Round Stone Crest I have always been a storm

Calanthe's ears pricked as Raela spoke. Round Stone Crest already had a scout, and so the position didn't need filling... It seemed as though the leaders could still occasionally assign roles on their own, but otherwise Calanthe appeared free to pick out her own role, as long as it wasn't already taken. The feeling of freedom the realization brought with it was... a little heady.

It was difficult to focus back on Raela as the next questions came her way, and harder still to calm the swirl of memories those questions brought - memories of Cathair her brother and Barran her father dragging their latest catch to one of the caches, their pelts streaked with sweat from the kill. But as for herself...

"I haven't had any training towards hunting," she admitted. "I managed to do well enough for myself... sort of... but I've never hunted for a pack. I didn't manage to take down anything very large even right after the fire." She grimaced, then added, "Although that might have been because I burned my paws, and didn't move for a while until they had stopped aching quite so much. By then I was hungry."

"Not that I'd mind becoming a hunter," she added honestly. "I just... might take a little while to learn how to hunt decent prey. The pack can't be expected to survive on old rabbits, can they?" She smiled weakly at her own joke.

Her belly churned with nervousness, though. What if she really wasn't useful? What if she turned out to be awful at hunting? Would there still be a place for her here if she wound up being a poor fit for any of the other roles? They didn't need a scout...

Suddenly that free feeling was more sickening than giddy; her paws curled again, betraying her worry, though she hoped it was otherwise relatively hard to spot. What if they didn't need her?

Raela could sense the slight change in demeanor from the other. It was no surprise, but she still felt bad for having to break the news. Sheepisly her eyes flicked away now and again in the short moments before Calanthe could find the words to reply. Inwardly she found it strange that neither Gent nor Minka had yet asked about her chosen role, but perhaps they hadn't wished to trouble the recovering wolf. Her words deflated a bit of Raela's enthusiasm as well. No training. Well, she was still a bit young, it could be helped. At the mention of the newcomer's past injuries Raela folded her ears. She had to tell herself that the painful memories would fade with time; especially here in the Crest. They had for her at least; she didn't think about them as much. There were more pleasant things to focus on.  Her expression brightened, however, with Calanthe's interest in the position. Raela chuckled along with the joke, more than pleased that this wolf was willing to learn. She knew just the teachers. Unfortunately, the younger woman's face held much less light. Raela's smile faded too, with the uneasy shuffling of the other's feet. There wasn't much that got by the attentive woman; especially on intimate ground. It was practically part of her job title to be able to read her pack mates well. Calanthe was drawing into herself, and she needed to fix it. Her knack for reassurance left little silence in the air. “You know what, if you really want to learn, I can start you off.” A hopeful smile exposed her teeth as the ground shook again. It was hardly the atmosphere she wanted right now.  “I hunt with Gent in between other things. He's a bit better than me but I'm sure he'd help you too.” A roster of the remaining pack ticked away behind her eyes. She'd only to look away and think for the briefest of seconds before she'd found the perfect teacher. A faint gasp filled her lungs and she turned her sunshine eyes back to the skinny girl. “@Minka. Minka is the best out of all of us. Once you get some training done she's the one you want to talk to.” And just to soothe any further anxiety, she added to the conversation. “My old pack trained me as a pup-sitter.” She said it now with a bubbly tone, as if it was a joke. “So I didn't come here with much experience either.” Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

"I do want to learn." The words were flung out like a physical thing, grasping at the chance Raela was giving her here. Anything, she wanted to add - but didn't. Anything at all. Whatever the pack needs, I can learn to provide it, if I'm given the chance.

She took a breath, then added more calmly, "It... would be good to start as soon as I could, too. If I wait too long, I might start getting lazy, and that won't really help anybody." Neither would it help her stay necessary enough to remain here. "And I wouldn't mind having you as a teacher," she said earnestly. "Or Gent, for that matter, although he's..." What was a polite way of putting it? "A little intimidating, sometimes." But no more so than Barran had been. That was the part she knew wasn't polite to add, so she kept it to herself.

