Phoenix Maplewood Remember me?

@Saena and @Reek , slight PP'ing the pups but feel free to make a Cameo or jump in if you have the time @Sesi and @Nanook. @Andrei not sure if you wanted to join too but here is the thread!

Scarlett was walked back by @Nochtli and @Citali. It was very kind of them. The pale female was worn from traveling with her pups. They were clearly done too, they had already been done when the stopped the last time. Scarlett tried to encourage them and walk on, they were so very close now before they could rest their paws. It was soon they reached the border and Scarlett howled for the alpha's mostly Saena.

Her last pack joining didn't go too smoothly, hopefully this one would. Scarlett remembered to not cross the border and sat down keeping an eye on all her three daughters. Desna was slumped between her front paws, clearly in need of a nap. Scarlett hoped she could join her little ones in that nap they all wanted.

PP'ing Nochtli a bit with permission.

Nochtli had led them back to the maplewood. Citali couldn't take credit for any of it. Her sense of direction was so terrible that if she'd taken the reigns they'd still be walking; probably in circles. Nevertheless, Phoenix Maplewood rose up in the distance and she was thankful to not have to walk much further. The walking she was fine with. It was more so the children she wished to distance herself from. Their complaints of hunger and other things were old news after the first time she'd heard them.

As they approached the borders, Scarlet howled. Citali lifted her voice as a followup, alerting the maplewood wolves that the group had been escorted, but that a leader's presence would be appreciated. Nochtli slipped away for what Cita could only assume to be in effort to check their caches or fill them as needed. More mouths to feed and all. This little band near doubled their number.

I'm going to PP @Sesi and @Nanook a bit, just saying they're here. I won't do it with Andrei 'cause I'm not sure about him, but I'm pretty sure Scarlett's pups would be with her, so hope you guys don't mind that assumption! :P

A single howl might've gone unanswered by the lazing alpha bitch, but a second howl, and specifically Citali's, drew the lounging woman's attention. She was at the edge of a stream, basking in a warm sunbeam with her forepaws dangling into the water. Loathe as she was to leave it for what sounded like a perfect stranger, the gamma's voice made the situation a lot more important. With a quiet sigh, she hoisted herself off and set off for the borders, still at her usual slow, injury-favouring pace.

What she saw when she arrived was at first worrisome. A large number of wolves showing up on a pack's border was rarely a good thing. Not that she'd ever experienced it, but it made her hackles ripple uncertainly. Then again, thought Saena as she eyed all of them, Citali would likely not be involved unless it was violently if this was a takeover. A second look over the group brought to attention the one leading them, and Saena started as recognition set in. This was the beta female of the Bearclaw pack, the one she'd met in the field with all the stones.

"What's going on?" she asked Scarlett, but her gaze drifted to the trustworthy amazon for clarification before settling on each of the smaller wolves present. Pups. She didn't much like the idea of taking in pups when she wanted her own, but Saena also knew in some primal part of her brain that her pups weren't possible until spring. That was perhaps the only thing that saved Nanook, Desna and Sesi from Saena's immediate judgment. Plus, they looked exhausted, almost moreso than the Nova Peak pups had when they were here last, and Saena's heart was bigger than her potential future jealousy.

Scarlett was relieved when Citali was there to help her out and howl after her. It didn't take long for the other female to arrive. Scarlett stepped forward, her head a bit lower and respectful. Her tail let out a quick wag in greeting. "Hello, Saena," she greeted. "My pack disbanded." Scarlett's voice was soft while she spoke but not soft that it wasn't understandable. "I was hoping that you would take me in and my three daughters. You inspired me when you talked about leading a pack, unfortunately that is not me. So I'd like to live under your leadership."

The red eyed female looked into Saena's eyes for a moment, in a non dominant way, before looking dawn at her daughters. If they were rejected now she would have to find a place to stay for the night, and it was getting colder too. She rather have this pack than be all alone. She hated being alone.

Not too much longer and Saena emerged from the trees. The sight of the young wolf was a welcome relief if only because it meant she'd not have to linger here too much longer. A question lifted from her alpha's lips but before Citali could respond, Scarlett was speaking for herself. A light shrug touched the healer's shoulder as their predicament was explained, but as Saena had still looked to her she felt the need to confirm the story. "That's the gist of it," she replied. Truthfully there wasn't much more to add.

