As Moraxia filled her in on the details of her own wanderings, Raela found herself listening more and more intently. Some of the words were meant for her, and the subordinate felt her chest swelling with validation. She had saved this wolf. She might have failed with Urien but this time she'd succeeded, and Moraxia seemed ever grateful. She couldn't help the returning grin that washed over her face now. Despite the depressing fact that both of their packs had been gruff with intruders (though Asurns did more than simply turn them away) she found satisfaction in knowing that this pack was not like the others. “You're welcome,” she beamed sincerely.  Raela stood tall, leaving her fresh mark behind and moving back toward her companion. 

“It's because of my old pack and my situation that I try to help if I can, but Minka really is a good wolf, and a good leader.” She hadn't gotten much further when the larger woman posed yet another inquiry. Raela mulled over the question; lifting her eyes as If to excuse herself from the moment to think. “Well, we do, I mean, Minka won't take in anyone who plans on leaving the pack someday,” she admitted, glancing away for a second. “She only wants permanent members who are loyal to her. But other than that, as long as you're a good person...” she let the words vanish into the summer air with a shrug. There were worse requirements for an Alpha to hold over the head of a loner than mere fealty; even if it was forever. 

She turned back to their path, waiting for Moraxia to join her before picking up their trotting pace again. “Calanthe, the larger pale coated woman,” she added the description in case the newcomer hadn't managed to remember it from before, “she was practically starved to death, and Gent was actually the one who took her in. Minka took in Cessair, the smallest one, when she was practically dying on her borders.” The gravity of what Minka had sacrificed to accept them still garnered mountains of respect from Raela, even if she had brought them to the brink of war with the Woodlands wolves in what seemed like a rash decision. Still, the topic was long behind them now. 

This time Raela was the one to stop and refresh the scent markers. She loped around a conspicuously large tree; its base thick with the scents of Gent and Aeus in particular. The smaller woman crouched, adding her own to the mix while Moraxia presumably strengthened another spot. Once finished she trotted back, tail flowing out behind her pleasantly. 

Her ears tipped back to catch the colossal female's utterance as she moved for the tree. There was no further dialogue necessary; or at least it felt that way. Raela was swift in her return; quickly taking notice of the look on her comrade's face. Her understanding was complete and instant. Ah, a howl, she mused, allowing a grin to creep onto her face as well. It was perhaps her favorite way to mark territory. It was definitely the most fun out of them all. The subordinate drew in breath as soon as Moraxia appeared to understand her agreement; turning her sunshine eyes to the sky for a brief second before darkness took them. Then there was only the sound of their howls joining and separating in pitch as they bounced off of the trees and the hills around them. Round Stone Crest was here, and they were well defended. The message was clear for any who dared to lurk in the shadows. 

She really did feel a bit safer with this new recruit around. Though Raela had yet to witness the guardian in action she still had a feeling that the darker female was no one to be trifled with. Her little defensive show earlier would have been terrifying if she'd been a criminal or troublemaker; that was for sure. She absolutely outmatched Vitani and Eirian in size, as well as most of the pack itself. The sooner she completed her training the better Rae would feel. The volume and intensity of their calls only grew, and she found her spirits lifting along with the notes. She met the woman's smiles, returning them with even more enthusiasm. The mood was becoming infectious, and she found herself giggling between howls. By the time they'd had enough, she was wagging. An impulse she'd not felt in quite a while overtook the smaller girl, and she danced to the side in a play bow. Normally this was something she only did with Astraeus, but the energy in the air was right, and what good was defensive training if you didn't test it out a bit?

Her jaws parted in a smile. “Hey, let's see if we're capable of defending this land of ours,” she declared with mock pride. It was a humorous tone that took right from their previous encounter. Still smiling but now with a much more determined and challenging stare, she remained low with her legs splayed; playfully clicking her teeth as an invitation. Moraxia was a mighty opponent, for sure, and Raela wasn't exactly expecting to win. Still, if she could give the newcomer a run for her money it would only better them both. There was no real pressure here for her to panic over  either – it was just for fun.