Her ears pricked at the mention of Minka. The queen, a hunter? That was... well, different. The royalty of Spirit's Gamble had never hunted, at least, not in Calanthe's lifetime. Their strength was kept for fighting off intruders and competing predators - and punishing the odd outburst among the pack.

Still, Calanthe wasn't willing to doubt Raela, either, especially when she was giving out such helpful advice. Her next smile was a bit more natural as Raela commented on her own former pack. "That... makes me feel a bit better," she told the other woman. "I know I learn pretty quickly, so once I'm back in shape maybe I'll turn out to be a fairly decent hunter after all."

Calanthe's excitement was even more than Raela was hoping for. The woman practically leapt at the idea. It brought a slow but beaming grin to her face. You picked this one well Gent, she mused. Her twinkling eyes never faltered as her new companion regained composure and started elaborating. She nodded slowly at the first suggestion. Yes, no time could be wasted. The notion did, however, remind her that there would be no hunting practice until the storm cleared. A distant flash of light reminded them swiftly of that. Among the din of the rain and hail, the pale girl's voice rumbled on. A giggle couldn't help but slip through parted jaws as the subject of conversation shifted toward their black mammoth of an alpha. She knew all too well how terrifying he could be, as one of the few who'd dared stand up to him and his temper.  Still, she remained quiet until Calanthe had finished; soaking up her appreciation with a warm smile. She practically lived to give reassurance and happiness to those who needed it. It was a good feeling to have her efforts openly thanked. She punctuated the little monologue with a swift nod. “I bet you will,” she responded, her voice lifting in tone. “I can help get you started once the rain lets up.” Her eyes slipped slowly toward the raging torrents outside. “I sure hope this blows over quick,” the subordinate mumbled. Her mind wandered over the conversation, stopping at the earlier mention of Gent. She turned back with a joking grin.  “Oh, don't worry about Gent. He's a big guy but soft inside. He practically melts around the little ones.” Raela's pools flickered away in thought. “I don't think he realizes how scary he can be sometimes,” she added with light laughter. Fond memories of their meeting played behind her eyes. The image of that giant wolf prancing around trying to get a woodchuck off his back would be forever cemented in her mind. It brought a fresh giggle into the air. Yes @Gent, it was a bear, she thought, remembering the scar. Once more her attention turned to the younger woman. “Oh, if you have questions about anyone else I'd be happy to help. I know everyone pretty well by now.” She lowered herself to the ground, rolling onto her side and looking up at Calanthe. “I know it's weird to be around so many strangers all of a sudden.” Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

            

ooc: Reading the family section of this might help explain OOC the comparison Calanthe makes in this post.

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Calanthe definitely perked up to hear that Raela was willing to teach her to hunt so soon. She liked the woman, and the chance to finally start becoming something at least resembling a helpful member of her new pack was nothing short of a shock to her system - a good shock, one that even simply contemplating made her feel just a bit less like some ambisinister little newborn pup. Like Raela, the pale-furred wolf turned an irritated glance on the continuing storm outside. Dratted weather...

As if in response to her sour thoughts, a fresh blast of wind blew by their shelter, filling it anew with cold air that chilled Calanthe through the thin patches in her fur. The she-wolf grumbled and lowered herself closer to the ground, finally laying down completely to keep in what warmth she could as she turned her attention back to Raela.

"I've noticed that," she commented in response to Raela's comments on Gent. "He really loves those pups."

Raela's offer to explain about any of her pack mates was another welcome invitation, one Calanthe was quick to take her up on. "I haven't really gotten to know anyone very well," she admitted. She'd been too busy recovering and trying not to shrink away every time somebody so much as glanced her direction - although that wasn't to say that she hadn't still been watching and listening. She knew some things... just not nearly as much as she would like to, and certainly not as much as a new member to the pack should know.

