Larksong Grotto ...And further still.

Very little foliage was left to block the searing heat of the midday sun, leaving Novalia panting after only a couple hours of walking. Prey was even scarcer then greenery, a small rodent here and there, perhaps a bird if you were quick enough, had enough energy. 
Which the femme did not. 
Two whole mouth fulls of mouse meat, that was all she could manage to hunt down in this dying land.  It had been two days since she had encountered the scent of those other wolves, but after hours of sitting and waiting, their odor growing fainter and fainter, Novalia had given up and continued along, sticking to the outside of any marker she came across. 

Her situation becoming bleaker by the hour left the loner wondering if this was it for her, doomed to wander this barren land alone until she finally collapsed of exhaustion and hunger. The hot ground burned her pads with minimal grass left , and without the usual birdsong and whisper of wind moving the trees Novalia came to feel very isolated. Up ahead she could spy the faint outline of a mountain, the rocky structure a dense grey against the solid blue of the open sky. 
Oh, how open it was, only bare trees and skeletal bushes to hide between, and little life. 

It was here she began to catch the lingering odor of multiple wolves, atleast five distinct smells and hope glimmered in her desperate jade orbs for the first time in days. And none to soon. The gaunt wolfess trotted a little quicker now, towards hopeful salvation. She needed a place to rest, recuperate,  feed. She need a family, a home.  Novalia needed a new begining. Coming as close as she dare to the looming mountain and the boundary,  Nova tilted her head back and let out a solitary yowl,  begging someone to show. Her back end plopped in the dust, unable to hold her weight any longer. It was here she would wait for permission to enter, lost, alone but ready to finally find her new home.

Charley had been close when the howl went up, and the massive male galloped towards it immediatley. His wide cream paws slammed down upon the ground, and he followed his nose right towards a white female. As he grew close, his hackles began to raise, his tail held stiff in the air, but ears perked towards her. The ragged male's carribean eyes played over her frame, finding it quite thin. She looked like she'd been hungry long before the locusts arrived no more than a week ago, and his eyes didn't linger. Of course his mind went to Aspen, and he couldn't help but compare the two females in his head. Obviously, Aspen held reign. 
      "Who are you, and what do you want here?"
His voice, though gruff, wasn't aggressive or mean. He didn't know what @Reek would decide for her fate, and so he let out a howl for the dark male in case he hadn't heard hers. His questioning, however, might speed the process though. It depended on if Reek would speak to her himself, or ask him what he thought.

Novalia held her ground as she watched the enormous male move toward her, clouds of dust rising behind him. She hadn't anticipated such a quick response to her call, but was relieved nonetheless and stood tall as he came to a stop just in front of her. 
The question was not unexpected, and Novalia had a response ready for her greeter. Dipping her maw in greeting, the fea spoke as strongly as she could manage. "My name is Novalia and I have traveled from the far north, seeking refuge after my pack was destroyed by betrayal. My mother was with me but..She was killed by a Grizzly Bear. I've been alone for too many moons. I've come to ask you if I may make a home here."

Gonna have to be vague about some things since I have no clue whats going on with my Wildfire/Gavriel thread

Surprisingly, the sharpest of Reek's hunger-pains subsided after a few days without sustenance. In their wake, however, Reek was left with a dull ache in the bottom of his gut -- an empty feeling that refused to go away, pronounced further by the hungry rumbling that his body levied in protest. He needed to eat, and he needed to eat now. The territory, having been reduced to nothing more than a wasteland with a pretty lake, was no longer viable for hunting. Some small game remained, but it was hardly enough to sustain even one wolf, let alone an entire pack. Reek was at a loss, but still, he peeled through the territory in search of a proper meal.

Hours into his search, he found nothing.

Reek bit his lip in a hopeful manner as he turned his head to scan the territory. Strewn across the ground were the bodies left behind by the plague that had up and went. For a moment, Reek contemplated his situation before bending over to take the remains of a locust in his jaws. He bit down and the locust snapped with a dry crunch. The taste was foul and Reek tried his best not to gag. His face contorted in with displeasure. Eventually, he got his terrible morsel down -- however, he was hard pressed to try again. Not until he had to.

If only Tavi could see him now: begrudgingly living up to his nickname, Reek the Bug-Muncher.

Just as he was about to continue his search for a real meal, a howl at the border caught Reek's attention. Lips still smacking from his foul prize, he made his way towards the source to intercept whoever it was knocking on their door.

The girls lack of reaction was infuriating. He might not be an alpha but he was of the pack she was trying to join. His displeasure was clear, hackles rising in full and ears pinning. A low snarl resonated from his throat, and he drew himself up further still.
       "You'd do well to show a little bit more respect when the alpha shows, or I can give you a fuck no right here."
Charley's blue eyes bore into her, daring her to come into eye contact and ensue a challenge. It would not be beside him to attack a wolf, male or female, fed or not, that would show him nor those around him the proper respect. The patched male did, however, go on, in a not so aggressive tone. He did hold his stance though, and likely would continue until pleased. 
                            "What use can you be to Larksong?"

Novalia started at this sudden outburst of aggressiveness, pinning her ears flat against her pearly skull and taking a hesitant step back. Confusion coloured her green orbs momentarily as she thought over what could have been said to offend, honestly clueless. Did this brute expect her to cower before him, when she had done nothing wrong? Being raised in one pack her whole life, and being the daughter of an alpha at that, had meant that others bowed before her. Not the other way around. 
Well, if thats what it took to ensure her survival, then she would have to squash what little pride she had left and pacify the male.

