Hushed Willows what a lark! what a plunge!

@Cortez @Sunny :)

Here she was, again, on the edge of another pack, on the edge of making yet another terrible life decision and doing absolutely nothing but sitting and staring as the voices in her head screamed and screamed about all sorts of nonsense: death, regrets, the tightness in her chest; the usual cacophony she'd almost gotten used to. Cheery stuff, to be sure. Anyhow, life itself was a string of terrible decisions and resulting consequences, and perhaps it was this thought that pulled her off the ground and onto her paws with a heavy grunt. Saarth tilted her head back, heavy-lidded eyes sweeping over the overcast sky and after a moment's pause, allowed some sort of song to slip from her lips, calling for the leadership of this particular place. The sounds grated the back of her throat for reasons unknown, and as soon as she was done, the overwhelming urge to make a run for it washed over her consciousness like a million annoying little needles, itching and stabbing. But she resisted, stood steadfast and tried to relax as she waited.

The man found that keeping busy physically helped keep his mind off of things that he was certain would cause him to break down if he gave them any attention. He hunted, he played with and tended to his children, he helped the pack, he wandered and times like this he answered the call of a stranger at their borders. Sunny answered the call in a timely manner, a warm smile forming on his maw and though it didn't quite reach his eyes he didn't look torn apart anymore. "hello, welcome to Elysium. What can I do for You?" he asked her, wondering if this was to be another new member or if she was here for something else.

Velvety ears twitched as the sound of distant, and then not-so-distant footfalls sounded quietly through the air. A familiar pain shot through her chest, as if someone had carelessly plucked a heartstring or two and allowed it to recoil sharply against the walls of her heart. But Saarthal had no cause to care, no reason to be anxious and so she swallowed and gathered herself as the wolf responsible for the footfalls appeared in view. He, for it was a he, had gentle amber eyes, a kindly smile and a calm, quietly reassuring voice so that though Saarth recognised the actions to be little more than manners and polite conduct, she felt a little more at ease. 
"Hi! I'm Saarthal, and I'm looking to join your pack. I'm an aspiring medic and I can fight if need to be, and hunt, of course, and I'm a quick learner so if there's anything that's required or roles that need to be filled, I'm always ready to learn, and do...stuff, stuff you need me to do." She tilted her head, shy, lips curving softly into a hesitant smile, acutely aware of the loud, annoying rhythmic thumping in her ears and angry at herself for being in any way nervous. There was no reason to be. If she was rejected, then well, whatever, you know?

He took her in though only for a moment, just enough to see that she was tense though she seemed to be a nice enough woman on first appearance so Sunny didn't think she was here to cause trouble. She spoke and listed her skills and his eyes lit up, smile brightening as it was made clear she was here to join them. A friendly new face would hopefully brighten the spirits a bit, maybe at least for the pups. "Healing and fighting are in high demand right now but we always appreciate hunting too. Are you good with pups?" he asked her curiously and then remembered he hadn't given his name "I'm Sunny. I handle pack relations and alliances though I often just try to keep everyone happy. We've been through rough times lately" he explained a bit, his eyes flashing with sadness before he glanced away and cleared his throat softly, smiling again and waiting for her response.

Pups. Tiny squealing little babies that she had absolutely no idea how to deal with or control or talk to. Yes. Those bastards, of course, of course, they were her absolute favourite, best of all creatures. "Pups, definitely. I'm quite good with kids." Yeah. Because she was a kid herself - y'know. In any case, even if she wasn't great at it, she'd probably eventually become alright, so it hardly mattered. "I'm sorry to hear about that," Saarth inclined her head, eyes cast downward respectfully. She wondered what the 'rough times' were but felt it impolite to ask. Maybe she shouldn't join this pack. What with the state of her head - she wasn't sure she'd be able to come with more external pain without compromising the delicate precarious situation in her mind.

He gave her a slightly dubious look at her response but brushed it off "Good because we have plenty" he said ignorant to the depth of her discomfort. He too lowered his chin, silently nodding and grateful for her condolences. "We'll be alright. Everyone is working together to get past it and we have a few new faces too. Elysium is a place where the lost and hurt can find respite after all" as he spoke the pain dulled and he seemed brighter, a smile lifting the corners of his lips. "I don't see a reason to turn you away. Welcome to Elysium Saarthal, come in and make yourself at home. I can show you to the territory's center if you want?" he accepted her in, his trusting nature and lack of any suspicion causing him to step back so she could easily walk by him.

Sunny spoke and Saarthal smiled and nodded and looked attentive but heard nothing; the sound waves travelled through the air and into her ears, but she made no effort to make any sense of it, having suddenly plunged into her memories and into her past. Myriads of colours, faces, flickers of emotions wandered through her mind, mingling and swirling but making no sense, having no real depth; the truth of everything evaded her grasp and she felt blank, hollow, empty. 
She heard his last few words, though, and with effort, surmounted the strange black chasm in her brain and dragged herself back into the present world. "That'd be great," Saarth said with a glance at Sunny, lips tilted softly in a lopsided smile. "I'd love to see it."