Hideaway Strath terrible deductions

@Phox or @Towhee ! any other AG members are welcome ! <3
summary: after her parents' disappearance, aneira left her homeland to search for them. eventually she realized they are lost for good, and is now looking for a new home. lucky for her, she stumbled upon asterism grove.
time: 1st september

the white female had been running for several weeks now, with no destination in mind, hoping to find something that was lost. her family was broken apart since she was but a juvenille, when her mother left them- if she did it on purpose or not, she did not know. grief consumed her father's mind, who lost his way and left aswell. aneira was alone with her brothers- who did not care if their parents were alive or not- so she had to do something.

it was a nice day when she left. the boys were long gone from the den when she wake up, and they barely come at night, so they wouldn't miss her. she left, and never looked back- not even a second.

but after a few weeks of search, she gave up. there was no trail, no pawprints, no nothing. Just trees, moss, and dirt. this whole "search" was nothing but a deadend; she was far away now, and going back was not an option. without much choice, she needed to find a new home.

aneira had no idea where she was- these trees, she had never seen them before. Her shiny blue eyes were running around, trying to recongnize something, anything. The white female kept a slow pace until she came across a river.

in front of her was what it seemed like an entryway of some sort. mountains too high to climb were on both sides. beautiful, she thought. perhaps someone lives here? if so, they might hear her call. so she rose her small head and howled.

Towhee hadn't paid any visits to the grove's sister packs since early in July and lately she was tempted to go see Raven and the pups, tell her sister the latest about Rye. But she had only just shaken off the illness he had given her and she didn't want to expose her sister or her very young litter. Besides, she wasn't sure she had the energy just yet.

So, instead of going anywhere, the Kilonova parked beside the gateway, letting her mind wander to the Firebirds. Aside from Wraen's pop-up visit a few weeks back, she hadn't heard much news from that quarter either. Hopefully no news was good news. Towhee was less tempted to drop in on them. It was their turn to visit her, hopefully with some pups in tow she could begin training.

The arrival of a figure on the other side of the passage scattered her thoughts. Towhee stood and braced herself as she eyeballed the stranger across the river. She was small and svelte with snowy fur and black points. Before she tossed back her head to howl, Towhee caught a glimpse of bright eyes set into her pale face.

-"Hey, over here,"- she said loudly (too loudly, although she wasn't to know that) even as she signed, beckoning the interloper to meet her closer to the borderline. -"Can I help you?"- she added, everything about her demeanor very businesslike.

to the sound of a strange and loud voice, the pale female watched as in front of her emerged a large wolf, signing her to come closer. she was black with reddish markings and white underbelly, unlike her white pelt. reluctantly, she made a few steps closer to the river between them.

"good day and yes," the stranger's tone seemed official and businesslike, but a little too loud for her. the black stranger on the other side of the river was large enough to take her down with one move, so she had to choose her words very carefully.

in her puphood, she was not taught how to fight, this knowledge was "useless for a beautiful maiden such as her". all she learned was how to properly speak and act. on some occasions, she would sneak out with her brothers to learn some defense moves, just in case. her size though, did not help at all.

"my name is aneira," she stated then remained quiet for a few seconds. "and i am seeking a new home." the pale female shifted her weight anxiously. with the corner of the eye she caught a glimpse of her reflexion in the water; then turned her attention to the female in front of her once more.

Remembering that Towhee was on watch this morning (or afternoon? xD), Rue moved swiftly toward the Strath's gateway when the howl met her ears. Unless the owner of the voice was directly visible to Towhee, the kilonova would need someone to inform her that Asterism Grove had a caller. 

Rue arrived, but it seemed Towhee and her mystery caller had found each other without assistance. They stood on opposite sides of the river, exchanging greetings. The stranger called herself Aneira, and she was looking for a new home. The use of the word "new" begged the question, what happened to the old one?-- but Rue kept her queries to herself. 

Rue drew up to the edge of the river, moving to stand within Towhee's line of sight. She nodded to Aneira and signed a quick, friendly greeting to Towhee-- she was starting to pick up on a few of the more common gestures in Towhee's sign language. Unwilling to interrupt, Rue remained silent, stance relaxed and expression curious.

The howl drew him forward—not because sheer boredom followed him these days, but his need to try to assist the pack that took him in was still at the forefront of the Ostrega’s mind. He felt little connection to any of them thus far, and sometimes wondered why he stayed.

