Delicate paws carried the small agouti lady through the cedar forest she called home, each step beating out her familiar path along the Cut Rock River border. Daily patrols were a monotonous task, but Naia found a certain comfort in the routine of it, not to mention the fact that every step got her closer to her desired role as a scout. The Timber lady inhaled as she trotted, drawing a variety of familiar scents-- those of her family members-- in along with the cold rush of air. It had become habit for Naia to sort through the everyday smells of the forest with each breath, and the presence of a strange male's scent in the mix was conspicuous to Naia. The smell she caught in the air was not the faded residue of a wolf long since passed by; this male was still present and near. A red flag shot up in Naia's mind; her recent encounter with the thieving Pass wolves was still fresh on her mind. It was customary for a loner seeking acceptance to howl at a border, so to Naia a silent stranger was cause for concern.

Following her nose, Naia increased her pace to a lope as she traveled along the border. Soon she came upon a creamy-pelted yearling who was busy sniffing at her border, a confused look plastered across his face. The faithful subordinate sighed inwardly, another young one. She now understood why he hadn't announced his approach as was customary; youngsters such as he often did not often understand common practices when dealing with packs. He was certainly not the first yearling she had found silently blundering around the border. ”Hello there, young stranger," she called out as she approached, slowing her pace to a trot so as not to overwhelm him. ”Is there something I can help you with?” She halted several wolfslengths from the male, wagging her tail in a friendly way. Many pack wolves utilized a more intimidating, gruff approach with loners at the border, but that had never really been Naia's style.

Though he offered a small smile, Naia couldn't help but feel that something troubled the male. Serving as Lowest in her birthpack when she was about this stranger's age, she learned to be perceptive-- especially of ill feelings, which she was expected to dissipate before they turned into outright fights. She could already tell that this was not the ordinary yearling blundering around the border. His answer confirmed her impression. If he had been like the other wandering youth, he might have inquired about joining her pack, or perhaps he would have asked to speak with her leader. Instead though, he described a previous pack of his; one that must have existed before Cut Rock River took over the territory. Unfortunately, Naia knew very little about the circumstances surrounding the establishment of Cut Rock River and even less about the history of the land.

”You're not the first to ask about our presence here, or about the previous inhabitants.” She sighed, wishing she knew how to answer these strangers that she kept running into. ”Cut Rock River was established here last autumn as a new pack, and the founding members were what remained of Kade and Ava Attaya's Darkwater Rapids, after the two of them disappeared.” She paused, wondering what the stranger would make of the regrettably vague information she had pieced together about Cut Rock River's origins. ”If you wish to know more about the Attayas, you might seek out Angier Lyall-- he leads Willow Ridge, the pack east of the Cedars." She wanted to be helpful, but she also felt a strange urge to send the troubled male away from her territory. He reminded her slightly of Angier himself, giving her that same uneasy feeling she had experienced during her last meeting with the Willow Ridge leader. After a brief hesitation, she also offered, ”Or you could speak to my leader, Maksim Baranski. He would surely know more than me.”

Naia cocked her head as she waited for him to answer. He certainly took his time, but then that’s not a bad quality in a young man. A thinker, the agouti lady mused. He smiled then, and Naia wondered if perhaps something she said had put him in a better mood. After a long breath he spoke, choosing the second option—the one where she called @Maksim to them. She nodded understandingly at his reasoning. In light of the disappeared herds, the last few lone wolves were trickling in toward the borders of the nearest packs. Nothing inspired loyalty like and empty belly.

Lifting her muzzle to the overcast sky, Naia howled for her leader, announcing a loner at the border who requested an audience. By now the motion felt routine to Naia… surely Maksim had noticed her diligence at the border. She thought to request a pack role soon, so that she could formerly hold the title that she already claimed in her own mind: Scout.

In the silence that followed her howl, the stranger commented on a scent he found. Naia took a long sniff. ”Hmm.. this isn’t any cache of ours. Smells like it’s outside our border.” Even so, she wasn’t about to give up a chance at adding to her pack’s caches. He may have smelled it first, and it might be technically off of Cut Rock River territory, but as far as Naia was concerned it still belonged to her pack. ”Why don’t you help me dig it up? It would certainly impress Maksim.” She phrased it like a suggestion, but there was a firmness in her tone that implied that it was really the only viable course of action. Maksim would be here soon anyway, and even if the loner thought he could overpower her, he wouldn’t dare cross a wolf like her leader.

With the stranger digging by her side it took only minutes to reveal the frozen elk carcass below the snowy surface. Naia was astounded that such a treasure had remained untouched through winter, especially this close to her family’s border. This had to be a sign that the ice was thawing, exposing the tiny caches like this that had been buried all winter. ”This is fantasic,” Naia breathed, her excited honey eyes meeting her companion’s. She would see to it that he would receive a portion to reward him for his efforts, should Maksim accept him into their ranks.

Just as she thought it, her leader made his appearance.. or her appearance much to Naia’s surprise. Out of all the border calls she had made, it was always Maksim to answer-- never the female lead. The change brought a small smile to the tawny female’s lips. She’d had little contact with the golden woman that this agouti beauty had ousted, but perhaps things would be different with this new lead.

The leader made her request as she approached, and Naia bowed deeply as the green-eyed woman dipped her muzzle in greeting. She answered quickly, giving her own name first as the two of them had yet to formerly introduce themselves. ”Naia Aegina presents a stranger. He arrived at our border with questions about the pack that formerly lived here, and he also inquires about our pack. I thought it best to direct these questions to a leader.” Her body remained submissively low even after the bow was finished—probably lower than was strictly necessary for a Second-- but breeding season was a tense time in the female hierarchy and Naia wanted to communicate without a shadow of a doubt that she knew her place.

Her tail wagged appeasably from its tucked position as she waited for a response. Naia knew she was not only presenting the young stranger; she was also presenting herself. She hoped every day for news that this powerful agouti beauty was going to bless Maksim and Cut Rock River with royal heirs, and Naia intended to be a strong, guiding presence to the new generation. Of course she needed this woman’s trust if she desired to help raise the pups, and for that Naia was willing to try her absolute hardest.