Once the storm had died down enough, and after making sure it wasn’t just a small lull in the frosty winds, @Silver had kept her promise and had lead Rayne towards her pack borders. The storm had left behind quite a bit of snow for them to struggle through but once they reached the woods Silver’s pack resided it, it lessened considerably. There was still snow littered on the ground, however, the large dense canopy of the trees and trunks kept most of the snow away.

Rayne padded alongside the dark fae contentedly, taking in the scenery around him. It had been some time since his last venture in a forest. Yet as they drew closer to the borders, the smell of the borders strong in his nose, Rayne slowed to a stop just before crossing. Even though he was with the scout of the pack, he knew not to tread on the grounds until he was invited on by the leaders themselves. There was no want for trouble and he didn’t want to have their wrath brought upon Silver for bringing a stranger into their lands without their knowledge. Nor did he want to leave her, because surely they’d send him away without question if they thought him an intruder without cause.

For a moment, Rayne wondered if he should ask Silver to call for her leaders and let them hear the familiar voice of the scout telling them there was another wolf wanting to join their pack. Or if he should do it?

Making his decision, Rayne lifted his head and howled his desire to meet with the leaders at their borders, the tilt of wanting to join also being added in. Lowering his head once he was done, Rayne smiled sheepishly at Silver. He hoped she didn’t mind him doing it. It was better, he thought, if he called instead because that way, it was being shown that he knew the pleasantries and wasn’t a fool that couldn’t ask for himself.

”I know,” Rayne murmured, all of a sudden very nervous and feeling just a little foolish. Though the look in Silver's eyes was soft, her voice were not when she spoke next, warning him away from stupidity and from making her look the fool. And he completely understood why it was like that. She had mentioned wanting to be a scout for her pack back in their tree shelter, back when the storm was raging and they had no where to go until it wasted away. ”I promise, I would never make you look like the fool for bringing me here. I’m forever grateful for you being so kind and pattient to me thus far.”

If this was to go wrong, if anything happened that made Silver’s leaders question her position in their pack, they surely would do something terrible and that would make Rayne feel guilty and horrible for being the one to bring whatever punishment they brought upon her. Even if he wasn’t there when it happened, though he desperately wanted to stay by her side, his heart would break in his chest and his stomach would do guilty flips whenever he thought of the kind fae who tried and failed to find him a home because of whatever wrongdoing he had committed.

His attention was drawn away when another wolf arrived, studying them both before his eyes were on Silver and he was asking her who Rayne was. The pack wolf was holding his tail high, though Rayne had noticed the annoyed flick before. Realising just howclose he was to the borders, the russet wolf took a few steps. He didn't want to incur the wrath of a wolf who had a pack behind him. Opening his muzzle, while lowering his body closer to the ground with his tail tucked close to his body, Rayne introduced himself.

"I am Rayne Flint. I hope to join your pack and help guard its borders, for as long as I am able."

When he answered and the last words dropped from his mouth, Rayne felt like he had made some kind of terrible mistake. It had been obvious that the question had been directed at Silver, not himself but Rayne wasn’t about to let Silver answer for him. Better have someone see him in anger then to think he’s unable to think or speak for himself. With anger, and it was with anger the pack male turned to him with, hackles raised, it was easy to beg forgiveness later on with anger.

Still low to the ground, lower than the two current wolves gathered, Rayne’s attention was drawn to a new arrival and with it, his posture spoke of proud leadership. Knowing that this was the wolf that would either reject or accept him into the pack, Rayne rolled to his side with his stomach and throat bared at the coal black wolf and his eyes averted. Rayne wasn’t like Neoma, who was too full of pride and contempt of other wolves to show any kind of weakness to them.

Even though having just announced his name and intent to the other wolf, the leader surely hadn’t heard him so the russeted wolf repeated his words when asked who he was and what he was doing here. ”I am Rayne Flint. I am willing to pledge my life to your pack and guard its borders and members within for as long as I am physically able to, if you accept me. Though I understand this winter has been hard and will not begrudge you if you wish to turn me away.”

When Hollow’s kind words told him he didn’t have to remain on his back, Rayne felt reassured. Some part of him feared Hollow was the kind of wolf his parents warned him of on occasion. The kind that would take advantage of a wolf on their back, showing submission, only to have sharp fangs dig into their soft flesh. This leader sounded far kinder than the stories that old pack members used to tell the pups, of horrid wolves who murdered those below them if they so much as looked at another the wrong way. Though Rayne half expected the elders only told those stories to scare the pups into listening to them.

Rolling onto stomach and then his paws, Rayne kept his body posture lower than the other wolves around him accordingly. His ears were lower, his tail hanging low and his warm amber eyes rested on the snow around the paws of the gathered wolves. Despite the fact that it sounded as if there was half a chance Hollow was going to accept him, the rust coloured wolf wasn’t going to take the chance and blow it completely.

“Yes, I wish to prove myself and become a guardian of the pack. To protect and serve is what I must do, to feel as if I am living my life the way it should be lived.” It was true. Every part of Rayne lived to protect and serve. Nothing would deter him from protecting those even though it never crossed his mind before, if he were to ever become a leader of his own pack, the urge to guard every member of the pack would still strong. To look out and care for everyone he held dear...

Rayne flushed slightly when the memory of him and Silver curled up in the roots of the tree, during the storm flashed before his eyes, the emotions and need to protect her still running deeply in his blood and making themselves even more strongly known at the thought of the beautiful fae, who had been standing beside him silently and patiently waiting for her leader's verdict along side him. “I shan’t let you, and the others down, if you do accept me. The mere thought, either willingly or unwillingly, of allowing any harm come to pack mates makes me ill.”