Lost Creek Hollow Joining

As Numa carefully wanders around the borders to the packs territory, he cautiously looks around to see if anyone is around. He sighs internally when he sees that no one is around.
He continues for quite a while walking back and forth outside the border he finally stops and sits down to re-think his choice of coming here. 
He lays down and cleans his paws for a bit before resting his head on some moss and start muttering to himself and his own cowardness to meeting new wolves.

Well into another day, Mordecai ventured out to the borders out of habit. It was something that came naturally to him, but then again it may as well have come naturally to them all. With the silence of the woodland at his back, he persisted along the paths that they were beginning to carve along the fringes of the Hollow, ever attune with what went on around him.

He was not long into his patrol when the quiet mumblings of another stole his attention from the path ahead. He halted for a moment, a held in breath ceasing his movements as he listened. He couldn't quite make it out, but whoever was speaking, they were close. With hackles prickling along his spine and nape on exhale, he continued his approach until he spied out the source of sound — a wolf as pitch black as an oil well, barring the starkness of his much lighter feet.

And to Mordecai, given the recent events of their last visitor of sorts, only saw him as loitering. A growl rumbled low in his throat, his eyes fixed on the fellow. Surely that would be enough to draw his attention and prompt him for some answers.

Numa calmly listens to some birds flying by but in between the flapping wing sounds he hears something that doesn't quite fit in, a growl. I silent growl. He looks up and sees another wolf and his muttering quickly ends and turns to stuttering.

"H-hello."
He mumbles with a clear uncertainty in his tone. 
He gets up on his feet and takes a step back, keeping his eyes on the wolf. He quickly looks around himself and then back at the other wolf again.

Well, that had made an impression, Mordecai noted. The uncertainty of the other seemed to roll off him in waves and from that and his wandering gaze that settled itself, Mordecai could not decide whether it was a note of deference or not.

"You picked a bad place to be resting," he said, foregoing a more formal greeting. But the desire for explanation was clear cut. With the thinning in their ranks, he had felt more than just the prickle of his senses; it was a pierce of annoyance in the wake of those that had disappeared wildly and another, for those that had come blindly wheeling close to their territory.

His thoughts were going haywire, could he trust this wolf? should he run away or maybe even fight? So many questions but little courage to even begin trying to explain them to himself, as it would probably look like he's insane.
"I wasn't exactly resting...." He mumbles and straightens up a bit. With that said he took another step back, just to be safe.
"Why would this be a bad spot for resting though? just for future reference..." He says, not trying to come off as an idiot.

He didn't get an answer to his unspoken query, but instead kicked up more of that leeriness. Though he felt the inclination to take a step forward as the dark-haired wolf stepped back, Mordecai refrained. There was more mumbling to be had, yet this time he caught it. If he hadn't been resting, then what? His silent intrusion along their borders only suggested the nefarious.

"Because you've tread too close to my territory," he started off, "and if you aren't here to rest, then why be silent?" He could not think of many reasons for the curious to linger in silence, though there were times he himself had done the same. And even if the wolf was similar to him in that regard, Mordecai considered the possibility he was merely observing. For whatever reason, it was discomforting.

There was a strange feeling by Numa's neck. Its was strange and it almost was as if it tried telling him something. The fur on his neck stood up a little as a shiver went down his back.

"pardon me for being too close to your territory...it's just..." he started but fell silent as his gaze wandered of to the side. He was thinking really hard about how to get his thoughts away from his head and out of his mouth. It's quite a challenge to do without messing up.
"I was waiting for courage i guess." he mumbles and looks down feeling shame fill his head. His head dropped down slightly and he suddenly got ideas of a thousand other ways to say that and not feel ashamed afterwards.

If anything, Mordecai was learning that the wolf before him did not have the best confidence around. Not that he denied that he may have been part of the reason why. If there was anything that he could glean from the mumbled answers, they turned into more questions that slipped out into the cool air between them.

"The courage for what? Why are you here?" The latter question he thought he had the answer to, but knew better than to assume. The world had been full of twists that came as a guise and for all he knew, this could have been one of them. And just as easily, it could not have been one of them.

Numa let out a breathy sigh as he looked down at the ground infront of the other wolf.
"I was looking for a pack to maybe try and join." 
Numa paused and glanced up at the other wolf as if to see if he had any kind of response too it, but he didnt really give it any time and instead continued.
"I like the terrain around here and there's a pack here so I though that maybe I could try it."
He looked up and felt a tiny bit more bold after having that said.