Novalia lowered to tail, but did not tuck it, and bowed her head head deeply in submission, raising her eyes to meet his. "Please, accept my apologies. I meant no disrespect. I'm afraid my social etiquette needs some polishing." 
Raising her head so that she could continue properly, the she-wolf made sure to keep her tail pressed against her leg and her eyes unthreatening.

"As for what skills I have.. I am smart. My mind is very calculating and clear, I believe it could be an asset in planning defense and attack or on hunts. In my home territories, the hunters and warriors would often consult me before their expeditions on the best attack routes, defense weakness ect." Clearing her throat nervously, the femme continued.
"My speed is another factor, I am fast while remaining stealthy." 
She stated all this not as boastfulnss, but simple fact.

Closing the distance between himself and the call, Reek approached the unfamiliar wolf and his old friend Charley (who had intercepted the stranger long before Reek could arrive), with a posture of dominance. While weak with hunger, Reek's tail shot up and he walked tall in an impressive display. There was to be no question on who was in charge. Without further adieu, Reek took his place at Charley's side and greeted his old partner in crime with a quick nod.

"Spill," he said, prodding Charley with his shoulder. "What's her story?" Surely, since he had been there longer, he would know far more about the stranger than Reek could acertain from appearances.

The white female was quick to not just remedy her situation, but apologize for it. The raggedy males hackles went down to half mast, and his ears perked towards her in curiousity again, but he kept his frame standing tall. Before he had a chance to say anything, Nova went on to answer his question. Unlike some who only wanted them to be quick, Charley was glad to listen to any information she was willing to give. She seemed as if she could be of use, but that also depended on who else had those skills. Would Reek be okay with her joining if they already had someone to fill those trades, or would his friend accept any who pledged themselves? Charley hoped for the former, as much as the moody wolf could hope for something so trivial, for she did seem to be of use. His thoughs were inturrupted by the alpha, and a grin spread across the colorful males face. He bumped his friend back, and summed up what the female had just told him. Since she'd regained neutral stance with him, Charley wouldn't talk about the initial respect. She seemed to have gotten it.
           "Not much to her backstory you need to know, but she says she's a tactician of sorts, and perhaps she would be a good scout."

Novalia was relieved to see that Charley was no longer offended by her failure to show proper respect, and allowed herself to relax just the tiniest bit. But as soon as she did, the Alpha of her -hopefully- soon to be pack approached and she felt her muscles tighten with anxiety once again. He was a dark coloured male, holding himself to his full height and walking with obvious dominance. 
Showing the outsider who was in command. 
Novalia sat respectfully still and silent, waiting with bated breath to be acknowledged.

"A scout, eh?" he said, turning his eyes to regard the stranger. His eye-lids narrowed in a scrutinizing nature. Surely, the grotto could use a proper scout... especially if she could help in Reek's search for Tavi. Two heads were better than one -- so if she joined the grotto, Reek would put her to work immediatly.

He nodded his head. "You can stay," he said. "Just pull your own weight and you'll do fine." Like most leaders, Reek accepted no freeloaders. "Go meet the others, then find me again. I'll have a task for you." With that, he nodded to Charley in passing and turned away to return to his den cave.

The breath she had been holding escaped Novalias nostrils in a relieved huff as Reek told her she could stay, her body nearly giving out as her limbs relaxed. No longer would she be alone, unsure of her future. Things seems bleak in this land for the time being, but if she could get through momonths on her own, Nova could make it through this.
Her new Alpha was quick to leave, nodding a farewell to Charley and the she-wolf stood, ready to move on.

Now came another challenge, for she would have to meet her pack members and hope they accepted her. Closing her green orbs momentarily,  Novalia mentally prepared herself for a new beginning and a new life amongst a new family.

Charley watched the two's short conversation, glancing around their surroundings. When Reek left, his carribean gaze turned on the female and he gave her a charming smile. 
          "You need help, doll?"
The sudden feeling of, well, WRONG hit Charley after the pet name fell from his lips. At once, he decided that there would be no more of that. Not unless Aspen somehow got on his bad side. The rugged male waited for her answer, willing to show her around if she wanted someone. She didn't seem the type that wanted escorted places though, but maybe he would be surprised.

Novalias eyes snapped open, Charley's question throwing her for a brief second. She was worried that her earlier actions had put him off towards her. She was even more suprised at being called Doll, not recalling ever having been referred to as anything but her name. 
It made her feel good, like she wasn't just an outsider. She decided she liked it, and perhaps having someone show her around would be good, it would give her a chance to make a friend of Charley.

The silver femme tilted her head slightly in acknowledgement of the offer, focusing her jade eyes on the male. "I would appreciate that, thank you. I will admit to being more then alittle nervous. " Novalia gave Charley a sheepish smile, flicking her tail in embarrassment.

Her reaction was obvious, and Charley's grin grew evermore. Now was about the time he'd really start flirting, doing his best to get whatever he wanted out of her: usually something sexual, truth be told, but sometimes there was information to be gained or some other motive. Neither was true in this situation, however, and he genuinley was semi-excited to bond with another. The white female accepted his invitation, surprising him, and the brute dipped his head. 
          "Lets be off then."
He led her deeper into the grotto, glancing back at his follower to be sure she was indeed following. The lake would be a good start, perhaps?