Ankyra Sound Amongst the waves

The small paws of the brown she wolf thudded the  wet sandy ground softly as she ran, the briny wind bringing with it the smell of the sea and wolves, ones not too far off. She slowed as she neared their territory, nose low as she sniffed out their border. Stopping a few feet shy of it she gazed about with her honey colored eyes. 

No other wolves were in sight, only her and the vast emptiness of the coastal land. This was the first pack she had found upon leaving Tekana tribe, perhaps they needed a new member. 

Sitting down on her haunches, she reared her head back and howled. It was a high pitched howl, somewhat raspy, marking her as female and seeking to speak with one of the pack members.

Kjalarr heard the call rise into the air, breaking through the gentle and comforting lull of the tide and into the cavernous mouth of The Grotto where the young viking had been lingering, squinting out into the light gray, almost white (where it should have been gold) painted horizon as the sun inched ever closer to it's descent beneath the jagged risings of earth in the distance. Darkness had yet to fall, for the light of the sun would linger still for a few hours more but the call at the borders had demanded Kjalarr's attention. While this was not particularly true he had mentioned about guarding the borders to Caiaphas upon his acceptance though his interest had been less in potential members of the motley crew and in the promise of adventure he nevertheless made his way across the sands of the Sound's shore, catching the loner's shadowed form a few feet from their borders. Kjalarr's approach was slow, studying her to the best of his abilities with the distance between them, his head high and his tail raised above his back in an easy display of dominance.

As of right now, he was the only Saltwinter wolf to greet her and thus he was the highest ranking member present for the moment. “Why are you here?” Kjalarr demanded his inquiry and her purpose in the mimicked accent of his father before him, subconsciously canting his head ever so slightly to the right as he continued to observe her. He had a suspicion as to why she was parked at Saltwinter's borders it seemed like the best — if not the most obvious — question he could ask at the present moment. For now he would humor her until Caiaphas' arrival.

The male who appeared was larger than she though she guessed that he was young by the look on his face, perhaps not even a year old yet. He was white in color with cream legs and blue eyes. Three thick scars slashed across his nose, making him appear frightful. She moved into a submissive stance as he approached, feeling his eyes studying her.

Her ears twitched at his question, he wished to know why she was here. Clearing her throat slightly she spoke. "I would join if your pack would have me," her voice was low pitched, raspy as she did not often speak. She found words excessive, speaking only when she needed to. He still studied her and she found herself wondering if she measured up.

Upon his approach Kjalarr noted that she took a submissive posture, which undeniably worked in her favor despite that the viking had no pull nor weight to decide her fate when it came to Saltwinter. He was doing all he could do: interrogate her, ask her the basic questions and see if she could handle their disconnected way of life, and then he could reiterate the information to Caiaphas. As it was, he supposed this was good “practice” for guarding the borders. Patrols were one thing but confronting a potential joiner was a whole different end of the spectrum. The stranger let out a soft noise, one that Kjalarr recognized as her clearing her throat a few seconds later, and spoke a response to the question he had given her. She wished to join. This did not particularly surprise Kjalarr, for he'd suspected as much. He doubted there would be too many other reasons for a loner to be so close to their borders otherwise ...unless they had a certain death wish. “What can you offer us?” Kjalarr tried his paw at being cryptic, instead answering her tentative statement with another, also important question. 

She understood he was not the one who held the power within this pack, he was not the Alpha. It was lacking in his cryptic questions, his tone of voice. That did not stop her from being submissive, he was the highest ranking member in attendence, higher than she. 

