Word Count:  365

Anaia felt cramped despite the fact she was sitting outside the den in the fresh air.  Her fur was fluffed up against the chill air and the crisp scent of winter stung her nose, but still she felt smothered.  She had been waiting for @Sara, hoping her sister would visit her today.  Or maybe Lorcan or Odin.  Each day she hoped to hear the words “You’re all better”, but each day was a disappointment.  It felt like this was never going to end, that she would be stuck in the den beside the coyote track forever, wondering if she’d ever feel alive again.

Deciding she needed to shake off her gloomy thoughts, the small white wolf stretched and started down the track to the lake that rested at the bottom of the monadnock.  Her limp was very subtle now; in fact, she almost felt like she could walk normally and the limp was only out of habit.  @Lorcan had done a very good job of patching her up, and @Odin had done a good job of helping him.

She finally reached the water and had to break through the thin layer of ice to get a drink.  The frigid water almost hurt her tongue, but she kept drinking.  It was better than eating snow.  Besides, she found that cold water tasted cleaner.  When Anaia finished, she sat on the shore and gazed across the land.  It was already familiar to her, though she hadn’t seen much of it.  She wouldn’t mind exploring some when she was pronounced healed; maybe @Piety or Sara would go with her.  Maybe both of them.  It would be nice to have some company.

She rarely thought of her parents anymore.  When she first realized she’d gone a whole week without pining after them, she’d been surprised.  The pale woman had thought of them every day and then suddenly, nothing.  She expected it had something to do with her decision not to get lost in her thoughts and dwell on the past.  If she had the opportunity to return north to find them, she would.  But until then, she had obligations to this pack to fulfill, and she would fulfill them.

"Speech"  Thought

Word Count: 210  

Anaia jumped as she was pulled from her thoughts by a familiar voice.  “Lorcan.” She greeted, trying to hide her surprise.  She felt like letting her guard down and getting lost in her own mind wouldn’t look good.  Before she could speak further, however, the healer told her why he was there.

“You’re serious?” She jumped to her feet, excited.   She couldn’t wait to tell Sara!  “I’m all better?” She’d noticed that her leg didn’t hurt as much, yes, but hearing it from Lorcan himself was comforting, and it meant she didn’t have to sit in that cramped den all day anymore.  Her tail whipped back and forth, her excitement too much to contain.  She wanted to do something, anything, to celebrate.  Maybe she’d go find Sara now, or go try to catch something on her own?  Maybe if she took an offering up to @Craw and @Morganna t the main den to demonstrate her ability…?

“What should I do?” She muttered, mostly to herself.  Hunting with Sara or Piety was an appealing thought, but she wasn’t sure where they were or what they were doing, and she wanted to do something right away.  Maybe she could catch something small, like a rabbit or something for now and hunt more later?

"Speech"  Thought

Word Count: 336  

At Lorcan’s warning, Anaia quickly settled down, though her excitement didn’t dim. She squirmed in place, mind still racing to decide what she’d do with her newfound freedom.  Exploration was definitely high on the list; she wanted to get to know her new territory.

She was subdued when Lorcan called for the alphas; she was incredibly nervous.  Would she be tested?  She hadn’t really met the alpha female, Morganna, yet, but from what she’d seen at the pack meeting, the queen was tough to win over.  

It didn’t take long for Craw to join them, and his demeanor immediately put the smaller wolf at ease. He didn’t seem to be planning any sort of mischief for her, though she hadn’t spent enough time around him to really be able to tell what he was thinking.  She nodded.  “Much.  Thank you again so much for taking me in.  I want to pay you back in whatever way I can.” She was desperate to show the scarred man that taking her in had not been a mistake.  “And I’d like to stay, if I can.” She added, not wanting to assume that just because she had been accepted while she’d been injured meant she could stay.  

Yes, she missed her family, but she had new family here.  That and she found that she liked this pack.  The territory, the wolves… they were different than what she was used to and offered an opportunity to learn, and to belong to something larger than herself.

“I know I’m relatively new, but… I was thinking maybe I’d like to be a scout?” She ventured, peeking up at Craw and hoping she wasn’t overstepping her boundaries by requesting a position that required such trust from the pack. But she knew she’d be good at it; she had good stamina – as she hoped had been proven to them by the nature of her injury and the fact she’d been able to travel so long on it before needing help – and she was quick.  

"Speech"  Thought