Julooke's tail swayed back and forth as she and her partner-in-crime made their way across the lands. They had been traveling together for some months now, and the friendship had flourished. Julooke had been very depressed over the passing of her parents and hadn't felt very grounded for some time after that. But, being with Verrine, and seeing new places, had opened her eyes to the fact that she couldn't stay sad forever. Her parents wouldn't want that for her.
They pair approached the pack lands; Julooke walking close enough to Verrine that her shoulder could have brushed his. She rather liked having him so close all the time. Her crush on him had grown as much as their friendship had, and while she was sure he liked her as a friend, she simply didn't have the confidence yet to ask for more.
She stopped well outside of the respectable distance line. She was not here to cause trouble. In fact, the duo was here to inquire if the pack had any room for them. She looked to Verrine to see if he would take the lead in calling for a pack member, her tail wagging a little quicker and her lips forming a smile when her eyes settled on him.
There was once a time that the mere brush of her shoulder had sent lightning and fire racing through him, had set his heart to hammering and his blood to burning in his veins. Now, that simple touch brought him comfort and warmth, a sense of security and rightness that he felt only when she was there. He loved her. It was inevitable, perhaps, given that they had spent so much time together on their own. He had been her protector, her provider, her friend, counselor, and confidante, and through it all, what had started as a crush had deepened into the most devoted love for her. He would lay down his life for her, he knew. And he also knew that, were that comfortable brush of white fur against his shoulder ever to disappear, he would go mad, for he had come to need her just as much as she did him.
As he surveyed the lands around them, Verrine Ostrega wondered if they might find acceptance here and, if so, whether or not they would be happy. He heard the muffled roar of the ocean and tasted salt on the air, and the silence was punctuated by the high-pitched calls of seabirds on the wind. His heart stirred when he glanced at Julooke and caught her looking at him and grinning. She was so beautiful, and it was good to see her smile again. She'd been sad for so long. He warmly returned her smile and waved his tail. He started to ask her if she was ready, but the look on her face told him all he needed to know. Turning his muzzle toward the sky, he sent up a soft summoning howl to let any resident wolves nearby know that they were here and wanted to talk.
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Ragnar’s patrols seemed to be never ending even if Pump and Gavriil each tackled a section of them, but as the Ridge’s new Beta he assumed the job of reinforcing them, again, if for no other reason that he knew that any day now his wife would be giving birth. It made the Viking, anxious with nerves and a breathless sort of excitement. He had been afraid during her pregnancy that Thistle’s body would abort them as Dagmar’s had that something would go wrong. It wasn’t that Ragnar fancied himself as pessimist; rather it was because it was the only thing he knew. It was also because of the fact that his children would come into the world at any day now that Ragnar felt on edge, rigid along the borders and fierce in his vigilance. He would not allow any harm to befall his wife or children, not in this life and not in Valhalla. The sun felt nice against the silken tendrils of his platinum silver fur, and he still moved with the pained gait borne of the limp of his back leg where the bear’s claws had caught him.
Thistle swore to him they weren’t deep enough to scar notably but Ragnar almost hoped she was wrong. He had no aversion to scars, he was already marred heavily with them as it was, and there were smaller, older, unnoticed ones beneath his fur that the others did not see. Scarred and unscarred ears remained alert atop his skull even as he paused and bent down to snuffle at the borders after he had inhaled their scent marking his routine of remarking them put on a sudden pause when a call rose into the air not far, Ragnar deduced, from where he was currently.
His arrival was slow - a painful thing to the Viking - and he was genuinely surprised to find that he was the first of them to greet the two strangers lingering closely to one another near their borders. They gave the impression of lovers though if his assessment and assumption of them was wrong he supposed he would find out in the given moments before them. He barked to announce his presence to them as he approached, attempting to hide his limp as much as he could - though the sickly colored paste Thistle kept smearing on it twice a day (after he cleaned the “old stuff” off) gave away that he was injured; while he might have been injured it would not have stopped him from protecting the borders, regardless. His body was used to being pushed past it’s limitations. His posture was dominant, as the Head Warden and now, Beta, his tail above his back to get the message across, his shoulders stiff.
Her heart skipped a beat when their eyes met and he returned her smile. For a moment, she forgot what they were doing and where they were. The cool breeze from the ocean ruffled her fur, and she found herself wondering just what it would be like to have Verrine as a mate. She questioned herself often on whether or not she loved him; not because she thought she couldn't, but because she had never been in love with someone who wasn't related to her. Like her family, she would give her life for Verrine, give anything to make him happy. That was love. But, with Verrine, it was a different kind of love. It was... Well, it just was. Would she ever have the confidence to tell him, though?
He broke her train of thought when he called for a pack member. Her eyes turned to the pack lands, her tail instinctively tucking between her back legs as she made herself appear a little smaller. Beyond proper etiquette, it would have been pointless for her to try and make herself smaller, considering the male that approach them would have been bigger than her no matter what she did. Still, she was respectful and gave every indication she was not a threat. Her gaze was cast downwards as soon as he came into view, so she never got a glance at his face.