Coming upon the gathering, the golden wolf slowed his gait as his eyes fell directly upon Towhee, who had mastered avoiding him since his arrival. There was a glint of mischief in the honeyed eyes of the arrowed wolf as he studied her—already surmising how he could win over her friendship once more.

Another she-wolf was there—Ruenna, who he also knew little about. Swaggered steps drew him closer to his fellow packmate, but his attention now focused upon the delicate ivory beauty at their doorstep. And just like any hot blooded man, he struggled to hide his appreciation for her looks, blinking his eyes and instead focusing upon the conversation occurring.

Although she squinted, Towhee couldn't make out the stranger's words from this distance. -"Hey, I'll need you to—"- she began to instruct, her voice cut off by her pack mates' appearance. First came Ruenna, soon after followed by Pippin. Her head cocked, before her attention shifted back to the pale stranger. They probably cut an intimidating picture indeed.

She opened her mouth to finish her sentence and beckon her closer when a thought struck her. -"What did she say?"- Towhee asked lowly, turning to Ruenna to translate.

the pale female rose her head at the sound of other wolves. a young, grey she-wolf made her way to the side of the black stranger. she was indeed beautiful; a stricking pelt difference between the two wolves. aneira felt her brown gaze upon her, then slowly nodded aswell.

beside them, another wolf emrged from the darkness. this time, it was a male. he, like the other female, set his golden gaze on her. and she liked that, it made her feel beautiful. she took a short moment to study him; but quickly turned away.

as the black stranger beckoned her to come closer, she realized she was at the very edge of the river. one more step and she would take a quick dive. she glanced down to it, rose her paw and stepped back a little, enough to not fall into the river. aneira was not by any means afraid of the water, but she tried to avoid it as much as possible.

perhaps she wanted to tell her something, but was interupted by the two strangers' arrival. aneira gave the black stranger a questioning look, then spoke a little louder than before, enough to be heard over the running water. "yes?"

Pippin arrived, and Rue gave a small wave of her tail in greeting. The other Pulsar had proven himself to be a hard worker since he joined the Grove, and he was rising steadily in rank alongside Rue. Admittedly, he had piqued Rue's interest. Rue attempted to meet his eye with a shy smile, but the man appeared to be quite caught up in studying Towhee.

After a moment, Pippin's gaze shifted to Aneira and lingered there momentarily. It would seem he had eyes for everyone but Rue, but that was understandable. The other two women were remarkably striking after all, and Rue was-- at best-- quite ordinary.   

Rue moved closer to Towhee when the Kilonova addressed her. "Her name is Aneira. She says she's looking for a new home," Rue repeated for Towhee. For good measure she made the signs for seeking and pack, although Towhee shouldn't have any problem reading her lips from her proximity. 

Kat, please feel free to have Rue be terrible at ptero and just be signing like.. random words or unintelligible nonsense. xD

His gaze would drift between the three in silence, oblivious to Ruenna’s original stolen glance but not to Towhee blatantly ignoring him. His tail gave an idle lash, and he felt the stir of wind brush against the ivory arrow that marked his spine. He allowed the briefest smirk to quirk at the corner of a rugged lip before concentrating on the woman before them while Ruenna translated for Towhee.

For now, he would observe—perhaps even unnerve the current gathering… Particularly the Kilanova. It certainly didn’t hurt that the view in front of him was particularly intriguing.

Although Ruenna's signing was rudimentary at best, Towhee could easily read her lips from here. She smiled gratefully, though her lips pressed together when she raised her head again to regard the pale stranger. She opened her mouth to say something, when another idea struck her. It was kind of a wild one, though she didn't give it much thought before deciding to go with it.

-"I'm going to let you—and Pip here—vet her. I trust your judgment,"- Towhee said, mostly speaking to Ruenna. -"All I ask is that you two are unanimous about your decision. If it's a split, it's a no go. Sound good?"- But she didn't really wait for a reply before adding, -"Come find me at the rendezvous site afterward and let me know how it goes,"- and then striding away into the woods.

the snowy female stood in silence, waiting for their answer. her blue gaze shifted to the peaks beside her. they were indeed beautiful; nostalgia suddenly hit her as a memory started playing in her mind..

her father was a strong and skilled warrior, but also her hero. to most wolves, sometimes even their mother, he was as cold as the mountains he used to roam. some say he was struck by ice during a storm in his puphood, but this proved to be false. only aneira could see beyond his cold wall of ice that guarded his heart. he used to call her "light of my eyes", before he..

aneira shook her head, returning to reality. she glanced up and noticed that the black female suddenly turned and disappeared into the forest. only the male and the female remained. the pale female rose an eyebrow to them, still unsure about what they are going to do next.

