Sacred Grove A New Family?

Kaala's long journey from the rogue outcrop on Mount. Dire finally came to an end. She stood at the river bank, on the side opposite the border of Swift River. Her paws sank slightly into the soft mud. Her muzzle was hit by the spray of the rushing water. She lowered her head and parted her jaws, taking in the cool riverwater. She drank until she felt refreshed, and licked her muzzle. She gazed across the river and into Swift River territory.

Kala thought back to her meeting with the male wolf, Ruiko, on the mountain. He had said he was a part of Swift River, but his tone was strange. Kala remembered the sadness in his eyes, and she wondered if he had left the pack. Whatever the case, now Kala needed to focus on being accepted into Swift River. She pointed her snout towards the sky and sent a song to Swift River. She explained she was a lone wolf looking for a new pack. Kala howled for a few moments longer, then ceased her song. She sat down and waited patiently for a wolf or wolves to appear on the other side of the river.

(This post was last modified: Feb 01, 2012, 05:09 PM by Indru.)

Elena, this isn't a big deal since I saw this, but this thread probably would have sat for a while since I don't believe you contacted myself or Tara about responding. So in the future, feel free to PM us, or even better, use our For the Attention Of... which is specifically when you want to get somebody's attention to a thread you have posted for them.

Gone Tomorrow

Corinna's family was shrinking all around her, and she hardly felt connected to the land she was leader of anymore. Ruiko had taken Volkan and Kinis and left, headed off in the direction to start his new pack. She had not yet been notified of where her brother-in-law had settled, but she would make it a point to visit him as soon as she knew, if only to make sure he was settled. Plus, she wanted to meet her counterpart; the female that for a short time, potentially could have been herself.

But whatever disconnect Corinna might have felt towards her family and its land right now did not excuse her from her job. So she had taken to patrolling the borders, her own scent growing stronger even as the scents of those who had departed grew weaker.

It was on her usual route when the howl of a stranger caught Corinna's attention. Ears perking above her head, she turned to look in the direction of the call. With winter fully upon them now, and the absence of three able adults, Corinna was in no mood to ignore the call of the stranger, not knowing that what the unknown female wanted was a home. Swift River had plenty of space, to be sure, but that did not mean that its leaders would allow just anyone to enter their borders. First and foremost, Corinna was a mother, and even as she set off at a quick pace towards the origin of the call, her thoughts were focused on her three youngsters. The leaving of their packmates was a cause for instability, something they had already had enough of in their lives. Would inviting this stranger into the pack only jeopardize them further?

Bounding through well known paths, it didn't take long for the bonny leader to arrive on the banks of the river. Winter had slowed its pace, a thin layer of ice covering the moving water beneath. Of all the borders, Corinna was curious as to why the loner had chosen this one. Even if she was accepted, she would not be able to cross here, unless she felt inclined to fall through the ice. Regardless, she had requested the leadership of the pack, so here she was. Approaching, ruff was puffed up, and green eyes stared down the loner - there was no need for words, it was clear who she was and what was expected.

OOC: Sorry about the delayed response, and sorry if it seems shortish.
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Kala waited patiently. A gentle breeze swept through her fur. She watched the forest on the other side of the river for movement. Her heart was beating with nervousness. Kala took a few deep breaths, trying to stay calm. She had no hostile intentions, and surely the other wolves would be able to sense that. Still, she was on the border of a pack's territory, so she had to watch herself. Kala then caught the scent of a wolf nearby. She stood up slowly, and waited.

Kala's ears raised as a she-wolf approached. The wolf had to be older than her, and the wolf's green eyes stared directly at her. Kala met the wolf's eyes with her own and lowered her head in a submissive gesture. The young wolf could feel an air of authority about the older wolf. Kala was glad her call had been answered. She raised her head slightly and explained her purpose.

"Hello, my name is Kala. I am a lone wolf and I'm looking for a new pack. I smelled border scents around here so I knew it was pack territory." She spoke in a respectful manner, but anxiety could be detected behind her words. Kala knew the she wolf wouldn't accept her right away, but this was a start. She regained her submissive posture after she finished speaking to show that she knew who the wolf was.

Gone Tomorrow

Green eyes watched for even the slightest of movement; this was hardly the first time that the River wolf had done this particular dance. Indru had taken over the border responsibilities when he had first returned, but since then, she had begun venturing further and further out away from the pack den and her young ones to resume her duties. Though standing here now, taking in the frozen river, Corinna's mind could not help but think forward to the future. In a few month's time, no doubt she would be pregnant again, and have to resume her matriarchal dominance of the pack's life source. The she-wolf in front of her, if accepted, would have to step up at that particular point in time, and watching her now, Corinna was not particularly confident in the youth's capability.

