Porcupine Ridge I'm outside the door, invite me in

Kesan had heard the howl of wolves, which seemed a bit questioning. She could've sworn that there wasn't a pack in the area. Who was she to complain though? After a month on her own, she could do with a new permanent settlement. If she was lucky, maybe she that would happen this time. Why were all the other packs outside of Teekon Wilds prone to kicking her out? That could be pondered another time. 

She headed in the direction the howl had come from a couple nights ago. Kesan finally found their home, a ridge. The scents definitely smelled new too. There was definitely an overwhelming scent of the male gender mixed in. Maybe that was why she always got kicked out. The last pack's female Alpha certainly didn't appreciate Kesan flirting with her mate. Kesan just didn't understand the whole thing about mates and love. Wasn't it enough to love others as friends, instead of limiting yourself to only one wolf to love? If sexual relations weren't about love, there were many more options.

Kesan plopped herself on their doorstep, not bothering to howl for someone. She laid right outside their borders, waiting for someone to find her. Until then, she could be still and quiet enough to wait for the wildlife that disappeared at the presence of a wolf to reappear. Then, she could watch and observe, catalog in her head the food options should she be accepted when someone stumbled upon her.

Porcupine Ridge thrived just fine with the smaller numbers they had, Capri was certainly not concerned that there were only five adults, and Taggarik did not seem distraught on the matter, either. Others would come, of that she could only assume -- but given that the title of Alpha Female landed upon her solely by default of her gender left her feeling slightly misplaced.. as she had yet to earn anything.
 
A lot of her time was spent along the borders, and this day was no different. Her silver-tipped form was stark against the ivory snow, but not quite as much as the fiery sight before her. Periwinkle eyes studied the slender frame that was clearly feminine from a distance, curiosity pulling at her. The wolf was respectful to their newly claimed boundaries, and the charcoal she-wolf loped closer.
 
Announcing her presence with a gentle bark, her ears tipped forward in interest. Her own form lifted naturally to assume its claim upon the Ridge -- and her eyes were calculating as she studied the stranger. "Hello," she offered, her tone soft as she awaited an explanation.

Kesan's ear twitched as she heard the bark, and swung her head to the other side to see the owner. Said owner was a beautiful silver and black wolf, wafting a feminine scent should one not be able to tell upon sight. It was a little disappointing, stumbling upon a female of the pack, but Kesan would survive. The she-wolf seemed nice enough, and had a softness about her. Not in terms of strength, but in terms of feminine grace. Kesan decided that for first impressions, she liked the she-wolf.

As the she-wolf drew herself higher, Kesan shrank against the ground, laying flat. Seemingly thinking better of it, she then rolled onto her side, exposing a white belly to the she-wolf, increasing the display of submission. Ears tilted back, Kesan kept her eyes on the she-wolf's paws, almost daring to look up at the intriguing periwinkle eyes she had glimpsed before submitting but not quite.

Then she opened her mouth. "Hi. I'm-" She paused. For a split second, there was the urge to become someone else, come up with a new name for herself in the presence of these wolves who didn't know her. "Kesan." She finished. No matter how much she had resented the name when she was little, she could never find it within herself to change it. Kesan flashed a smile, as if pausing right before saying your name was normal. 

"You're new to the neighborhood, correct? I didn't recall there being a pack here when I last passed by. I have a welcoming present for you - a new possible packmate! Knows how to hunt and fight, even if not the best. Might have some attitude, but who doesn't? Surprisingly good with plants when not accidentally trampling them." Kesan concluded by flashing another smile, as if the she-wolf was a good friend who she was congratulating for winning the lottery.

The black wolf was on the prowl, not for a hare or marmot, but for his alpha female. Her position as the highest ranking female was defaulted to her, but nonetheless she was his co-leader, and how she got there mattered not. Capri seemed to have a sensible head on her shoulders and that was enough for him. He wished to speak with her one-on-one, for they really had not since the pack had become official and with it her new rank.

