Moonspear Help My Dreams

@Charon @Amekaze

A milky colored male stopped at the border, sniffing at it cautiously. He would be completely cream colored if not for the red-brown tips of each hair, tan replacing just the red around his eyes, rimming his ears, and freckling his back. The colors of fall danced in the eyes that raked the territory, and Harley felt a sense of calm come over him. He began to walk along the border, staying at least three feet from the scent line at all times. He hoped this was Moonspear, the pack that Sebastian said might take him, but there was no way of being sure until meeting an alpha. The name or place didn't matter, so long as he could find a home; though this territory appealed to him greatly. Hoping his travels were over, he settled down in a comfortable sit after howling for whomever was in charge. 
               "Please, please, please, let this be it."
Harley pleaded to nobody in particular, simply hoping he could settle down. He was tempted to leave out his lack of knowledge for the way wolves lived, but not only did he not want to earn his place in a home through deceit, he was sure that the lie would soon be discovered in the way he acted. He could just hope that a basic knowledge of survival and a drive to learn to be a Caregiver and a storyteller of sorts was enough to be given a chance, or even a trial. He had dreams, ones he needed to figure out and ones he just needed help to reach.

Despite a lingering sorrow for the pack's loss, she was ever-attentive to the borders and her scent was even more prevalent than it usually was there. It did not take long for her to notice the scent of something different. She did know these stretches of mountainside like no other, so when things changed, she knew about it. Lightly, she picked up her pace and loped purposefully after the trail of someone lingering just at their fringes.

It did not take her very long. She caught sight of the wolf and her nose quivered as she identified him as a loner. She did not say anything on her approach, but settled a minty stare expectantly onto the stranger. Her cues, from ears tipped forward and tail swing upward, suggested that she would like an explanation for his business here on her doorstep -- sooner, rather than later.

Seeing what he assumed to be one of the alphas approaching, Harley lowered himself to the ground and let his ears lower. All around, his body went into submission. He waited a moment for her to speak, but soon realized she was waiting. He mentally cringed, knowing that she probably already realized something was off about him. The half breed spoke as respectfully as he could, making an obvious effort not to make eye contact. His amber eyes watched her paws as he spoke, glancing up every few words.
        "Hello ma'am, my name is Harley. I'm looking for a home. I know how to survive, but I don't excel in anything. I grew up as a stray, but my mother was a wolf. I didn't know her, and I'm now looking to learn how she lived. Why she didn't want to raise her litter.
Harley felt his heart racing as he thought about what else to say. Sure, he'd been to many packs and asked the same, but perhaps he was saying something wrong? He just had to be careful, he didn't want to look weak or helpless, because he was far from.
                   "My father, a German Shephard, raised me with his sister after my mother left. He taught us how to fight, and to hunt, to take care of ourselves, but we all lived on an abandoned human farm. My siblings were content there, but I want to learn how to live like a wolf, out here. I want to learn to be a storyteller, and a caregiver. I promise to work hard and contribute in anyway I can, anyway you need, and I'm a great learner...."
Falling silent, Harley looked up at Amekaze with an almost pleading look in his amber eyes and awaited her judgement.

His posture was mindful of her status and a lot of information came her way quite readily. She got a name out of it and a history more detailed than she'd anticipated, but perhaps he just knew she would have more questions based on his.. appearances. Which, turned out, where thanks to a genetic mix she was not familiar with. Hybrids were something she did not have a concrete judgement of because she had never been around very many of them to make for a good or bad impression, and especially not hybrids of the German Shepard sort -- which was a term she did not know, but assumed it to be just another canine by looking at him.

Presently, their pack had no storyteller. She had been a chronicler herself, with an interest more in the history of things. "Do you have any experience as a caretaker or storyteller already?" This interested her first of all. He had already admitted to not excelling at anything, but she was just wondering what had made him interested in that already, if any experience at all. "Can you hunt with the pack or alone well enough to help stock caches? And defend the borders from outsiders? Those are my basic priorities for all members," she asked. These were the most simple requirements of all things for the pack to keep functioning successfully and she already suspected he may be able to answer favorably, since he had already told her his father had taught him fighting and hunting. But, did he have the willpower to protect the pack, even if it was not full wolfsblood in his veins. She could give him a chance if she could ensure she would have nothing to lose from doing so.

As the female alpha seemed at least willing to give him a shot, Harley couldn't help but keep his tail from wagging a few short times behind him. He soon grew serious again, ready to answer whatever questions she might have of him.
                   "As the oldest, I took care of my younger siblings, but I had nobody around to teach me any ways of healing. Again, thanks to my siblings, I was usually the one to tell stories to them. Other than that, however, I'm sad to say I have no more experience."
The milky male took a breath before answering her next question, keeping himself from bursting with excitement.
                                 "I was able to hunt alongside my father and siblings, and alone, to feed our large family. I can't imagine hunting with a pack would be any different. And I'm just as good as a fighter as I am a hunter, basically average. Well enough to feed and defend."
He couldn't help but get his hopes up, though he feared getting rejected again. The young male just couldn't wait to see what kind of life his mother didn't let him live, where he felt he should be. Maybe it wasn't her pack, sure, but Harley assumed that this one would me much like hers.... Right?

