got nothin' in my brain [joining]

The scent of the sea drew her, and the sight of it held her, transfixed.  Sidonie stood atop a cliffside, for the first time in her young life rendered actually speechless by the sheer vastness of the blue depths that stretched and roiled before her, endlessly onto the horizon.  The pale juvenile had grown up surrounded by mountains that dwarfed most that she had seen since, and surely seeing them gave her a sense of awe at their majesty and greatness, but it was the sight of the endless ocean that for at least a moment gave this otherwise haughty, spoiled princess a sense of humility and understanding of how small she was in the world.

The moment didn't last long, however; Sidonie's emotions were fleeting and capricious and she was soon back to her flippant self, silver-dusted tail flicking as she lifted her head in a brief howl.  She primly requested a leader's presence upon the marked borders of the seaside pack, and settled back upon her haunches.  She'd never listened well to her tutors, but even so she didn't think they'd ever had any advice to give on how to join a pack. After all, she was to be Sleepy Summit's leader, she'd never have any cause to join another pack.

There had maybe been some lesson on approaching pack Alphas as respected equals, but she couldn't remember Gaius's rambling old man lecture on the subject. Sidonie scrunched up her pretty face to think hard and draw up whatever vestiges of his lesson she might recall. She'd really been too preoccupied thieving one of her sisters' bones to pay the elder male much heed... The girl sighed and flicked her ears back in a mild gesture of deference and waited. She'd just have to wing it.

At least the view was spectacular in the meantime.

Thistle heard the howl and as she was pretty much now the acting sole leader, though her husband was still in the wings. Regardless of whether or not he stepped down for the time being, she still saw him as a leader. She walked slowly towards the sound and stood in front of a youthful girl. Her head held high and her tawny fur striking against the backdrop.

She shifted and her azure blue eyes studied the little female in front of her. You called? What brings you to the Bay? Thistle certainly hoped the girl would submit a little more, before she spoke to her. It was after all just respectful. She tilted her head and waited small muzzle watching and waiting.

Sidonie could recall no lecture that had prepared her for this moment, but she tried to fight the rising tide of anxiety knotting her belly. She was a princess, the rightful leader-in-training of Sleepy Summit, and surely she could bluff her way through any situation. When none of old Gaius's words came to her aid, one of her nursemaid's tales did--some old tale of dragons, sabertoothed beasts, and a courageous she-pup that Sidonie had insisted the puppysitter name after her, of course. The silver-kissed eight-month-old grinned at the memory, and as a tawny female approached her on the cliffside, she knew the angle she'd take to win the woman over.

Smiling in what was meant to be a gracious and benevolent manner, Sidonie bobbed a brief wolfish curtsy and sweetened her voice to say, "Well met!" It was a silly turn of phrase, taken directly from that childhood story, but Sidonie continued on, in as bright a voice as she could manage despite her uncertainty. "I am the Princess Sidonie de Essaleia of Sleepy Summit. I come as royal emissary to the Bay." She tried to act as though she had both heard of this Bay before, and as though she was clearly here as an honored guest and should be treated as such. In the nursemaid's tale, the story-Sidonie had wormed her way into the home of a sabertooth cat clan with such a bluff. Of course, that Sidonie had utimately been trying valiantly to save the life of a friend, instead of to shove her way into a pack that likely wouldn't want her if they knew what they were getting themselves into.

Standing on the precipice overlooking the ocean, real-Sidonie only hoped that the pack would recieve her, make much of her, and treat her like the princess she was accustomed to being. They didn't need to know that Marius had usurped her title and gotten her tossed out. "Well," she asked with a healthy dose of her usual haught, "won't you have me in, show me around? I've traveled several days to reach the great Bay." In the late afternoon sunlight, the girl swished her ivory tail and peered a bit impatiently at the agouti female who'd come to greet her.

Thistle had no time for princesses really, no time at all. She waited and watched her, and she was a little disappointed in the girls manner. She seemed to be entirely to what was the word, pampered for her likes. As if she felt she was entitled. Though Thistle couldn't know for sure the female might just take good care of herself.

Thistle listened she had never heard of sleep summit, nor had her husband ever said anything about it. He was an outrider he would have told her of them if he had seen them. She also had never heard of a royal emissary. I have never heard of Sleepy Summit Miss Sidonie, I'm sorry. I'm Thistle Cloud Alphess of the bay.

Thistle was irritated at the girls tone and it showed. She stepped forward and growled low in her throat her blue eyes showing her irritation. First of all you are at my borders you do not just waltz in here expecting special treatment. You also do not speak to a queen, regardless of your station the way you just did. So lets try this again Sidonie, what do you really want? And what do we get in return? And that is only if I decide to allow you access?

Don't mind my bratty Sid...

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Oh, hell. Thistle Cloud introduced herself, and in so doing made it obvious that she could see right through Sidonie's charade. Panic fluttered in the eight month old's broad chest as she tried to consider her options without looking frantic. She was too proud to beg; the idea had no sooner occurred to her than she dismissed it. The urge to stamp her feet and demand to be taken into the Bay pack was nearly overwhelming for the girl who had always relied on such tactics, and her temper was flaring to the point that it was nigh irrepressible.

Sidonie decided then and there to push onward with her bluff. "My father will be quite displeased if I return home with news that the Queen of the Bay wouldn't even lend me her hospitality," she drawled. "It would be most impudent of you." The girl was unaware that the word she intended was imprudent, not impudent, but either way her tone was lofty and her stormy gaze was sharp as she fought to hide her insecurity in the situation. Beneath her thick winter coat, Sidonie grew thin from hunger and the wilderness in which she wandered was so vast and empty. She had to find a place that would pamper her as she was accustomed to and see her for the princess she was meant to be.