This wolf. Her three daughters. Their pack was something of a collection for random freeloaders now that they had two useless coyotes in their midst. What was three more children who'd not contribute much to the filling of their own stomachs? "Nochtli and I encountered their caravan as they traveled here. I do believe she ran off to check our caches. The children complain of being half-starved." Fortunately their hunts had been successful as of late. Hopefully their mother would be able to pull her weight when it came to keeping those caches full considering her brood would be a large drain to them.

My pack disbanded. That wasn't what Saena was expecting to hear, but it wasn't all that surprising, either. The one and only time she'd interacted with Scarlett, the woman had spoken poorly of Bearclaw's alpha male and the man's attitude toward her as a co-leader. That the pack he led would fall apart under his iron grip wasn't shocking, but Scarlett showing up on her borders with three pups in tow certainly was.

The alpha female's gaze lingered on Citali, almost questioning—what did the burly healer think of all this, she wondered—before fixing back on Scarlett. She was definitely pleased to learn that Nochtli was already on the ball, but Citali's statement brought up concerns as well, ones that she unknowingly shared with the healer. "Your kids are half-grown," she noted, peering closer at the three younger pups. They were exhausted, but they were plenty big enough to be more than useless. This, she believed.

"We'd be happy to have you," Saena told Scarlett, "but I have a condition. We're not a very large pack and supporting three half-grown pups by our efforts alone will stretch us thin," especially with two stupid coyote pups, she thought bitterly, "so my condition is that your pups help to pull their weight. I expect them to seek out apprenticeships and do their part to help the members of this pack with their duties so we can all devote a little more energy to providing for ourselves and them. Whatever suits their fancy, so long as they are helping somehow." She met the albino's red eyes evenly and asked, "is that fair?"

Scarlett's heart leaped when Saena was about to accept them. She would do anything to secure a spot amongst their ranks. She nodded because she knew that she was bringing in three pups that would need food. "I am a gamekeeper and caretaker so I will make sure that you won't feel the effects of my pups eating all the food," she instantly assured. Her tail wagging softly. "And I will make sure to talk to them about their interests. I know that Desna likes hunting too. I will make sure they get their apprenticeship as soon as possible," she spoke.

Scarlett let out a relieved sigh and looked over her pups. They had a home. They were safe. And she didn't have to think about Kove ever again! Scarlett was going to build a new life and hopefully that would mean a happier one. She would keep on having hope. "Thank you Saena."

Her portion had been said. Truthfully there was no use for her presence here any longer. The back and forth between both females suggested everything would be handled accordingly and things would eventually fall into place. She lingered, feeling for a moment that her continued company might serve some sort of use. Alas, the females were sorting things between themselves. Citali cast an eye towards the white female's little darlings. Checking their caches suddenly sounded like an awful good idea.

"That's that then. If you'd both excuse me, I do believe Nochtli needs a bit of help with those caches." She excused herself and slipped away.

-Citali exits-

Saena's eyes combed over the pups as Scarlett assured them that they wouldn't be too much trouble. She didn't know which one Desna was, but if the pup had an interest in hunting, she would find a willing tutor in Saena. The alpha female had little experience with sharing her passions with puppies, but she would surely learn quickly with pups to actually teach. "I'm a gamekeeper," she revealed to Scarlett just as Citali excused herself to help Nochtli, "so if she has any questions, I can definitely try to help." She grinned at the cubs, then back up at their albino mother.

"C'mon, I'll show you around," she said, gesturing with her snout for Scarlett and her brood to enter the maplewood. They would be safe here; the two warden alphas would make sure of that. "And I can help you all get settled. You must be exhausted, having traveled that far."

Scarlett nodded gratefully. "We have a home!," she spoke to her babies and nudged them forward. "This is Saena and she will be our leader okay?," she offered. Scarlett nodded, moving her and her pups forward. "That would be great, thank you so much. You have no idea how tried we are. I could probably sleep for days. Thank god our worries are over," she spoke on a grateful tone.

Scarlett followed the alpha female around, glad to have a new home. The pups were tired so they couldn't do a whole tour but they got the essentials. The pale female was glad to settle and call this a day.

- end -