"It's... very shocking, being around so many others again. It doesn't help that you're all strangers," she added with a smile. "But one thing in particular does come to mind..." She hesitated, keenly aware that this was extremely rude to ask, but she couldn't help herself. "The pups... Kino, Ari, and Draven... are they really Gent's? None of them quite... seem like his. They all clearly love him," she hastened to add, "and he seems like he'd die for any of them, but..."

She shakes her head helplessly. "I don't know. I might be misreading things. But something seems different." From the way Barran was with us, or the way the other fathers were with their pups. Gent acts more the way Barran did with Lumusi and Mateu. Again she kept the comparison to herself. It was bad enough she was saying anything on the subject at all, instead of keeping her big mouth shut.

She listened to Calanthe 's steady stream of words with the same pleasant expression she'd had before, until the younger woman voiced her question, that is. Raela had an idea of what was coming long before it was made perfectly clear. Her expression slowly grew more serious and solemn. Her thoughts raced on, yapping endlessly of Tokino and his murder, of Minka's depression and sadness. It was certainly a bold inquiry to bring forth; and in any other case it would have been insultingly rude. One could have taken it as a challenge to Minka's faithfulness. But she was right. It was different. And more than anything, it didn't directly involve Raela; so Calanthe could be informed without suffering any disapproving glares from either leader. By the time she'd formulated exactly how to start, the subordinate's eyes had slithered forlornly to the floor of their shelter.  “They're not.” Her tone was low as she broke the news. “Minka and Gent aren't even mates; the children belong to Tokino, the previous Alpha.” Well aware that she probably just created more questions than answers, Raela pressed on; daring to lift her eyes now and then. “He was murdered this Spring, and we don't know who did it. He had a few enemies but...” She let the words fall away. “He never met the little ones. Gent is the only father figure they have so they treat him like their Dad.” She let the pouring rain fill the pause in her speech; eyes searching Calanthe for her reaction. “All the pups are his, as well as Kova.” Another thought occurred to her; though more sentimental in value. “Little Kino looks exactly like him actually, right down to his eyes.” It was this marvel that brought a smile to her face. She didn't know the man very well, but his legacy was ever present now.  “Gent stepped up in his absence, and he's been a good leader so far. I'm actually really glad the pups sometimes act as if they don't know the difference. They do, but it doesn't matter. Gent's always been there for them.” Raela's muzzle settled happily between her paws; her mind easing with these more pleasant thoughts. After a moment she cast a last glance up at the other female. “And if you want get acquainted with the pack, the little guys are probably the easiest to start with,” she grinned.  Image © Chris Smith Photography Manipulation © Jenandra

(This post was last modified: Aug 14, 2015, 02:50 AM by Raela.)

            

ooc: Aaaaaaand fading out. Go team!

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Calanthe cringed even lower still as she listened to Raela's explanation. Oh. Oh. No wonder it was never outright discussed - but it was still there, constantly, in the way the older members of the pack sometimes spoke or looked. There had seemed to be some sort of lingering shadow over them, and maybe that was part of why Calanthe felt so at home here: It was the same sort of shadow she carried still with her.

That really had been an incredibly rude question to ask...

"Thank you for sharing that with me," she murmured after a moment. "I'm... glad that I know now, so that I won't open an old wound by accident."

She dropped her eyes again - but perked up at Raela's mention of the little ones. The other wolf had a fair point: The pups were too young to judge, and didn't have the firm views of the world that an older wolf would. They would definitely feel easier to bond with than their older pack mates.

"You're right; they probably aren't a bad place to start - and I like little ones," she added with another tentative smile at Raela. Then she turned her eyes back to the storm again, squinting against the slight mist that sprayed in at them. This storm wouldn't last much longer - and like every other storm, it would leave peace in its wake. Some things might be broken, but they would make way for new things that were stronger.

She could only hope there were better things ahead for her, too. She was tired of the storm.