Before Rue could open her mouth to comment-- or rather, question her-- Towhee had disappeared, leaving Rue with the stranger and the disconcertingly silent Pippin. Rue met the man's metallic gaze and inhaled deeply. "I think you scared her off," she joked quitely, tone serious but the barest hint of a smile visible. Her gaze lingered on Pippin for a brief moment before she reluctantly turned her attention to the stranger. 

"Come on over, then," she called out. She lifted a paw to point out spot in the river. "You can cross there." Rue knew that in that particular spot there were several large, flat boulders just below the surface of the water, invisible to wolves standing on the shore but perfect for crossing in a pinch.

Towhee was there—and then Towhee left.

Smoldering amber eyes followed after her in mild amusement, his lips quirking at the comment Ruenna shot his way before he turned to her, giving a casual shrug. “Talent of mine,” he confirms just before his silver pack mate beckons for the other to cross across the waters.

“We don’t bite,” he rumbled out, humour hedging at his vocals as his tail gave another idle flick. “Promise,” he crooned, deciding he had been quiet for long enough during this interlude.

the pale female approached the river once more where the grey stranger showed her. there were some large, flat rocks, like an underwater bridge. slowly, she stepped into the water, then stopped for a quick moment. with a deep sigh, she continued. in no time, aneira was at the other side of the river. leaping out, she shook her lean body, drops falling out of her pale fur like a summer rain.

"thank you," she nodded, approaching the two strangers. she stoped a few steps away from them, keeping a safe distance. aneira eyed the male as he spoke, then narrowed her eyes and rose an eyebrow once more. "if i was afraid you would bite me, i wouldn't have crossed in the first place." this came out in a more annoyed tone than intended. she would not, however, apologize for it.

aneira turned her attention to the grey female, and patiently waited for her to speak. perhaps she was curious about what brought her here. this place would be hard to find unless told about it; this would be interesting to answer.

So Pippin was talented at scaring off others-- or was it just Towhee in particular? Rue raised an eyebrow in curious amusement.

Pippin ushered the other woman forward, breaking the ice with a playful remark. Rue chuckled and shook her head in confirmation. No, they certainly didn't bite. 

Somehow, the humor Pippin intended was completely lost on Aneira. Rue was taken aback-- she had thought the expression was a pretty common figure of speech, but Aneira seemed to have taken it in the most literal sense. And now Aneira was looking at her like she was expecting Rue to speak.. like Rue was in charge here or something. "Uh..." she faltered, shooting a sideways, bewildered glace to Pippin.

With a small shake of her head, Rue began again. "So.. I'm Ruenna, and this is Pippin. We're the Pulsars of this pack, Asterism Grove." Rue paused, turning to Pippin in case he wanted to kick off the vetting.

The svelte woman forged her way across the water under careful watch of the agouti Ostrega. She seemed hesitant, but he made no remark on such. His gaze flickered to Ruenna, casting her a wry smile before the rogue found ground once more, shaking the river from her pelt.

Her eyes narrowed upon him after a remark meant merely to break the ice, following with a quirked brow. His own gleaming amber eyes owlishly regarded her, not unimpressed with her sharp words but more with her lack of respect thus far upon their borders—Towhee had left them in charge, and even in the presence of the pack’s leader, the delicate beauty had shown little respect.

Ruenna seemed put off by the sudden cold presence as well, and Pippin offered a derisive snort, casting his fellow Pulsar a sideways glance. “Better scratch ‘sense of humor’ off the list,” he quipped, ensuring his voice was heard by both women.

"pleased to make your acquaintance, ruenna." the pale female nodded to her, then turned to the male once more. "and yours, pippin." she nodded to him too. out of respect, she adressed him too- even if she did not want to in the first place.

they were pulsars of this pack- asterism grove. "forgive me, but i have never heard this name- "asterism grove" before." the ghostly female remained speechless for a moment- this name did not remind her of anything. "still, this place is.. fascinating." she continued, glancing around. "are there any requirements to be accepted in your pack?"

at pippin's next words, aneira couldn't do anything but.. giggle. she was amused by his remark; sense of humor. the pale she-wolf had a sense of humor- but they simply couldn't understand it. "if i may ask, pippin, what else do you have on that list of yours?"