The pieces fell into place rather quickly as the wolf spoke and Mordecai found that he was not surprised. This instance he supposed was none to different than how things had gone during their foundation; wolves then had loitered about in search of them. Some quietly, others not so quietly. For a moment he considered asking him why he had lied in wait so quietly, but the answer came back to him before the words left his mouth. Working up the courage.

"And what could you offer such a pack?" he opted to ask.

What could he offer... He had no idea.'sure he knew how to hunt both small and larger animals. He could protect and care for the wounded but he was sure that those things was already taken care of by other pack members.

"I could only offer what your pack probably already have." He said, still thinking about something else he could offer, which he couldn't. Numa is a not a special wolf, just a little bit of an 'over-thinker'.

sorry for the brief delay dear! i've been out of town and without internet or cell service for a couple of days. :C <3

His brow raised questionably when nothing more than a nondescript reply came forward. Most would have launched into some explanation of what they were particular good at or interested in, but not this fellow. And when it came to what the Hollow had, Mordecai knew only that they had a few who were budding their interests and sharpening their skills. Yet then again, they were wolves.

"Surely there must be something you're good at," he said. Perhaps he could coax something from him. "What interests you? Are you a hunter, or more of a defender?" Perhaps he would be neither of those things, something more pacifistic in nature. It was too hard for Mordecai to glean much more than the fact that he had survived thus far, so obviously he could fend for himself.

(I have no idea how you did that 'thing' in the begining. But for the delay thingy, its allright c: )

When the other wolf told him that there surely was something he was good at, he just stood there looking lost for a second. 
"I.... I don't know. I'm more of an observer, but if the situation needs me to, I guess I can defend." 
He sat down and looked away.
"I'll surely not be the best pack member but i wont let the pack down."
He mumbles with a silent whimper. Numa feared the worst, getting chased away and never find a pack. He would probably survive without one but he'd have to struggle a lot which he already had been doing for a while.

An uncomfortable feeling set in the bottom of his gut, and Mordecai felt the absent pull of his ears as they turned back. More of an observer? He didn't like the implications that came to mind in the wake of that statement, though he listened as the wolf stringed together another bit of speech to carry their conversation. But his mind was made up long before those words had faded into the cool air.

"I think you'd be a better fit in another pack," he said, this time entirely void of the hard edge to his words. "It's far too late in the season for us to try and carry someone through." And though he could understand what it was to be directionless, he needed more than just observers.

Panic, fear and regrett for what words he had chosen to speak was all that he could feel right now.
He had come so far to find a good pack and it ended far to quick.

"I didn't mean it like that... I. I meant that I don't look for fights the first thing I do, I do it to protect and to hunt, of course. Please, I don'd think i'll fit in any other pack."
He was pleading. begging even. If he were to be denied now, he'd probably not dare to join another.
He let out a silent whimper, bracing for a denial.

Harlyn had not been too far from the borders.  She had a mind that day to venture beyond them and explore a bit of their neighboring territories.  She knew the other packs in the area were a comfortable distance away, so she was eager to learn more about what laid between them.  The downs were beautiful, and what she had seen of the Cuesta to the Northeast had left her with a desire to visit again sometime.  She had no doubt that the world beyond their doorstep had other treasures to share, and she was eager to see them for herself.

The distant sound of voices caused her to push the pause button on her exploration.  She was happy to do so, of course, for more than she loved adventure did she love being the Alpha of her new family.  It wasn't too long before she came upon Mordecai and a stranger at their borders, and the smile on her face froze as she realized that this was not exactly the most comfortable of interactions she had stepped into.  Her gaze shifted from Mordecai to the other wolf who was begging for a place with them - something that seemed wholly strange to her for she could imagine no instance where Mordecai would require such.

"What is going on here?" Harlyn asked quietly, her eyes shifting to land on her partner in anticipation.

The situation morphed itself quickly and he felt the better halves of either decision pull him in opposite directions. He had pity, sure, but there was the every present strain of what they needed. And what exactly they needed in his eyes were those more than capable and willing to do what needed to be done. With winter bearing down on their doorstep in what would be a matter of weeks, he found himself unwilling to relent. It narrowed his focus as he honed in on the dark form of the other, and in turn he did not anticipate or entirely hear Harlyn's approach. His ear turned absent as her steps drew near; his head only followed when her voice rose out of the leafy depths around them.

