Blacktail Deer Plateau If plan A doesn't work, the alphabet has 25 more letters

Aviana had been circling the territories around Redhawk Caldera, but the closest pack she found was the one that they might go to war with. She didn't think it would be fitting to join them. So, she headed north for a few days, taking her time and conserving her energy. She had no destination in mind, no endpoint, no real direction. She simply placed one paw in front of the other and looked ahead. 

The wind shifted and brought to her the scent of a pack. Ears perked, she looked to her right, a dense forest harboring the wolves that lived there. She changed her course, lazily heading in the direction of the borders. She stopped a good distance away, and tipped her muzzle up. The wind allowed her to inhale the scents without anyone fearing she was trespassing. 

There were many scents all mixed together, which meant it was a large pack. She knew if she wanted any information, she should probably howl, but she didn't really want to attract too much attention. So, instead, she sat back on her haunches, confident that such a strong border was being patrolled frequently and a wolf would happen upon her soon.

Amongst the white the stranger certainly stood out, and Dawn adjusted her course accordingly, chuffing a greeting as she drew near. Her eyes darted to the woman's tail as had become instinct upon meeting strangers, and, finding it intact, proceeded to dip her head in greeting, tail held high and ears pressed forward as she approached and paused. "can I help you?"  She asked benignly, if not exactly warmly. Her wariness of strangers had increased gradually over the past few months, even though her initial guess was that this woman would be no threat. She seemed healthy enough, and, as so many loners seemed to do around this time, might simply be searching for a pack.

Her calculations were correct. It didn't take long for a female to arrive. Aviana's ears folded softly on her lowering head as she was approached, mindful to keep her posture respectful of the pack wolf. Her eyes were cast downward, as she knew she should not meet the gaze of the other. But, she did keep the female in view, and every few moments, she shifted her eyes so that she could gauge the expression of the other. Her tail swished back and forth, displacing the snow on the ground. 

She gave a smile to the other female, noting that her voice was more neutral than friendly. But, Aviana expected that. A stranger at the borders wasn't usually greeted very warmly until their intention were known. Hello, my name is Aviana, she offered. I am without a home, and was curious as to whether you would accept me. She was honest in her words, not beating around the bush. She knew she should speak what she could offer, but she didn't want to jump the gun in the conversation. Instead, she fell silent to let the pack member ask what questions she wished. Or, maybe, she would simply be denied without question. The next few moments may tell.

The woman named herself, and Dawn followed shortly thereafter with, "Dawn." Aviana stated her intent clearly, after which Dawn warmed to her a little. She liked most any wolf who was straightforward and friendly, and the woman seemed to fit both criteria. "That depends. What can you offer us? Any skills, talents?"  Her voice was notable warmer now that she'd learned a little more about the woman. She'd obviously being keeping herself fed, which meant that she must be an able hunter. But she was more interested in what else the woman could offer; healing skills, knowledge, perhaps even another scout would bolster the ranks.

Dawn, she replied. Aviana dipped her muzzle in acknowledgment. It was a pretty name, and Aviana thought of saying just that, but she didn't want to come off as sucking up. If invited in, maybe she would tell her later. 

As expected, she was asked what her talents were. I can hunt, and I like looking after pups. I'm also fond of traveling, so if you have messages that need to be sent, or want me to check out other territories, I can do that. She had been walking for months, it seemed like, and she hadn't tired of it yet. It would be nice, though, to be able to dig a den and be warm while she slept. She hoped that would be enough for her to contribute to the pack. She knew hunting was a big deal, especially in the winter. She didn't assumed pups would be born around this time, so that most likely wouldn't help. Traveling, though, could be done in any weather.

Dawn offered the woman a small smile, satisfied with her skillset. "This is Morningside. We could use your skills, certainly; if you can fit in amongst us I don't see any reason to turn you away."  She paused for a moment, pausing to tilt back her muzzle and call for @Grayday, waiting before the final notes of the brief song vanished into the crisp air before speaking again. "My father - Grayday - is the leader."  She didn't quite offer her a full briefing yet, knowing that her father ought to meet the new members first, and make the final decision on their acceptance. She, however, thought the woman would fit into their ranks just fine.

It still hurt his head a bit to run, and he was not quite aware enough of his surroundings yet to do so, but the leader had now progressed to trotting through the territory instead of picking a slow path through the trees. At the sound of Dawn's howl, he swung away from his current path toward the pond to cut through the woods to where Dawn and the stranger stood.

"Hello," he called cheerfully, striding confidently toward the pair. He gave an awkward turn of his head to grin at Dawn, silently bragging about his progress, before turning a genial smile on the stranger. "Joiner, huh? That's two in one day," he remarked, correctly guessing the stranger's purpose at their borders. She could have been passing on a message or something like that, but there was something about her stance that made Grayday guess otherwise.

"I'm Grayday. You probably already gave Dawn your whole spiel, but why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?" said the male, tail wagging in a friendly manner.

She was afforded the name of the pack, Morningside. Poetic, she thought. Dawn seemed confident that she would be accepted, so long as she could get along with the others. I'm pretty easy going, she confirmed. She certainly didn't intend to start any trouble. She was more likely to de-escalate a problem than cause it. 