Once he spoke, Julooke, in a rare form of confidence, spoke up first. I'm Julooke, and this is Verrine, she began, her muzzle gesturing to her friend. We're lone wolves looking for a place to call home. I'm a good hunter and puppy sitter, and I dabble a little in healing. She had learned a few things in her travels, but knew she had much to learn if she wanted to be considered a true medic. Once she finished, she looked to Verrine, thinking he may want to speak for himself at this point.
Julooke surprised him by being the first to speak up. He felt pride as she introduced them and stated that they were looking for a new home. When she finished speaking, Verrine added, "I was the lead guardian in our last pack, and I'm a pretty good hunter and scout too. We've been traveling for a while and…" he sighed and grinned, turning his gaze up at the pale wolf's chest, "…we're tired and ready to settle down."
The gentle roar of the ocean, crashing repeatedly against the shore could be heard from their current position, the cool, tangy breeze that always seemed to flow off of the restless sea ruffling through the silken tendrils of his platinum fur as he shifted his weight off of his injured leg attempting to be as discreet as possible as Ragnar studied the two before him, satisfied that they showed the proper submission and thus far, seemed to be appropriately respectful. That was an easy way to get on the harsh Viking’s good side, and rewarded it with a nod of approval and acknowledgment. It was the girl that spoke up first, though the Viking realized quickly it had been her male companion that had sent up the call. She began with introducing herself and then the male, Julooke and Verrine. Odd names to the Northerner but he supposed, likewise, his name and the names of his children (when he was allowed to give them actual names that is) would probably be just as odd to them. Ragnar listened and assessed both of them in equal measure as she stated why they were at the Ridge’s borders and even went so far as to state her skills without him even having to ask.
Ragnar extended the same courtesy of attention, remaining silent as they passed an invisible baton and the male took his turn stating his own skills. Both seemed qualified and for a small moment, just a sliver of a second, Ragnar wondered if Pump would be ok with him accepting two wolves into the pack without her. She had told him that she got final say over the good of the pack — did that include wolves too? Or did he, as Beta, have the ability to accept or decline at his own discretion? He held her Second in Command, but his powers, as she had told him fairly, were limited. They were not of equal footing and he hated not knowing if he had the ability to make this decision or not; and then decided that since Ragnar was here and it would only prolong this process to call for Pump that he was capable of making this decision and if she didn’t like …the Viking had no doubt she would be the first to let him know.
The Viking then fixed his gaze upon Verrine, ready to address his skills aside from hunting.
Satisfied that he had addressed the ways in which their skill sets could be useful to the Ridge, and how they could go about earning them quickly, the Beta gave a little smirk to the two creatures behind the borders, realizing that he had not yet introduced himself. He was used to not introducing himself — usually by this point someone else, namely Pump — would have came in and made the introduction for him. He did not, as a habit, freely give out his name along the borders.
Thanks so much! I'm so excited!
Verrine's words of settling down brought a smile to Julooke's face. They wanted to find a home for sure, but the choice of words meant something in addition to her. She kept those particular thoughts to herself, however, since now wouldn't be the time to express them, not that she had the confidence to say them anyways.
The male before them spoke of a bear attack, and shifted to show his wounds. Julooke looked, not being able to help herself. She was surprised at how well the male was doing, despite his wounds. Julooke would have been holed up in a den somewhere, resting and healing. But, if she was going to prove herself, she would need to learn from his strength.
She couldn't help the wag of her tail when he mentioned his mate was due to give birth soon. Julooke was always excited over puppies. He focused on her skills, asking if she had experience helping the Mom bear her pups. Julooke wanted so much to honestly say that she did, but that was not the case. Her head shook side to side, Unfortunately, my current skills lie more with dealing with the pups themselves. I have no experience in birthing. Neither helping another Mom, or personally. She was excited to hear, though, of the opportunity to advance her knowledge in healing. I look forward to learning from her, at her convenience, of course. If she was to give birth soon, it would be for several weeks, possibly months, that she could begin her training. She was patient, though.
Julooke was quiet as he spoke to Verrine. Ragnar, the beta, finally introduced himself. Julooke hadn't even realized he didn't to begin with, more focused on being respectful to him. And, then, it happened. He welcomed the pair into his pack. Julooke's tail wagged back and forth and she smiled as she turned to Verrine for a moment, excited for them both. As Ragnar spoke once more, her attention turned back to him, her gaze cast downward in respect. She understood his warning. It strained the pack to pull dead weight, and she would do all she could to be beneficial. She nodded her understanding, and made a mental note to find the Alpha soon and introduce herself.
His next question caught her off guard, as she assumed their meeting would be finished. But, it seemed the Beta was interested in their travels. We have. We actually lived here for short time this past winter, but I was... still dealing with the loss of my parents. Verrine was nice enough to accompany me back home. When we returned, the pack we lived in had disbanded. Which is what brought them here.
