Paradise Falls thought everyone was on our side

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

Nadine neared the edges of Paradise Falls. She recalled hearing of it from Isla, and for quite some time she had kept her distance… but as winter grew on, and food grew harder to catch… well, she had come to run out of options. Hunger had burned in her belly as she arrived at the border, her frame thinner than most as she glanced at where she could smell the scent markings were located. Their borders were patrolled regularly, and she was painfully aware of the fact that she had nothing to bring… sort of.

Her skills were not in the harder sciences… hunting and fighting. She was capable at both, but she was much smoother with her mouth and talking out alliances, trade agreements, and the likes. The area she had been from had been war torn, though it appeared the lands she now wandered in search of her family and her love were faring far better than that. They did not seem to have any active conflict. She had not come across any fields that would make her question as such. There were a lack of bloodstains.

She raised her maw to the sky and let out a howl for the leaders, waiting patiently and a respectful distance from the borders in order to be met and spoken with.

This had been the first call that Finley would have to attend as leader. Even before now as second she had mostly kept herself removed from the task, leaving it up to Jethro and Flair, though she probably could have been present for support. It just was not what she felt comfortable doing. But, now she had to, it was her responsibility to do things like this even though the call had twisted her stomach uncomfortably.

Which may be why she was slower in getting to the loner than her manners told her was polite. She really had not meant to keep them waiting, but had to stop on her way there to take a deep steadying breath before continuing. Her mind raced with self doubt and the realization that she should not be doing this, this was not for her, it should be someone else.

Finley did her best to look confident, even though she felt the furthest thing from it. She couldn’t bring herself to stand with her tail up, but did raise her chin slightly, ”I’m Finley Lennox of Paradise Falls. You called?” Her voice was steady, that was good, it was a step in the right direction.

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

Nadine would not find herself waiting long for someone to arrive at the borders. The way her tail raised and her chin postured told Nadine that she was dealing with someone of importance. With that, she would dip her head out of respect, just as she had been trained to do all of those years. Her voice was steady, her gaze focused, and so Nadine responded simply with her intent. “I am seeking a home after leaving the one I was born in… a member of your pack told me that Paradise Falls might be a place that would suite me.” She explained, a certain formality in her tone.

“My name is Nadine Daireann. I am a diplomat by trade, with experience in teaching and hunting. I also have minor knowledge in healing and fighting.” She would be the first to admit that her fighting skills were not the best. She’d seldom needed them due to her role. Usually, diplomats had been spared in her home culture, even in a fight, due to the role they played as peacemaker.

The leader’s agouti ears perked forward at the mention that someone from the pack had suggested that this Nadine may do well here. She tried to subtly catch a scent of who it might be but was not able to pick up any further information. Still, it was a good sign that she already knew someone within the pack and the formality melted a little bit, body relaxing into a more neutral posture. It wasn’t natural for her to hold a more senior position, and she felt like a cub playing pretend.

Smiling a little she asked, ”Our members generally have good heads on their shoulders, who have you been speaking with?” Though if the meeting had been anything to judge the situation on, there were a lot of members who were going through things she knew nothing about. It had really brought into focus how much her mate had dealt with on a daily basis and yet still had time for her and their child.

But, she couldn’t dwell on this now, she needed to focus on the loner before her, seeking refuge. A teacher and a hunter, they had nobody dedicated to these roles and so that was always welcome, but Finley would wait to say so until she had more information on who Nadine had been fraternizing with.

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

Generally had a good head on their shoulders. She supposed that was the worry, wasn’t it? That whomever it was had been misguided? That perhaps she had received bad input by someone with darker intentions… there was only one way to know, a friendly smile remaining on her features as her voice carried that same timbre of respect for the woman in front of her who was clearly prominent as the leader. “A few… Isla first. She had mentioned that Paradise Falls was a good home… and then I encountered a woman by the name of Magg as well.”

Of course, there was more to that one. “My understanding was that Magg was a temporary resident here… that you had taken her in when she ended up trapped away from her parents and her pack… it spoke volumes to me.” The fact that they would take her in, to nurture her knowing she would simply return to her parents rather than expecting her to stay with them. That was strange to her, because her pack would not have been as understanding… but it was strange in a way that made her even more intrigued.

Happy to fade this on Nadine's post if she accepts!

The leader nodded along politely as the woman spoke, she had met with a few members but first was Isla. The Lennox woman didn’t know much about the subordinate as she mostly kept to herself, but she pulled her weight and didn’t cause any trouble that Finley knew of so her vote went a decent way. The smile faltered for just a half of a second when Magg was mentioned, but the rest of the story smoothed everything over very quickly.

Continuing to smile, she answered, ”Ah yes, Magg and her companion have both taken their leave to return home already.” Hadn’t even said a word, but at least Ally had been polite enough to thank the leader and say goodbye, but both Magg and Galen had disappeared without a single word. Rude creatures they were. But, back to the task at hand, her tail waved loosely behind her and she answered, ”A friend of Isla’s is always welcome here. You’ll be expected to respect all members of the pack and work hard, but if you do that you’ll do just fine.” Then she waited for Nadine’s answer.

give me your heart

and i'll give you my soul

to just feel a little piece of heaven

There was some measure of relief on her features when the woman made the offer. She briefly considered Magg and if she’d simply become well enough to make the trek up the mountain on her own, but it was quickly left behind in her thoughts as she spoke of respect and hard work. A smile formed on her features, an eager nod as she would find herself accepting the offer, finding it to be exactly what she had hoped for from the woman.

“Of course… I will work hard, and be respectful.” She would dip her head in respect for the woman as she said so. “Thank you… I will not let you or any member of Paradise Falls down.” It was a promise that was hard to make, but one that she was determined as hell to keep. It felt somewhat like a new lease on life... one she would not take for granted... and hopefully one that will reveal the universe's greater plans for her.

Fade