The other female howled then, and that's when this became real. Dawn confessed that she was the daughter of the Alpha. Aviana wasn't sure if that made her chances better or worse. Certainly, though, if Dawn didn't feel a wolf was worthy of being accepted, then she wouldn't have called for the leader. So, that must mean her chances were better. Right?

None too soon, a male appeared. He loped towards the pair, and Aviana could not ignore his size. He seemed large, though unbeknownst to Aviana, his fur accentuated his build.  As he grew closer, Aviana slunk down, and her once-splayed tail curled around her haunches. While she was not worried, per se, his size was intimidating to her. 

His voice was cheerful, which relaxed the female a little. As her eyes were cast downward, she did not notice the awkward turn of his head, or his missing eye. The only thing she looked at were his front paws. He invited her to tell him about herself, and she repeated what was told to his daughter. It's nice to meet you, Grayday. My name is Aviana, and I was inquiring about joining your pack. I'm a good hunter, babysitter, and traveler. She sort of summed it up for him, but would go into better detail, if he wanted. For now, she grew silent, waiting for what he would say next.

Before her father, the woman displayed full submission. Glancing at him as he arrived, she could understand why; he was large and scarred, and his missing eye certainly made him look fierce. She spoke up all the same, obviously not put-off, but respectful; and that would only work in her favour. "I think she'll fit in well."  She added, looking to her father with a small smile. The woman had made a favourable first impression, and Dawn looked forward to another hunting partner.

Another shy one, Grayday thought, unaware that he might seem intimidating to others. He knew, certainly, that he could be scary when he needed to be, but not that his appearance alone might cause others discomfort - he was still getting used to the looks he got when others realized he was missing an eye.

But the woman spoke up and offered a short introduction. It was not much, but her skills certainly put her in Grayday's good favor. "We can always use hunters," said Grayday, not commenting on her other skills. He hoped that Dawn would take to babysitting when his next litter was born, so that she might get used to it and have him some grandchildren already, and Grayday - as a rule - wished that his wolves would spend less time travelling far away from home. But that didn't mean he thought nothing of Aviana's other skills.

"Well - with an endorsement like that, I suppose I'll have to take you," he joked, moving forward to sniff over Aviana's submissive form. She smelled healthy and strong, though he hoped she'd put on some weight before winter really set in. "Welcome to Morningside."

Dawn seemed to back Aviana, and for that, she was grateful. The other female seemed very kind, and Aviana hoped to get to know her better. But, first thing's first, Aviana needed to be accepted. The male spoke next, his voice humorous as he confessed he had to accept her. The tip of Aviana's tail moved in a wag-like fashion, though she dared not move it away from her body. 

She watched his paws, and realized they were moving towards her. Aviana realized she hadn't been this close quite this close to a male before, since facing her fears. She had two options. She could let her fear overcome her, and flee, or she could allow him closer. 

She gave a brief whine as he closed in, and her body fell to the side. She curled, but exposed her stomach, a full submission to the Alpha. Her tail was tucked between her back legs, and she made herself as small as possible. She willed herself to stay in place, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. She only hoped he would make this interaction as short-lived as possible.

She watched the girl carefully as her father made his brief inspection, observing the whine and the total submission she offered. It was odd that she displayed such complete submission; she'd never seen it from other joiners. Regardless, she was silent on the matter for the time being, making a mental note to ensure the woman was comfortable here, and that such displays were not needed. 

 "welcome, Aviana."  She smiled, offering after a moment,  "care to join me on the rest of my patrol? I can give you the rundown, and a quick look around - or course, if you'd rather rest, that's fine." She offered benignly, glancing briefly at her father, touch of concern in her gaze, to see if he had anything to add, and hoping that the woman might say yes so that she could learn a little more about her.

The show of submission was not unwelcome, but it did make Grayday wonder what sort of packs Aviana had been a part of before Morningside. He shot Dawn a look, telling her that he thought it was kind of weird, too, and hoped that his daughter might find out more about it if the two spent any more time together.

"It was nice to meet you, Aviana," he said with a wag of his tail, seeing that Dawn had the situation well in hand. The leader headed back to the pond, intent on getting the drink he'd been looking for earlier.

Aviana kept her own gaze averted, and therefore missed the looks that were given between the father and daughter. She held her breath, but her fear was unfounded. Grayday backed off, said his pleasantries, and parted ways with the females. Slowly, Aviana righted herself to a standing position, shaking the snow off her pelt, and loosening her stiff muscles.

She looked at Dawn then, and gave a soft smile at her invitation. Thank you, I'd like to join you, she said. She hadn't overexerted herself in her travels that day, so she had energy to spare. She waited for Dawn to lead the way so she could follow.

Should we archive this and make a new thread?

Her father made his exit, and the woman seemed a great deal more comfortable. She made another mental note, wondering if it was her father's status as leader, his size, or his gender that had the girl submit so completely. Still, she wagged her tail and offered the girl a grin as she accepted her offer, motioning her to follow her as she began to move north, plotting a quick course that would have them end up at the rendezvous.