Gone Tomorrow

The borders of the pack were booming, or so it seemed. There was just no means of escape from the duties of being a leader. Day in and day out, Corinna walked the familiar borders, stopping to make sure that they were properly marked. Winter's grasp was steadily loosening, which meant that breeding season would soon be on its way. For Corinna, that meant defending her position as the pack's leader against potential threats, from both outside and within. She wanted nothing more than to curl up beside Indru during this particular time of year, the hormones a powerful motivator to never leave his side. But they could not shirk their duties, and their positions as pack leaders would only be threatened more if they did.

So the gray female was padding through the snow, sniffing the cold ground as she did, searching for anything that might be amiss. So far, her morning had gone well, and she felt confident in being able to return home without troubling her peace of mind. But as she turned towards the inside of the territory, the faintest of scents caught her nose, and her head snapped back around, looking out beyond the invisible marker. the scent that had caught her attention was Ice's, and it was relatively fresh. Curious as to what her pack mate was doing, she shrugged her shoulders and headed off in the general direction of the scent. Pausing only to give a short howl, a warning that she was on her way, the leader left the confines of Swift River and headed out into the unclaimed lands of Sacred Grove.

Trotting through the snow, the green-eyed she-wolf followed the scent, blown towards her in the breeze. The closer she got, the stronger it became. Eventually, she picked up the scent of the stranger, and her interest grew. They had kept a respectable distance from the pack's territory, so she was not bothered by his presence, but she wanted to know what Ice was doing with him. Perhaps a potential member to join their family? She would see.

Eventually, the mottled gray form of Ice came into view. Tail wagging easily behind her, Corinna approached him, giving a low woof to announce her presence. Nudging Ice's cheek with her nose in greeting, she turned her attention to the other male. "Hello, I'm Corinna Tainn, leader of Swift River," introducing herself, body ever so slightly shifting to a more dominant stance, though not threatening. Falling silent, she waited for the obvious questions to be answered: who was the stranger and why was he here?

Gone Tomorrow

It seemed that any uncomfortable feelings that existed between the gray hued subordinate and herself had disappeared. Ice lowered himself to the ground, his pale stomach almost to the snow. But he greeted her with a nudge to her cheek and she flashed him a smile, though her green eyes had turned their attention to the newcomer. He was pale, and while he was bigger than her, he did not look to be built for strength. That was a change for the wolves of Swift River - the males who called the river's banks home were well built, and while slower, were more than capable to defend their pack and its members.

The lone wolf, named Teldias, lowered himself to the ground, similar to a position that Ice had been in. But he made no noise, no further introduction. Eyes narrowing doubtfully, she looked uneasily at Ice. Head cocking to the side, she looked at the subordinate with some bemusement. Looking back at the potential newest member to Swift River, Corinna spoke again, her voice sharper than it had been a moment ago. "Nothing to say for yourself? I trust Ice's judgement, and he would not have brought you here if he did not think there was something about you that the River pack could use. But...a wolf who will not speak on his own behalf is concerning." She hoped that the hint was enough. She appreciated the physical submission, but she also expected something to be said on the part of the lone wolf. He was the one requesting permission to join them, not Ice. Head righting itself on her shoulders, she stared down at him, not sure how long she would wait for him to speak before dismissing him.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna's eyes turned to look at Ice as he spoke up, commenting on the respectful nature of the particular lone wolf laying in front of them. She nodded mutely, though she could not say she entirely agreed. In her experience as a leader, there were multiple ways that a lone wolf could go about being respectful at the borders. The recent trend had been a string of young wolves, who for whatever reason, just didn't know how they were supposed to act when they showed up on the doorsteps of somebody else's home. The fact that the lone wolf did in fact submit was already a step in the right direction.

At her prompting, he did speak up. She listened politely, though her inclination was to laugh in his face. Of course he was a hunter - all wolves were. Some better than others, but she would not take anyone's skill based on their word. Just how he would serve the Swift River pack would remain to be seen, but she was confident in Ice's judgement. "Very well, Teldias. Welcome to Swift River. Time will tell as to how you can best help our pack, but I'm willing to put my faith in Ice's decision to bring you here." Stepping forward, the she-wolf lowered her head, moving to take the male's muzzle in a dominant muzzle grab. Withdrawing, she looked to the loyal subordinate. "Would you care to show him around, Ice?" He had brought him here, he could be in charge of showing the new joiner the highlights of the Swift River territory.