Secluded Spring Sleeping in silence....

The other seemed to hold no words to his, and silence enveloped the small group. Ruiko’s gaze drifted from the stranger to fixate upon Nina as she approached him, his eyes worrying over her as they scanned the scar over her right eye. Nina had become a great part of the Creek pack, and it was only from this that the regal took her words so seriously and placed his trust in them.

After his healer said her part, the tawny male allowed his bright amber eyes to flicker over the stranger once more, his tail giving an idle flick. Nina held a point – with her injury and Volkan’s disappearance, the Creek pack was weaker than it had been before.. and they had three mouths to feed. “What’s your name?” His tone was softer now, though still not welcoming. If the male could provide a decent introduction and was interested in joining a pack.. Ruiko held no qualms about introducing a trial member to his family.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Durai</font> paused. He let the cold silence fill him up with anxiety. Now what? His heart struggled to wrangle with guilt inside of it. Was that one rabbit worth all of this? Probably not. He still didn't tuck tail and run, but finally looked up and calmed down, relieved with the soft tone of the leader but he knew he still wasn't off the hook. "Durai," he replied firmly, not making eye contact with the female or the alpha wolf. He only looked behind them, in the distance.

Water tricked in the river beside him, creating a peaceful scene. Far out there were blue mountains and trees, but not to mention-more water. He thought about the only reason this leader didn't tear him to shreds. A loyal female wolf that the leader seemed to trust in fully, but also, a merciful male in front of his face. He could smell the other wolves in the air. The smell of milk and pups, faint, the wind serving it to his nose continuously. He guilt kept getting up to walk out, but that smell just held it down more. With a deep breath, he waited for a response.

May be a potential Copper Rock Creek packmate ?!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/NinaTable.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 312px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; text-align:justify;">Soon a small, silent sigh escaped her muzzle and her ears twitched as the two conversed. It seemed that the male in front of her had gotten the message. Ruiko was not a wolf to mess around with and luckily enough, he had not been attacked. Though she had not seen the Tainn fight, she was sure he could stomp another into the ground in instants. Muscles flexed beneath her shoulder blades as se crouched next to Ruiko, her sparkling emerald eye shining as she stared at the male in front of her. It should be an easy enough task to answer her leader’s questions, as long as he did so truthfully. Her tail wagged slightly behind her, as once again, the male’s name was spoken out.

Durai should be lucky if he got into the pack. It was a chance for family, and truthfully, they did need another hunter. Losing Volkan had been highly unfortunate, though Nina had not approved of the lady’s judging skills, the lady had still been a pack mate, and she had worried briefly about where her pack mate had disappeared from. It had not been pleasant for Nina to find out about it though. At first, the two of them seemed to be getting along just fine. . .until the incident with Koda. With a blink of her eye, she zoned back into the conversation that the two wolves in front of her were having.

Ruiko was met with a single response; the wolf’s name. There was a pregnant pause in the air as the tawny Leader allowed the stranger to speak more – but it became apparent the wolf had nothing to add. His patience was wearing thin.. he wasn’t here to coax words out of a stranger’s mouth, he was here to keep his family safe. With a quick glance to Nina, Ruiko re-directed his gaze back to the male, his tongue smoothing over his lips.

“If you want to try to make use of yourself and settle to a home, you have the opportunity right now to tell me what your talents are,” he rumbled with a light growl, his agitation at the entire situation finally revealing once more. “But if you’re going to sit there like a sulking cub, you’d best take your meal and move away from our lands.” Those were his options: Ruiko left no room for argument as to what the stranger should do and he wasn’t going to stand here any longer wasting time when he and Nina had other places to be. Either way, a decision was going to be made by the stranger sooner rather than lingering.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Durai</font> didn't wait. His ears perked. "I'm strong." He wanted to add, 'not as strong as you' but intended to be confident and prideful in his own talent. He sat up straight. "And I'm a good block for the hunt." He gloriously added, not trying to gloat or look like a pup. He had figured out his place in the hunting formation when he was younger, with his native pack. He ignored the leader's sharp growl of impatience, although he recoiled slightly for two instances. He thought this wolf was going to take a chomp out of Durai.

"And...I'm loyal," he responded. He had a knack for staying with other wolves for long periods of time because he couldn't find himself leaving a friend. So, that was true. He wasn't just lying to himself. He nodded respectfully. He thought of something else. An ear flicked with irritation. A bee kept buzzing around, and two dragonflies kept snatching up his glances but he finally said it, "I won't cause your pack trouble." He said honestly. Although he wasn't known to be low-maintenance and trouble-less, he could pull it off.

May be a potential Copper Rock Creek packmate ?!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/NinaTable.png); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 312px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; text-align:justify;">Losing Kanosak, Willie, and Volkan had been a terrible fate for the pack of wolves. And having another male in the pack was never a bad thing. The answers that he listed off were good enough for her. They would need strong and loyal wolves within the Creek. Her body moved forward, pressing slightly against Ruiko. It was a message to him. One that told him thanks for trusting her and taking a chance, but also telling him that she would respect any decision he would make about the male, and whatever he said, would go. Her emerald eye sparkled at the other man as she took another few steps away.

The new man would be a wonderful member and a tragic lose, but it didn’t matter. She was just happy at how Ruiko was handling the situation instead of ripping the other male’s head off. It would have been an ugly sight, and Nina would be unsure if she would have been able to stomach the sight, for as a Healer it was a sad thing to watch another die and be in pain. It was just against what they believed in. And if one fell underneath their paws, it would always be a sight to sore eyes for them.

“Earn your keep then, Durai,” he offered, his tone firm but soft as his eyes settled upon Nina. Loyalty was important to him, and it seemed these days it was waning with the many wolves that came and went as if nothing was important to them. The male had made a mistake, but Ruiko would not hold it against him – unless he proved to be absolutely worthless.

As his fellow pack member moved toward him, her figure pressing against him in gratitude, the regal male dipped his muzzle to preen her ear in return – a gesture of trust and silent thankfulness that she remained with them.. Nina had faced her own hardships, and yet her loyalty had never swayed. For this he was grateful.

With one last glance to the male, Ruiko gave a nod to the direction of the pack den. It was his own gesture of a silent welcome, and without another word, the tawny wolf prowled towards his densite, eager to see his children. Whether Durai or Nina followed was up to them.