As for himself, he figured he'd just fall in wherever he was needed most. The pewter male, who had introduced himself as Ragnar, informed them that he was the lead guardian here. It sounded as if they were well-fortified, and Verrine believed it, for it hadn't taken long at all for someone to respond to their summoning howl. Ragnar said something about an Outrider, which was unclear to Verrine, but he nodded anyway and replied, "I'm not sure what an Outrider is, but I'll help wherever I'm needed. It'd be an honor to train alongside you. And if that bear ever comes back, he'll have one more warrior to go through." He flashed a toothy grin up at Ragnar who, a moment later, formally welcomed them into the pack and invited them to enter their territory. Verrine dipped his head low in a deep gesture of acknowledgement, thanks, and appreciation for the welcome. He was relieved that they would now have the support of a pack, that Julooke would now have a safe place to call home, and that they could begin to forge a new future for themselves.
When Ragnar inquired about their time on the move, Julooke replied and Verrine didn't feel he needed to add anything to that. That time had belonged to Julooke; he'd only played a supporting role in it. A few moments later, he thought to ask more information of the pack, "Ragnar, I'm just curious. How large is our pack? Do we have any alliances or rivalries I should know of?"
Ragnar nodded to Julooke when she admitted that her experience was in dealing with the children themselves instead of giving birth. All of his, admittedly desperate, attempts to find Thistle a midwife had ended in vain. He would just have to hope that her body and instincts knew what to do and trust that they did.
Ragnar’s attention had been turned onto Verrine when the other man admitted that he wasn’t sure what an Outrider was.
Ragnar listened as Julooke explained that they had lived here for a short time before but upon returning to their home had found that their pack had disbanded. It was a harsh thing to go home too, Ragnar admitted to himself, but that was the way of the world. Harsh. Fluid. Things were constantly shifting and changing. It was probably why the Cove was wiltering and crumbling to ruins under Váli’s rule because he was a change and the Cove had never taken change well sticking to their barbaric ways of life through many, many generations. He was silent, having nothing to really offer her because Ragnar did not offer condolences and even if he did they would only be hollow; there was nothing worse than hollow words to the Viking.
Attention was given back to Verrine when the male inquired about alliances and enemies, about the size of the pack.
Ragnar tucked his displeasure away about that though, saving it for another time, for other wolves. Julooke and Verrine did not need to suffer his ire because they had nothing to do with it.
Julooke thought that she had disappointed the Beta. If she did, he hid it well.I would be delighted to learn from her, if she is up to it. She certainly didn't want to put any more pressure on the she-wolf, but she was very interested in learning the trade. I know I won't be of much help to your mate, but maybe there is a neighboring pack who has someone who can be on stand by, in case she needs some help. It was the only thing Julooke could think of. If you want, I could go around and ask. She was unsure of how the Beta would feel about asking other packs for help, but when it came to birthing for the first time, it was better safe than sorry, and pride had nothing to do with it. At least in Julooke's eyes.
Ragnar turned his attention to her crush, and Julooke was quietly patient as they spoke about ranks. She listened intently, especially when he spoke of enemies and alliances, neither of which this pack had. If they were newly established, it would make sense. Or, maybe they just didn't want any of either. Julooke didn't have much of a diplomatic mind and chose to use her strategic mind for hunting instead.
She frowned when she heard of the landslide. This pack seemed to have been through much in a short amount of time, and she understood better now why they needed another healer. I hope everyone is alright, she replied. Landslides were a nasty business, though, and the pack would have been very lucky not to loose anyone. Not sure what else to say, and having no questions, Julooke went quiet.
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Verrine listened as Ragnar gave him the run-down on their pack situation. It sounded like they were a strong and growing pack, with sound leadership and a good protective presence. That was important, for there were a lot of packs in this valley, he knew, and for one to thrive and grow, it had to be respected and feared. Nobody respected or feared a pack that couldn't take care of itself. And the fact that there were puppies soon to be born was a great sign. Verrine felt a sense of relief on the inside. Fate and good luck had brought them to the doorstep of a great pack, it seemed.
He bumped Julooke on the shoulder, smiling at her with excitement and anticipation. Looking at Ragnar, he asked, "Thank you for allowing us to join you. Could you show us around a bit?" He was ready to see this new place he'd be calling home.
Ragnar offered Julooke a rare, genuine smile, small though it was when she expressed that she hoped that everyone was alright. He supposed he could have told her that the original Alpha of these lands had disappeared — as well as a few others during the chaos of the landslide and that they had been decided as either missing in action or killed in action. Those who had been able had searched for a small while but it was not like they could waste the precious few lives left on an endless man hunt and eventually they had moved on with their lives. It was the only way in which Horizon Ridge had been able to prosper: by moving forward. Ragnar did not mourn for the lives lost (deceased or otherwise) simply because he had not known them until the landslide had forced the remaining few together. While Ragnar could have told her, he didn’t simply because it was a scar better left in the past.