Blacktail Deer Plateau the birds and the bees, they are wise to the lies

the dice told me not to but im here anyway HI @Kavik @Ruenna

The morning is painted in muted wintry pastels, sunlight softened through the filter of thick fog across the land. A striking dark figure, starkly visible against the fresh snow, halts near the borders of a pack. She's been alone for too long; most days she prefers it this way, and she might be content to spend the rest of her days in isolation if not for the cold nagging prickle of logic reminding her of her needs. She knows her own strength, but alone she is vulnerable. An easy target. Perhaps she's only being paranoid, but the thought never fails to send a chill down her spine. She hesitates only for a breath, shifting slightly before tilting her head back to call for an audience. For a moment she's reminded of Siarut and the glacier — but she pushes that thought away quickly, reminding herself that the past ought to remain there.

Ruenna's ears lifted at the sound of the howl, and she wondered idly whether there would be a new member among the ranks once the leaders were finished with the caller. 

Oh, right.

She was a leader now. 

The young lady carried herself toward the howl, nervous about how this was all supposed to play out. Hopefully Kavik would be there to assist her, and Liri too.. maybe. Liri's scent had faded from the territory somewhat over the past half-moon, leading Rue to believe that the ivory alpha must be away or simply busy with something. Or.. perhaps it was heat? Women had been known to make themselves scarce when they went into heat-- in fact, that was Rue's plan herself if she was cursed with the misfortune this year. 

Draped in dark hues, the caller was easy to spy against the Plateau's snowy expanse. Rue approached the woman with a jaunty spring in her step and a warm smile, hoping that she looked more confident than she felt. "Morning," she greeted cheerily, with a nod. "I'm Ruenna Redfern, Beta of Blacktail Deer Plateau." She tilted her head expectantly, assuming that the midnight woman would introduce herself in kind.

She's undeniably pleased when her call is answered promptly — and by a woman. Her gaze warms slightly and she dips her head, lowering her posture in a show of respect. The woman introduces herself as the beta of the pack, and she's reminded of Takiyok — but the two women couldn't be more different. She finds herself grateful for it. Pleasure to meet you, Ruenna, She says softly, tail swishing. My name is Myrren — I've been searching for a place to call home, and I'm hoping to learn more about your pack — and if it may be possible to earn a place in your ranks. Blacktail Deer Plateau sounds respectable enough by name, at least. Pity the alphas are nowhere in sight.

Rue found that her warmth was met in kind, which settled her nerves somewhat. Her tail wagged, mirroring the dark-pelted woman's friendly gesture. "Happy to oblige, Myrren." Rue inhaled; as an aspiring ambassador, questions like this were right up her alley. She could handle this.

"We claim this plateau as our territory, and we primarily hunt the Whitefish River's blacktail deer herd." Rue nodded in a southward direction, in case Myrren was unfamiliar with the surrounding landscape. "We are are led by our alphas, Liri and Kavik, and our ranks mostly consist of mercenaries as of present. That's simply coincidental though-- all trades are encouraged equally here. If you join us, it is our expectation that you will serve the pack to the best of your abilities while continually working to develop those abilities further." 

Rue paused briefly, in case Myrren had any questions or trades/abilites she wished to detail. Few lone wolves had the luxury to develop trades, Rue understood that. But she did hope that the potential recruit at least had an interest in refining her abilities, as that would acertain Myrren's good fit for life within Blacktail Deer Plateau. If Myrren had no questions or comments, Rue would continue in her explanation.

Kavik had woken hours ago, pulled from his sleep by the absence of his mate's sleeping form. He had not seen her in days, and he was growing more worried every day. If he didn't see her soon, he would have to go look for her. The alpha couldn't help but wonder if her lack of presence around the plateau lately was because of the fall out from the situation with Grezig. It seemed like he mostly repaired things between them and thought that the former beta's leaving might further resolve things for her, but maybe he was wrong? Maybe he had actually ruined things, and she was gone; it was something he couldn't really bear to think about, which was why he had left the den in the dark of early morning and crossed the borders into the flatlands. 