Aneira commented that she had never heard of Asterism Grove, which meant that she likely wasn't from around here. Asterism Grove was closely aligned to the other two packs in the area, so anyone who had spent any amount of time in the hinterlands would likely have heard mention of the Grove. 

"Just that we have room, and that you're a good fit," Rue answered.

Just as it seemed that Ruenna might have smoothed things over here, the other Pulsar chimed in with his cheeky remark. Rue sighed inwardly, expecting another offended response from the humorless Aneira. Instead, the woman let loose a giggle in a show of mirth that seemed forced and a honestly a little creepy.

This conversation had become quite unnerving for Ruenna, and she was thankful that Aneira's attention was on Pippin for the moment. The woman was entirely too unpredicatble for Rue's taste. Rue shifted apprehensively, waiting to see how Pippin would respond to this bizarre behavior.

Ruenna was definitely more diplomatic than Pippin—and he would admit it to anyone after this brief interlude with her, but it didn’t stop him from participating. His molten gaze skimmed over the frosty woman before them, who seemed affronted by his presence (who wasn’t?), and he blinked at the giggle that suddenly escaped her. She was a bit unnerving.

“Well, Aneira,” he quipped back, his own tone dripping with the sardonic tone she braced him with. “It’s not something I share with the interviewee. Hard to assess another if they manipulate what you’re looking for.”

He gave a shrug of his lean shoulders then, his gaze seeking out Ruenna and quirking a wolfish brow. He found their visitor to be a bit… unhinged. But were they really in a place to turn away potentially capable adults?

It was time to wrap this up—and with his amusement fading, the Ostrega cast his bright gaze upon the potential joiner once more—the pretty ones were usually crazy. “Listen. This pack was built to give the leader’s kids a promising and safe future.  So as fascinating as it might be to you, if you don’t plan to contribute to that in any way, we have no need for you. If you do plan to contribute, princess, then welcome aboard.”

Shifting his weight, the agouti male sidled closer to Ruenna, brushing his shoulder to hers, a silent gesture that he hoped portrayed he did not wish to overstep her. He just wanted to crack this nut and be done with it.

the ghostly female shifted her blue gaze between the two wolves, who were potentally her new packmates. ruenna was definetly more diplomatic and polite than pippin. perhaps her tone was also at fault.. but she would not acknowledge it whatsoever;

aneira took a short moment to meditate over pippin's words. this pack was built to serve as a safe haven for the leader's children, which meant safety for their members aswell. if this was the case, then she would want to stay; however, staying meant contributing to the safety of this pack, and that was something she could do.

back to reality, the pale she-wolf took one step further. "fine then; i shall contribute to the safety of their future." silence. "thank you, ruenna and pippin." she continued, lowering her head.

Pippin dealt his banter right back to Aneira, then turned to share a quick look with Ruenna. He seemed to be more annoyed than he was disturbed, which signaled to Rue that she might be overreacting to Aneira's moodswings. Rue opened herself to the possibility that the newcomer wasn't unhinged so much as she was simply a grating personality. A psycho wolf she would turn away immediately, but a merely obnoxious one? Rue wouldn't allow personal preferences to stand in the way of the pack's greater good. 

Also, Rue was self-aware enough to recognize the little sting of jealously that had bitten her when she saw Pippin's eyes glued to Aneira. She couldn't say for sure whether her distaste for Aneira was truly the woman's demeanor. Was Rue, perhaps, balking at the idea of a beauty queen joining their ranks because she would eclipse any male interest that might have shined in Rue's direction? Rue's biological alarm clock had recently begun ringing... could there be territotrial hormones at play here?

Pippin brushed against Rue's shoulder in a gesture of solidarity-- he stood with her, not against her. Rue was grateful for that. If Rue rejected Aneria, she sensed that Pippin would support her decision... but could Rue really trust herself to judge this one fairly? Rue's nod to Pippin was slight-- almost imperceptible-- but it would signal that she was putting her trust in the other Pulsar's verdict. 

Rue smiled at Aneira's words, despite knowing inwardly that spoken promises were meaningless. They would soon see by Aneira's actions whether the new recruit was a worthy packmate.

"You'll want to find the Kilonovas and introduce yourself. They're brother and sister. Phox, and Towhee-- she was here with us earlier. They'll give you some ideas for how you can start earning your keep." Rue smiled again. "Welcome, Aneira." From her tone, it would be clear that they were wrapped up here.