He picked up her trail along the borders, so fresh it was practically warm. This drew a smile to his face. The gates to their homestead were well-protected with the packs' attention to them. Good thing too, for as Taggarik ghosted closer, he became aware of not just the scent of the silver and black female he sought, but of another. He spotted them not too far ahead.

It was a young female that Capriccio intercepted, distinctly and unique draped in a bright golden-orange coat. He arrived in time to hear what she said. Perhaps his co-leader would feel different, but he was rather pleased to see another female at their borders. Their ranks were quickly becoming laden with testosterone. He drew near but held back off to the side of Capri's flank He trusted her to handle the situation, and indeed, rather that she do so; even if he felt a possessive need to control every aspect of his pack, especially when it came to deciding who was permitted entry.

His relaxed, neutral posture spoke nothing of his position. The reigns completely within Capriccio's paws.

In truth, there were only two things Capri looked for in her upon Taggarik's borders -- proper submission and humbleness, and a set of skills that could aid the wolves of the pack. Of course, it was always slightly amusing to her to listen to what others believed they excelled at -- and as Kesan offered her own resume to Capri, the silver-tipped wolf cast a light smile at the delivery of it. Humor -- that was a nice change.
 
before she could respond, the large form of Taggarik strode to her side. His presence demanded attention even when he wasn't trying, and with a fond glance, the Alpha Female tipped ear would flicker in recognition to his presence, though he drew only as close to her flank. "Capri, the Alpha Female of the newly claimed Porcupine Ridge," she offered, amusement flickering in her eyes as her gaze drifted back to the swarthy male at her side. She was intent on keeping her rank until one worthy took it -- whether in the form of Taggarik's intended future mate, or one she felt had earned it, and so she stated the title without form of hesitance. "This here is Taggarik -- it's founder and Alpha Male."
 
With a sweep of her tail, her gaze drew from him to study the rather exotic creature before her. They could certainly use some estrogen around here.  "Can you tell me more about how you are good with plants? Do you have medicinal knowledge?"

A new figure arrived on the scene, and Kesan let her attention stray to it. The scent of this one was male. Her gaze lingered on him much longer than necessary as she observed him. It wasn't a challenge in any way, as she stayed very well clear of looking him in the eyes. It was curious how he remained neutral. The she-wolf had quickly showed signs of dominance, while he did nothing.

Kesan's attention snapped back to the she-wolf as she started talking. Turns out she was the Alpha. Kesan pressed her ears even farther back than before. She actually liked Capri, so hopefully she wouldn't turn up on her bad side anytime soon. It was also revealed that the name of this place was Porcupine Ridge. Kesan thought about making a joke, but then thought better of it. Even more surprising was that the dark male besides her was also Alpha. It made her even more curious about him. Typically, it seemed that Alpha males liked to display their title as King of the Hill (Ridge in this case). 

More questions popped up that Kesan certainly should not ask. What was the relationship between the two Alphas. Were they mates? Or were things strictly professional between them? She would certainly ask around later, but for now, it was best to keep her mouth closed and be a perfectly good little lady. And that meant answering all the questions honestly.

"While I wish I could say yes to the second question, my answer is no. While I wouldn't mind collecting some medicinal knowledge, it's sort of hard when you don't have a teacher. I'm not too fond of self-experimentation either." Really, Kesan wasn't opposed to becoming smart in that area, but it was a bit hard to do without do without some guidance, lest she risk poisoning her or someone else. Maybe some day in the future would give her the chance. "I've learned some of the names for more common plants though. Couldn't tell you anything about their medicinal properties, but I might be able to tell you which animal eats it." A skill she had always found a way to use when hunting small animals. Why spend all day tracking them when you could lure them to you with their favorite food?

Capriccio introduced herself and him to the golden-orange female, and his muzzle tipped down in a subtle greeting, but even though his position had been disclosed, he made no move to step ahead. His toes idly flexed where they were as the alpha female went on to inquire further about the loner's knowledge of plants. He, too, was curious, although such interviews were not his style. He was mistrusting in that way. He knew that a wolf could weave any number of colorful tales, painting themselves in a favorable light just so they may be accepted, and under winter's influence, desperation often set in further encouraging the exaggeration of truth.