He was just making his way back inside the plateau near the river when he heard the call from the borders. He quickly made his way there, curious to see who might be summoning the leaders. When he arrived, he was pleased to see Ruenna already speaking with the stranger. He came to stand next to the beta, dipping his head to greet her before turning to the dark female standing at the borders. I'm Kavik, one of the alpha's here, he stated with another dip of his head. What brings you to our borders today? he asked, clearly unaware that his silver packmate had already learned the answer to his question.

She nods as she listens, finding herself fairly impressed with the way the beta presents herself and the pack. Before she can elaborate on her own skills, the approach of another wolf catches her attention. She pauses, assuming this must be one of the alphas and feeling a little smug when he immediately introduces himself as such. Hello Kavik, She greets him the same way she'd greeted the beta; with a dip of her head, tail swaying. There is the faintest edge of ice to her tone that had not been present when she addressed Ruenna — not hostility, but certainly not the openness she had offered his beta.
I'm Myrren, She says, for once feeling a little strange about giving a fake name — but she pushes the feeling away quickly, confused and a little irritated by it. I've come here to learn about your pack, and possibly offer my loyalty in exchange for a home — your lovely beta was just telling me a bit about what it's like here. I believe I could be of use — I consider myself a skilled hunter, and I have some knowledge of medicinal and toxic herbs. Mostly poisons, she thinks, swallowing back thoughts of @Rosalie. But she doesn't say that; it doesn't seem like the best first impression to make.

Rue noticed the newcomer's attention drawn to something behind her, and she turned to see Kavik approaching. The Beta's tail swung in greeting. Rue faced forward as her leader introduced himself. Myrren then responded in kind, although her tone seemed a bit more.. was wary the right word? Rue could certainly understand the woman's small shift in demeanor-- she was now outnumbered by pack wolves, and that was an uncomfortable reality no matter how friendly the interaction. 

Rue blinked in suprise to hear herself described as a "lovely" beta. Had anyone ever described her in such a way before? Only those with ulterior motives, she thought, providing a cynical answer to her own silent question. Rue attempted to banish the overly-suspicious thought the moment it arose, reminding herself for the millionth time that not everyone was out to get her. Stars, what was wrong with her, that his was where her mind went in response to such a casual, mild compliment?

"Those are valuable skills, Myrren," Rue commented, looking pointedly to Kavik. A hunter could always be of good use, but the herbal knowledge was especially intriguing. No doubt they both were aware that Liri could use assistance tending to such an accident-prone pack's medical needs, and Rue could only help so much with her limited knowledge of local flora. Myrren's knowledge of toxins would also be helpful, since an increasing number of scavenging predators were seeing it fit to help themselves to the Plateau's stores. If Myrren could set some traps, that would take some of the pressure (and threat of injury) off the mercenaries.

o m g I'm sorry. I guess I didn't realize it was my turn.

The stranger informed him that her name was Myrren, stating that his lovely beta had already been telling her about the plateau. He offered a small smile to Ruenna at the comment but otherwise kept his attention on the dark female in front of them. She continued, detailing the skills that would make her valuable to the pack. Just being a hunter was enough for him, but the fact that she also had plant knowledge was a great plus. 

He nodded his head in agreement with Ruenna's comment. Yes, they are, the alpha added. If you'd like to stay, you are welcome to. He dipped his head before stepping back a little to let her cross the borders. Some might think Kavik let wolves into the pack too easily, but he didn't see the logic in turning away capable wolves. Maybe some lied about their skills, but time would tell if that was the case; he always took people at their word until they gave him a reason not to trust them. 

I can give you a tour if you'd like, he started to say. Unless, of course, you'd like one from Ruenna instead? he inquired with a raise of his inky eyebrow.