When his gaze came to rest on her, he found that her interest laid solely with him. The inevitable tide of mixed emotions boiled close to his stoic surface, but they simmered just as quickly. He brought his gaze back to the pleading expression of the traveller. "Then let's start this over," he said as he exhaled. "What's your name?" For all his intent to send the wolf away, he imagined that Harlyn would want to appeal to a second chance. If anything, he decided it would give her the opportunity to decide for herself.

When he spotted another wolf approaching he didnt know what to make out of the situatuon other than that they would hunt him away from there. 
When the first one tells him that they should start over, Numas ears peaked up and he got a burst of energy as he felt some hope.

"Numa" He said with more of a confident voice than before.
His gaze slowly switched between the two, but quickly fell to the ground.'Dont mess it up this time' he kept thinking to himself over and over again, but knowing himself all too well he had probably already messed up badly.

Mordecai met her gaze, but he did not offer an explanation.  Something in the situation shifted subtly though, or so Harlyn thought, for he turned back to the stranger and offered a redo of whatever had just transpired between them.  The wolf offered his name, and though propriety urged her to respond in kind by introducing them both, the druid held her tongue for the moment.  This was Mordecai's show and she would let him handle it - her presence had been reduced to a quiet observer and she would step in only if she saw a need for her moderation.

Okay, they were getting somewhere. Numa. Easy enough to remember and all that, and at least this time he held more confidence to his tone. His tail flicked idly as Harlyn remained silent, but the notion that she was in fact observing did not leave him. "All right, Numa, why don't you explain to my co-Alpha what you can do for us," he said, gaze shifting towards Harlyn. All of this he had heard once before, but what would she think?

His heart felt like it stopped. Were the male wolf teasing him? whatever it was he straightened up and looked at the co-alpha.
"I can help with almost anything. Just tell me and i'll do it... I can hunt, protect or just be company when somone wants to have some." 
He said, trying to choose his words much more carefully this time. The last thing he wanted to do was to mess up again.

Harlyn gave her partner a curious glance as he instructed the stranger - Numa - to explain his skills to her. It was an odd way to go about the topic, but she assumed he had his reasons that she would learn of later. Turning her attention to the other male, she listened as he nervously have his resume. It all sounded fine to her. He certainly didn't come off as confident in the skills he professed to have, but that simply encouraged her pity for him.

"You don't need to be nervous," she said after a moment, offering him an encouraging smile, "You're in no danger here. All that my partner and I ask is that each wolf in our pack pull their weight and do their best to help the pack thrive. Can you be strong enough to do this for our family?"

She watched Numa, waiting for his answer. Ultimately, she would leave the final say to Mordecai, but she saw no reason why he should be turned away if he could agree to her terms. She suspected her co-alpha knew her well enough to tell her thoughts on the matter and would not disregard them, but nor would he let them overrule his own opinion had he stronger convictions for it.

He was happy that the female had shown up. He felt like she would be a bit more open minded to his request of joining the pack.  He felt somewhat calmer when she spoke.
"I promise I will pull my own weight and help the pack the best I can."
He said feeling a rush of energy and more hope.
"I will do just about anything for your family."¨
He said ,making sure not to call them his own family, maybe they wont see him as their family for a while but just a member so he didn't want to make a mistake calling them a family yet.

My phone keeps autocorrecting "Numa" as "bums" so I apologize if I call him something inappropriate here lol welcome to LCH!

Numa responded and Harlyn nodded her approval of his words. She looked at Mordecai then to gauge his feelings on the subject. He didn't need to say a word - one look of his said all she needed to know about what his decision was. She turned again to Numa and smiled kindly. "Welcome to our family then," she said with a wag of her tail. "Feel free to make yourself at home and get to know the land as well as your packages. We'll be around if you need anything."

With that, Harlyn gestured to Mordecai and the pair headed out beyond the borders, though not before sounding a howl to let the rest of the pack know they had a new voice amongst them. She was content to let Numa settle in on his own - no doubt Luke at least would come running to say hello so he wouldn't be alone for long. For now she had other matters she wanted to discuss with her partner.