"I am another who could fill the caches, I can bring in food for the pack. I am another number in a time of conflict." They were standard things, hunting and fighting. Most any wolf could do them. "I am a healer as well," she mentioned. She was not credited with a trade as they had in this land but she knew the healing arts.

phas cameo but feel free to skip me if you want to keep the convo going! i'll be visiting fam this weekend so if i am holding the thread back in any way just skip me :)

she had heard the howl, and would have hastened for it, had she not seen a pale streak of a wolf intercept the individual first. the coywolf hung back for a bit, a keen ear pressed forward as she tried to eavesdrop. it did her great pride to witness kjalarr handle the situation himself, so the waif refrained from immediately bursting forward. the strange wolf seemed suitably deferential, and caiaphas was not hard pressed to interrupt kjalarr as he practiced a skill that would serve him for a lifetime.

she drew forward only as she heard the last of the umber wolf's offer -- that she was, in some way, useful. saltwinter had not had its share of useful wolves, and for that caiaphas was immediately interested. silently she drew alongside kjalarr, her gaze studying the female as she awaited the white wraith's response.

ok, have fun w/your fam!! :D

Her continued submission did not go unappreciated by the viking. He might not have ruled Saltwinter but he was it's Delta and seeing as how she was neither Caiaphas nor Rosalyn, instead being a lone wolf with no rank to speak of, he was higher ranking than her and deserved (he believed) every ounce of respect that she would give Caiaphas. Hierarchy was a rigid thing to Kjalarr, he needed the strict regime simply because if he ever led some day it was such that he would adhere to. It was fluid but dominance was extremely important to him — as it'd been since he'd been old enough to assert it. The loner spoke that she could fill caches, no doubt a wolf they could likely use in their ranks from the seeming willingness to hunt, and that she was another number in time of conflict. For a moment Kjalarr's thoughts flickered to that pirate pack what did they call themselves? Bonechewers. For the time being things had appeared to be quiet but if the tentative peace would last for Donnelaith and Saltwinter Kjalarr could not say and would not firstly assume.

For a long stretch of moments Kjalarr was silent, processing what she'd spoken, his attention diverting to Caiaphas when she drew to his side. Upon her arrival, the viking's posture lowered to physically acknowledge the coy wolf at his side as his superior, but she did not interrupt nor did she dismiss him and so he felt it safe to continue. “We could use another to help in the filling of our caches and another set of vigilant eyes upon the borders,” They were a disconnected motley crew of wolves, meant to only be a temporary pack to survive the winter, and with Spring upon them Kjalarr wondered if Caiaphas intended to remain and build Saltwinter into something permanent or see them disbanded. Whatever she decided, she had the viking's unwavering loyalty and he intended to remain. “but every wolf can hunt and protect, fight even. That is all expected. Are there any other specialties you have? Any you are willing to learn?” He wasn't really sure what Caiaphas looked for in her wolves and he'd never actually apprehended wolves at the borders before. He stuck to questions that he thought were important, things that he would want to know and tried to keep his inexperience as discreet as he could by masking it would a razor edged and stoic confidence.

She blinked slowly in surprise, he had not mentioned anything of her healing. Was that standard here as well? He acted as though he hadn't even heard that part of her little speech.

"I am a healer as well," she repeated herself patiently. Perhaps he had hearing issues and had just missed that part. No matter, she was a patient one and would not become annoyed at the lack of response her first suggestion wrought.

oops I didn't even realize she said anything about healing — this is why I shouldn't reply to posts at 3 am lol. That was my fault, my apologies!

For whatever reason Kjalarr had missed her mention of healing, for reasons that Tori cannot reasonably explain other than perhaps he'd been so caught up in his consideration of her that her words entirely escaped his notice. Her surprise at his words served to confuse the viking who did not realize he had accidentally disregarded her creditable trade and thus caused his eyes to narrow slightly. Nevertheless he continued forth as if he hadn't messed up (not realizing that he had). “Healing? My mother is a healer,” He murmured thinking of Thistle Cloud and ignoring the small pang of guilt that resounded within his chest when he thought of her, and her anger at him at his departure. She had yet to call for him on the coast and Kjalarr had begun to believe that she would not. “It is a noble trade,” He commended in his mother's and the goddess Frigga's honor. “What made you decide to come to Saltwinter's borders?” Her answer to this question Kjalarr was most curious to know, if only because there had been a massive influx of packs within the past two months alone, so it was not as if there were not plenty to choose from.

She nodded politely, unsure how to respond about his mother. She was not a socially adverse creature, she was canine and she enjoyed company as much as any wolf did. She was usually seen as charming but these wolves used more words than her own rather silent people did. Having been used to speaking with body language she was not sure what an appropriate response would be.

