Redhawk Caldera Only a word.

The graceful fae sat on the edge of the borders, peering into the vast territory. The smell of many wolves was obvious here, it must be a big pack. Maybe she could talk with them, or have a friendly spar. She howled, a respectful request for company.

She lay down, her stance as none threatening as possible. Now, she would wait.

This could be a good chance to show character development.... :)

A howl went up. Somnia's ears perked, listening to the howl. It was the voice of a stranger, and it requested a presence. Whatever it wanted an audience for was undetermined by the grayscale Gamma, but she would soon find out. She set out at a gallop, hoping to get this settled as quickly as possible, so she could get back to doing anything that needed to be done.

Had this been about a month or two earlier, when Somnia had just joined Redhawk Caldera, she would've been up for a friendly chat with a random stranger. Now, she would still gladly chat with a random stranger, unless they got too close to the borders. Any strangers close to the borders would not be welcome, unless they wanted to join. But, joining was no longer an option. They were at the maximum capacity with pack members, even without Fox's future pups. With no proper reason to be so close, the stranger would leave, whether it was forceful or not.

When Somnia had gotten so protective of her pack lands was unknown to her. It had been a gradual change that increased as her friendship with her pack-mates increased. Peregrine's and Fox's own protectiveness for their pack might have also rubbed off on the grayscale girl a little.

Now, the other wolf near the border came into sight. Somnia increased her pace, then stopped right in front of the stranger. Her tail took a high place, and her ears stood straight up. Her hackles rose and her face started to form a snarl. "We have no room for strangers in our ranks. Get out, and stay away." That would be as close polite this stranger would get from the usually friendly Gamma.

Jade backed up slightly, then sunk into a submissive stance. "I do not seek to anger you nor your pack."She looked up at the pretty fae, who looked very hostile. She was beginning to rethink this. "Would you be able to spare a few moment of your time to converse with a lone wolf?"

Jade stayed in her submissive stance, not wanting this to turn into another border fight.

The wolf did not heed Somnia's warning. How could a creature be so stupid as to not get the point. Weren't wolves supposed to be the intelligent creatures? This one was a disgrace to the race. Instead of getting the message of get the fuck out before you get hurt, she seemed to take it lightly. She spoke mainly with words, only shrinking back and getting more submissive.

Somnia addressed the spoken words, giving the female one last chance to get out. "You anger my pack by being this close to the border with no purpose but to talk. I have already wasted a few moments of my time. My body language and words have conversed what you are too stupid to see. It seems like I must put it in a simpler way. Get the fuck away! Now!" She had felt an odd calm during that, until the last part came. It was as if she had snapped. She had settle this as nicely as possible, but it seemed like physical action was required.

Somnia lunged, snapping at the air an inch or two away from her face. It was an intentional miss, as she was still reluctant to shed blood. But, it showed that she wasn't kidding around.

Jade darted backward with a small yip, and put more weight on her injured foreleg then she intended to. She toppled over, but got up on her feet quickly. "I am sorry to have bothered you" she said softly, if not with pain. She took a quick moment to inspect the swollen lower leg, before swallowing her pain and limping farther from the border. She would have to search longer for a friendly pack to beg herbs and knowledge from. It looked like she would have to search a long time, and she was unsure whether or not her injury's would hold up till then. She sighed, disappointed.

The wolf finally got the message. Somnia watched as she said some parting words and stumbled to her feet. A wound that hadn't been noticed until now caught her attention. Pity threatened to overtake her, but loyalty to the caldera still held its control. Even if it was difficult for an injured wolf without a pack to survive the winter, an argument to have the pack heal and take care of the wolf would have been harder.

In the end, it came down to Redhawk Caldera being more important to Somnia than the life of a lone wolf. And so, she watched the wolf limp away. When it seemed certain that she wouldn't come back, Somnia turned, and retreated towards territory far within the caldera.

Jade watched the fae walk away. She was so disappointed, and her foreleg was still quite painful. She looked up at the darkening sky, and decided to go no farther tonight. She lay at the foot of a rocky outcrop, weary and sore. She licked at the swollen wound, still insight of the border. She curled up, her eyes still on the invisible border.