His answers came, and seemed justifiable. While there was always a measure of skepticism born of only hearing about his good graces, especially when they were not things so concrete that she could simply test out right now. Caretaking roles were a far more delicate matter.. so, she had to trust in his experience with his brothers. However, she knew that here, he could potentially further his learning. Thistle ranked among them as an experienced healer. But, she would not yet divulge that. He would have to earn it but so far, he was on a good track and assuming he could accept her terms, it would be worthwhile for her to help him improve.

"Well, good," she appraised after a thoughtful breath, but her look remained pointed. His words were his bond for now, and he risked her teeth if they proved false because she needed capable wolves on her mountain, especially as spring heightened and they could really rise to their fullest advantage. Already she had taken half a chance on Arren, who had given her similar first impressions just of a slightly different type, and the Moonspear was experiencing a bit of flux recently. Maybe he was just meant to be another piece of it all and frankly, she hoped a surge of fresh blood would do them some good after a string of highly disappointing losses.

"This is Moonspear, and I am Ame." She never burdened the introduction with titles. He'd know everything about it he would need. She gave him a moment to let all that set in, because he was in her good graces so far. Ame moved in closer to him again. "Charon is Alpha male here, and Floki is our Beta. Yours, too, assuming you can prove yourself to me and this mountain." To her, it seemed simple. She did not demand the outcomes right here and now, but trusted it would come soon enough.

Harley felt his heart drop, feeling as if the entire world paused around him for a moment. She was welcoming him, giving names he would need. Her last sentence drove everything home and he was tempted to move from his crouch of submission. But Ame kept getting closer, and the wolf dog felt himself lower to the ground even more. All the submission in the would couldn't dull the happiness glowing from his amber eyes or the excitement making his paws curl and claw into the earth, though he managed to keep the rest of his body in check.
                "I wont let you down Ame, or the mountain, I promise. Its so lovely here, I don't ever want to leave if I have the choice!"

His physical language suggested he was happy about this. Her own tail gave a few small switches. She was glad she could let him have a chance here, and hopeful enough of the outcome. But, such a steady turnover of wolves in her recent weeks had left her naturally a touch wary when it came to getting too attached. In enough time, though, she would warm up in full.

"I will remember that," she replied, for while the words carried the hint of a warning, her delivery of them was relatively light. He seemed genuine and excited about this, which was making this easier for her. "Do you have any questions about anything? I prefer to let newcomers settle in at their own pace," she mentioned, hinting that soon he'd be on his own to explore the mountainside. But, she would never really be far away. She just preferred to leave them well-informed for starters.

Harley drew himself up into a sit slowly, carefully, ready to plop back down if he seemed to displease Ame. When she asked him if there were any questions, he stopped and turned his amber eyes to the mountain for a moment. He knew most questions could be answered with exploration and a sharp mind, so he made sure he wasn't wasting his new alphas time. He seemed to be on her good side, and he'd like to stay that way.
         "Does the pack sleep together or do we find our own dens?"
What else? What else would be difficult for him to figure out alone Oh, yeah! 
                 "How will the other members know I'm not a trespasser?"
He hoped it didn't seem too stupid a question, but it was one the wolfdog just didn't know. He'd hate to get hurt while trying to find a den.

"Personal preference, really. The whole pack does not commune like that always," she explained after a pause of thought. "But some members have shared a space, especially in colder times.." she mentioned, in case the companionship was something that interested him (assuming he could establish friendly enough ties with the wolves here). She herself was not attached to one particular densite since she only occasionally slept underground in a dugout anyway. Mostly, she'd tuck away into a thicket or cavesite, if anything. It really depended on where she ended up when tiredness struck, after all, and having her still-recent union to Charon to consider did make her more inclined to share space.. with him, at least.

Then, for his next question, she smirked. "Like this," she said and swept in close to the mixed breed and first aimed a light nip for his shoulder, and then rubbed her own shoulder across his ribs if he allowed her the proximity. It may have seemed sudden, but this was simply the easiest way for it to happen. "Anyone here knows my scent." And he had been freshly anointed in it and would soon be surrounded in the mountain marked in her claim. "More time here will help. The scent of lonerhood does fade surprisingly fast," she nodded. He would learn how it worked here soon enough.

Harley nodded as she spoke, ears perked towards her and amber eyes strained to follow her movements. He knew it was important to listen to the alpha, especially seeing as she was taking time from her life to give him a new start. As she started to move towards him, Harley felt confusion bubble up in his belly. What was she-Ow! He jumped to four paws at the nip, ears pinned down, but before he could even ask what that was for, she was rubbing her shoulders across him. That cleared up enough for the smart male, glad for not just his German shephard blood but his wolf instincts too. He let it happen, even enjoying the contact to a great degree. He suddenly felt very mushy, thrilled to finally have found someone willing to take him in. Here, he would learn, he would understand. And it was all thanks to the ebony female that stood before him
        "Thank you Ame. I owe my life to you for giving me a home, and I promise I will defend you and the mountain with that very life."

He seemed a bit surprised by her gestures and she only smirked knowingly at them as realization soon followed. He would learn. She was a little rough in that way, and probably nippier than necessary with her comrades but it was just her manner of affection for her pack -- who became her family once they integrated and showed her that they were going to stay in her life for more than a moment.

"You are welcome," she chuffed lightly to his thanks, and she would hold him to his words. She was hopeful about him, certainly, and curious to see what his future on the mountain would bring. "Get to know the mountain. I am around if you have need, though.." she said, and whuffed a soft farewell before she turned down her own path to glide away from his immediate company.