His question gave her a reason for response. "Yours was the first I stumbled upon. It did not seem so crowded and I had heard from others that you were together for survival. That appealed to me," she explained. She was not a usually caring person, she was not looking for a place of do gooders, she was looking for a place to survive.

I was given permission to pp 'Phas & for Kja to induct Rayen into Saltwinter (if i wanted) so the thread can keep moving so I think we can probably wrap this up in the next few posts? :D

He had simply mentioned Thistle's own penchant for healing to help solidify why he thought it was a noble trade — even though Thistle probably hated him for his actions currently — and it drew a lackluster albeit polite nod from the ebony stranger at their borders. He hadn't exactly been expecting a verbal response but now it just felt all awkward. No one (or so Kjalarr assumed) really cared that a mother that had very little hand in raising him was a healer — she wasn't apart of Saltwinter and thus not important to them. In truth, if not for his respect (and love he assumed) for Thistle and Goddess Frigga he doubted he would see the trade as “noble”. It was useful, especially to a young wrecking ball such as himself that seemed to ooze trouble and appeared to rather enjoy picking fights; but even when he picked fights with beasts bigger than him (the second bear comes to mind) he did not seek medical attention for his muzzle. He submerged it in the salt waters of Stavanger Bay and endured the sting to keep in clean but the ugly scars breaking across his flesh was proof enough that despite having them at his disposal he did not tend use healer's talents.

Those thoughts were tucked away, however, when she responded to his question. It wasn't, admittedly, as grand as he would have liked (he was a sucker for a good tale by nature), but as she told it she had heard wind that they were about survival and that such had appealed to her. “Well you didn't hear wrong, that is our biggest rule here: survival,” He confirmed just because it seemed like the polite thing to do, even if it was a little redundant. “Do you have any questions?” Thus far, Kjalarr had been the one to ask them all but was willing to flip the tables if she had a curiosity that needed sated in regards to Saltwinter before they moved forward.

He confirmed the rumors she had heard of Saltwinter, seeming awkward as he responded to her. She hadn't felt uncomfortable before but now she did. She glanced down, shuffling on her paws as she worried that she had made things tense.

She nodded, she did have a question. "What's your name?" He had yet to mention it, nor had she mentioned her own. Not that he might be interested, he probably could care less about her name. He seemed very stoic, as if he didn't particularly care about anything. Rayen wanted to know his name though, she liked having names to faces.

Kjalarr watched as she looked down at her paws, her weight shifting and his own did in accordance, as he waited with renewed patience for any pressing questions she might have before he ...or Caiaphas proceeded. This was a learning experience for him and he assumed that since the alpha female at his side had not interjected that he was, at the very least, doing an average job at it. Which was something to take from this, certainly. “I am Kjalarr and this is Caiaphas, the alpha of Saltwinter,” He introduced himself and his coywolf companion with a respectful nod in Caiaphas' direction. “What is yours?”

Soon enough, though, Kjalarr realized he had nothing else to ask to her and felt that he'd (awkwardly) covered all the important points. At this point, he felt that if she was accepted seeing that she stuck to her word and earning her keep in Saltwinter would be on her. He looked to Caiaphas then, an unspoken understanding passing between leader and subordinate and Kjalarr turned back to the ebony colored loner at their borders, giving her one last appraisal. “Welcome to Saltwinter,” The northman paused before he spoke “come, I will give you a tour.” with a gesture of his muzzle.

"I am Rayen. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." Her head dipped politely, eyes raking over the coywolf curiously. She was a small woman, slender and petite but fierce. She had pale greyish fur with a darker face, yellow green eyes. Rayen's stance remained as submissive as it had been towards Kjalarr.

She nodded, moving to follow after him. Her fur brushed his, chocolate mingling with white. She wondered how it was that she was more than two years and was smaller than him yet he looked barely a year old. It did not seem fair to the short woman but she made no comment. She remained silent as he led her into Saltwinter, listening to anything he had to say politely.