Thistle watched with lips tight as the girl obviously thought hard about something. Clearly this was a child that was used to getting her own way, but that would not be the way of things today. Thistle briefly thought about taking the girl captive and making her face her own flaws and perhaps learn some humility. But she dismissed it, not sure they had the resources to do so.

Thistle snarled again and stepped closer to the girl. Inches from her face hopefully the girl wouldn't snap at her. It would be a bad life decision. Listen to me and listen closely sidonie. I don't give a shit whether or not your father will be displeased. I answer to no one but myself and my husband. And how dare you come in here demanding special treatment when I don't even know who you are or who your family is. Now you could ask nicely about the pack? You could let me know what types of skills you have. Or you can walk back the way you came. It's your turn child.

Sidonie is unrealistic lol

---

Through some wild fantasy, for a split second Sidonie thought that Thistle might believe her and acquiesce to the juvenile's demand. In the next moment, it was clear that the girl was much mistaken as the Bay Alpha's teeth snapped inches from her face. Involuntarily, in a brief flash of instinct, the youth shrank back, losing for the time being her haughty demeanor and flattening her ears back against her neck. Clearly, the sympathy and charity that Sidonie craved was not something she would find in Thistle Cloud's neck of the woods.

The older female's query set the girl's left eye to twitching irritably. She didn't have any skills--if she had, she wouldn't have been trying to manipulate her way into a pack. Sidonie had wrongly assumed she would never need to be a skilled huntress or a wise historian or a capable medic. Her only asset was her size and strength for her age, but among older wolves and those with actual fighting skill instead of just brute force, she would surely be a mediocre warrior at best. Frowning in consternation, she tried a different tact to appeal to the woman: "I have had the best tutors and I know how to be a Queen." Was it too much to daydream that Thistle might take her in as the heir to this Bay pack?

I find her oddly adorable in a very strange way haha

Thistle smirked a little bit at the girls final act to submit. It was better this way. Finally, the girl realized her folly. Thistle was gentle creature, but she was also growing into her own as she continued on as the leader of the Bay. She tilted her head and studied the girl in front of her. She did feel bad for her, really she did. However, the girl had been clearly pampered for far too long.

Thistle circled the girl for a moment sizing her up. She was going to be bigger than her, perhaps even the size of her son if not bigger. They were about the same age, with Gunnar being perhaps a bit younger. She stopped again at the girls face and looked at her. I am listening. What were you taught as a princess in training? Well tell me of some of your lessons? perhaps they could groom the girl into a outrider, and she had the bulk behind her to make a good warden or warrior. Though she would still need to learn to be humble, that was a given.

It was, Sidonie felt, a lucky break, inasmuch as Thistle was at least humoring her and not nearly so close to tearing her face off. The ivory youth took a healthy step back from the agouti alphaess, and for safe keeping and because instinct had finally kicked in and was, for the moment, telling her to, Sidonie kept her ears back and tail down. Actually shrinking herself to be smaller than the leader of the Bay was nigh impossible, and so she didn't, but perhaps the minimal submission would safeguard her for now. "I had the finest teachers at Sleepy Summit," she boasted while trying to think of the more impressive things she was supposed to have learned under their fine tutelage.

"I was taught how to claim and keep our borders secure," Sidonie said, remembering that she had dozed on and off during that lesson, "and I know how to fight for self-defense and to defeat any challengers for my position." In all fairness, that had been less of a class and more of a skilled learned through pushing her sisters around, but maybe it would count here. "I can, uh, lead my pack. Give advice, make good choices, things like that." It didn't sound impressive, and she privately thought that her leadership was more of a divine right than something to be earned and then defended, and in her fantasies being Queen meant more like having others wait on her hand and foot than giving them anything in return. "I can tell them what to do, and they do it." The girl illustrated her basic misunderstanding as a way of summarizing her schooling, and she couldn't resist the toss of her head and the arrogant gleam that returned to her dark blue eyes, a glimmer of the typical Sidonie personality.

So I love Sidonie I really do so I want to make sure it is understood that Thistle's feelings on the matter are not my own...lol

Thistle watched as the girl shrunk further down and she lifted her head and her tail higher. Letting her know exactly who was queen bitch in this palace. Thistle listened and looked at the girl, Fine teachers do not tell me what you were taught. Her patience was wearing thin, but she was continuing on hoping to bring a new body in even if the girl was a bit pampered.

Thistle nodded That is good we need wardens. You will not be defeating anyone for your position for some time. Thistle listened and the girl was doing alright for awhile, but then her haughtiness came to a head again and Thistle surged forward with a growl. She was close to the girls face with her growls lowly. You will tell no one what to do in this pack for now. Very well Sidonie you are welcome here, but on a few conditions. Firstly you will be the lowest ranking member of the pack once you reach of age until I decide otherwise. I think a healthy lesson in respect and humility will do you good. You will also have lessons with my husband and I. You will learn a trade as soon as you are able, I will not have useless, empty headed weight in our pack lands. You will treat others with respect for we are a family, or I will end you. Those are my conditions, you may take them or leave them, but bear in mind others will not be so open minded. So what shall it be girl!" Thistle grew quiet but stood looking at the girl in the eyes daring her to keep up the staring contest, Thistle would make sure it didn't end happy if she continued to do so.