That was not to say he mistrusted this female; she seemed perfectly genuine and friendly. It only meant that what she said here would not carry far; her actions in the coming week would determine whether she was permitted to stay or not. He had seen and heard enough to welcome her, but he held his tongue to see if Capriccio had more questions, or felt the same.

She felt the twitch of humor pull at her lips as Kesan blatantly regarded Taggarik upon his arrival. The male was certainly an impressive sight to see, and the silver-tipped female remained silent during that stolen moment. Instead, an ear would flick forward as the girl finally responded, and within that answer, the current Alpha Female determined then that she could quite enjoy this girl's company.
 
"You're honesty is appreciated above all else," she noted then, her gaze sweeping to Tagg to see if he agreed. Offering a small nod, she drifted her attention curtly back to the female, a small grin pulling at her lips. "As is your desire to avoid self experimentation," she determined with a small rumble of amusement.
 
Pushing away from Taggarik, Capri brushed her shoulder in acceptance to their new subordinate, offering a nod toward the lands of the Ridge. "Welcome to the Ridge. I can give you a tour if you'd like," she offered then, and with a flickering gaze of amusement toward Taggarik, she wondered if he would make their newest subordinate's day by joining them.

Capri seemed to like her, which was a relief. As for Taggarik, Kesan didn't have enough clues to figure him out yet. He seemed to be exactly neutral. He didn't seem opposed to her joining, and even expressed his consent, but there was nothing more that his actions had given away. One Alpha seemed to like her at least, so she would just have to make an effort not to ruin anything with Capri.

Whatever the case with their feelings towards her, Kesan was in. She was now officially part of the Ridge. What more, she earned herself a tour! "Thank you," She said to both the acceptance and the tour. "A tour sounds good... Can't be much use if I get myself lost or stuck on some rocky ledge." She joked while meaning it at the same time. While Kesan could only hope that she would have enough common sense when the time came to not get stuck on a ledge, it was a bit unlikely. Maybe she should make some mental notes during this tour to stay away from some areas.

Then, she followed Capri's gaze to Taggarik. The unasked question of whether he would join them or not floated in the air. While Kesan sort of wanted him to join them, at the same time she expected him to decline. In her mind, he was like a black ghost, the way he sat there quietly, observed, and made not a single sound. If he were to continue to fit her simile, she expected him to next drift away.

His alpha female was satisfied, just as was he. She welcomed their newest packmember with the customary offer of a tour, but before they departed, the black wolf stole a moment to brush against the golden-orange female, committing her scent to memory and leaving his own on her coat. It was a welcome that was decorated with an easy smile and a waving tail. "Welcome to the pack," he said, and as Capriccio lead the way into the ridgelands, he followed at the rear, still affording his co-leader the reigns to conduct this tour.

Last from me. :)

Kesan accepted her offer – and silent as before, so did Taggarik. As the ebony regal brushed himself against their bright comrade, Capri would study them both before giving a small nod once ready.
 
Pulling away, the she-wolf began to lope back to the heartlands of their home, her posture holding an air of dominance, though casual friendship exuded from her as she offered Kesan a bit of insight to their new home. It would be good to have another female in their ranks – and while she was uncertain what it meant for her own rank, Capri could only hope that others would come as well.

Same. Kris's post seemed to fade out well for his character, almost like he meant to end it there, so I'll archive it. If that's not the case, we can always bring it back for one last post from him. :)

Taggarik did not behave according to Kesan's expectations, but she had just met him after all, which often resulted in her predictions being way off. However, she was glad he was coming with them. It was a bit disappointing that he took the rear, as she was hoping to walk behind them so she could check him out some more without them noticing, but Kesan was complacent for now. Maybe that was for the best, as now she would have to focus all her attention on the new landscape.