. “We are a Family, extremely territorial and elusive. In Teaghlaigh, The Family comes before Everything else and Ceannasach’s Word is Law,” Though he has always been stringent upon whom he allows into the inner fold of The Family trusting those willing to work for it, he has become even more so after the betrayal of the star-crossed lovers. “We protect our own but we will cut you from the Family without hesitation if you betray us.” Arturo rather thought that was implied but he adds it, now, as a pre-Teaghlaigh disclaimer. He is a man that means business and he will stick true to his word regardless of hurt feelings or believed injustice.

If this consistency makes him a tyrant; then he will accept the title without grievance.

He falls silent, then, studying her. She does not appear emancipated so she can likely hunt for and defend herself well enough; thus then she is not entirely without (some sort of) skill; but he does not accept those that do not pull their weight by contributing to the pack their skills.

 

It wasn't encouraging to her that there wasn't a noted skill to offer, but then, perhaps it could be looked at as a blank slate. They could fill in the blanks of what they needed, mostly in their hunters and mercenaries. Before she could answer Arturo approached and Hemlock deferred to him for the moment, a brief smile gracing her lips. None of the children followed him and so they had a few moments to properly acquaint themselves with the Teaghlaigh hopeful. 

"Ours is a protective group, but the rewards are just as great as our loyalties." Hemlock added, finding that Arturo had answered the heart of the question she had asked. "This is Syrrith - and this is Arturo."  She provided, skipping over her own name - it wasn't something she realized she had done. 

An acknowledging nod was given to the wolf who had spoken up. The female almost did see him until he spoke, since she was focused on the Healer in front of her. A dark ear flicked at his words.
What was this Ceannasach? A leader perhaps?
She gave another nod when the other female introduced her. Syrrith did not know whether or not to say hello or not. In this case, it did not seem necessary or disrespectful.
"Sounds interesting," Syrrith admitted. The wolf paused, gathering the words in her head before she spoke. "But what is the pack about? What are its goals for example?" The green eyes ran over both wolves, studying them.
They don't seem unhealthy, so the pack must be doing well.

Hemlock made the introductions, bridging the gap that had just previously existed between Ceannasach and the stranger — Syrrith. The woman pries deeper though her plea for explanation as to what Teaghlaigh is about causes the gangster some confusion. He believes he has already explained that. He has told her what makes Teaghlaigh unique but struggles to understand what sort of validation she searches for. Teaghaligh, is, at the end of the day a pack. It is about Family and survival and that is the ultimate goal for any pack: survival. He offers Hemlock a sideways look as his brow creases in contemplation. “What any pack’s goal is: survival.” He wonders if, perhaps, like Olive she had not grown up in a pack and considering how awful that had ended he is instantly weary, a stiffen to the svelte muscles of his shoulders. He rather thinks she demands a lot of answers for someone that has nothing but a willingness to learn to offer Teaghlaigh. “Does Teaghlaigh sound like a place that will suit you?” He refuses to repeat what he has already told her: essentially explaining what Teaghlaigh is about. The smoky timbre of his voice is a bit more blunt that he might have liked but he is eager to cut to the quick now: to either accept her as a Comhlach or send her on her way.

 

Hemlock could understand the question in a different way from Arturo. Some packs had malicious intent, they sought domination not just for their own people but over the entire world - and that was not Arturo's or Teaghlaigh's way. Theirs was a world set apart, and survival was the focus, but it was not at the cost of others. "We have established our Strath as our own private haven, and it was a move only a few months ago so our goal now is internal. Our focus is for ourselves."  She wouldn't reject the notion of establishing plans outside the pack but for now, they had truly only focused on themselves.