While not persnickety about displays of submission from her subordinates, Corinna did not take kindly to the younger wolf raising her gaze. Lips curled in the hint of a growl, and the fur along her neck began to prick upwards - it was her body's natural attempts to make her look more threatening, and so to earn a greater display of submission. After all, the youth was requesting acceptance not only to be able to enter pack lands, but to become an essence of who they were. "The pack is Swift River. I am one of its leaders, Corinna Tainn," she called over the frozen water, voice calm but authoritative. "What skills do you have to offer our family? It's the middle of winter, we can't afford to feed mouths who cannot contribute." It was a reasonable request, and one in which the answer would be a key factor in if Corinna invited the girl to cross the border.

Kala did not lift her head again to avoid angering the older she-wolf any further. She reminded herself that she was a lone wolf and she had no power in a pack's territory. Kala kept her tail tucked between her legs and listened carefully to the she wolf's words. The she wolf was a leader of Swift Pack, and that meant Kala needed to make the right impression. For Kala, there was no room for mistakes. She would need to choose her words carefully. So Kala focused her gaze at the ground before the leader's paws. She took her question into consideration. What skills did she have?

Afraid to meet the leader's eyes, she spoke while looking down. "I am a good tracker and hunter. My strength is probably my speed, since I can catch up to prey quickly. I'm also a good listener, and I can detect danger quickly as well." Kala spoke in a respectful tone, making sure to not meet the leader's eyes. She didn't want to make herself look bad, but she explained her skills with confidence. Winter was already here, and that meant prey was hard to find. Kala knew that the winter months were hard for every wolf, so she understood the leader's reasoning. Kala waited patiently for the she wolf's reply.

(This post was last modified: Feb 01, 2012, 05:20 PM by Kaala.)

Gone Tomorrow

The dominant stance of the Swift River leader had done the trick, and almost immediately, the female across the partially frozen river looked down. That was better. While Corinna was not often all that insistent on subordinates showing incredible amounts of respect in their body language, she was a stickler when it came to loners who were treading near her borders. Especially when they were seeking her out. One did not simply barge into another's home and not pay proper respect - that would simply not do.

Grimacing, tail flicked anxiously as the other girl opened her mouth. It was grating to her ears - there was simply nothing wrong with her, was there? But, Corinna couldn't completely fault her for that. Who didn't lie a bit when they were trying to gain acceptance into a pack? She had hardly bragged about her faults when she had come to the Swift River borders a year ago. Shrugging her shoulders, gray head tilted to the side, looking at the forehead of the younger girl. The truth was that the more members they had during the winter, the better it would be. More food could be caught, which meant Rihael, Kisla, and Fenru would continue to grow. Rapidly approaching their full adult size, Corinna could hardly stop imagining them as their newborn selves. Kala was another mouth to feed as well, but that was the cost of another adult in the pack.

Taking in the other girl again, Corinna took a deep breath. "Well then, Kala. It seems you have found yourself a home in Swift River. You'll have to get yourself across the river. I wouldn't recommend it here." Settling down on her haunches, she let her green eyes stare at the newcomer, waiting for her to make her journey into claimed territory.

Kala let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She had a new home now, which meant she no longer had to wander alone anymore. She was now a member of the Swift River Pack. Pride swelled up in her chest as her lips pulled back into a slight smile. "Thank you," she said to the leader. lowering her head in a respective bow. Then after hearing the leader's last few words, Kala grew hot with embarrassment. The river was impossible to cross at this spot. To hide her embarrassment, she quickly said, "I wasn't planning on crossing here." Kala glanced nervously in the leader's direction, then back towards the river.

Then something occurred to her. "I remember seeing a fallen tree on the way here. It lays across most of the river. I can cross there," she explained. She bowed her head again towards the leader and turned. She ran along the river side until she came to a large fallen trunk. She jumped onto the trunk and carefully made her way across the river. She jumped onto the ground on the opposite side of the river and ran back towards where she met the leader. "Made it," she said, triumph in her amber gaze. She bowed and said firmly, "I promise to do everything I can for the pack." Then she looked behind herself and then back to the leader. "Mind showing me where the camp is?" She asked politely.

Feel free to either reply or archive it. Welcome to Swift River!

Gone Tomorrow

Green eyes closed as Corinna watched the girl run off to look for a better place to cross the river. Perhaps she would come to regret the decision to let Kala into the pack, but only time would tell. For now, Corinna was satisfied in providing her family one more layer of protection against the harsh bite of winter. As the yearling approached, the leader took her in fully. Just maybe, this might be okay. Stiff-legged, Corinna walked forward, ears erect and lips parted. Reaching forward with her muzzle, she went to take Kala's nose into her mouth. Biting down firmly, but not enough to hurt, she released the subordinate after a minute. Indicating her head in the direction of the main den, the lead she-wolf moved that direction, ready to see her mate and pups after a long day on patrol.